N833DF: I went down to see Matt and my airplane, and can see that he is making progress and the work is moving along. August looks REALISTIC now. I am very very excited.

It is now time to get ready for the test flying by getting some air time.

Re-Training: So I have not been flying my airplane for two years and set out to arrange flight training in a PA30 to correct that. One friend found me a resource in New Jersey that used the same twin I own in training. It was only 3 hours away, and I could go up the night before and do the training the next day. So I called the guy.

The gentleman who would be training me is a long time airline Captain who started this business and wants to do it right. Thats cool – I appreciate the dedication and how hard it is be successful running a flight school.

His opening monologue, and that is what is was because he wasn’t listening to me at all, started in a very loud voice. “You will need to spend the first half day in my half million dollar simulator before we can fly, and it will take two days of training at a minimum. All of the training you’ve received in this airplane so far is wrong and just bullshit”. I don’t think he used the ‘bullshit’ word, but it amounted to the same thing.

Really?!   This airplane is 50 years old and you are the first guy to figure out how to train anyone properly to fly it. Thank God you came along.  I hope there is time for me to find all of those pilots I trained and send them up there. I think he truly believes the muck he is shoveling, so I had to bring him up short on that one. I suggested that maybe all his bluster was pure non-sense, and that I’d both received and given the very highest quality instruction in this airplane.

The training I refer to was provided by individuals and the CPPP group associated with the International Comanche Society. The later is in the process of imploding, but that is besides the point.

Taking my comments in stride, he told me that he’d be mailing me his information (paper mail – not email). He could probably fit me in next month. Wow!  Thanks man.

I cordially hung up and stewed a bit. I’ll be doing something else most assuredly, as I don’t have enough patience for this individual.

Wow!  Too bad too – It would have been nice to fly the airplane.

Fly Safe!

Frank

By fdorrin

Fully retired now, unless something interesting comes along. I’ve enjoyed a lucrative career as an Electrical Engineer, Certified Software Solutions Developer, and Project Manager. An excellent and fun career that I’m very proud of. I began flying commercially in Dash-8 aircraft for Piedmont Airlines, and moved on to instruct in the Gulfstream 280; WestWind; and Astra jet aircraft. I’ve also been blessed with a type rating in the B-25 bomber in a fortunate turn of events. My wife, Beverly, and I currently own and operate a beautifully restored PA30 Twin Comanche, which we use to explore the CONUS.