Godspeed Boys!

So the 2009 version of the Providence Aviation Trip has commenced. I went on this trip last year and it was a great time. We stopped at such tourist spots as:

• Tekamah, Nebraska (for fuel on day one)
• Augusta, Kansas (for a two day stop and tour of the Beechcraft factory)
• Dallas, Texas (for a 3 day stop and visit to Wycliffe and American Airlines)
• Gulfport, Mississippi (to work with MDS on building homes and to dip our toes in the Gulf of Mexic0)
• Waxhaw, North Carolina (a visit to JAARS)
• and Dayton (more like Xenia, but who's checking), Ohio (for a stop at the amazing Museum of the Air Force) this last one ended up being a couple of day stop due to weather.

It's a great trip, and I really wish I was on it this year. They're going west this year whereas we went east last year. I know the guys that are going this year better than I knew the guys I went with, because I took all of my first year courses with them last year, but was far enough advanced on my 2 year program (they're all on 4 yr degrees) to go. I had contemplated taking our schools DA40 and flying circles around these guys their entire trip, or even leaving hours later and beating them to their destinations due to the Diamonds superior speed, but it didn't end up working out.

To console myself, I just keeping reminding myself that though I could use the hours, I really don't need them that bad. Plus, I'm going to Kelowna, BC to do my seaplane rating on saturday (this'll be a blast!!!). I'll be flying with Air-Hart flying service out of Kelowna on their 172SP, though I want to see if I can make a flight or two in their 182, just to get some High Performance time if I can manage it.

If any readers want to keep up with the Prov trip its blog can be found at: Providence Aviation Trip 2009 Blog

I haven't flown since my last post, but I'm itching to go up again.  I'm currently working on my Commercial License so any time is good flight time at this point.  

I tallied my logbook the other day and I'm a little short on night flight time, so I'll be doing a few cross-countries at night to make up the shortage.  

Its so peaceful flying at night.  Most of the time its clear and the skies are empty.  Or emptier than normal is a better way to put it maybe.  When I was flying around in the states last year it was amazing to look out at night when flying and see so many beacons flashing all over the place telling me where the other planes were.  We don't get that in Canada.  I've only had it happen a few times that I've seen other general aviation traffic at night, and that was because they were company traffic and I was purposely following them.  General aviation is such a small business segment here compared to the United States, it sometimes makes me sad.

Oh well, Another day done.  Night All.

First Post!

So, I've created this blog to post my thoughts and to keep people up to date on whats going on in my life and flying career. This seems rather self-centered to me for some reason. As if someone Really wants to know what little old Me is doing with my life.

I've noticed that there are a lot of blogs from pilots in the east and in the west of Canada, but not much in the middle. My goal is to put a bit of a face on what its like being a pilot-in-training in Canada. We've got a lot of open skies here with a lot of freedom in them, and it always seems to people that its a difficult place to get (ie: Very difficult to be a pilot, sideline career).

Currently, I'm attending Providence College in Otterburne, Mb. Its a former bible college, which now considers itself to be a Christian Liberal Arts college. Essentially that means you can have a degree/diploma in a variety of different specializations, but you take a core of bible courses. I'm not going to get preachy with this blog, in fact I doubt my beliefs in faith will ever come into this. I chose to go here because it was one of two colleges in Manitoba that offer a program in Aviation, and of the two, it was the cheaper of the two and since I am a Christian, it seemed like an obvious fit, the only downside being that I have to live on campus cause its located just to the left of the arse end of nowhere.

We do all of our flying here with a FBO called Harv's Air Service--which coincidentally is the same outfit that runs the Red River College program at St.Andrews Airport (CYAV)--in Steinbach (CKK7). Its fun, since they have no control tower here, which makes joining the circuit (pattern to those in the states) interesting. I've joined when there were 7 planes making their way around the racetrack and it was a hair-raising experience to be sure. Think of 7 aircraft in a mix of 152's, 172's, and Citabria's puttering around at a leisurely pace, and me entering in the schools 65' Beech Travel-Air. I was doing better than half again their speed and caused a slight ruckus...

In terms of my flying experience, I wish I'd started this back when I was a fresh and green pilot (though the fresh and green title, still somewhat applies since I'm not that far from the bottom of the totem pole as level of flying goes really). I (at this writing) have amassed a grand total of 170 hours of flight experience, and have earned my Private Pilot Licence, Night rating, and Multi Rating. In a few weeks, I'll be travelling to British Columbia to do my Float rating, so I'll be able to add another feather to my cap. I'm currently working on getting my Commercial Pilot Licence so I can maybe make a buck in the future. I haven't flown all that many different aircraft, though more than some perhaps. Currently I'm allowed to fly the following:

• Cessna 152's
• Cessna 172's
• Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II
• Diamond DA-40 Star
• Beechcraft Travel-Air (twin)

Now this isn't the list according to Canadian Air Regs, because according to them, I can fly just about anything that flies with wings on the sides and propellors pushing air towards the rear of the aircraft as long as I'm somewhat competent with the general characteristics of the aircraft.

I think this is enough for the first post, If I think of more, I'll just add it later.