Ahhhh.... memories of the four course range!
- hours spent in the sweaty box of the Link Trainer, more akin to balancing on a rolling log than flying an airplane, separating the A's from the N's; marvelling at the technology of the crab as it scribed across the glass table top
- doing a perfectly executed (IMHO) lost orientation on my very first instrument ride, under the kindly gaze of the DOT inspector, the late, great Alf Lord (aka 'God', of course) who, to my total disgust only granted a Class 2 instrument rating, confirming forever the rank, discriminatory attitude of old buggers against the struggling and deserving youth of the world
- pounding across the Red and Green airways of northern Ontario in the dead of winter at 92 KIAS, trying to pick out the A's and N's amid the precipitation static before a circling approach into Kapuskasing, etc., etc.
But the best story came from a slightly older colleague (gone but not forgotten) relating his days as a newly minted F/O on a TCA DC-3, being granted the honour of flying the range approach at Ottawa, while the Great Man prepared himself to take over and demonstrate his superior skill by doing the landing. As they passed the cone of silence and approached minima, the F/O intently awaiting the 'runway in sight' call, a loud "AAAARRRRGGHH" emanated from the left seat and he gingerly asked "what's wrong sir, which engine failed?".
"AAAAARRRGGHH, Montreal just scored a goal!!!". He had the #1 LF receiver tuned to the nightly hockey game on CBC!
Last edited by twochai; 22nd Oct 2008 at 14:06.