The Hurdle

My computer and brain are smoking.  Quiz after quiz I’m studying this material, and I’m frustrated.  Over all 950 question spread out among 11 chapters, this instrument test is killing me.  I do an entire chapter at a time only moving on to the next on mastery.  I finally came to the light at the end of the tunnel, but I had just forgotten what I had learned and memorized from the first couple of chapters.  This is really frustrating.  Testing myself over 60 random questions is giving me results anywhere from 68% to 83%.  The scores in the 80’s are few and far between.  I almost feel like my brain is at fault here.  Not wired properly.  Though I’m sure it isn’t and hasn’t been for quite some time.  Sometimes I wonder if this is what people feel like when they realize they are really losing their memory power.  I’ve even considered going herbal.  On breaks between studying the quizzes I have researched such things as Ginkgo Biloba, and DMAE to see what could enhance my memory, and help me toward my goal.  I even came across some studies that show people who take an old pill bottle, and print up a convincing prescription sticker to place on the bottle with directions and what its for, then fill it up with jelly beans have shown improvements in whatever they need.  I’m sure this could work, but not sure I’m going to buy into this type of voodoo… yet.  Though the Ginkgo is looking pretty good right now.

The day came.  Thursday morning I woke up somewhat early to go into DCA and plopped myself in front of a computer to warm my brain up.  As I sat there, drinking a bottle of water and a Starbucks chilled vanilla latte from one of the numerous vending machines in our break room.  The time came, and my ground instructor called for me from the doorway.  I logged out, threw away the two empty bottles, and walked two doors down to face the beast.  I sat and put my calculator down next to my trusty space pen.  The same space pen that had loyally floated beside me on numerous Zero G flights.  I wouldn’t say it’s my lucky pen…  but I have found myself becoming more and more superstitious.  OK FINE… Its my lucky pen.

The tests were handed out, and I plugged away.  I took my time even when I would see a trigger word in an answer that I knew made it correct.  I didn’t want to second guess myself either.  As I worked my way down, I used the same technique I did when I took the end of course for private.  I put a notch next to the answers I wasn’t quite sure about.  When I finished the first column I counted up all notches. I had six.  50 question total, I need an 80% to pass. Wow… that’s not giving me too much room for error.  I started on the second column.  Oh God.  That water and chilled coffee I had finished prior to class was starting to create some pressure, and began knocking on the out door.  The second column of answers produced only one I wasn’t sure about.  By the time I finished the last column I had to pee so bad I could taste it.  I quickly counted up all the questions I wasn’t sure about.  14. Oh  LORD!  I went back through all the questions, making sure I was confident in the answers.  If I recall correctly I only changed two.  I looked up at my instructor with my hand firmly gripping my answer sheet.  Even though I had to pee so bad I stood there frozen like a deer caught in headlights not wanting to hand my test in.  He started to laugh and asked… “You ready?”

I looked at my sheet handed it over and said… “I’ll be right back… I have got to pee.”  I heard him laughing as I bolted out the door to find relief.  Fortunately the men’s room was just across the hall.  I returned to class, where my instructor had a smile on his face and said… “Good job!”  I looked at my paper with a great big 86% in red ink.  I think I grew 86 inches when I saw that.  A wise man once said “WOOHOO!”

That was step one.  Next I found myself marching over to our FAA examiner’s office to ask when I could take the FAA instrument exam.  I’m slated for Monday at 1800Zulu.  Ten days thereafter I will take the FAA Private exam.  We are open Saturday to give us Friday off for a long much needed Thanksgiving break, which means I will probably go flying on Saturday.  And that feels great!