Student-Pilot Student

Being a student pilot and a student at a college can be quite challenging sometimes. I have found that my schedule is packed now more than ever. Tuesdays and Thursdays are typically my busiest days. Usually I'll have a flight Tuesday morning early, say 7:30 but I'll be up much before then because I need to get out to the airport to preflight. Combined with classes all day, including ground school in the evening for 3 hours and then musical practice in the evening for another 3 hours, I am more than ready for sleep.

I have found the miracle beverage to help with grogginess in the morning. Most of you know it as coffee. Indeed that is what I call it as well. I find that, now that I am drinking it a little more regularly than I had been, the caffeine will last as long as I need it to without interfering with my sleep patterns. Up early at 6:45? No problem! As long as I've had adequate sleep the night before, coffee can give me the boost I need. The real killer though is when I have to get up at 5:45 or earlier. The cafeteria isn't usually open by then, so I have to resort to my powdered milk, water, and cereal method. My coffee is then made with those little instant packets Starbucks is handing out these days. That tastes about the same as the Folgiers coffee I get in the cafeteria. Not top grade but it gets me going.

I am preparing for my cross country solo now. I will be flying Newton --> Hays --> Hutchinson --> Newton which is about a 3 hour trip total including takeoff and landing time. I anticipate it highly and am looking forward to it. Flight planning has become easier and easier just because of the practice I've been having in ground school and with Amy. Friday looks to be a little windy, so it might have to wait until Saturday. After that solo I'll have one more solo XC and then a stage check and I'll be done with Mod 3! One more mod until my checkride and license! I added up my log book today and I have about 33 hours of flight time total so far with only about 6 PIC (pilot in command) time. But with these next two solos coming up I should get a good 5-6 hours more PIC time. The total required flight time for a Part 141 school (I can explain that later if anyone would like, just post a comment) for a student is 35 hours flight time, 35 hours ground instruction. I'll be well over that by the time I'm ready.