The Exam

Posted on March 27, 2008 @ 10:04PM

Today is the day I sit my Virtual Flight Equivalence exam.

Today I put all of my background behind me. There’s been this nagging part of me, this doubt in the back of my brain telling me, NO, you can’t do it, you’re just some kid from the most isolated town on the planet, NO, you don’t have the facilities to be able to pull something like this off.

I told Kam, and he got really blunt with me. “Suck it up Derf. You know you can do this. You’ve come a long way since we’ve start it, the only thing that’s keeping you on the farm is you.”

Walking into the test, I was completely conflicted. One side ridden with self-doubt, and the other empowered by the confidence Kam had placed in me. I just hoped that the latter would win out.

I was relieved to find that the practical test came before the theory. Everything Kam and I had talked about in our flights came flooding back to me as I flew through, the test course easily. By the time it had finished, and it was time to sit the theory test, it was all straight in my head. Flight patterns, acceleration, navigation, and landing calculations poured out of me. I handed in the test, and waited while they marked it.

The guy looked up at me as I waited. “Where did you say you were from?” he asked.

“Erebus.” I replied.

“Incredible.” He said. “You aced it. One hundred per cent. If this is the mark you can get on an entry exam, I’ll have to keep my eye on you.”

Needless to say, Kam and I went out for more than a few drinks.

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