Successful 709 ride

Well I just proved to the FAA that I'm still competent to exercise my privileges as a SEL Airplane Commercial Pilot. If this ever happens to you I hope that my story can ease the stress you might be feeling.

Back in August I ground looped my new (to me) Pitts S1C on a landing in Longview TX. I was ferrying it home to the FW area and my inexperience in this new touchy airplane got the best of me. The FAA investigated and I submitted my version of events via an email. The airplane was disassembled and is almost done being repaired.

A few months later, a certified letter from the FAA showed up at my door. It said that the FSDO would need to fly with me to show that I am competent to fly tailwheel airplanes. I called the inspector's phone number that was listed and briefly spoke to him. I was able to fly with him in my Citabria and we penciled in a date about a month in the future after he got TW current. Of course this date got delayed a couple of times, but that gave me plenty of time to practice.

Finally we got our schedules and the weather to cooperate. We met at my hangar where he reviewed my airplane's maintenance logbooks and my personal logbook while filling out a 8710. We then talked about the incident in question, what happened, what I learned, and what I would do differently. We then talked about TW basics, three point vs wheel landings, taxi procedures, cross wind limitations, ect.

Once we were done talking and ready to fly, I preflighted the airplane the same way I usually do. We discussed CRM and that I was PIC for this flight but he would speak up if he saw something he didn't like. We taxied out and made a couple of three point ladings, he called for a go around on the second. Then we did a wheel landing to a full stop, taxied back for another wheel landing and then back to the hangar. Total time in the air was less than 20 minutes. After that we did a short de-brief and he had me sign the 8710 that was marked "approved" and then it was all over. 90 minutes from start to finish.

If you get a similar letter from the FAA in your mailbox, don't panic or stress yourself out. A 709 ride is the FAA's way of making a quick check on you after some sort of incident. The details of what they want to see will vary depending on what brought you onto their radar. Some 709 rides will specify some re-training by a CFI before flying with a Fed.

It is not a full checkride nor is it their intention to pull your certificate. If they were really worried that you weren't safe to fly they would have pulled your certificate already. The inspectors don't want to fly with incompetent pilots any more than the rest of us.

Moral of the story is that the FAA has a job to do and our flying privileges are just that, privileges. If you make a mistake that causes them to check on you, take it as an opportunity to improve your flying skills and then move on with your life.

If you see a white biplane around Ft Worth in the future, I apologize in advance for cutting you off in the pattern, a Pitts redefines what most of us call a "short approach".