As of around 7 o’clock this evening, I’m now a certified commercial pilot, multi-engine land. As the University of North Dakota aerospace program is a Part 141 school, I also picked up my instrument rating at the same time. It’s been a long, hard semester, and when we landed today I was wearing a pretty big grin. I’m done. Almost as good is the fact that I can finally leave Grand Forks, if only for the summer – then it’s back to work on my flight instructor ratings.

This should be a good summer. I’m working at the University Village Apple store again, going to Sasquatch next weekend, and generally bumming around. I’ve got some outlines in the works on new topics, hopefully branching out into more discussion of the airline industry and where it’s going in the next few years. It’s hard not to be excited about aviation in a city like Seattle, with such an incredible history and great resources like the Museum of Flight.

I’ll be on the road and off the internets for the next few days; in the meantime, fly (and drive) safe.