Last Solo Cross Country

[Dude]

Last Sunday I flew to Marana KAVQ
I left Deer Valley and headed toward Phoenix Sky Harbor and called in
and got the ok to transition Bravo via the West transition. They
assigned me an Altitude of 6000' and a squawk code. After I passed the
ends of the runways I turned to a heading of 160 and tuned into the
Stanfield VOR TFD 114.8 which was about 34 miles away now.
I make the Stanfield VOR a minute ahead of schedule and now turn to
120 and my next check point is Arizona City just 14 miles away. It was
easy to spot and I made it 1 minute quicker than planned too. Next on
the list was Picacho Stagefiled Heliport and I wasn't able to spot it
from the air on the way to Mirana but I did find it on the way home.
Next on the list is Pinal Airport but I have to stay at least 5 miles
away bcause they do a lot of parachute activity over there so I veer
to the right of my course to stay that 5 miles away and make a call to
Pinal traffic asking about jumpers and someone reply's back that there
are some here and there were a couple Twin Otters over at Marana
dropping jumpers as well. Oh great I said as that is my destination.
So passing Pinal I can now see Marana because they are only 9 miles
apart and tune into their radio and announce my position and that I'm
going to enter the pattern at a 45 to the downwind for runway 12. I
don't see any jumpers or any Twin Otters and at the time there was one
other plane in the pattern so I just announced I was number tow behind
him. Made a nice landing and then tried to figure out where the
restaurant was and parked there. As I was getting out to tie down the
plane I hear some people talking and I see about 15 jumpers coming
down with parachutes open and the US Air Force Twin Otters on final
for 12 now. That was really cool to see and I had to stop and take a
few pics and some video clips.
I went in and had some French Toast for breakfast and then headed back
to Phoenix. While taxiing back out to 12 the Twin otters were shutting
down. I guess they were done jumping for the day. There was also a
cool looking Sukhoi SU-26 or SU-31 departing right before me.
So I took off and headed back to Deer Valley going back the same way I
came and had a great tailwind most of the way. Check the pics and see
my Airspeed indicator and what my ground speed was showing for proof
lol.
Like I said on the way home I found that Heliport so I will know where
it is next time for sure. Anyway I made it to the VOR again and then
called and got the ok to transition Bravo but this time at 5500'. At
the time I was passing over the runways I was showing about 120kts
indicated and 152mph ground speed yeeeeeehaaaaaa lol
But here comes the bad news. I wasnt thinking ahead and by the time
Phoenix released me I was getting real close to DVT and I didnt have
atis yet and by the time I did and called in I was only 6nm out and
the tower replied back to someone else and then called for the
aircraft calling the tower which was me. I said Deer Valley Tower
Archer 354MA now 4 miles to the South inbound to land full stop with
India. He said Archer 4MA you are already in the Class Delta and to
enter the pattern abeam the tower for a right base for runway 7R and
he will call my base. Oh shit I said to my self I just blew it. I
should have peeled off left or right before hitting their airspace but
I was just having too much fun going so fast and didnt get slowed down
in time. Anyway I land and tower comes on and says they have a number
for me to call when I get parked. So I took down the number and called
in and they were very nice about it and I explained I new I blew it
and I was a student pilot. Like I said they were nice and I was glad
they didn't yell at me. :-)
Pics and a few short vid clips
https://picasaweb.google.com/chris.holub/DVTToAVQDeerValleyToMarnana#

Cheers,
Chris

[Jim Logajan]

Post by Dude
Last Sunday I flew to Marana KAVQ

Congrats on knocking out that requirement!

Post by Dude
Anyway I land and tower comes on and says they have a number
for me to call when I get parked. So I took down the number and called
in and they were very nice about it and I explained I new I blew it
and I was a student pilot. Like I said they were nice and I was glad
they didn't yell at me. :-)

Hopefully for your instructor's sake they didn't ask for her contact info!
:-)

Post by Dude
Pics and a few short vid clips
https://picasaweb.google.com/chris.holub/DVTToAVQDeerValleyToMarnana#

Very neat!

[Dude]

Post by Jim Logajan

Post by Dude
Last Sunday I flew to Marana KAVQ

Congrats on knocking out that requirement!

Post by Dude
Anyway I land and tower comes on and says they have a number
for me to call when I get parked. So I took down the number and called
in and they were very nice about it and I explained I new I blew it
and I was a student pilot. Like I said they were nice and I was glad
they didn't yell at me. :-)

Hopefully for your instructor's sake they didn't ask for her contact info!
:-)

Post by Dude
Pics and a few short vid clips
https://picasaweb.google.com/chris.holub/DVTToAVQDeerValleyToMarnana#

Very neat!

No they didn't I told her though. It's a good learning experience and
I bet I don't do it again. :-)

Cheers,
Chris

[Brent]

Congrats i actually had to knock out my last few hours of solo xcountry
AFTER passing my flight test for my private rating.

Post by Jim Logajan

Post by Dude
Last Sunday I flew to Marana KAVQ

Congrats on knocking out that requirement!

Post by Dude
Anyway I land and tower comes on and says they have a number
for me to call when I get parked. So I took down the number and called
in and they were very nice about it and I explained I new I blew it
and I was a student pilot. Like I said they were nice and I was glad
they didn't yell at me. :-)

Hopefully for your instructor's sake they didn't ask for her contact info!
:-)

Post by Dude
Pics and a few short vid clips
https://picasaweb.google.com/chris.holub/DVTToAVQDeerValleyToMarnana#

Very neat!

[Jim Logajan]

Post by Brent
Congrats i actually had to knock out my last few hours of solo
xcountry AFTER passing my flight test for my private rating.

I wasn't aware that a person could even take the practical test without
completing all the instruction requirements - unless old regulations
allowed it? Section 61.39 "Prerequisites for practical tests" under (a)(3)
seems to not make that possible.

Or was this an oversight wherein you took the practical but it was later
discovered you were short of the requirements?

[Brent]

Different rules up here (Canadian)

The heavy onus sits on the flight instructor and their recommendation rather
than the specific time numbers. Flight instructors are tracked on a first
pass rate and their rating itself can be suspended if their pass rate goes
too low. Essentially students are not supposed ot be recommended till they
are darn well ready.

Mind you Getting ALL the requirements behind you first is the best way to do
it since i was sitting there with all the tests passed but still a student
permit till i got some silly small number like 1.8 hours of cross country in
before i could get my license signed and approved. Carry passengers and sign
out myself.

Here are the pertinent regs in my case


CAR 412.14

(3) Except as stated in paragraphs (c) and (d) below, for admission to a
flight test required for the issue of a permit, licence or rating, the
candidate shall produce a recommendation dated within 30 days prior to the
date of the flight test, as follows:
(amended 2005/12/01; previous version)

(a) in the case of an applicant for a Pilot Permit - Gyroplane, Pilot
Permit - Recreational - Aeroplane or Private Pilot Licence, a letter of
recommendation from a qualified flight instructor certifying that the
applicant meets the competency standard for issue of the Pilot Permit -
Gyroplane, Pilot Permit - Recreational - Aeroplane or Private Pilot Licence;
(amended 2006/12/14; previous version)


(4) To be eligible to attempt a flight test required for the issue of a
permit, licence or rating:

(a) an applicant for a Pilot Permit - Gyroplane or a Private Pilot Licence
shall have completed a minimum of 35 hours flight time in the same category
of aircraft;


Add in a valid medical and Proper ID of course.

Post by Jim Logajan

Post by Brent
Congrats i actually had to knock out my last few hours of solo
xcountry AFTER passing my flight test for my private rating.

I wasn't aware that a person could even take the practical test without
completing all the instruction requirements - unless old regulations
allowed it? Section 61.39 "Prerequisites for practical tests" under (a)(3)
seems to not make that possible.
Or was this an oversight wherein you took the practical but it was later
discovered you were short of the requirements?

[Jim Logajan]

Post by Brent
Different rules up here (Canadian)

I should have asked where you were in the world!

Post by Brent
The heavy onus sits on the flight instructor and their recommendation
rather than the specific time numbers. Flight instructors are tracked
on a first pass rate and their rating itself can be suspended if their
pass rate goes too low. Essentially students are not supposed ot be
recommended till they are darn well ready.

In the U.S. my understanding is that an instructor has to have at least 80%
of his or her students pass the practical test on the first try in the last
24 months - or complete a instructor refresher course.

[Brent]

A million different rules and procedures all to accomplish the same goals in
the end.

Post by Jim Logajan

Post by Brent
Different rules up here (Canadian)

I should have asked where you were in the world!

Post by Brent
The heavy onus sits on the flight instructor and their recommendation
rather than the specific time numbers. Flight instructors are tracked
on a first pass rate and their rating itself can be suspended if their
pass rate goes too low. Essentially students are not supposed ot be
recommended till they are darn well ready.

In the U.S. my understanding is that an instructor has to have at least 80%
of his or her students pass the practical test on the first try in the last
24 months - or complete a instructor refresher course.