After the checkride: From sea to shining sea

Fly a true cross-country

March 1, 2017 By Dave Hirschman

The first true “cross-country” flight—one that stretches from sea to shining sea—is an unforgettable event for any general aviation pilot—and every such trip is a story in itself.

How

Make it Happen

If you don’t have an airplane of your own, volunteer as a ferry pilot. Aircraft dealers sometimes need pilots to move airplanes that have recently been bought or sold, although the timing of such trips and destinations won’t be of your choosing. (San Diego, California, to Jacksonville, Florida: 1,811 nautical miles. Seattle, Washington, to Bar Harbor, Maine: 2,212 nm.)

Team up: Pilot gatherings such as Sun ’n Fun and EAA AirVenture draw huge numbers of aircraft from distant locations. You can often find fellow travelers to share the cost of one airplane, or fly together in multiple aircraft.

Flying in a general aviation aircraft is one of the most exciting things you can do. Flying cross-country gives you the opportunity to see places and things in a way that most people never will. Flying across long distances gives a great opportunity to see the changing landscape.

There are mountains and deserts to contend with, wind and weather, and the capabilities of the aircraft and pilot. The pace can be leisurely, with time for sightseeing and dropping in on friends—or a pressing forced march with a tight deadline.

Along the way are milestones well known to pilots. Highlights of the southern route are the Colorado River, Meteor Crater, Guadalupe Pass, Red River, and the winding Mississippi. More northerly tracks bring higher elevations and stunning scenery: Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Great Sand Dunes, and Monarch Pass. Farther north, the “Lewis and Clark” route includes mountain ranges such as the Bitterroot, Sawtooth, Rockies, and Bighorns that eventually give way to lonely sentries such as the Devil’s Tower and the aptly named Badlands. If you think the United States is overcrowded, you may change your mind after seeing the vast expanses in western Kansas, or the windswept ocean of land in eastern Wyoming.

But whatever route you follow, your knowledge and appreciation for this incredible country will grow as a result of the trip. And so, too, will your respect for the aviation pioneers who made such experiences not only possible, but practical.

Success Stories

“At age 19, I went to the local airport and paid for my first flight lesson. A first solo and certification followed. The year was 1965. Then work and family took my time and money, and flying went to the sidelines.

“Forty-five years later, I returned to the left seat at the same airport. I flew a Diamond DA20 Katana, which was, coincidentally, built in the factory right at the other end of Taxiway G from my FBO. After talking to my instructor, Eric Meyer, I decided to move on to the DA40. It features the challenges of a constant speed/variable pitch prop, a Garmin G1000 glass display with autopilot, and a more powerful Lycoming engine. Lots of new details to master. Now, on every flight, I’m glad that I have moved up to a more sophisticated aircraft, and built my skills as well. Perhaps the DA42 Twin Star is next.”

Name: Dave Chalmers
Age: 70
Event: Returned to flying
Where: London International Airport, London, Ontario, Canada (CYXU)
Airplane: Diamond Star DA40

“On December 19, 2016, after struggling with numerous delays related to Minnesota weather, aircraft mechanical issues, and other complications, I was able to get up with Designated Pilot Examiner Barb Mack at Anoka County-Blaine Airport and complete my instrument rating checkride. Being an ‘older student,’ the learning didn’t come as quickly as I’d hoped, but my fabulous CFI, George Felix, never let me get discouraged and it was a great Christmas present to finally get the ticket.”

Name: Paul Meehl
Age: 49
Event: Instrument rating checkride
Where: Anoka County-Blaine Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota (ANE)
Airplane: Cessna 172

New Pilots

Battling butterflies

Setting aside ‘distractions,’ scholarship recipient earns ticket

By Dan Namowitz

Dream Maker

Achieving goals

The AOPA Flight Training Scholarship program, launched in 2011, focuses on facilitating a positive flight training experience that will encourage student pilots to achieve their goals. By helping to produce new pilots, the scholarship program also strives to ensure general aviation’s future, with scholarship recipients serving as ambassadors for GA and flight training on a grassroots level. Brian Gustin’s scholarship was established by Gretchen E. Harper in memory of her late husband. Rick served his country in the United States Army and later had a long career as a pilot for United Parcel Service starting in DC–8s and then flying Boeing 757s and 767s. “Rick was a hard-working, kind-hearted man with a passion for life,” said Gretchen. “His fascination with airplanes and flying started when he was 5 years old. He worked hard to establish his career as a pilot, loved his aviation career, and was excited to be able to mentor and encourage upcoming pilots to pursue their dreams.”

Web: www.aopa.org/scholarships

Brian Gustin has a colorful way of describing how he felt when he took off on the short hop from Prosser, Washington, to Hermiston, Oregon, where a designated pilot examiner—and a private pilot checkride—awaited his arrival. “I could have run out of fuel and the butterflies in my stomach would have kept me aloft,” said the semi-retired electrical engineer and volunteer firefighter.

Gustin had plenty of fuel remaining, of course, when he landed in Hermiston. And the butterflies disappeared—as they usually do—when his checkride got going.

After a long day of oral examination, flying, some vexing moments processing paperwork online, and finding himself and his DPE temporarily locked out of the office after the flight, Gustin finally returned to Prosser Airport a new private pilot—a dramatic finish for an aviation adventure launched tentatively during the snowbound quiet of the previous winter.

Suffering from the winter blahs, Gustin, 53, had picked up an old flight training manual to pass some time. Quickly he realized that the doldrums disappeared (like butterflies) as soon as he immersed himself in reading the words of the late flight training author and inspiration to countless pilots, William K. Kershner (The Student Pilot’s Flight Manual). Spring came, and Gustin started flight lessons, a goal thwarted in the past by a variety of life’s “distractions.”

He soloed at 20 hours. By September 2016 Gustin had launched into solo cross-countries, at which point his flight instructor, Robert (R.J.) Blahut, scheduled his checkride for September 16.

PILOT SPEAK

Hangar Queen
There are many definitions of a queen—from England to the band—but in this case, a hangar queen is an aircraft that is spending her years inside the hangar. She’s been in there for some time and is usually a lemon.

Ramp Rat
If you’re in a skate park, the kids on the boxes and barrels are ramp rats. If you’re on a BMX course, the kids on the bikes are ramp rats. But in general aviation, the kids hanging around the airport looking to bum a ride or hitch a flight after helping an owner are ramp rats. In some commercial aviation venues, linemen are also sometimes called ramp rats.

Gustin learned on Labor Day that the AOPA Foundation had awarded him a Richard R. and Gretchen E. Harper Scholarship in Memory of Richard R. Harper as one of 17 scholarship recipients in the 2016 AOPA Flight Training Scholarship program.

That relieved his training program’s budget crunch at a key moment, because his goal had been to wrap up the project before October, when the weather in south-central Washington state can be dicey, with high winds churning up low-level turbulence over the hilly terrain, he said. (How hilly? An early training technique he had learned was to climb after takeoff with the nose of the Cessna 172 pinned to 12,280-foot-high Mount Adams, visible to the west of Prosser.)

Gustin soon donned a view-limiting device and accomplished about a dozen hours of simulated instrument training. He has also begun looking into the possibility of moving on from being a renter-pilot to becoming an aircraft owner.

Does he have any advice for others getting ready to take a flight test? “If your flight instructor says you’re ready, you’re ready,” he said.

From the AOPA Pilot Information Center

Three-pilot formation

If you do the time, can you log the time?

We see some interesting requests for regulation interpretations in the AOPA Pilot Information Center. Although we do not interpret regulations, we do help clarify them for those seeking an answer.

Q. There are three pilots in a single-engine airplane, and all are single-engine rated—an instrument student (private pilot) in the front left seat who is flying the airplane, a commercial pilot in the right seat, and an instructor in the back seat. The student is wearing a view-limiting hood, the pilot in the right seat is the safety pilot, and the instructor in the back seat—who holds no medical certificate—is instructing the student. Can all three log PIC while the student is under the hood?

A. Oddly enough, the regulations support all three pilots logging the flight time as PIC. The sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which a pilot is rated can log PIC time. This covers our left-seat student wearing the hood. When a pilot acts as pilot in command on a flight for which more than one pilot is required under the regulations, the pilot can log PIC time. This pilot must occupy a control seat. This covers our right-seat safety pilot. And finally, a certificated flight instructor may log PIC flight time for all flight time while serving as the authorized instructor in an operation if the instructor is rated to act as pilot in command of that aircraft. As a control seat is not required, and he is neither acting as PIC or as safety pilot, this covers our backseat instructor.

Strange? Somewhat. Legal? You bet. Recommended? We just clarify the regulations. That ball is in your court.

Questions? Call 800-872-2672.

MEMBERSHIP

AOPA members have great benefits Resources for enjoyable flying experiences

AOPA offers resources, tools, and support pilots need to keep skills sharp, stay informed, and stay connected with the flying community.

Pilot Information Center. Seasoned pilots and aviation medical experts are just a phone call (800-872-2672) or email away. You can also go online for access to information most often requested by members.

Destinations. Plan your next trip with AOPA’s website resource that features an interactive airport information map, stories of GA destinations, and events.

Flight tools and TFR alerts. Continually updated and improved tools such as the AOPA Flight Planner, AOPA Go mobile app, AOPA Weather, and AOPA Airports Directory ensure AOPA members fly safe and smart.

AOPA also offers a dedicated toll-free number (800-232-7456) for student pilot members offering support, advice, and answers to help you reach your flight training goals.

For more information on AOPA membership benefits, visit the website.

Dave Hirschman

AOPA Pilot Editor at Large

AOPA Pilot Editor at Large Dave Hirschman joined AOPA in 2008. He has an airline transport pilot certificate and instrument and multiengine flight instructor certificates. Dave flies vintage, historical, and Experimental airplanes and specializes in tailwheel and aerobatic instruction.

Go to Dave Hirschman's Profile