I was supposed to take my checkride on the 13th of April but I canceled due to high winds and local PIREPS of severe turbulence below 5000ft. I am glad I decided to wait and take the test yesterday as it proved to be a beautiful day to fly. It was a little hazy but the winds were light and the air was pretty smooth. I decided to take my test in Elkins, WV. My instructor had taken his multi-engine with the examiner there and had good things to say about him.
I filed my flight plan for an 830 am departure and 45 min flight from Parkersburg to get there. I decided to take the checkride in the ol' Cherokee that I had done most of my training in. I was very familiar with the airplane and felt very comfortable in it.
This is the ridgeline running North/South right before dropping in the Tygart River Valley that Elkins lies in.
The "Blue Bomber" before the big flight.
The oral part of the checkride went way better than I would've guessed and I was happy with my performance. I think that the flight portion could've went better, but I tend to be overly critical of myself, but in the end I passed!!!
This is the same ridgeline that was in the earlier picture but just to the North of Elkins. These windmills were put up around 2010-2011. It is the Laurel Mountain Wind Project. The ridge is said to be the westernmost ridge of the Allegheny Mountains.
The trip back was as uneventful as the trip over, just with a little headwind this time. I was greeted by a Chinook getting ready to depart on the GA ramp. Such a cool Bird.
I went home for a few hours and chilled out and then the ants got in my pants and I decided to go fly my plane for and hour or so. I didn't really go anywhere, but it had been about two weeks since I had flown the Savage, so I had to loosen up my rudder feet a little!
What a great day.
