Closure

As I came in for landing, I knew I was high. I was way high.

I was under order from my FAA examiner to complete a soft field landing. Everything was good: my flap execution at 10 10 10 was good, I didnt violate my Vfe which would have failed me, 2nd hash mark was on line as my touch point.......everything was good........except my height and speed. I was coming in way too freaking high.

You're supposed to come in a bit high. You are to assume a 50 foot obstacle at the start of the runway. Not all airports are nice and trim like McClellan in Las Vegas or DFW........sometimes airports are in dense areas with shit around them.

As I approached the runway.....all I could see was runway. Most times, you should see runway and the end of the runway........not this time. I was TOO HIGH. As I neared, I applied back pressure...........I flared too early. I skipped across the runway........I bobbled big time. I landed, but it wasnt smooth or pretty.

"I need to do that again," I said to the examiner.

"That was horrible, try again," he said.

I went back up, flew pattern, and came in again. This time everything from timing to flap to speed was good. The landing........well it was better.........but not great.

Up I went again........again time was good. Pattern was maintained, speed, flap......as I neared the runway......

"Pull up, abort landing!" the examiner ordered.

I retracted the flaps, carb heat, and gave full power although not necessarily in that order.

I pulled up and regained pattern.........

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked.

"No, it's just something I wanted you to do in case you're flying and you notice something at the last minute that causes you to abort.....I gotta pull that on you."

I was relieved. I thought I was doing something wrong. Up until my first landing I was perfect: great work on slow flight, VOR trace, stalls, turns about a point, unusual attitudes, take off, radio comm,,,,,,,everything. Hell, I even got us back to the airport after he had me under the hood withouth knowing heading, etc. I like to think, and flying is a thinking man's sport/hobby/livelihood.

"Now, this one is going to be a slip," he said.

I love slips. It requires you to put the plane in a side ways position to loose as much altitude as possibe in a given time. I love those..........and I ended up nailing it! In fact, you could barely feel the wheels hit the runway..........thats how good it was.....the smoothness.

"Thats it! You pass!" he said to me.

I was so relieved. For 2 years now, I've finished something that less than 1% of the population have.............a private pilots license. It was fun. I should have finished it within a few months, but my situation was different. I wont go into detail.........other than a little laziness, bad weather, a change in job, inspections, etc. Many things got in the way. Its over for now.

In the near term,,,I'll be logging in cross country and working toward my IFR rating.

Whoop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!