Tuesday, October 21st (x-country!)

"Hope not in sight."

Been busy since the checkride. A full day of Crew Resource Management ground school with two hours in the sim on Saturday, then a Sunday night trial flight to Tulsa with instructor Jeremy K. in the left seat and me flying from the right. Monday is the first day of having to call into ATP dispatch for a flying assignment, but Jeremy tells me not to expect anything since my paperwork from the Tulsa flight takes some time to get processed.

0700 Monday, ATP Dispatch - "You're flying with Daniel P. in 264AT to Millington, Tennessee. Wheels up ASAP."

So much for having Monday off. I hastily throw together an overnight bag with a change of clothes (just in case) and head for the airport, where Dan and I check the weather, assemble and file our flight plan, and head out to the ramp. We flip a coin to determine the order of assignments. Dan was to fly outbound from the right seat, with me manning the navigation and radios from the left, then switching roles and seats for the return flight.

It's a very exciting time. This phase is the meat-n-pertaters of this program... 75 hours of instructor-less cross-country flying to be completed in 24 days. I'll meet new students as they're assigned to me and get to see parts of the country from vantages I've never experienced. It's also the time to really get comfortable with flying the Seminole and getting the feel for all of its systems without the instructor's watchful eye tensing up the cabin air. For now, I'm just stoked that my first cross-country is with Dan... my classmate from the beginning.

After we take off and get vectored by ATC to the east, we start intercepting VOR radials to track our trip through Arkansas. Texarkana, Pine Bluff, Gilmore, Millington. Between radio calls and occasional navaid adjustments I have plenty of time to sit and reflect on just how much we've accomplished during the past few months. Amazing.


In our haste to leave Arlington, we forgot to ask anybody about what to see/do/eat in Millington, a favorite fueling stop for ATP aircraft. The friendly old guy behind the counter greeted us and handed us the keys to the courtesy car (a Buick) and Dan and I go scouting. Since dispatch only gave us a short turnaround to get airborne for our return flight, we had to make it quick... a Little Caesar's pizza pickup and we return to the FBO to chow down. Another flight plan, preflight, and we're off... this time with me flying from the right and Dan navigating from the left.

Flying from the right seat is a bit of a chore so far, especially after being so accustomed to flying from the other side for my entire aviation career up to this point. The gauges are all on the other side, and I'm now forced to use my left hand to operate the switches and levers while steering with my right... it's not unlike driving in England. Much of this burden is eased by my co-pilot's presence though, since I don't have to concentrate nearly as much on mapping and communication. Still... quite an adjustment.

Three hours and ten minutes later, I land back at Arlington at the very last hint of sunlight, tie the aircraft down, and shake my partner's hand. We have survived.


Oh, and...

Flying near Hope, Arkansas (aka Bill Clintonburg), we hear the following over the radio from Little Rock Approach, addressing a jet inbound to Hope Municipal Airport.

"Citation Lima November, do you have Hope in sight?"

"Negative, Approach... Hope not in sight."

Bummer.