I passed my PIC checkride yesterday!

So last December I started talking with the guys at Jet Air out of Galesburg, IL about flying part time for them. They own the FBO's at KGBG Galesburg IL, KBRL Burlington IA and KIOW Iowa City IA. They have 7 citations (II's, Bravos, an Ultra and a 501) and 3 conquest I's. Mostly 135 charter along with some 91 pilot service stuff.

This all started rolling around in my head last year when Mark Hangen did the write up on how to get a type using other peoples money. Thanks Mark!

Finally in January I got an interview and job offer. Then first part of Feburary did my pre employment stuff like drug screen and finger printing for the TSA. And signed up for CTS (computer testing system) online. It was about 50hrs of online tests basically covering stuff like you did for a commercial, IR along with 135 stuff. Got that all knocked out in February.

Then March 3rd and 4th I was in house in Gales burg for in doc training of their GOM and Op Spec's. After that they said ok we'll see when we can get you in to CAE (formerly Simuflite) for a type. Well on my drive home the chief pilot calls and says I know this is short notice but would you want to leave Monday? Or you can go on the 21st. Short call to the wife and verify we have babysitters lined up. And they are booking me a ticket to Dallas Monday afternoon!

The training center was awesome! Huge facility with something like 35+ simulators. Great food in the Café, great views watching all the traffic in and out of DFW. Great location right next to DFW on the west side. With Grapevine just to the north with lots of excellent dining options for the evenings. The training consisted of 6 days of ground school followed by 6 sim sessions and then a checkride.

Ground school was excellent. Covering several systems per day until we covered the whole airplane. Then back through them all to cover the abnormals and emergency procedures. We had the privilege of a couple of fantastic instructors including a former Lockheed chief pilot and a former Concord pilot! Norwood the concord pilot for being in his mid 70's was sharp as a tack! Oh and he even flys a T28 today!

When it came time to "Fly" the sim for the first time we were suppose to only be going over the avionics and going through the check lists. But we managed to get one take off and approach to landing in anyway! That was the first time in the cockpit of a Citation for me! I was suppose to go through emergency's training in the real plane back home but the short notice and my availability to go to Dallas has that pushed off till I got back.

The big take away for me coming from flying my Baron and the former charter job I had in a 414 was how fast the jet accelerates when you level off. I mean its only seconds from the time you push over until that annoying buzzer starts going off saying your past redline!

The next day in the sim was a real eye opener. Flying with my sim partner who was also a baron pilot I figured this will be a piece of cake. Not so much. To start off the sim broke down our first day in it. And it took the rest of that day to get it fixed. A hydraulic pump in the motion system had quit and they had to replace it.

That started us off on the wrong foot and behind. So the next two days were catch up time. For two guys new to jets (not a huge deal cause they are easy to fly) and also new to CRM (flying as a crew) and learning a new airplane (nether of us had flown the citation yet). We had the first few sim sessions that seem rather rushed and exhausting.

But after day 3 we were caught up and starting to get the hang of things. The instructors were great explaining things and offering techniques to try. Like I said the hardest part was figuring out how to utilize this guy sitting next to me! We were both getting PIC types so we would take turns in each seat. Let me tell you this, the guy in the left seat has a frigging lot going on when your taking off in the muck and you have a V1 cut or engine fire, followed by a ILS to mins with a missed approach on one engine!

After 6 sessions in the sim I was feeling ok about myself but always felt I could do better. Well I hadn't given enough credit to how much difference it makes when you have an experienced right seater vs someone who is learning right along with me.

So for my checkride the guy I had been flying with all week and I didn't have the same examiner on our 135's so we got split up. So they gave me another one of the citation instructors to ride along as my right seater. Wow what a difference that makes! Seriously up until yesterday when I took the checkride. Every flight there was something I felt I could have done better. Not the case yesterday. It went so stinking easy there was no doubt in my mind the outcome. It was fun, exciting and really felt like I knew what I was doing!

Overall it was a great experience! Learned way more than I thought possible about my first jet type. Really looking forward to that first flight!

Pics to follow.

Here's a few pics.

Congrats!!



Norwood's a great guy, and the person who got me into flying. I first got to know Norwood since I was friends with his son. In 1991 I was back in Dallas after my freshman year at college, and Norwood took me (and two cute blonds - different story) up in an Archer. He had me sitting right seat and flying most of the time, and after that flight he told me to join a local flying club and learn to fly. So I did.

Fast forward many years, and Norwood took me for a couple of rides in a T28 and I was hooked so I bought into that partnership.

I like to joke that Norwood has caused me to spend more money than anyone (including my wife... I suspect I've spent more on flying than on kids!). Most expensive friend I've ever had

Robert

Congratulations Matt!

Well done Matt!
Great write up and pictures!

So while I was spending two weeks as a bachelor away from home I thought I'd put my free time to good use. I surely didn't need to spend every waking moment in my hotel room studying!

One of my fellow Beechnutz from up here had recommended I go check out a cold war era museum a friend of his is affiliated with.
http://coldwarairmuseum.com/wiki/index.php?title=Cold_War_Air_Museum&useskin=museum
So my first Saturday I was down there I didn't need to be in the sim until 1430. Down to KLNC Lancaster I go. Find this little airport with a great little café. Got to check out a bunch of old Russian helicopters, a Mig (can't remember which model) and a bunch of L29's. Had a personal tour with one of the museum members Phil Davis.

That night I got an email back from my buddy Glenn Watson. I had asked him if he knew of anyone in the area that did acro training. He put me in contact with Jason Newburg of http://viperairshows.com/the-team.html

And guess where he is based? KLNC Lancaster! Dang I was just there today! So I call up Jason and he says yeah come on down and we can fly together.

The next day Sunday I had all day off. My buddy Leldon Locke has called and said he was flying through the metro area and wanted to get together for lunch. So I met Leldon and Mary for lunch at LNC. Followed by my first lesson in the Pitts.

Over the next week Jason and I flew his S2C Pitts together. Most importantly he convinced me that learning goods spin technique recoveries both upright and inverted were the most important part of being safe doing acro.

After a few spins normal and accelerated with outside stick and power added. Along with inverted spins. All the fear of botched maneuvers was gone. Jason would throw the plane this way and that and then say "your plane emergency recover" and I could quickly recover. What a blast!

Anyone in the SE Iowa area have access to a Pitts I can fly? Talk about addictive!

Congratulations Matt. I was there all last week doing my recurrent in the Falcon 50ex. CAE is top notch and given the choice I always like to go there. Good on you for making it through all the CTS stuff.........the first time through you have to watch all the videos. Takes forever!! The Citations are great airplanes and a great first jet. I cut my teeth in on a C560 and it always took great care of me. Have fun flying the line and congratulations to you again!!

Done right it is the right seater who works hard and breaks out into a sweat. Makes a big difference if you have a good guy in the rights eat who can get you though. If they forget something the co-pilot says "Captain, would you like approach flaps now?" or call to slow below flap extension speed. Done right the pilot just flies and the co-pilot does all the juggling of radios, charts, checklists, speeds, etc.

You will learn to be a good co-pilot and make it easy for the left seater. Good CRM makes even a tough flight fun for both in the cockpit.

Thanks guys!

Allen I completely agree.

Leldon

Thanks Brett! Yeah the CTS took forever but I did actually learn some stuff. Like I thought ETOPS stood for engines turn or people swim, ha!

Maybe see you there next year.

http://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=121081

Thread I started on advise for a new CE500 pilot.

Ha! Several reactions. 1) people actually read what I say and sometimes make use of it? . 2) where is my taste? 3) don't put that $hit on me! You own that! 4) isn't it fun spending other people's money?

Congrats Matt. Fun times ahead.

Nice write up. Type rating, acro experience wow. How was the rentry into the real world? Kids. Wife. Etc.

Norwood's a great guy, and the person who got me into flying. I first got to know Norwood since I was friends with his son. In 1991 I was back in Dallas after my freshman year at college, and Norwood took me (and two cute blonds - different story) up in an Archer. He had me sitting right seat and flying most of the time, and after that flight he told me to join a local flying club and learn to fly. So I did.

Fast forward many years, and Norwood took me for a couple of rides in a T28 and I was hooked so I bought into that partnership.

I like to joke that Norwood has caused me to spend more money than anyone (including my wife... I suspect I've spent more on flying than on kids!). Most expensive friend I've ever had

Robert