It didn't start good because while I was doing the preflight and I was untying one of the ropes underneath the wing.. I hit my head with the sharp edge of the cowl flap. I didn't think it was a big deal until i start seeing blood dropping from my head and suddendly covering my face. My instructor almost passed out. I covered my head with towels but they turned red in a matter of seconds.. I didn't feel dizzy but it was scary.. my head wouldn't stop bleeding. I ran towards the bathrrom and washed my face and kept trying to control the blood with the towel.. It hurt a lot more and then it stopped bleeding.
After maybe an hour and a half just sitting there and trying to see how I felt.. I decided that I was able to go flying.
I went to my instructor to Meridian, MS (again) and came back at night, I just put a towel underneath my headset just in case but I felt good all the time. For the first part he was the pilot flying and I sat on the left making all radio calls and setting navigation instruments and for the flight back I did the flying and he managed all comunications.
After this flight, scheduling will check my availability calendar (since I am self paced student; fast track must be available every day) and will send me a text message the night before telling me where am I flying to at what time and who will be with me. I forgot to say that the instructor won't be flying with me; this time it will be with another student who is on the same stage. There will be 50 hours of cross country flights.
After the flight with my instructor, I got the text message for my first cross country flight. LZU-MEI .. yes, Meridian again! for the 4th time.
I arrived at LZU at 7:30 am and the other student arrived shortly afterwards.. it was his last cross country flight so that was good because he already was familiar of what is going on. We decided that I would fly the airplane towards MEI and we were pretty sure that they were going to send us back to LZU because he only had around 5 hours left; so the flight back he was going to fly the airplane and I would be Pilot Monitoring.
That day the ceilings were very low, dispatch wouldn't let us go until noon when the weather was above ATP minimums at both airports. ATP minimums are higher than the FAAs.
Another first was that I got to fly a 2000 model of the Seminole!! I loved it!! After flying just old 79 models, this was like a BMW with wings. I loved it!
We arrived at Meridian and got some hot dogs.. there was some military training going on around.. for what I saw it was like French military men were being trained by the US. I also met a guy who delivered Cessna airplanes to Africa.. he was there flying a Cessna 172, brand new, that was going to be delivered to Angola. That really sounds like a great job..
The other student complimented me on my flying, and I also think I am doing much better on IFR communications. That flight was last Saturday and my next one will be tomorrow. I can't wait for that text message to come and tell me where am I flying tomorrow.
So far I have 49 hours on the Seminole since I started the program at ATP. I am also studying the Gleim book for the commercial written which I hope to get out of the way on mid April.
My checklist after I hit my head.. ouch!
This is what I hit my head with
Flight towards MEI with my instructor.. there is always this efect when you take a picture to the engine.
Approaching Meridian runway 22 from the right seat
Waiting at Meridian for the sun to set
2000 Piper Seminole for my first cross county!
Flying over the clouds
Some stuff I was not able to see while being a VFR only pilot
Dobbins Air Force base while approaching LZU
Atlanta
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