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Wednesday, 15 April 2009
1956 - No checkride tomorrow, dammit
I've been working for 6 months on earning a sport pilot flight instructor rating. The final step in the process was scheduled for tomorrow: an intense 4 hours or so of oral and flight tests with a designated examiner.
That's off now. The examiner told me she's not comfortable with flying in a Zodiac.
My schedule for the next couple of months is about to get hairy. I have no idea when, or if, I'll be able to reschedule. The examiner I've been talking to is the only one in the area who does this type of test. There's one other one in the region, up in Superior, Wisconsin; even if he's willing to do it, we'll have to schedule a time when I'll be home and not working.
I'm at a loss. I want to go smash something, but there's nothing available.
location: 56031
current mood: ![[mood icon]](https://www.livejournal.com/img/mood/neko/kaokitty/pissed.gif) pissed off
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Comments:
A combination of a somewhat feeble excuse and rather unfair timing. I'm not unhappy with the examiner. If she's not comfortable in my airplane, then I'm not going to try to twist her arm. I was planning on offering her the chance to back out if she wasn't comfortable anyway.
I operate on "the most scared pilot wins" rule: if I'm flying with someone else who has a concern with some basis in reality, or even a concern that may not have one, then I'll act on that concern even if I don't share it. In this case, the examiner is a lady who's got lots of aviation experience and lots of advanced ratings, and if she's not comfortable, then that's it.
The timing is mainly what's got me pissed off. If the checkride had happened just a cvouple of days earlier, I'd have the ticket by now. Does she have a LSA that can be used? Alarus nearby, perchance?
As soon as I read what you wrote, I said "Oh, for pete's...."
Now, I'm not certain we're to the very bottom of this issue yet - but it is being looked at and worked on, and this is the exact same thing that goes on with any and all planes, up to and including the damn 737 with the same rudder actuator that's caused rudder reversal and crashes several times.
Additionally, having seen quite a few LSA's with.... iffy plans and construction techniques, it seems odd she's going to get squeamish over a Heinz design, with a few problems, and a *lot* of examples without that problem flying.
So, yeah, no point in twisting her arm, but I've kind of got to say I'm uncomfortable with the only person you can get this from being that squeamish - when the FAA says "Works for us".
Sorry to hear about the problem - hey, any chance you can drop Zenair a line and see if maybe they can help you out, get a DE up your way? They might know of some DE's willing to travel - and ride in a 601. The Alarus isn't an LSA. I could use any LSA airplane, but I'd need a minimum of 5 hours of rental to get signed off to fly it solo (insurance requirements).
I spoke to the local FAA office this morning. They're trying to drum up an examiner in Wisconsin who'd be willing to do the checkride. You could smash a Zodiac....I hear that people are not comfortable flying in them... That sucks. *hugs* |
