Commercial Training - Day 1

Summary
Scheduled Time: 9AM - Noon
Actual Hours Ground: 1
Actual Hours Flight: 0

Today I went to Regal Air at Paine Field in Everett, WA for my first commercial lesson. I arrived two hours early so I could complete the open book test on the Cessna 177 RG Cardinal. This is standard procedure for flying an unfamiliar airplane. When I arrived, I realized that I forgot all the paperwork - Regal Air rules and regulations - that I'd completed the night before. I called home and Susan said she'd bring them to the airport for me - how sweet is that!

The test took nearly the full two hours. Afterward, my instructor Mike reviewed the test with me and we started discussing the plan. I told him that I'd like to complete the written exam in two weeks and the practical exam in three to four weeks. He suggested I get on the schedule three to four times a week and we should be able to get it done in that time frame.

We then did about an hour's worth of ground review, covering weather services and charts. This is an area I consider myself weak in, due to the lack of severe weather in the Seattle area. We looked at the overall weather across the country, then drilled into some areas with severe weather, including Dallas, TX and Portsmouth, NH.

After that, we walked out to look at the Cardinal. It is a 1976 model with a 200 HP fuel injected engine, a three blade propeller, and retractable landing gear. Mike told me about some of its issues, specifically its tendency to drop out of the sky and land hard during approach. The 'land hard' part will be an unwelcome change from the soft landing Commander I've been flying lately.

The weather was not good enough to fly, so that wrapped up Day 1. Now I need to put in about two hours of ground school at home.