4:33 PM -- More pictures --

 
5:29 PM -- Instruments Done! --

 
9:14 PM -- X-C! --

The coolest thing that has happened lately was my cross country this weekend. It was really awesome to get offstation, let alone fly there! I actually ended up going with the ip who hooked me on my checkride! He is a nice guy, and as I said before I basically hooked myself so it was cool to fly with him and show him I could fly the jet.

We took off on Friday afternoon and flew to pretty much the only place in Texas whose weather could accomadate us, San Angelo. We were planning to leave there and go to, well, anywhere, but the weather didn't cooperate. So we did another local sortie at San Angelo and then went to a hotel. We all changed into our "cool" gear and went to a restaurant then out to a club. The IP's all said San Angelo was going to be crappy but we all ended up having a pretty good time. It is pretty cool on cross country since you can hang out with the IPs on a personal level without the whole teacher/student vibe.

We left San Angelo the next afternoon (morning was NOT going to work...) and flew to Waco. We had to go over the Brownwood MOA (Military Operations Area) to get there so we climbed up to 25,000 feet, or FL250. I was psyched to read back my first clearance up to a flight level. We shot a ton of approaches at Waco (dodging the prohibited area around the bosses ranch)and then flew to Alliance Forth Worth. Alliance was a great time, more clubbing, even went to a Hockey game...They even played "The good old hockey game" by Stompin' Tom! Stompin' Tom in Texas...go figure.

Sunday we left Fort Worth and flew to College Station (Home of Texas A&M) and then back to Kelly AFB in San Antonio where we parked for the night next to 6 F-15Es Basically at each airport we would get there with about 1200 pounds of gas and would fly 3-4 approaches then full stop. It was pretty busy flying all those approaches one after the other but it was a great time. We flew the "triple threat" at Forth Worth, which is a PAR into Navy Fort Worth, followed by quick vectors to an ILS at Meecham field, then you are basically on final for the ILS at Alliance. 3 approaches in about 10 minutes is pretty hectic, but I did pretty well. My IP said most students "melt" during that series so I was pretty proud of myself.

I had a blast at College Station. We flew a backcourse localizer and then cancelled IFR and stayed with the tower for 8 overheard patterns. We were pulling closed (pulling 5 g's on departure leg with a turn and climb to downwind) over and over and dodging cessnas and piper warriors. I was pretty stoked to hear "Cessna N123, cleared to land, caution wake turbulence departing T-37" My first wake turbulence call!! My IP asked what I was so excited about and laughed pretty loud when I told him. That and my first clearance to a flight level in one weekend, yeeha!

Got back this morning and had my last sim session, pretty cool to not have to do that anymore. The sim was pretty cake after all the approaches I got to fly this weekend. I guess it's a good sign when the IP is reading a paper right? Now I have 3 more flights then my instrument ride, which I will hopefully kick ass on (as long as I don't hook though, knock knock, since it would SUCK to wait all christmas break for an 89 ride!!) Anyway, sorry for the slow updates, been kind of busy double turning to get done by Christmas. More to come, formation in January!

 
7:29 PM -- Final contact complete. --

So I get back and the IP shows me an email on his desk talking about recent checkride trends...Ahoy. The first one is "Failing to meet altitude restrictions on departures" Crap. So I go through the debrief knowing I'm screwed and yup, I hooked. I got 6 downgrades over all not including the unsat for departure. Would have otherwise been an excellent ride. I was so pissed, still am at myself for making such a stupid mistake. If I had visualized the departure JUST ONCE before doing it I would have caught it.

So what happens when you hook a checkride is you go to an "88" ride where they basically see if you have what it takes to continue in the program. If you fail that you go to an "89" or elimination check where they really take a close look at you and see if you will be able to pass.

You fly an 88 with another flight commander and an 89 with the squadron commander or DO. I flew my 88 today and basically all I had to do was fly a safe departure, which I have done every ride since like my third flight! So I wasn't very stressed and managed to fly it just fine, and then the IP took the airplane and flew the entire rest of the sortie while I just sat there and was thankful the whole ordeal was over with.

Now I am on to instrument flying and then a month or so from now formation, which is going to rock. Looking forward to both actually. Spaghetti time.

 
7:25 PM -- Final contact check tomorrow --

I already know my profile, which will include a straight in to the aux field, then my normal stall series in the area with a Split-S and Cuban 8 thrown in. I also have to do a lazy 8 and a Chandelle!!! Thought I was done with those when I did my commercial checkride back in Florida, oh well.

Am psyched to get this ride over with so I can start concentrating on instruments, as well as the cross country I am going on this weekend that I have done ZERO planning for, except to decide with a buddy we are going to New Orleans. All I need, more gambling...

 
8:32 PM