Single-engine x 2 = Multi-Engine

Training for me has resumed in the PA-30. The only blank column that was in my logbook is blank no more, as time as started to accrue in the multi column.

It's a very fun plane to fly. I attribute this to a few things:
1) It has two engines.
2) The instructor isn't bored sitting there watching me practice things. He can broaden my knowledge even further.
3) It has two engines.

Because it has two engines, that means that twice as many things can go wrong but it also means if an engine quits, you don't have to reserve yourself to an unscheduled off-airport landing. On take off, there's a cockpit brief that is said before taking the runway for departure. It goes like this:
1) Lose an engine on takeoff run, throttle back and abort takeoff.
2) Lose an engine on takeoff with gear down, throttle back and land straight ahead.
3) Lose an engine on takeoff after gear up, ball centered (coordinated airplane), airspeed blue line (best single-engine climb speed), mixture-prop-throttle controls forward, identify, verify and feather the dead engine.

Sounds complicated? That's why we practice.

Here are some pictures from a recent flight. On this particular flight, all we did was stay in the traffic pattern and practice flying the plane if an engine were to fail at different points in the pattern.

Preflighting:


Being cool:


Soon after takeoff. Notice this plane is a low-wing rather than the Cessna high-wing:


On final for runway 35 at Newton:


Until next time...

A new journey

At 4:27, as I was debating going out to the lounge and getting my usual fill of Jeopardy! or staying in my room and waiting for something to pop up on my screen to read that would keep me from doing homework, an email popped up. This wasn't the usual Facebook notice or aviation scheduler reminder, but a message from the Intermenno Trainee Program with the subject of "Intermenno acceptance."

Much to my happiness, it was indeed an email telling me that I had been accepted. So, I'll be leaving sometime before August 5 from the Kansas area. August 5 is when we leave Toronto for Amsterdam. I do not know where my placement is quite yet but I'm assuming I'll find out when my deposit gets sent in and I accept the acceptance invitation (kind of redundant).

In aviation news, I resume my multi-engine training tomorrow, pending whether the wind and flurries hold off. Hopefully by the end of March I'll be an IR AMEL CPL (Instrument-Rated Airplane Multi-Engine Land Commercial Pilot [License]). I'll add some pics after tomorrow's flight.