So You Want To Be A Commercial Pilot

Pass the FAA knowledge exam? CHECK

Access to a complex aircraft? CHECK

Meet the minimum experience requirements? CHECK (well, almost)

Second class medical? CHECK THAT, CAPPY!

Yes, indeed, the IFR Pilot is now the proud owner of an FAA second class medical. Concerns about blood pressure (thanks, crappy machine at the grocery store) were misplaced, as it came out 124/80. Not perfect, but good enough.

Concerns about the ulcer were also misplaced. It helps to have a nice letter from your gastro doctor stating: "Condition healed. Patient is asymptomatic."

Of all things, however, your trusty narrator almost got tripped up on the vision test. For a second class medical, you need vision corrected to 20/20. Apparently, on the first run through, the result was corrected to 20/30. We re-did it in a more conventional manner (standard Snellen chart), as opposed to the whacky "which of the four circles inside the diamond is not broken?" that they used initially.

All we need now are decent temperatures and the IFR Pilot will set about completing the outstanding experience requirements: (a) an additional 1.4 night hours, (b) a 200 NM night-VFR cross-country with a CFI, and (c) training for the required maneuvers.

2007's goal #1 is definitely in sight and on schedule!!!