My CPL diary
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4,729
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From: 75N 16E
My CPL diary
Day 1:
Did some flying, went to the pub
Day 2:
Did some more flying, went to the pub
Day 3:
Did some more flying, went to Claim Jumpers, followed by the pub
Day 4:
Went flying, then a heavy session in the pub. We're now on the guest list.
Day 5:
No flying today
Day 6:
Back to the flying
:
etc
:
Day 11: Fly out to Vegas with the boys. Went via a stop in Needles and then Sedona. Caught the lads in the single up, and formed a formation of BE76 and OMF flying over the high desert. Must have given a radar controller somewhere a heart attack. Flew through a canyon in Sedona, very picturesque. On the way out of the terminal, heard Coyotes howling about 100m away. Legged it back to the plane and locked myself in. Getting dark, better make tracks....GPS Direct Laughlin. Checked into a Casino, Poker and BlackJack all night with free drinks.
Day 12: (not too early)
Take off and head West. Flew into Big Bear from the "back side". Stop for lunch. No booze, PIC. Knew I shouldn't have worn shorts, there's bloody snow everywhere, and some b*stard lobbed a snow ball down my neck. Stopped at Chino on the way back to look around the old war birds. My turn to fly the single, hmm, twin 430's and only one VOR, I wonder how they work. IFR departure trying to work out the GPS's, wonder where AHEIM has gone? Strange things are afoot at Socal today......IFR flight plan and asked "where are we going today"....then given a "straight in for 25L". Thats a new one, I haven't got that plate. Still no worries, we beat the BE76 back.
More beer and pub.
Day 13:
Back to the usual routing of flying and pub
:
etc
:
Day 28:
CPL ME Skills test. Cool, VFR trip to Vegas. Doh, the SF examiner has diverted me and is now arguing with Socal about why we're doing SE manouvres right over March Airforce Base.....Wey hey, he says that so far I've done well, and my final task is to get him back to Long Beach as fast as possible (as he needs a piss). Full power, nose down, 160Kts, surprise surprise, the left engine has failed on final for 25L.....I passed
Bacardi 151's all round
Day 29:
No flying, I feel like !!!!e.
:
etc
:
Day 34:
SE CPL check ride. B*llocks, I've messed it up. Damn Chandelles.
Day 35:
Chandelles, chandelles and more chandelles, over Catalina becasue I'm to chicken to risk my life in the "Practice Area". Stop for Buffalo burger for lunch before chandelleing all the way back to Long Beach. Doh, forgot the lifevests, oh well, better not crash.
Day 36:
CPL skills test....I passed.....Beer, beer and more beer....and Bacardi 151 all round
etc.....
Did some flying, went to the pub
Day 2:
Did some more flying, went to the pub
Day 3:
Did some more flying, went to Claim Jumpers, followed by the pub
Day 4:
Went flying, then a heavy session in the pub. We're now on the guest list.
Day 5:
No flying today
Day 6:
Back to the flying
:
etc
:
Day 11: Fly out to Vegas with the boys. Went via a stop in Needles and then Sedona. Caught the lads in the single up, and formed a formation of BE76 and OMF flying over the high desert. Must have given a radar controller somewhere a heart attack. Flew through a canyon in Sedona, very picturesque. On the way out of the terminal, heard Coyotes howling about 100m away. Legged it back to the plane and locked myself in. Getting dark, better make tracks....GPS Direct Laughlin. Checked into a Casino, Poker and BlackJack all night with free drinks.
Day 12: (not too early)
Take off and head West. Flew into Big Bear from the "back side". Stop for lunch. No booze, PIC. Knew I shouldn't have worn shorts, there's bloody snow everywhere, and some b*stard lobbed a snow ball down my neck. Stopped at Chino on the way back to look around the old war birds. My turn to fly the single, hmm, twin 430's and only one VOR, I wonder how they work. IFR departure trying to work out the GPS's, wonder where AHEIM has gone? Strange things are afoot at Socal today......IFR flight plan and asked "where are we going today"....then given a "straight in for 25L". Thats a new one, I haven't got that plate. Still no worries, we beat the BE76 back.
More beer and pub.
Day 13:
Back to the usual routing of flying and pub
:
etc
:
Day 28:
CPL ME Skills test. Cool, VFR trip to Vegas. Doh, the SF examiner has diverted me and is now arguing with Socal about why we're doing SE manouvres right over March Airforce Base.....Wey hey, he says that so far I've done well, and my final task is to get him back to Long Beach as fast as possible (as he needs a piss). Full power, nose down, 160Kts, surprise surprise, the left engine has failed on final for 25L.....I passed
Bacardi 151's all round
Day 29:
No flying, I feel like !!!!e.
:
etc
:
Day 34:
SE CPL check ride. B*llocks, I've messed it up. Damn Chandelles.
Day 35:
Chandelles, chandelles and more chandelles, over Catalina becasue I'm to chicken to risk my life in the "Practice Area". Stop for Buffalo burger for lunch before chandelleing all the way back to Long Beach. Doh, forgot the lifevests, oh well, better not crash.
Day 36:
CPL skills test....I passed.....Beer, beer and more beer....and Bacardi 151 all round
etc.....
Why do it if it's not fun?
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,782
Likes: 12
From: Bournemouth
Englishal 
Doesn't sound all that different to my CPL diary, if you expand on the "etc"s a little. And I didn't spend quite so much time in the pub, but that's mainly because I didn't know too many people there and I don't like drinking by myself.
Only disappointing thing about your CPL appears to be going into Sedona and not stopping for the day - it's a great place to visit by air, but pretty spectacular from the ground too!
FFF
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Doesn't sound all that different to my CPL diary, if you expand on the "etc"s a little. And I didn't spend quite so much time in the pub, but that's mainly because I didn't know too many people there and I don't like drinking by myself.
Only disappointing thing about your CPL appears to be going into Sedona and not stopping for the day - it's a great place to visit by air, but pretty spectacular from the ground too!
FFF
--------------
