NOW I'm a pilot

[Threefingeredjack]

I'm sure we all have had that moment. You are walking away from your aircraft mentally reviewing your flight when it hits you: That was really difficult, but I pulled it off without much drama......HEY!!! I'm finally good!!! Mastering this crazy game is, of course, an elusive goal that few can honestly say they have attained. But anyone who has flown enough can look back on their experience and find their rite of passage. Anyone care to share?

 

[Jim Logajan]

Not there yet, alas.

 

[Jim Logajan]

Never the way I was taught in a twin. Lesson one by a very competent instructor: Vr>positive rate>Gear Up>Accelerate for Blue line before you even leave G/E. You never have gear hanging when you are flying and you always want as much speed and altitude as fast as you can to buy you time to feather and keep it going under control.

A quick check of the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook chapter on multi-engine confirms your training and advice (except for wanting as much speed as possible):

"Landing gear retraction should normally occur after a positive rate of climb is established."

"After leaving the ground, altitude gain is more important than achieving an excess of airspeed. Experience has shown that excessive speed cannot be effectively converted into altitude in the event of engine failure. Altitude gives the pilot time to think and react."

In the chapter on complex it states:

"Normally, the landing gear should be retracted after lift-off when the airplane has reached an altitude where, in the event of an engine failure or other emergency requiring an aborted takeoff, the airplane could no longer be landed on the runway. This procedure, however, may not apply to all situations."

I've never flown complex, so only know what the books claim.