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Martha Lunken Earns Her Wings (Again)

[Courtesy: Martha Lunken]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author successfully regained her private pilot certificate on Christmas Eve 2021, nine months after all her pilot certificates and ratings had been revoked.
  • She intentionally chose to take her re-certification check ride in a simple Cessna 150, partly to potentially reduce scrutiny from an FAA-observed examination.
  • The rigorous check ride, administered by a familiar examiner, included complex navigation and various flight maneuvers, which she successfully passed.
  • Reflecting on a challenging year, the author expressed gratitude for support and reiterated her enduring passion for flying, while acknowledging past mistakes that led to the revocation.
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As a child, I thought Christmas Eve was hands-down the most magical time of the year, but December 24, 2021, was over the top.

That morning I became a “real” private pilot…nine months since the revocation of all my certificates and ratings. Though I could pursue getting all of them back, at this time in life I won’t go for anything else except an instrument rating. I don’t need anything more.

Martha Lunken

Martha Lunken is a lifelong pilot, former FAA inspector and defrocked pilot examiner. She flies a Cessna 180 and anything with a tailwheel, from Cubs to DC-3s.

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