# I get my initial checkride this weekend... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 2, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141 "2003-01-02T03:31:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/1 "2003-01-02T03:31:34Z")
…and I’m excited. 🙂 It’s been a long time coming. Some of you have followed my career progression from the beginning, others looked with interest, and still more of you got sick to hell of me in the past year. Well, this is what it’s all about. Initial qualification. The ride that gets me qualified to do my part. Finally. Almost a year to the day that I graduated BMT. I’m nervous about it, as you would expect, and my examiner is a tough-as-nails SOB, but he’s fair, and very thorough, and will make me do my absolute best, as it should be. However, I know my job as well as anyone else on the airplane, and I took my open and closed book tests and whipped them, so now it’s up to me to do my job. Then I can be a fully mission qualified aircrew member and I can walk around wearing the leather jacket and no longer be considered a student, I’ll be a knowledgeable and valuable member of the team. I can then also go to the sandbox and do my part, should I have to, instead of sitting on the sidelines, which I loathe. I’m actually looking forward to that a little bit. My first deployment. 🙂 So this is a big day for me coming up. Wish me luck and hope I don’t mess up, even though there’s no chance of that. 🙂 I’ll let you know how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/2 "2003-01-02T04:59:58Z")
Good luck sweetie, and don’t mess up. So you know I’m already sick to hell of you (kidding, of course…), but I know you’ll kick ass. It’s probably selfish to hope you don’t have to go off and fight, because I doubt I’d get a decent night sleep until you’re back in the States, but seeing as it’s what you want, I hope you end up overseas. You’ll be great. Just make sure you make it bak to Robyn and Aaron and all of us here who are praying for you, or I’ll have to hunt you down and kick your punk ass… Seriously though. Good luck hon. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/3 "2003-01-02T05:15:16Z")
Good luck, dude. You’ve aimed high, and you’re still accelerating. Good for you. ---
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/4 "2003-01-02T15:11:49Z")
[singing] Nothing can stop Airman Doors, US Air Force [/singing] Your objective…kick ass and tell us how you did. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/5 "2003-01-02T15:20:11Z")
Sweet dude. A long road it has been, of that I am sure…but a fun one nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/6 "2003-01-02T15:33:18Z")
No sweat Airman. By the quality of your posts I know you’ll do well whatever you do. Kick some Serious ass! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/7 "2003-01-03T03:45:33Z")
You’re primed, you’re rested (well, not really), and you’re ready. Now go on your flight and show the bastards what you can do. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/8 "2003-01-03T03:56:02Z")
Kickass, man! Which airframe (and what’s yer AFSC again?)? Tripler A lowly snow shoveler. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/9 "2003-01-03T04:18:32Z")
The EC-130E “Commando Solo”, the Mothership of All Surrenders. 🙂 And my AFSC is 1A331, Airborne Communications and Electronics Specialist. Soon to be 1A351. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/10 "2003-01-03T04:32:26Z")
What’s your rank again? I forget. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/11 "2003-01-03T04:41:22Z")
Cool… You go… ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/12 "2003-01-03T11:16:02Z")
Good luck! Hey, what all are they testing you on? What are the hoops you have to go through? -Tcat ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/13 "2003-01-03T14:22:10Z")
Remember the rubber band goes clockwise. Always clockwise. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/14 "2003-01-03T18:25:58Z")
Been there, done that, with many checkrides and quals. And I’ve been nervous as hell for each one. So I know how you feel. Just keep a level head and you’ll be fine! I’ll wish you good luck, but I doubt you need it. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/15 "2003-01-03T19:55:17Z")
Airman left this morning at 9 am. No word yet on whether he passed his ride yet. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/16 "2003-01-03T20:23:23Z")
I don’t know if the weather has any effect on it, but I hope you guys don’t have to deal with all this snow we have up in Massachusetts! _crosses fingers for a sunny day_ ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/17 "2003-01-03T20:43:51Z")
Nope, no sunny day here; it’s snowing quite a lot. However, in Florida, where Airman is doing his flight, it’s cloudy and in the fifties. Lucky dog. 😉 Robin ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/18 "2003-01-03T21:07:41Z")
The plane went down, and the icing conditions were too severe, so the plane didn’t go. And I didn’t get my ride. _sigh_ I’m scheduled for next week, though, so all hope is not lost. besides, it gives me another week to bone up on my EPs. I take consolation in that. Other than that, there’s nothing else to report for now. I’ll revive this when it happens. BTW, my rank is Senior Airman, or E-4 as it were, **Rysdad**. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/19 "2003-01-15T23:30:58Z")
WOOHOO!!! I gots me my checkride, finally. And aced it. Therefore, I am now fully mission capable. Love me. No, really. Love me some more. I don’t mind. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141/20 "2003-01-15T23:34:35Z")
Outstanding Airman Doors, your fellow dopers had no doubt. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-get-my-initial-checkride-this-weekend/146141.md?page=2)