Tristar
Pattern Altitude
Today was a very exciting day in Lincoln. This morning I woke up and met Chris, one of my students, at the airport. He was scheduled to take his private pilot checkride. He was on top of his game and had everything ready for me to review one last time. All of his cross country planning looked good, maintenance log books were tabbed, logbook signed, 8710 done on IACRA along with a paper copy as a back up. The weather is absolutely beautiful here today with light winds and clear as far as you can see. In between our checks, the phone range. I answered and it was a lady from AOPA. She told me that KOLN, a local news company, would like to do a story on us....today! So I quickly gave her the Manager's number and within the hour we had the reporter and her camera man set up with a time, airplane, and a flight instructor.
Around 9:30 the examiner walked in and Chris began his oral. It must have gone well because at around 10:30 they were walking out to the airplane.
At about the same time, KOLN's reporters were interviewing James and Bill (Flight Instructor and Manager). They asked many questions and video taped the airplane from every angle. Afterwards, they both hopped in the airplane with James for a Discovery flight in our G1000. From what I understand, they flew around the city while James instructed her on how to fly the airplane. She was very nervous about the whole experience but by the smile on her face as well as the camera man, they both had a wonderfull time. They couldn't have picked a better day.
Both the KOLN's reporters in the G1000 and Chris in N824SP taxied back to the FBO at the same time. I was very nervous as the examiner walked in considering this was my first student to go for a checkride under my ticket. He walked in with a big smile and thumbs up! Chris was next with just as big of a smile. The examiner told me the flight went great and didn't really have a whole lot to tell me as far as tips because of that. He said stalls, slow flight, short field landings and cross country went almost perfect and he had no complaints. He was confident that if Chris found himself accidently in the clouds, he could get out fine. I'm very happy with that report.
The reporters walked in shortly after and asked if they could do a short interview with Chris which he responded, "boy I was just hoping to pass my checkride today, I didn't expect to be on the news." I'm not sure if he will have a huge piece of the story but they did take footage of the examiner filling out his logbook and asked Chris why he got into flying and why he enjoyed it.
So, all in all, it's really neat our flight school will be on the news and even cooler that Chris passed his checkride as well as the first checkride instructed under my CFI ticket.
p.s. I'm not sure what the dates are on the story yet.
Around 9:30 the examiner walked in and Chris began his oral. It must have gone well because at around 10:30 they were walking out to the airplane.
At about the same time, KOLN's reporters were interviewing James and Bill (Flight Instructor and Manager). They asked many questions and video taped the airplane from every angle. Afterwards, they both hopped in the airplane with James for a Discovery flight in our G1000. From what I understand, they flew around the city while James instructed her on how to fly the airplane. She was very nervous about the whole experience but by the smile on her face as well as the camera man, they both had a wonderfull time. They couldn't have picked a better day.
Both the KOLN's reporters in the G1000 and Chris in N824SP taxied back to the FBO at the same time. I was very nervous as the examiner walked in considering this was my first student to go for a checkride under my ticket. He walked in with a big smile and thumbs up! Chris was next with just as big of a smile. The examiner told me the flight went great and didn't really have a whole lot to tell me as far as tips because of that. He said stalls, slow flight, short field landings and cross country went almost perfect and he had no complaints. He was confident that if Chris found himself accidently in the clouds, he could get out fine. I'm very happy with that report.
The reporters walked in shortly after and asked if they could do a short interview with Chris which he responded, "boy I was just hoping to pass my checkride today, I didn't expect to be on the news." I'm not sure if he will have a huge piece of the story but they did take footage of the examiner filling out his logbook and asked Chris why he got into flying and why he enjoyed it.
So, all in all, it's really neat our flight school will be on the news and even cooler that Chris passed his checkride as well as the first checkride instructed under my CFI ticket.
p.s. I'm not sure what the dates are on the story yet.
Last edited:
