So, I’m reading the 2008 FAR/AIM tonight…

Okay, how geeky is that? Don’t answer that. How silly is it that the new requirements for charity flights require 500 hours, but a commercial certificate only 250 hours? So, I started looking at the aeronautical experience requirements for a commercial ticket (airplane), beyond the total 250 hours (I currently have 185.4, so I need 64.6 more).

  • 100 hours in powered aircraft – okay, I have 165.1 in ASEL as of today, so I’ve got that covered
  • 100 hours PIC time
    • 50 in airplanes – I have 129.3
    • 50 cross country – I have 86.2
  • 20 hours training in commercial areas of operation – okay, I need to do some of that
    • 10 hours of instrument training – I already have an instrument rating (total of 32.1 hours sim & actual)
    • 10 hours complex time – I have 0.0
    • 2 hour/100 mile straight-line day VFR cross-country – VTA-CKB-VTA qualifies, so I have one, but does it count if I wasn’t officially a commercial student at the time and it wasn’t dual, probably not. I’m not sure if any of my dual cross-countries were 100 mile straight-line, I have plenty of solo VFR cross-countries that would qualify
    • 2 hour/100 mile straight-line night VFR cross-country – either the VFR or the 100 mile straight-line would be an issue here, so I need one of these
    • 3 hours in practical test prep in 60 days preceeding checkride – obviously this will come later
  • 10 hours solo in commercial areas of operation
    • 300 mile cross-country/250 mile straight-line – nope, don’t have this one yet
    • 5 hours night/10 take-offs & landings at controlled airfield – I have 25.3 hours of night and I’ll have to see if I have 10 t/o and landings at controlled fields at night, I think I do, but I could easily get those if I don’t have them or if they need to be done while “officially” a commercial student.

So what does that prove? I dunno. I obviously need to get instruction in the commercial maneuvers, etc. I also don’t need to do all that much “hour building”. If I assume that the 20 hours dual and the 10 hours solo need to happen after I’ve “officially declared myself” as a commercial student, it is probably time for me to talk to Harold (or Clint or some other instructor) soon. BTW, they have a 182RG at LHQ now, so even if I didn’t go for the commercial yet, I could look into getting the complex and high-performance endorsements.

Peace.

In the beginning…this isn’t really the FAR/AIM either

After resisting as long as I was able, I’ve decided it is time join the 21st century and create a blog. I chose faraim for both the FAR/AIM tie in and the idea of aiming for something in the distance and striving to achieve it. Okay, enough of that crap. I am an instrument-rated private pilot so some of what I write about will undoubtedly be flying-related. The day job and my volunteer position with the Internet Storm Center are both related to computer and network security, so there may be some of that here, too. There may also be posts related to politics or religion or music or science fiction or the Reds, Browns, or Buckeyes or any of dozens of other things that interest me. You are welcome to read along, converse with me, even disagree with me, but I won’t tolerate flame wars and reserve the right to disallow comments or even discontinue the blog entirely at any time. So, welcome.