For the record, I did my first SOLO instrument flight this afternoon, and
MAN did it feel good!!

It was just like after my private ticket -- I feel so much more confident
and relaxed when I'm by myself than with my instructor (I guess I'm more
nervous when I feel my every move is being scrutinized). Come to think of
it, my first real "passenger" was my DE, and I even felt more confident with
him than with my instructor.... Anyways...

It wasn't heavy IMC, just a thin cloud layer to get out of and back into
today in Santa Monica (and haze everywhere else), but the best thing about
it was the feeling after looking up at the sky (after landing) that those
clouds (the typical marine layer here) won't hold me back anymore! That was
an awesome feeling of freedom!! That's what this ticket is all about!!

Now it's time to go practice.

"Marty Ross" wrote in message
t...
Third time's a charm...

On my third attempt at scheduling my checkride, today the weather in So.
Cal. was cooperative enough to give it a try.

I'm the newest member of the club -- hooray!!

However, I feel the DE was VERY forgiving of my one *big* mistake -- I
actually descended down to almost 200' *BELOW* the minimum altitude on the
localizer approach before I figured out I hadn't yet crossed the outer
marker (where I could have descended legally during the IFR approach).
The
second I realized where I was, I added full power and recovered to the
minimum altitude, thinking that I was busted. Just as I corrected, he
reprimanded me with "you should *NEVER* descend to below the minimum
altitude here", and a few seconds later added: "I could have busted you
for
that"... Almos gleeful at the implication that I was still in the
running,
I swallowed my reaction and kept on flying through the rest of the ride.
Later, during the debriefing, he said that he would have had no choice had
I
not corrected within 5 or 10 more seconds, which surprised me, since I was
under the impression that he HAD to fail me for ANY breakage of the
minimums...

The only other thing he criticized me for was my omission of the
"teardrop"
entry into the hold he assigned me (see the thread I started he "do
away
with 'teardrop' turns?' on this subject). Indeed, I see how had I done a
teardrop, and not the parallel entry, I would have become better
established
in the hold, sooner than I did.

Anyways, now that I've got the rating, now what?? Besides looking for
some
more money to pay for all of this fun, I think I'll check out some unusual
attitude training with Rich Stowell...

Thanks to everyone here on this newsgroup that lent an ear and their best
advice to my various posts over the last few months!

Best,

-- Marty