A Long-Awaited Return to the Skies Comes With Anxious Moments

Jason McDowell

Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at 09:06 AM ET

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At long last, a completed engine break-in enables the continuation of checkout training. [Photo: Jason McDowell]

Key Takeaways:

Airplane ownership brings a profound sense of financial responsibility and emotional attachment, differing significantly from the detachment of renting, with owners feeling a duty to maintain the aircraft's legacy.
The author describes resuming challenging checkout training in his newly acquired Cessna 170 after extensive maintenance and a lengthy engine break-in period.
Training involved mastering landings on diverse surfaces, including short, soft grass strips and the more demanding pavement, which requires precise control for taildraggers.
Despite initial nerves and the varied conditions, the author successfully completed the training without incident, fulfilling his role as a responsible caretaker of his new airplane.

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One of the best parts of being a renter is the lack of attachment to the airplane you’re flying. Sure, you’re probably rather fond of the machine, and you do your very best to take good care of it. But should a bonehead move result in bent metal, you’ll simply trudge through the humiliating process of filing an insurance claim, pay a deductible, and then get on with your life in an emotional state no worse than if you had just totaled a Nissan Altima rental car.

Being an owner, on the other hand, is altogether different.