61 Reasons To Be Happy

Who am I kidding? Nobody is that happy. But I do have reasons to be happy. Things are finally going my way at school. That means no more training under CFR 14-142. No more waiting for a Seneca (of which both are down again as of today) to train in. The new chief flight instructor at the school lasted all of two months. Today his replacement turned out to be the previous chief, who hated his cargo job and decided to come back. He is much more competent and not a micro-managing control freak. Morale with the school's flight instructors has noticeably improved. There are now many reasons to be happy at flight school.

I feel like I've been unshackled from a 500lb weight. Today was lesson number one with new instructor, another really good guy. He had planned on introducing me to commercial maneuvers, not knowing that I had already done them and was proficient with all. Then he started planning for our dual day & night cross country flights. Already done.

After finally getting to communicate with someone at The School about where I stand, it appears that all I really need to do is one long cross-country and about 10-12 hours in a single engine Piper Arrow to get proficient with it's "complex" systems. I have a little time in Arrows, but have never done commercial maneuvers. From what I understand, the really tricky one is the power off 180. Arrows are pretty nose heavy, so I'm sure it will take some practice to master them. Having not done them in an Arrow, I can only guess that it's pretty much turn straight for the numbers. I doubt there's much of a base. We'll see.

Since he hadn't flown with me before, we went up for a mock check ride so he could evaluate my flying progress. We did Chandelles, Lazy Eights, a Steep Spiral, Eights on Pylons, short & soft takeoffs and landings a couple of power off 180's and some emergencies. Pretty basic stuff. When we landed, he said he had no concerns about cutting me loose for the cross country and time building needed to reach 250 (not that much).

I've decided to do the long cross country on Friday. According to 61.129, it requires three points with a minimum of 300 total nautical miles and one leg of at least 250 nautical miles from the departure point. From KIWA, here are the options I have:

• El Paso - Tucson - I lived there for nearly a year, but it seemed like a decade. Blech. Sorry (or perdon) if that offends any UTEP fans or El Paso natives.
• North Las Vegas - Laughlin/Bullhead or Saint George, UT - VGT is almost exactly 250 nautical miles, plus there's a free shuttle to the strip. Hmm...a free ride to the blackjack tables. That could be dangerous.
• San Diego, Montgomery Field - Carlsbad or Palm Springs - This is a nice trip. I've done it before. Fuel is inexpensive there and they usually have a courtesy car. Top contender.
• Albuquerque - Flagstaff - This time of year can make that a touchy trip to plan in a puddle jumping Cherokee with nothing but carb heat and a defroster.
• Van Nuys - Palm Springs - I have yet to fly to Van Nuys and if I don't make it this time, will definitely plan to go there.
• Long Beach - Ontario - This one might be fun too. Get right in the thick of it with SoCal. A diversion to Catalina Island might become necessary too.

Well, those are the choices I've given myself. Except for El Paso, they all have certain merits. If anyone wants to sell me on El Paso, feel free. I'm listening. Other than that, which one sounds like the best trip? Any suggestions on destinations not listed?

I still have to time build for another 20-25 hours, so which ever ones don't get selected will be open for future flights. I wish the Bay Area was just a little closer. Now that would be fun.