I’m going to be sending out my own little “updates” on how things are going in Dallas. If you’d like to be on my email list, let me know!
I will be updating everyone on my adventures in Dallas with a monthly email, but there will be more frequent updates on my blog dedicated to SWA: http://iflyswa.wordpress.com
 -Evan
According to LogShare I will not be instrument proficient come this Sunday. Thus, I would like to go up in an airplane with someone else, wear a hood thing over my head, and shoot some instrument approaches. Anyone up for being scared to death for an hour or two?
Washington-Dulles (KIAD) - Ft Wayne (KFWA)
Tuesday July 18, about 4pm
King Air B200 (N200PU)
Passengers arrive an hour before scheduled (and filed) departure. A quick glance at the radar (lots of RED between Dulles and Ft Wayne), out to the 120 degree airplane, fire up the engines, and continue to sweat for about 20 minutes before our clearance is active. Pick it up, taxi from Landmark to runway 30. Half way to runway 30 we are advised our “route has been cancelled” and to pull into the empty (for now) runup block to wait for another clearance. Pretty much, the storms are “road blocks” to the assigned airways pilots use to navigate. Less highways = less space = fewer planes in the air = delays.
As we wait, ground directs about 10 aircraft into “the block” as their routes have also been shut off due to weather. Ground informs us that there are NO, I repeat NO, available instrument routes for us (they basically said, we could take off and navigate at our own discretion, but there was no room in the instrument system for us).
After a few jokes regarding: heat stroke, shutting down engines to save fuel, and passengers dying of heat and asphixiation, ground tells us they finally found a routing for us. It’s less than direct, causing some slight concern on the amount of fuel we have on board. The route we’re given, and flew (with a few deviations for cells) is below:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N200PU/history/20060718/2058Z/KIAD/KFWA
And THANKS to the folks at Dulles tower (or ZDC) who were somehow able to get us off the ground BEFORE any of the others in the block. There must be a Boiler on staff 
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Yeah… just my luck. This whole thing would have been just perfect to chronicle my progress as I received my many certificates and ratings from the FAA - from my first solo, to my first cross country, to my first flight taking passengers.
Absolutely fantastic.
Yeah, I’m a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) now. Those memories of long ago have mostly faded, but I wish I could have shared them with everybody. So, since I can’t share MY progress, I’ll share stories of my STUDENT’S progress. Actually, that sounds boring, so I’ll regale you with hilarious stories of the many fuckups my students have made over the years. If you are a former student, and happen to be reading this, look back and laugh too. We all made mistakes.
Be back in a few beers…