Joined the club today........

My flying training has taken a long time, I guess.........

I started flying training in 1990, but lack of time and money meant
that I stopped after about 10 hours, before going solo.

Last year, my wife bought me a block of lessons for my birthday, and I
found that I hadn't forgotten everything. I was so pleased I carried on
iwth training, and last week I passed my flight test, and this morning
I passed my written, and I now hold a Canadian PPL.

The journey wasn't entirely without excitement. On my second-ever solo
I was rolling down the runway in a Cessna 150 waiting for rotation
speed - and it never came. By the time I realised the airspeed
indicator was not going to work, I was doing well over rotation speed
and ran out of rudder. The aircraft veered off the runway to the left
as I pulled the power, and it would have been an embarassing run across
the grass except for the runway sign........
Next I knew I was upside down, with fuel pouring down the windshield. I
had the presence of mind to switch off the mags and master, and the
fuel shutoff, and climbed out of the door, just as the fire trucks were
arriving. Fortunately, apart from a few nasty cuts and bruises, I was
relatively intact. I was even able to take part in a radio interview
(about something else) an hour later. And the nice chappy from the
Canadian Dept of Transport Accident branch who I had to speak to on the
phone was very understanding, as was my flying school chief instructor.
Examination off the written-off aircraft confirmed an orchard bee had
climbed into and blocked the pitot, and I was cleared of all blame,
though I'm sure if I'd had more experience, I would have avoided the
crash and simply been able to abort takeoff safely.
I decided that either I would get back in the air immediately, or I
never would again, so I had my next lesson the next morning, and soloed
again the following week.
I guess that was the most dramatic episode in my pilot training, but
there are so many memorable moments. The first solo, the first solo
away from the circuit, the first solo cross-country, the first power on
stall, the first landing at a tiny strip in the country.......

Anyway, it was all worthwhile in the quest for a lifetime dream for
this aging new pilot.........I'm very happy to join the club. And if
there is a message for anyone still in the middle of training -
perservere. You'll have some low moments (though not as low as mine, I
trust) but you'll get there in the end.