Endorsements

12-18-04 B signs all the endorsements I need. Also he extends my solo endorsement for the L13 and PW5. I need three instructional flights within 90 days of the test, and my October flights will expire before 1/19. So I need to fly... but winds ground us in the afternoon and I have to leave without flying. Should not be a problem to get flights in the next month.

Practical test day ... NOT!

Oral & Practical test day. I'm worried about the weather because the wind is easterly and strong. If they reverse operations, I've never flown that way! But that turns out not to be a problem.

The BIG problem is that when they check my paperwork, I do not have a couple of endorsements I need! Apparently none of my instructors knew this: you need an endorsement for aerotow in order to be PIC on aerotow. Also, I need my written test endorsed stating that I have received instruction in all areas missed. Plus, they never endorsed my student pilot cert for solo, just my logbook.

So I can't take my test. R's next available date is Jan. 19, so we rebooked for then. Big bummer!

Practical practice

12-04-04 One solo flight from 4000' AGL, to practice the practical sequence. Lousy weather, cold with a front coming in, but a 8000' AGL ceiling so at least we could glide. Funny takeoff - I kind of oscillated back and forth laterally. Maybe I was not reducing my rudder inputs as speed picked up. Good wake box. Good straight stalls and turning without spoilers. Turning with spoilers did not seem to want to fully stall. Some turbulence over the hills, maybe wind picking up. No lift, just a little zero sink. Fine landing.

I thought T might let me fly the PW5 but he left while I was flying the Blanik - I guess he was not feeling well and I don't think he wanted to be the one to send me up, although he did sign my book for it.

Grounded

11-27-04 Tried to beat the weather, but before we could take off the fog and mist came in, so we all left.

Floating and hanging

Nov: Consensus of the instructors and rec.aviation.soaring comments is that you can't do this in a Blanik unless you have a lot of room to float. Someone pointed me to an FAA bulletin that clarified that you don't need to land without brakes. I pointed this out to the inspector and he agreed. But then I had three weeks when I could neither practice nor take a Friday off for the test.

Then after Thanksgiving I called back and T's retiring! He pushed me off to R. I called him the next week, and he pushed me off a bit. He wants to have another guy work with him on my test for training purposes. So we're tentatively set for Dec. 16 or 17.

Also studying the PW5 manual and the Transition to Single Seat book.