Chris Penningroth’s Weltanschauung

     Tuesday was my first attempt at "TR-1," the first flight in the transition course syllabus.  The takeoff and departure were routine.  Once we got into the MOA (military operations area), my flight profile called for an 8-9G turn.  During the turn, a small problem with the landing gear became evident, so I had to take the jet home early.  

    The second (and successful) attempt was today.  We got out to the area, turned and burned, then shot a TACAN penetration, an ILS and a PAR (precision approaches designed to get you to a safe landing through weather), three simulated flameout approaches, two overhead patterns, and a VFR pattern to a full-stop landing. 

     After today’s flight a classmate and I hit the simulator, then I had some academic lessons.  It was a busy day.  Tomorrow will be more sims, and next week should be a good flying week!

     Today was the last practice simulator (WST-flavor) I’ll get before my official instrument checkride emergency procedures (EP) simulation.  It went pretty well, probably because I can’t count the number of times I’ve practiced F-16 EP’s in my lifetime.

     Tomorrow will be my first flight since 7 Jan 2004.  It will be pretty vanilla, we’re going to go out to the local airspace and practice performing advanced-handling characteristics, then return and shoot practice instrument approaches and visual patterns until we hit BINGO fuel.  It will be good to get flying again, but I’m really looking forward to the air-to-air phase, which won’t start for another week-and-a-half or so.