Private Pilot Check Ride ✓
I am usually not a morning person, at all, but on the morning of my check ride I was up after my first alarm. It usually have to set at least 10 alarms (and press snooze around 25 times) before I can even begin to face the day, but today was a special day. I was up and ready before the sun even began to rise. As I arrived at the airport the sun peaked over the horizon and lit up a clear blue sky. I knew it was going to be a perfect day.
I started my check ride at eight thirty sharp. I wasn’t nervous like I was the previous time, but more anxious to get it over with. I had spent months repeating lessons and canceling due to weather, and this could be the day I finally end all the stress. The oral portion of the check ride was kept short. I was only asked the questions I had missed the previous time, and to a great extent at that. After finishing the oral, I was pumped up. The hardest part for me was over. The flight I could handle; I knew what I was capable of and what I was expected to do.
I took my time to complete my pre-flight. I double checked everything on the checklist. The last thing I needed was to miss something and have to discontinue my check ride, again. A small ping of nervousness settled in my stomach as I saw the examiner walking towards the plane, but I quickly pushed it away. Nothing was going to get in my way of finishing off my check ride strong. We both hopped in the plane, ran through the rest of the checklist, got the current ATIS, did our run-up, and got a taxi clearance from ATC. I was given a taxi clearance to runway 31 and the examiner informed me that we would be flying southbound. Great. Two things I was not very familiar with: runway 31 and the practice area located south of the airport. Although a little discouraged, I kept my head high and taxied over to the runway.
My takeoff went smoothly and I got out to the practice area with no issues. We climbed up to 3,000 feet and started with slow flight and then took it straight to a power off stall. Following that was a power on stall and steep turns- all which went remarkably well. I was then instructed to climb up to 4,500 feet while under the hood. Once at 4,500 feet, I did some simulated instrument work followed by unusual attitudes. To finish off in the practice area I did a simulated emergency descent down to 2,000 feet to do turns around a point. I was able to get into the pattern and execute my first touch and go perfectly. The examiner turned to me during the next pattern and said (while laughing) that I should have made my first touch and go a little less perfect, because now he was expecting two more beautiful landings. The rest of my time in the pattern was hectic. After every touch and go, ATC switched me to the opposite side of the pattern. I was worried I would become too distracted and enter right traffic instead of left traffic, or left instead of right, but there were no issues. Oh, and don’t worry, my next two landings were beautiful.
During the taxi off of runway 31, the examiner looked at me with a big smile on his face and said, “well, if you can get us back to the ramp without killing us, then I’d call it a pass!” I was beaming from ear to ear. I had finally done it. After two years and eight months, I was finally able to hold the piece of paper that officially stated I was a licensed pilot.
It was a bit ironic that I received my pilot’s license on good old April Fool’s Day. After years of struggle, stress, and tears from delays, cancellations, and discouraging words, I finally was able to get through it all, on the day of April 1st. Although it falls on a day full of jokes, nothing will ever ruin the fact that it was the day my dreams came true.
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