Thursday
I had no intention of flying this day.
There would be enough stress involved with making sure I arrived on time at an address in central Phoenix, where under highly-controlled conditions I would take the Airman Knowledge Test.
This used to be known as the "private pilot written exam" but these days, of course, it was computerized.
A passing grade of 70% was never in serious doubt; I've always been good at this kind of test and since shortly after beginning glider training I'd been studying and taking daily practice exams using Aviation Supplies & Academics' "Prepware", the modern equivalent of the old "ACME Tests" that served the same purpose some forty years ago when I studied for and passed my (powered) private pilot written exam with a score of 88%.
Even so, a score of 98% on my glider pilot exam was somewhat unexpected.
I celebrated with lunch at Thai Rama, a restaurant recommended by my friend Andy that was just around the corner from the testing site.
Then I headed over to Larry & Jana’s to return an “as basic as possible” calculator I’d borrowed, which device was of sentimental value to them.
I'd needed an "as basic as possible calculator" because any device that did more than arithmetic was not allowed during the test.
I'd also borrowed from Shad an E6-B, which is a circular slide rule designed specifically for aviation. It's most important use is for calculating wind correction angle.
I had no intention of flying this day.
There would be enough stress involved with making sure I arrived on time at an address in central Phoenix, where under highly-controlled conditions I would take the Airman Knowledge Test.
This used to be known as the "private pilot written exam" but these days, of course, it was computerized.
A passing grade of 70% was never in serious doubt; I've always been good at this kind of test and since shortly after beginning glider training I'd been studying and taking daily practice exams using Aviation Supplies & Academics' "Prepware", the modern equivalent of the old "ACME Tests" that served the same purpose some forty years ago when I studied for and passed my (powered) private pilot written exam with a score of 88%.
Even so, a score of 98% on my glider pilot exam was somewhat unexpected.
I celebrated with lunch at Thai Rama, a restaurant recommended by my friend Andy that was just around the corner from the testing site.
Then I headed over to Larry & Jana’s to return an “as basic as possible” calculator I’d borrowed, which device was of sentimental value to them.
I'd needed an "as basic as possible calculator" because any device that did more than arithmetic was not allowed during the test.
I'd also borrowed from Shad an E6-B, which is a circular slide rule designed specifically for aviation. It's most important use is for calculating wind correction angle.
I'd practiced on Shad's E6-B the night before using Prepware-generated questions, because it had been many years since I'd used my own E6-B -- which was somewhere back in Michigan, no doubt in a very safe place, right next to my original sailplane logbook (containing a single 1/2 hour instruction flight).
Wherever those two things are, I'm quite certain, I'll also find my plotter:
Wherever those two things are, I'm quite certain, I'll also find my plotter:
There were no questions on the glider exam that required an E6-B, which wasn't surprising; it's not really a practical tool for soaring, and there are simpler, more specialized devices made just for gliding.
And of course, these days circular slide rules have long been superseded by electronic devices.
But the plotter is still important for planning cross-country flights, motorized or otherwise, so it was good of Shad to loan me his along with the E6-B!
I'd return Shad's instruments the next day when I went back to Estrella. Meanwhile I quietly celebrated my latest milestone by spending the afternoon sipping beer and eating various treats Larry and Jana provided, while generally immobilized in that particularly comfortable armchair.
And of course, these days circular slide rules have long been superseded by electronic devices.
But the plotter is still important for planning cross-country flights, motorized or otherwise, so it was good of Shad to loan me his along with the E6-B!
I'd return Shad's instruments the next day when I went back to Estrella. Meanwhile I quietly celebrated my latest milestone by spending the afternoon sipping beer and eating various treats Larry and Jana provided, while generally immobilized in that particularly comfortable armchair.
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