We stripped her naked.

A great adventure opens the door to more.

A great adventure opens the door to more.

All I can say is, I had no doubt in your abilities to conquer your quest.
The trials and tribulations you have overcome on your journey were very inspirational for me and many others.
Your sticktoitiveness proves that a disability is only a state of mind not a state of being.
I wish you the best in your future endeavors as a C.F.I.

To the readers :
NEVER JUDGE A PERSON BY YOUR STANDARDS AND POTENTIALS.
In other words, because your able body and mind can't do it doesn't mean a one eyed half brained person can't do it better.
~~JAKE~~

Thank you Jake, I suspected I could succeed as long as my drive and desire outlasted the challenges.

Standing at the airport yesterday with the nearby thunderstorms Terry and I hit a real low. To make it work today we would have to fly by 11:00. I did not have the money to bring Terry back before my oral expired. It is 8:30 and I cannot see the Valley Floor from 450 feet MSL out my office window. My practice area is further east about a mile. I don't feel it would have worked out.

ATC at SMX was very generous to let me dominate the airport doing my practical test for almost an hour. It saved forty five minutes of flight time out and back from the practice area and had us in a position to land if the thunderstorm picked up speed. They only moved us for reginal jets and firefighting tankers. They worked us around the rest of the traffic.

You are always an inspiration to me Jake.

I am grateful for our friendship.

I am looking forward to our collaboration.

I am beginning the process of getting a class two medical next month. It involves a new demonstrated ability medical check ride.

I had a talk with Craig Catto about propellers and 68 inch three blade seems to be a happy compromise.
 
You travels have been long and argulous, filled with many high and low points of emotion.

You are truly on the path to becoming the master. You have done well pilgrim.

Thank you Jeff!

You are one of my valued aviation mentors.

I often ask how would Jeff approach a challenge in the Aviation Way?

I have gained a lot of insight from our friendship.
 
Vance,
Congratulations 100 times!!
Your persistence, thought organization, and desire to share are an inspiration.
I am starting a new adventure building and learning to fly an Aircam, and I hope to apply some of the thought process I learned from you during the journey.

Thank you Jeffery!

I feel that is a great project for you.

You better than most understand my process.

I am grateful for our friendship.
 
Quite the ride

Quite the ride

I don't believe I could have done what you have in your Gyroplane-CFI quest, Vance.

Your friends here on the rotary forum feel the elation!
 
Vance,
Great job! Never a doubt in my mind. You are an amazing person and I loved flying with you. I'm looking forward to our journey together and you being my CFI.
Let's start planning our cross country next year!
Kyron

Thank you Kyron!

You are one of my favorite practice students and I look forward to our future adventures together.

You have helped on this quest more than you know.
 
I don't believe I could have done what you have in your Gyroplane-CFI quest, Vance.

Your friends here on the rotary forum feel the elation!

You underestimate yourself Kevin.

I marvel at the things you have done and continue to do.

I cherish the memory of our flight of two.
 
Despite our differences, I am not one to ignore this accomplishment, and I add my congratulations here. In taking Sport and Private Gyro pilots to higher levels, I wish you success!

Regards, Kolibri
 
Whooo Hoooo! Congratulations Vance! Another fledging Gyroplane CFI. Too Cool!

We all are so proud of you!

Wayne

Thank you Wayne!

I am very excited about the possibilities.

I have learned a lot from you about aviation and flying into Los Alamitos is one of my special aviation adventures. Thank you.
 
Despite our differences, I am not one to ignore this accomplishment, and I add my congratulations here. In taking Sport and Private Gyro pilots to higher levels, I wish you success!

Regards, Kolibri

Thank you!

Your hope that Terry would do things to test my ability to manage complex unexpected challenges was more than satisfied by the weather and the environment. I did not feel overloaded and did not miss using my check lists despite the time constraints.

Our decision to move forward is validated. We are past the time Terry could still fly with me today and SMX is still IFR.
 
Last edited:
Congratulations now you are responsible for the future of other pilots the their exploits

in the air, Take extra care and enjoy the new pressures of the tasks that are soon to come.


expect the unexpected.....
 
Congratulations Vance,

Really had no doubt you would succeed. You are one of the most determined individuals I know.

There are a lot of people with no handicaps who wouldn't have finished the journey you just did!
 
CONGRATULATIONS VANCE!!!!

I knew you would get it done!! I think it is cool that you did it in the Predator too!! What did Terry think of the Predator?? Why the class II medical?? Class III is all that is required for a CFI....

Anyhow Congrats!!!
 
Congratulations now you are responsible for the future of other pilots the their exploits

in the air, Take extra care and enjoy the new pressures of the tasks that are soon to come.


expect the unexpected.....

Thank you for the advice Don.

The entire adventure has been unexpected.
 
...Why the class II medical?? Class III is all that is required for a CFI....

Anyhow Congrats!!!

ONLY if every student you instruct is qualified to be PIC with a passenqer. A primary student (before takinq their checkride) cannot. So the CFI is actinq as PIC for Compensation or hire.

Unless of course, everythinq is beinq done at the Sport Pilot Level and the aircraft is LSA-eliqible .
 
Congratulations Vance,

Really had no doubt you would succeed. You are one of the most determined individuals I know.

There are a lot of people with no handicaps who wouldn't have finished the journey you just did!

Thank you Mark.

I had several occasions where I felt I had taken on more than I could manage. I had great difficulty making sense out of the FARs and keeping them separate from the AIM. A question Terry asked often; “is that a requirement?” Another was; “do you think that is a good idea even though it is in the regulations?”

If we had not flown yesterday when we did Terry would have left and I did not have the money to bring him back before the 60 days expired and I would have had to start the practical test from the beginning.

The air became very heavy in Mitch’s hangar as the three of us discussed the possibilities.

The request to ATC required a second level approval and it got very quiet as we waited. I did not need to put my cell phone on speaker; it was that quiet.

It was not hard to imagine how frustrating it would have been to wait for VFR Friday morning that didn’t come before Terry left. I offered to drive him back but he had a commitment to a student on Saturday so he would not have been rested enough. It is an eight hour drive.

Once again I am known as that crazy guy from what people saw going on.

The airport and the practice area should not be one and the same.

I feel lucky to have so many people helping me to achieve my dreams!
 
Last edited:
The Predator flew well in poor conditions.

The Predator flew well in poor conditions.

CONGRATULATIONS VANCE!!!!

I knew you would get it done!! I think it is cool that you did it in the Predator too!! What did Terry think of the Predator?? Why the class II medical?? Class III is all that is required for a CFI....

Anyhow Congrats!!!

Terry was amazed at how smooth The Predator is. He commented that she was a heavy, stable ship. I did not demonstrate her maneuverability other than my engine out landing with a short approach that almost didn’t work out because of a quartering tail wind.

He started to make a very bad landing and saved it at the last minute with a little encouragement.

He was impressed with how little altitude we used when doing recognition and recovery for a high rate of descent.

He felt the control pressures were a little heavy.

I hope to get the class II medical so I can get paid to fly in air shows. I would like to do that more and with the third class medical I can’t even accept fuel or motel rooms.

I would like to fly more air shows. I probably spend over $1,000 on an airshow like Cable or Hollister because of the distance.

I don’t like to turn down money when it is offered for doing something I love.
 
ONLY if every student you instruct is qualified to be PIC with a passenqer. A primary student (before takinq their checkride) cannot. So the CFI is actinq as PIC for Compensation or hire.

Unless of course, everythinq is beinq done at the Sport Pilot Level and the aircraft is LSA-eliqible .

Where did you find that requirement Bryan?

The way I interpret 61.23 (3) (iv) is that with a third class medical is what is needed to exercise the privileges of a flight instructor and acting as pilot in command.

(3) Must hold at least a third-class medical certificate—
(i) When exercising the privileges of a private pilot certificate;
(ii) When exercising the privileges of a recreational pilot certificate;
(iii) When exercising the privileges of a student pilot certificate;
(iv) When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate and acting as the pilot in command;

What you describe reads more like when a medical is not required for flight instruction.

(b) Operations not requiring a medical certificate. A person is not required to hold a medical certificate—
(1) When exercising the privileges of a student pilot certificate while seeking—
(i) A sport pilot certificate with glider or balloon privileges; or
(ii) A pilot certificate with a glider category rating or balloon class rating;
(2) When exercising the privileges of a sport pilot certificate with privileges in a glider or balloon;
(3) When exercising the privileges of a pilot certificate with a glider category rating or balloon class rating in a glider or a balloon, as appropriate;
(4) When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate with—
(i) A sport pilot rating in a glider or balloon; or
(ii) A glider category rating;
(5) When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate if the person is not acting as pilot in command or serving as a required pilot flight crewmember;
(6) When exercising the privileges of a ground instructor certificate;
(7) When serving as an Examiner or check airman and administering a practical test or proficiency check for an airman certificate, rating, or authorization conducted in a glider, balloon, flight simulator, or flight training device;
(8) When taking a practical test or a proficiency check for a certificate, rating, authorization or operating privilege conducted in a glider, balloon, flight simulator, or flight training device; or
(9) When a military pilot of the U.S. Armed Forces can show evidence of an up-to-date medical examination authorizing pilot flight status issued by the U.S. Armed Forces and—
(i) The flight does not require higher than a third-class medical certificate; and
(ii) The flight conducted is a domestic flight operation within U.S. airspace.
 
Top