06/13/2026
Challenger II Training Updates
UPDATE 14 JUNE
Robert and I rose at 0530 to be at the airport by 0630. Mark was already there with the plane fueled and ready for me...........................at 0630?????????
I am not a morning person and you are asking me to GET IN THE BACK SEAT AND FLY? Well, after some thoughts I climbed in and Mark, the instructor got into the front seat or the student's seat. I have basically zero forward visibility from the back seat. I have only one gauge in the back seat, showing altitude, air speed, and RPM's. That's it. So off we went, back taxied runway 32 for departure and plans to stay in the pattern to shoot approaches, me trying it from the back seat with no forward visibility. So what do you do to see the runway? Stick your head out of the cockpit into the airstream and look for it. Meanwhile the wind is making your eye lids flutter and you are blinking to keep your eyes from running.
Well the first approach went well, almost all me on the stick with little input from Mark, but good instructions from Mark on keeping the stick back further. So we did this another 7-8 times and I finally got the squeakers. I was able to hold the nose gear up until it wouldn't fly anymore and hold centerline fairly well. Mark even said "Good Job". I got about 1.1 hours in doing approaches until I was toast and now it's Robert's turn.
Robert and Mark did some approaches and around 0900 Mark had to get ready to leave. The afternoon flights were scrubbed due to WX so Robert and I checked out of the hotel and headed North for a 10 hour plus drive home.
END of Today's Story
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Robert and I drove to Dawson, GA to take flight lessons from Mark Murray, an expert in Challenger II's and Light Sport training. We left Suffolk Wednesday morning around 0930 and drove straight thru. Training begins at 0630-0700 each morning and then again in the evening from 1800 til dark. Robert is getting primary training and I'm getting transition training, mainly doing approaches and touch and goes. We are both doing very well in my opinion. Mark is a hell of an instructor and subject matter expert when it comes to Challenger II's. It's currently Saturday 1400, we are at the hotel waiting on the afternoon training. I'm hoping to get some backseat time tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon looks iffy due to wx.
Heres a few pics.
