Zero to Private License in less than 8 weeks!

Well, it's been 6 very busy weeks. Today I completed my final solo before my FAA check ride. I can't believe that I've gone from zero to 40 hours in just six weeks! Since the school I attend is FAA Part 141/142, I have to complete a final stage check ride and an end of course check ride prior to the FCC check.

With the excellent ground and flight instruction I've received so far, I am confident that I will have no problems passing the FAA oral exam and check ride.

In case anyone is interested an FAA Check includes about a 2 1/2 hour oral exam where the FAA examiner quizzes the prospective pilot on: aerodynamics, weight & balance, aircraft systems, weather, cross country flight planning, navigation, airspace and federal aviation regulations. If and/or when you pass the oral portion, you move on to the flight portion. The flight portion consists of: pre-flight procedures, aircraft component knowledge, airworthiness requirements, ground procedures, adherence to checklists, unusual and emergency flight procedures, radio communications, take offs and landings including: normal, short and soft field, flight maneuvers including: slow flight, power on and off stalls, steep turns, unusual attitude recovery, ground reference maneuvers, instrument flight, crew resource managment, positive exchange of flight controls, sound pilot in command judgement, pilotage, dead reckoning, VOR, NDB and GPS navigation, V-speeds.

I'm probably forgetting some now, but it's late and I'm really tired. I started the day at 6 a.m., planned and flew a 3 hour cross country, went to 3 hours of ground school and then drove 120 miles to get to my current job. No whining or sniveling. It will be worth it.

If all goes well, I should have my private by the end of the 1st week of June. I'm so excited.