CFI

Ah, well...don't be too hard on yourself, I'm told my oral is lacking on occasion as well.

Are we not doing phrasing?: Archer

Thanks for the support and encouragement.

I went my local FSDO yesterday and got issued my BGI (Basic Ground Instructor License).

BGI can be issued off my CFI written test results.

My plan is to do some brush up work with a local instructor and retake the test(s) with the FSDO late January.

Here's the interesting part of the story:

The whole time I was there different staff personnel kept coming in and saying "you're Forrest Ward!"

("Well yes I am, nice to meet you, too")

Turns out I'm famous (infamous) at the Richmond FSDO.

The story came out:

After my pleasant trip to Bermuda that was marred by my difficult interaction with the head guy at their equivalent of the FAA ("you have broken the law" this airplane is an embarrassment", "this isn't the United States", that was the nice stuff...) he followed through with his commitment to contact my Principal at the FSDO ("Sir, I'm Part 91, I don't have an assigned Principal at the FSDO")

He called and demanded that enforcement action be taken against me for my crime of flying to Bermuda with out of date life jackets that under US regs I was not required to have at all. He demanded that FAA put a stop to my wreckless (but completely legal) shipment of AVGAS to Bermuda. He followed his call with a letter formally requesting action be taken against me.

The FSDO realizing that this request (and telling the Head of the Bermuda CAA to pound sand) was a bit above their pay grades demurred and passed his demand, for what I can only assume was a public drawing and quartering, up to the FAA Regional Office, who did the only reasonable thing and passed it up to the National FAA Headquarters.

Where it sits on some poor admistrator's desk.

In my case, most likely, the "Group W" desk.

("You can have anything you want....")

To date:

No mail received from the FAA or the Bermuda Authorities.

On telling the story to my wife last night, she worried that the aggrieved gentleman in a position of authority might some how have me banned from the Island, or imprisoned for my crime(s) on my arrival for our Anniversary trip this January.

I'm doubtful his reach goes that far, but I'll contact my friends at the Bermuda tourism board for confirmation that I'm still in their good graces.

So...

My 1st proving trip managed to produce a NOTAM and spark a minor international incident!

If it throws a monkey wrench in to our 27th Anniversary trip it will be a full Hat Trick.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Imagine if Lindberg's first Atlantic flight happened in today's governments' culture. He'd probably be arrested in Paris and sent back to the US for prosecution.

Well done Forrest - keep using the boundaries.

Jim

If I was treated that that way by some jackass in Bermuda I would not go back. Why not go somewhere else? Why give your money to a place that treats you like that?

The gentleman in question is British (former British Midlands Captain who continues to use the title of 'Captain'), he isn't Bermudian, everyone else (including his staff inspecters) was friendly and professional, I have no beef with the place or Bermuda's people, and I'm not mad at this fellow.
(Of course, I hope he'll change his mind about AVGAS and piston airplanes, but getting mad solves nothing)

I had ALL my 'i's dotted and 't's crossed, if they had not found the life jackets, there is no telling how far they would have had to dig to find something. This kind of project demands a sense of humor, and something (or someone) to laugh about, otherwise this would be just another boring story.

My purpose in doing this proving flight was to uncover problems and potential problems with flying an AVGAS plane to the island. The flying part was (is) easy, unraveling the hassles on the ground will be a challenge, but I'm not giving up just yet.

Were there any 8x10 color glossy photos with circles and arrows?

Here is one of the embarrassment.

(To who? I didn't ask...)

Forrest,

THAT guy is an embarrassment to his profession and his island. You are far too kind. Anyone that insists on being addressed "Captain" is an emperor with no clothes.

Huge Kudos to you for persevering in the face of bureaucratic stupidity.

Congrats on the BGI !!

This is supposed to be fun. There are too many people, like that "captain" bonehead, trying to take the fun out of flying and life in general. No wonder the GA pilot population is decreasing.

Back to Aerostars.

Here are a few photos after my interior and panel upgrade.

Well....it seems I have a new crush. Just completed reading this thread. So, 601P or 700?
I think I figured out the solution to unexpected maintenance....
It comes from a few of you...

?: how much is the cost per hour to fly the A*

Answer: I don't really know, when something breaks it fix it and keep smiling!!

One other problem
My Columbia is an awesome airplane and fits 80% of my missions and is the only airplane I have ever owned or thought I would own.

Anyone want to share an A* and a Columbia 350 in Charlotte (KEQY)

I did not see or missed the pressurization, is it 5.5 psi or 6 or?

4.3 or 5.5

Forrest,

Don't let the oral bust bother you. I have a friend who is a DE and about the hardest ass DE there is that does a lot of check rides. Meaning most hard ass DE's get lonely from applicants avoiding them. But Brad's intentions are not to bust people, just to challenge them, though he will and does bust people.

In talking with him and some of my own observations, getting too nervous about the oral has caused many a failure. Oft times, an early question that stumps sets up the whole scenario for failure. I can't imagine your examiner asked any question you didn't know, but he's looking for "comfortable knowledge".

I'll tell an interesting story about my own instructor's oral, and yes, it was Brad. He put a sectional down in front of me and said I was to plan a VFR trip with a student from Point A to Point B. He then asked THE FIRST thing I would check; not the second, the first.

I said the highest obstacles in the quadrangles over which the flight would pass. He looked stunned and said that in X number of years, I was the first person to answer that question with the "correct" answer. Correct or not, that was the answer he was looking for. The rest of the oral was just about a pass.

My suggestion is that reading and knowing the material isn't the answer. Being grilled by an instructor until you are relaxed with the questions and scenario is what will get you to the comfort zone.

Forge ahead, the whole experience is a learning opportunity.

Jgreen