I did 4 good landings today in the PiperSport. The instructor didn't have to do much, he wasn't nervous or worried, and he had good critiques to smooth out my pattern and approach.

In addition to landings, we also reviewed power off stalls, slow flight and made some lazy 8's for the fun of it.

After 5 months of slouching off, I have some studying to do. Lucky for me, the weather should be crummy this weekend so I should be able to get some good study time.

******

In other news, Joshua is preparing for a play this Saturday called the Pirates of the Curry Bean. Elliot's new favorite show is Kung Fu Panda, Adventures of Awesomeness, which airs on nickelodeon. This evening he wanted me to capture his new dance moves:

This is a PiperSport aircraft:

I flew one today. :-D

I logged 1.3 hours of flight during a long lunch break. My takeoff was good, maneuvers were OK (I need to practice turns on a point) and landing was alright considering I hadn't landed in 5 months and I was in an airplane all new to me.

The best part was flying- hands down. I was giddy and nervous and excited. A whole pot of grins.

The second best part was casually letting a colleague know I just flew an airplane during my lunch break. His jaw dropped. "Just now?? You were flying an airplane just now?! Like out there?"

I love that. :-)

This is the airplane before we pulled it out from the hanger and took it out:

MY MEDICAL CERTIFICATE!!

Apparently my case was reviewed by a LOT of people. My paperwork started at Oklahoma City (OK), then went to Fort Worth, then back to OK, then to Fort Lauderdale, then Washington D.C. then to OK, back to Fort Worth and back to OK. During all this transit my Super AME kept track of it along the way tracking down where it was and who had it.

An hour after I got this lovely piece of paper from my AME, I met with the owner/manager guy at US Sport Aircraft to sign up with them. I will be finishing my license with glass panel, light weight sport aircraft.

Some notable differences compared to the older Cessnas I was flying:

• all glass panel dashboard
• "joystick" style yoke
• 2-seater
• clam shell opening glass roof IS the door
• the craft is practically brand new
• wings are below the fuselage
• the airplanes are washed routinely

I get to go up Friday morning to meet the instructor and start acclimating to the airplane. yippee!!

I'm going to get my Medical Certificate!!!!

My Super AME called to say the FAA approved of my case. I'll go to the doc's office tomorrow afternoon to fill out another examination form and then walk out with my certificate.

I am grinning ear to ear!

tr[repeat=happy dance]

Now to get back in the air. Details to follow.

There is still no update. :-( The Super AME has been traveling instead of processing my paperwork. I've left a message. I'll leave another one tomorrow.

We met a new flight school instructor for Rusty. Lone Star Flyers is a small shop with three instructors and three planes for rent: 2 newer models with glass panel dashboards and one slightly older plane with the dials. I'm very interested in learning the glass panel craft as well as continuing on the older dials. I liken it to driving a standard transmission car (which I have) in that if you're comfy with the manual way (dials), the automatics (glass panels) will be ridiculously easy.

Rusty has probably 2-3 weekends worth of flying time left then he's ready for his check-ride. I, however, have a longer path. For this reason, I'm in no rush now to find a new school or instructor yet. I am in a rush to get my medical but it's out of my hands to make that move faster than the government.

As soon as I get word of when my medical certificate is granted, I will pursue the pleasure of flight every chance I get.