Checkride Wednesday...followup to: "Tips for Commercial Glider Checkride?"

Checkride this Wed Afternoon...

Prep:
We'd covered everything, but we wanted a couple more rides to polish
up. I'd done a mock checkride with another CFIG, and he didn't see
any major problems.

So...Last Sat:

CFIG & I launched with WX coming from the West, planning to tow
SW...quickly changed to SE to avoid wx...quickly changed to "Oh crap,
that rain is WAY closer than we thought...lets release at 1000' AGL
and get back home" Cleared left and right, back to center to see
towplane frantically waggling his wings. Got off tow and down no
problem...nice simultaneous glider/towplane parallel landings.
Torrential rain hit 1.3 seconds after we touched down!

Tow pilot was concerned I didn't get off sooner...explained I was
already planning to get off and was clearing...will make a point of
checking the towplane between clearing the two sides in future!
(thought I had).

Sunday:
Wx forecast was rain/t'storms in the morning and it looked pretty
crappy so i didn't go out to the field...+ I had to work at 2 PM.
Well of course the wx went from crappy to beautiful in about 15
minutes at noontime...and I could have flown AND got to work on time.
darn....

Tuesday (today):
Made arrangements to get a towpilot (friend of mine) on an "Off Day".
2 flights with my CFIG, first flight I was low and way far out on
base. Retracted the spoilers, put the nose down and landed with room
to spare Pattern OK on 2nd flight. Steeps turns lousy, speed
barely within private specs, much less commercial. Stalls, slow
flight, everything else 100%+.

Must be checkride time...I'm flying like crap ....

Solo flight to 3000' AGL...4 720 steep turns...OK, got it this
time...I'm happy

Landed great, called it a day.

Next update after the checkride.....

















got wx'd out on Sat...
Don Byrer KJ5KB
Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy
Glider & CFI wannabe
kj5kb-at-hotmail.com

"I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without bending the gear..."
"Watch out for those doves...smack-smack-smack-smack..."