This is a really good aviation weather website. They have a very nice
graphical way of presenting a lot of weather data on one page...

http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi

Today I earned my commercial pilot's license -- whew!

The morning started out less than ideal with low ceilings throughout
the area. But the TAFS suggested clearing, as did the satellite image.
The FAs were way off (again).

I called Don and said I'd be at EKN by noon. After preflighting and
adding 20 gallons of 100LL, I started up and headed south VFR.

I haven't flown much VFR lately so I had to think back on the correct
verbiage for Traffic Advisories. It came to me and I flew south past
MGW and the CKB.

I had to head west to avoid the ceilings low over the ridges to the
east. When I got near Route 33, I headed southeast towards the gap in
the mountains. They looked awfully close but a glance at the Terrain
view in the GPS said I'd be clear.

It was clearing inside the valley, and winds were calm. The flight
down was bumpy -- it felt like summer morning, with constant altitude
variations and bumps. I felt like I couldn't maintain altitude within
100' to save my life.

The landing was OK -- I flared a bit high. A touch of power fixed that
and then a gentle chirp. I'm not used to 150' wide runway.

Congratulations!

I wonder if Checkride Jitters didn't play a part. :)

I wonder if the DE didn't wonder it also..

"danmc61@gmail.com" gmail.com> wrote in news:686c926e-f399-4da4-
b0f8-9794e63de018@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

...

I've been wondering how long it takes you to prepare for your international
flights? Specifically, what do you have to do to meet the legal
requirements of flying through specific countries and where do you get that
info?

My AOPA renewal notice included another one of those blurbs about user fees.
Increased fuel tax, flight fees for turbines, etc. I wanted to throw out a
couple of questions....

What if ATC fees were limited to revenue flights, regardless of engine type?
Would dual instruction flights be included?

What if fees were proportional to the number of souls on board, or to the
aircraft's (net or gross) takeoff weight?

Also...is it true that airlines don't pay tax on jet fuel? If so, why has
nobody nominated changing that as a way of funding ATC? After all, it's the
airlines that reap the greatest benefit from ATC, not GA.

I know, the answer is always "the airline lobby." My idealism wants my
cynicism to be wrong this time.

-Scott