Last weekend my instructor put me through a flight test to make sure I was ready for my solo cross country endorsement. The test consisted of multiple towered and non-towered airports to see how I handled the workload with a number of radio handoffs and airspace navigation.

Departing from Brainard (KHFD) I did my first landing at a class C airport, Bradley (KBDL). Then a quick stop at Barnes Westfield (KBAF, class D) before heading to Ellington (7B9, non-towered) for some short field practice and skydiver avoidance. I did plenty of preparation, including noting all of the frequencies I would need, identifying the possible handoff points, and figuring out the best navigation aids to avoid airspaces I wasn’t planning on entering. The test was a success and I received my endorsement. Now I’m just waiting on the weather and schedule to cooperate so I can plan my first solo trip to either Fitchburg (KFIT) or Poughkeepsie (KPOU).

Here’s a video summary of the trip to provide an example of the radio work that was needed.