He asked us what was the most important to achieve when doing this sortie, so he was like looking at me and I had to reply him. "To pass, Sir," I said. "Noooo, it's to enjoy the flight!" with a big wide smile which helped to relieve the stress a little. The briefing ended as quickly as it begun.
After DOB, I was first wave and I went to kit up. Joel did the DOB and he forgot to take the FAK so we had to draw it when we were at the Ops Room. Once MAJ Kullar came, I briefed him whatever was needed. I strapped in very quickly and had time to really calm myself and think it through.
The test came with lots of problem, firstly I said 30R but I set 12R, panicking you see. The oil temperature was below 24degrees too so I informed him about it. He asked me so what we were going to do about it, I just said, "Wait, Sir," in the questioning tone but he took it as my answer and said "Good!". My mind was like full of relieve and stuff, the extra time in the cockpit gave me time to recollect myself.
R/T I freezed after ATC gave some reply and I didn't know who to read back so he quickly covered it up for me. Took off, going to training sector was fine. Medium level turn a little up and down of 5000ft, stalls was fine too. Once I finished raising the flaps and started accelerating, he took over controls and I thought I had failed.
"Now I'm going to pull some G's, so let me know when you don’t feel well alright?" My mind was a little shocked, but I thought what the heck, might as well enjoy the G's. He pulled one after another, and was much better than what COL Kao showed me. I felt really great and excited though, looking the horizon from upside down. He taught me a lot on the maneuver 'Roll Off the Top' and showed other aerobatics not in the syllabus.
Once done, he leveled of in 3000ft and gave me controls, immediately I set fast cruise settings and saw the ASI was clocking 150kts. Wow! The HSI/RMI had lost its synchronization with the stand-by compass but I didn't realize it. He told me and I quickly adjusted it. While adjusting, I gained 300ft and also missed the double T-junctions where I had to change back to 118.25 for TW. What a let down of a great sortie.
Once at 5NM, he showed me circuits and did most of it, something I was very glad I didn't do because the effects or the aerobatics started to kick in. I had cold sweat and a little spinning in my head. Think he pulled a little one G too much, my body still not well accommodated to the demands for aerobatics.
After touchdown, he asked me of whether I passed the test or not. Well I thought that after he did some teaching. He smiled and replied, "I think you passed too!" in a joking manner. My mind was like so relieved and my heart jumping for joy! I made it! He gave me a debrief on the way back and once in the Ops Room, I gave the thumbs up sign to Kelveen who was taking the test next to give him some encouragement as we had the same testing instructor.
Well, the rest of the day I was like over the moon, Vincent and Aaron also made it, but not Kelveen, Ben, Qing Yao and Wen Xiang. It's just so saddening. Why? *Sigh* After dinner I went to use the internet with Ben and we were like freezing and shivering on the way there. To my surprise, Xueyu was online so I chatted with her, she's always so busy and stuff, rare chance. LoL.. Well since I’ve passed, only looking forward to the day where I return after taking yet another test.
This week, which is the September holidays, would have been a good time to, but I surely cannot make it in time, unless I had failed. Next week is the start of prelims which makes it bad but it is also school holidays for the university people. So it's like good and bad for next week? Two weeks later would be the last week of prelims but nearing the beginning of promos. I guess I'll let the administration side and also how much flights I fly in one day to decide when I'll be going back.
10:30 pm;