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 and emotional responsibility, contrasting sharply with the detachment experienced when renting.
The author's new Cessna 170 faced a prolonged engine repair and a tricky break-in period before checkout training could fully resume.
The checkout flights involved challenging landings on diverse surfaces, including short grass, grass with unique features, and a first-time taildragger landing on unforgiving pavement.
Despite initial anxieties, the author successfully navigated the training, adapted to the aircraft's handling on various surfaces, and affirmed their commitment to being a responsible caretaker.

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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.