iainpoll said
You know the rules, tell us all about it - the route the diversion, your screw up's etc. etc.
OK You asked for it!
I got to the club at about 8.30 and did a bit of last minute checking on stuff like NOTAMS etc,. My examiner arrived at 08.45 and we started the brief. So far so good! Went through my flight plan -Sywell to Thetford (lots of MATZ stuff) then onto Stamford in Lincs. All planning seemed ok, so I was feeling pretty relaxed at this point. Then I went to do the weight / balance checks and I had a complete brain fade. Spent nearly 10 minutes doing something that should only take two. Still, I managed to get everything sorted and the examiner seemed happy, I really went over the top on my pre-flights, but he seemed happy about that too. Departure all ok, out of the overhead and on track for Thetford. R/T calls all ok (hey I've got this flying thing licked!) ... I couldn't read my own writing of a frequency. Fortunately I had one of those little frequency cards that come with the charts. Made my call to the Lakenheath MATZ and they told me to go to 4500' (FL45). I said that was a negative as I had to maintain VFR. They vectored me all over the place, so by the time I got back on track to Thetford all ETA's had gone out of the window. Next leg was going ok and then the examiner told me that I would be diverting from March (Cambs) to Molesworth. I planned in flight, but when I started the diversion something just didn't seem right to me. I told him that I was going to orbit while I re-checked my figures and he let me get on with it. I ended up going on the track I had originally planned (I should have more belief in myself)! Diversion worked out well, on time and accurate. Next it was foggles time. All went ok in simulated IMC. At this point we started VOR tracking. I've done this loads of times with no problems, yet during the test I was getting into a right old mess. Managed to pull things round and got away with it. After this we headed back to base and carried out stalls, spin recovery, PFL etc., then on to Sywell for various landings, touch and go's etc. Finally found myself back on Terra Firma.
I had flown for three hours and covered everything. The time went quite quickly, although I felt physically and mentally drained. My examiner made me wait through a long debrief before giving me the news - I'd done it, I'd passed. That's it I'M A BLOODY PILOT!
Only now, as it sinks in, do I realise not only what I've achieved, but how much more I have to learn about flying. Anyway, I've booked my first not student slot and can't wait to get my license from the CAA so I can take the wife up.