Private Pilot Knowledge Exam

I took my Private Pilot knowledge exam today. I studied for two days this week in preparation for this test. I knew that I had enough knowledge to pass it and to at least make an A on the test; however, I wanted to make a 100% on the test. One of my pilot friends made 100% on his test, so I was determined to do the same.

The test is 60 questions. You have 2.5 hours to take the exam. I scheduled my test for 12:30 PM today. I arrived at 12:00 PM after eating a quick lunch. My proctor checked my items that I brought to verify that I could use them for the test. All I had with me was an electronic E6B flight computer, a mechanical E6B, and a plotter. I was issued the FAA figures book, some paper, and some pencils. I sat down at the test computer and started the test at 12:30 PM sharp. Within 15 to 20 minutes, I had completed all 60 questions. I spent the next 15 minutes reviewing the questions. I was confident that I answered them correctly, so I submitted my test, took a quick survey as the system graded my test, and then received my score. I answered 60 out of 60 questions correctly for a score of 100%! I was happy I met my goal.

It was now a little after 1:00 PM. I tapped on the window to let the proctor know I was finished. He thought that I was asking for a restroom break and did not know I was finished. He was surprised to find that I had finished within the first 30 minutes of the test time. When the proctor saw my score, I got a congratulations and a compliment for being the first person at the flight school within the past year to make 100%. I was just happy to be past another milestone in my journey to being a private pilot.

Lesson 25 - Night cross country

Lesson 25
Flight time logged:	1.9 hours
Total flight time logged:	44.1 hours
Total takeoffs/landings:	142
Solo time:	0.0 hours
Total time solo:	9.4 hours
Total cost to date:	$7000

Yet another month has passed. It has been difficult trying to get a night flight scheduled with my instructor, but finally I was able to fly tonight. I flew a cross country to Washington-Wilkes (IIY). My instructor usually takes his students to Cedartown for a night cross country, but thought that I would benefit from going to Washington-Wilkes instead since it is a "black hole" airport. A "black hole" airport is one where there are no lights around the airport, just the lights on the airport itself. It is harder to determine how high off the ground you are just by looking outside. You really have to use the instruments.

This flight was exciting. You can see lights everyone on the ground until you fly past Athens. At that point, the area is pretty rural, so the lights are scarce. What made the flight even better was the unexpected meteor shower. After passing Athens, the night sky was really clear and you could see a billion stars. I was looking for traffic when I noticed a bright glowing object flying across the sky faster than any plane I know. A couple of minutes later, I saw another one. The objects were meteors. They were amazing!

I did a couple of landings at IIY then headed back to LZU. The flight was uneventful on the way back.

After landing and parking at LZU, my instructor and I talked about the next steps in my training. Actually, my training was almost complete. The next step would be to take my written exam. After he test, all that would remain is preparation for my check ride - the practical test.