My sim partner and I began working together pretty well. SIM03 went fine, with not surprises. There is allot to learn and I committed to working 12 hours days everyday to improve my understanding of the FMS operation. I had to make changing screens and finding information second nature, or I’d never be able to fly this thing well.
SIM04 was weighted a bit heavy on the client. In other words, my partner went first and got more time. SIM05 was balanced and SIM06 was to be the LOFT. We really didn’t do a LOFT, but instead allowed my partner most of the session to improve his circle maneuver. Mine was spot on every time I did it, and it was nice to know i could do something well. I took the last hour of the three hour session and just practiced my approach to landing stall recovery.
I must have done this maneuver 6 times, but never got it right. Later I realized that no instructor every stopped to analyze what I was doing exactly, and why I was having trouble. On further thought, I never did either. It was only just prior to my checkride many days later that I re-read the procedure and realized that hitting the go-around button was part of it. I hadn’t been doing that, and thus deprived myself of vertical guidance. The recovery on the check-ride was rough, but turned out to be my best ever. More on that later.
My instructor at the time wanted to fine tune my circles before we stopped, but I turned him down. I had that maneuver down and didn’t need another approach to getting that done. Don’t mess with something that isn’t broken.
I will say that I was exhausted at the end of SIM06. Frustrated because of that one stall recovery maneuver, and really pissed at having to sit for two days to await my check-ride. I missed my wife and started to think about whether this was all worth it.
Then I remembered I have two engines being overhauled at the moment, and will be spending some of my retirement money to do that. I’ll want to replenish though funds before I start thinking about moving on.  Then again – I’ll be 62 in April and Social Security can be my new airplane maintenance fund…….
More to come!
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.