Golden Ticket!

After 4.7hrs in the sky today, I finally acheived my goal; A Golden Ticket! That's right - no more Student Pilot Dan.....you can now refer to me at Pilot Dan. I've logged a total of 58.3hrs TT, with 2.1hrs of that as PIC carrying a passenger!

A big thank you out to all the people who helped support me throught the last two years of my pilot training as I kept answering questions like "When do you think that you'll be finished?" and "Why did 2 hours of flying cost $120?" and "How long do you think it would take you to fly from Coshocton to (insert place name here)?"

First of all, my beautiful wife Beth, who understood my dream/malady and helped make it financially possible for me to pursue this most expensive of all expensive hobbies. She spent many a day walking around the neighborhood with me, trying to talk with me, as I looked ever upward, trying to pinpoint the location of that faint rumble or drone, or while I bemoaned the fact that it was a beautiful day for flying and I was confined to the solid earth. Thank you for your patience and support. I'll fly you somewhere sunny and warm this spring:).

Secondly to my Dad, and fellow Mr. Toad, who supported my habit and the required absences from work when it was a CAVU day and shares my enthusiasm for slipping the surly bonds. It's so nice to have someone with which to listen to aviation podcasts. I hope to go some neat places with you over the next couple of years!

Thirdly to my instructor, Walt, who was brave enough to fly with me throughout all my learning phases, the good, the bad, the uncoordinated, and the hard, hard landings. I could not have completed this training without your help and willingness to fly on a nice day instead of drive your tractor around. Thank you!

I'd also like to thank the people at UND Aerospace for their fine video podcast, and to Jason Miller at The Finer Points. Your podcasts helped me in so many ways to become a better pilot, and ultimately to help me pass my checkride.

As a board-certified professional engineer, I have taken many tests that have taxed my mental abilities, but this test was the first time that I have been tested on both my mental abilities and my physical abilities (at least as they apply to controlling the aircraft according to specification). It was a good experience overall and I am glad to be free to roam the skies as a pilot, not just a student pilot.

There are many other people that I would like to thank and need to thank, but I won't take up any more of this blog entry. I'm tired and going to bed soon. Now that I have a Golden Ticket, I need to plan that trip to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Mmmmmmm......Chocolate....