The Wings are NOT on Fire

My checkride was set up last minute, there were problems with my paper work, and IFR weather (instrument weather--the kind I can't fly in) was closing in around where we planned to go. However, the checkride went on and I passed. I don't know how I passed. Somehow I did a steep turn to the left without making too many mistakes. We ended the checkride by testing my landings at Tacoma, an airport I'd never been to.

If you've ever played a first person videogame--such as Half-life--and gotten stuck where you are almost dead, but for some reason you've managed to just barely hang in there and keep going, and you're going farther than you thought you could but any moment you could slip up...just trying to make it to the next health, or the next weapon drop...thats what my checkride felt like. One screwed up maneuver and I would be going home without a license. But I passed. I kicked ass on the oral quizzing and my checkride examiner didn't mind too much that I almost flew into SeaTac's airspace accidentally. So...I have a license now. I can fly planes.

Good thing to...because my checkride started at Boeing Field, and it ended at Tacoma, because that is where the examiner was based out of. My first flight as a real pilot was basically commuting home from the test. I thought that was humorous. At the time it was a bit scary.

Then, as I'm coming back to Boeing, another small plane was near me and at the same altitude and also inbound for Boeing AND their callsign sounded just like mine. That made for a great five minutes on the radio. But I eventually spotted them, and they passed me, and then I made a little mistake with the flaps that we won't tell anybody about, and I was home.

Then I had a few hours to kill, and then it was off to teach a bunch of girls how to salsa dance. That went ok. I managed to teach them the basic step and the right turn. I couldn't do anything else, though, because they had a lot of trouble with the right turn. Its hard to teach 6 people at once, but I have to admit I enjoyed it.

Then, Sunday, I saw Pirate Radio, which was awesome. Afterwards we went to the Cheesecake Factory. In case you've never been to The Cheesesteak Factory, let me describe it for you. It is an odd mix of fancy and...the opposite of fancy. It is a place with multiple forks to each place setting, but also a ton of advertisements in the menu. The most remarkable thing is the size of the portions. For a restaurant that specializes in cheesecakes, they sure try hard to make you so stuffed you won't want any. Each entree could probably feed a small family for a week. I actually ate so much last night that I woke up after only four hours of sleep, feeling too nauseous to lie down again. I spent the next four hours semi-huddled in front of my tv with a glass of water, learning about the early Pilgrims and also the July 20 plot on the history channel and then went to work. I was still so full that I skipped breakfast and lunch. Somehow, with a ton of coffee that almost made me feel sick, I survived work with less than half my team observing me doze off. And now here I am staying up late again.

So...what to do now. I have a bunch of friends to hang out with, a car that needs maintenance, some skiis to buy, some pictures to hang, an apartment to furnish...oh and I should probably go flying some time. If we ever get another clear day. Some of you have asked me if I do a lot of cool twisty turny things. The short answer is no. This video actually shows the most exciting thing pilots like me ever do (and live). Its wierd...the shots of those planes landing really aren't all that exciting, but knowing what goes into it makes it really interesting to me. I'm probably young enough to still make it into the military or an airline, but you should be glad that I don't.