(missed a word)
Interesting weekend in terms of we believe that was the first time balloon pilot & passengers had to go thru security screening. No TSA here, USSS & RPD were the screeners. Very through but much better attitude then those screeners. They really were from the government & they were there to help.
Got five of six flights in for the weekend, including three of four during the TFR. Ultimately, winds never took us directly towards Bridgewater.
I know some of you guys on here, and I just wanted to say I am finally in the process of getting my helicopter license after so many years of talking about it.
I’ve got a ways to go, and even yesterday was complete shitshow overload when I switched from a Schweizer 300 to a R22, but I still love it, and am glad I’m doing it.
I learned in an R22. After a lapse when I was regaining currency, my instructor said ‘You learned in an R22, didn’t you?’ I told him I did, and asked how he knew. He said, ‘You’re on top of the aircraft.’
I prefer the 300, but IMO the R22 autorotates better. It’s like it’s ‘smoother’ or something.
I had my biennial flight review today (which went fine) but during the ground portion the instructor got a phone call.
I knew something was up. Turns out his dad died :eek:
Even though it was not unexpected I feel a bit guilty taking his time.
He did say “well there is nothing I could do about it”
When I was instructing I brought a student to a checkride at the regional FSDO, to be conducted by a senior inspector. I was sitting in on the oral exam, which was going OK. Then the inspector got a phone message that his son had been taken to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy.
Despite the nerves that students feel when being examined by the FAA, I know the inspectors are under considerable pressure too. Flying with checkride applicants put them at some risk of liability, they have to do things by the book and are under a lot of scrutiny. And they’re supposed to have a reason when they discontinue a checkride.
So it was quite something to see this guy stopped in his tracks. He just didn’t know what to do, and was seemingly trapped in his thinking between the duty to his son and what the FAA would think of him bolting in the middle of a checkride. I actually had to urge him to go. Not only was that the right thing for him to do, I suspected he’d have a harder time being a hard-ass on my student when we resumed the checkride.
Did a photo shoot at a salvage yard this weekend. The pieces & parts of old USAF planes that were there was incredible!
[ul]
[li]A TWA 707[/li][li]A ‘wall’ of at least 15 engines with some old fuselages on top.[/li][li]A ‘wall’ of F4 fuselage parts.[/li][li]An F-86 cockpit sitting on top of an old school bus[/li][li]The F-86 canopy was sitting on the roof of a car across the way.[/li][li]A KC-97 (cargo/tanker version of a B-29) cockpit sitting on top of an old school bus.[/li][li]Lots of stuff I couldn’t quite identify but it was from the aluminum skin days, like this.[/li][/ul]
The first production run was largely a straight copy of the original British Canberra, with the British style cockpit canopy. Later models changed to a fighter-style canopy, as did the later British B(I).8 version.