Sit Back, Relax and PLAN A WEDDING!

Welcome To My Office.

Once a year, I am required to take a check ride. This entails a written examination administered by my employer, AirTran Airways. It also includes an oral examination and a flight check administered by a person designated by my employer and approved by the FAA. It is all encompassing. Lots of my fellow aviators believe they become less stressful as the years go by. I have not found that to be the case. I fear failure. I have never failed a portion of a check ride and always fear that the next one could be it. I study. I study. I study some more. I get a little nervous. I hope I don't say something wrong. I hope I understand the way the question was posed. I don't want to come across as unprepared. I study some more. I am in the middle of planning a wedding. No time. I study. I hope that when my examiner asks me about the engines on my jet I don't talk about the bead work on my gown. I fear that when he asks me about the landing gear and brakes I don't spill off our menu. Did I mention that Dr. Youssef, the Rector presiding over our ceremony has only preformed 5 weddings in the last 10 years and 4 of those were for family members? I study. Today, I took my annual check ride. I got to talk about all kinds of airplane stuff like: EECs, VIAs, ECUs, PCDUs, GENs, BATTS, MDA, VDP, MAP, DH, DA, RNAV, ZFW, MGW, TOW, CG, FARs, JEPs, APUs. No one asked me about the most important aspect about my life right now, the big gig that is quickly approaching. I had to spit out limitations. Immediate action items. Procedures. The good news is that I passed. It is over. I remembered the most important thing of all when it comes to check rides, "pull up, houses get smaller. Push forward, houses get bigger". I am done for a year. I can flush all of the above acronyms. I can now focus on the most important acronym of all, losing LBs because my parents are making me wear white in October.