Well I took a long break from flying, nearly four months. But I went back up today, this time for a refresher flight out to the practice area to do maneuvers, followed by some landings. When I scheduled this, I was hoping for a nice Spring day. Instead it was temperatures in the 90s and a bit humid. But at least the wind was light.
I feared I would be really rusty. But the takeoff and trip out to the practice area went smoothly. I started with steep turns, feeling my own wake at the end of the second turn. I did slow flight, which was pretty easy. Then a couple of stalls, nice & easy. Then the instructor did something new. For the unusual attitude recoveries, I had my foggles on. I did the recoveries, but it was really weird. I kept the foggles on for the return trip, taking them off once on downwind. I was afraid this was where the rust would really show, but I brought it in for a squeaker of a landing. The second time around was OK, but the instructor remarked that I was slower than he liked. Last time, he pulled the power on me so I had to land it "engine out". I misjudged when to turn in so I wound up on final high. I had asked before the flight about slips, so this was a good time to do one. I still came in high and floated and missed the midfield turnoff, but if I ever have to do a true engine out landing, I hope it's as smooth as that one today.
So I'm cleared to solo again. It worked out much better than I expected and I'm looking forward to that next flight.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Medical Exam Renewal
I got busy, the weather got bad, and I stopped flying for a while. My medical certificate lapsed, so I renewed it this week. Much easier than last time. I'm going on vacation in 2 days, so I'm hoping to get back into the air when I get back.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Solo 3
Today I flew my first solo cross-country flight. I went from Fort Meade (KFME) to Salisbury (KSBY). It was a cold, clear day with light winds when I took off. But first I had to deal with the fact that the AWOS at FME was out of service. I wasn't sure whether I was doing something wrong when I didn't hear the AWOS, so I shut the engine down and asked for help. We tried a different airplane and concluded that the AWOS was off because of a power outage the previous day and no one was around to get it going again. The instructor advised me to tune to BWI for the local wind and altimeter settings.
I took off and proceeded on course. It was a little bumpy at times, and I had a tendency to drift off course. But I found my landmarks easily and spotted SBY at least 20 miles out. I checked in with the tower, entered the pattern, and got clearance to land. The wind was stronger than I expected from the forecast and it turned into a challenging landing. Not the hardest I've done, never out of control or scary, but challenging to keep it on center line. I touched down and easily made the first turnoff.
I asked the tower to do a few trips around the pattern and the controller agreed. When he cleared me for the first takeoff he reported much stronger winds and gusts than I expected, stronger than reported on the ASOS, so I decided to simply return to FME. On climbout I advised the controller that I was cancelling my landing intentions and he cleared me to proceed on course.
I had no trouble navigating back to FME. I had to tune BWI ATIS to get the wind and altimeter info. I spotted the field, reported to ATC, switch frequencies, entered the pattern, and landed.
All in all, it was pretty uneventful.
I took off and proceeded on course. It was a little bumpy at times, and I had a tendency to drift off course. But I found my landmarks easily and spotted SBY at least 20 miles out. I checked in with the tower, entered the pattern, and got clearance to land. The wind was stronger than I expected from the forecast and it turned into a challenging landing. Not the hardest I've done, never out of control or scary, but challenging to keep it on center line. I touched down and easily made the first turnoff.
I asked the tower to do a few trips around the pattern and the controller agreed. When he cleared me for the first takeoff he reported much stronger winds and gusts than I expected, stronger than reported on the ASOS, so I decided to simply return to FME. On climbout I advised the controller that I was cancelling my landing intentions and he cleared me to proceed on course.
I had no trouble navigating back to FME. I had to tune BWI ATIS to get the wind and altimeter info. I spotted the field, reported to ATC, switch frequencies, entered the pattern, and landed.
All in all, it was pretty uneventful.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Lesson 24
Last night I did my 2nd and final night flight. This was a cross-country trip to Salisbury. It was a nice night for it - calm winds, reported overcast at 6000 but it appeared broken, and a balmy 40 degrees for a December night.
We took off into really smooth air and proceeded on course. I had an easier time picking up landmarks, but I still struggled to manage paper and frequencies and navigation and aviation all at once. I handled all of the radio work, uneventfully except for when I checked in with the tower at Salisbury - I gave them the wrong location. But I called back and fixed that.
The night was so clear that we spotted the airport more than 20 miles out and we were even nearly lined up with the runway, so I guess you could say I had a 20-mile final approach. We did 5 stop-and-goes and returned home.
Overall this flight was much easier than my other night flight. The calm winds and good visibility helped. The landings were OK, no bounces or dropping it in.
I'm cleared for solo cross country work now.
We took off into really smooth air and proceeded on course. I had an easier time picking up landmarks, but I still struggled to manage paper and frequencies and navigation and aviation all at once. I handled all of the radio work, uneventfully except for when I checked in with the tower at Salisbury - I gave them the wrong location. But I called back and fixed that.
The night was so clear that we spotted the airport more than 20 miles out and we were even nearly lined up with the runway, so I guess you could say I had a 20-mile final approach. We did 5 stop-and-goes and returned home.
Overall this flight was much easier than my other night flight. The calm winds and good visibility helped. The landings were OK, no bounces or dropping it in.
I'm cleared for solo cross country work now.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Lesson 23
After cancellations because of weather and a scheduling mixup, I finally got the first of two night flights in yesterday. The weather briefer went on about icing, but the conditions were actually quite good for November, light breeze, temperature around 40, occasional stars visible through a high broken layer.
We took off through a few bumps from a very quiet airport. I couldn't have navigated to Easton on my own - the landmarks were hard to pick out and a very strong tailwind was pushing us along a lot faster than I've seen before. When we arrived in the airport area, I had a very hard time picking up the runway lights. The air was smooth above 1000 feet but in the Easton pattern I struggled with wind and even seeing the runway so I didn't fly the rectangular pattern well at all. We did five stop-and-goes. Actually we landed, stopped, back-taxied, and took off again. There was no one else in the pattern so we had it to ourselves. The landings were pretty ugly because I had a hard time judging height in the flare.
We departed for the return flight and this time it was easier to find landmarks, but I would have gotten lost in the big dark area near the airport if I had been alone. We entered the pattern and I struggled with altitude, getting too low, until established on final. The last landing was the worst, with two bounces, and I don't know how much was me and how much was the instructor fighting me on the controls. He said everyone has trouble in the dark there because of the lack of lights in the airport area.
So I'm glad that's done. The next flight should be a dual cross-country at night.
We took off through a few bumps from a very quiet airport. I couldn't have navigated to Easton on my own - the landmarks were hard to pick out and a very strong tailwind was pushing us along a lot faster than I've seen before. When we arrived in the airport area, I had a very hard time picking up the runway lights. The air was smooth above 1000 feet but in the Easton pattern I struggled with wind and even seeing the runway so I didn't fly the rectangular pattern well at all. We did five stop-and-goes. Actually we landed, stopped, back-taxied, and took off again. There was no one else in the pattern so we had it to ourselves. The landings were pretty ugly because I had a hard time judging height in the flare.
We departed for the return flight and this time it was easier to find landmarks, but I would have gotten lost in the big dark area near the airport if I had been alone. We entered the pattern and I struggled with altitude, getting too low, until established on final. The last landing was the worst, with two bounces, and I don't know how much was me and how much was the instructor fighting me on the controls. He said everyone has trouble in the dark there because of the lack of lights in the airport area.
So I'm glad that's done. The next flight should be a dual cross-country at night.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Lesson 22
Long layoff from flying, nearly a month, and I was rusty. A couple of weeks ago I was scheduled to go to Salisbury for my first cross country. We got out to the airport on a beautiful day, only to find that the airport was fogged in.
So two weeks later, we got the flight in. Boy did the weather change. It was gusting for the whole flight, except for the time above 2000. And the crosswind from the north was making it hard for me to fly my course. The weather at Salisbury was significantly worse, with a lower ceiling, gusting wind, and even some rain.
I was navigating OK until we reached the Eastern Shore, where I got confused because of the combination of rivers, wind blowing me off course, and the directional gyro drift that I didn't notice. I was following a VOR so I was steadily heading toward the destination, but there were some S turns in there.
Eventually we approached the airport, I contacted the tower, and we received clearance to land, left base for runway 05. I totally misjudged the placement of the base leg and found myself and another aircraft both ready to turn final 3 miles out. SO I did a 360 to let the other plane get in front and then I followed it in. There was a displaced threshold that was very odd - sandbags on 1000 feet of runway that made it hard to pick the threshold up until we were close.
We did a series of touch and goes and departed for an uneventful return flight. Uneventful save for constantly fighting to stay on course.
I was pleased with the landings that I did, all four in gusting wind. I was disappointed that I had such a hard time staying on course, but I guess it was to be expected to some extent because it was my first time.
So two weeks later, we got the flight in. Boy did the weather change. It was gusting for the whole flight, except for the time above 2000. And the crosswind from the north was making it hard for me to fly my course. The weather at Salisbury was significantly worse, with a lower ceiling, gusting wind, and even some rain.
I was navigating OK until we reached the Eastern Shore, where I got confused because of the combination of rivers, wind blowing me off course, and the directional gyro drift that I didn't notice. I was following a VOR so I was steadily heading toward the destination, but there were some S turns in there.
Eventually we approached the airport, I contacted the tower, and we received clearance to land, left base for runway 05. I totally misjudged the placement of the base leg and found myself and another aircraft both ready to turn final 3 miles out. SO I did a 360 to let the other plane get in front and then I followed it in. There was a displaced threshold that was very odd - sandbags on 1000 feet of runway that made it hard to pick the threshold up until we were close.
We did a series of touch and goes and departed for an uneventful return flight. Uneventful save for constantly fighting to stay on course.
I was pleased with the landings that I did, all four in gusting wind. I was disappointed that I had such a hard time staying on course, but I guess it was to be expected to some extent because it was my first time.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Solo 2
We're having a beautiful weekend here as Summer comes to a close. I was looking forward to a nice, calm trip out to the practice area. I reserved a different plane, and I had a time with the radio. I never did get the second radio working and I wound up just using the first radio to pick up the AWOS. The wind at ground level was calm, but I definitely felt it when I cleared the trees. It was cool, about 65 degrees, when I departed and the airplane climbed a whole lot better than I was used to.
I went around the pattern once, just to get a sense of the visibility, wind, and airplane performance. I landed, taxied back, took off, and departed the area. When I switched to the ATC frequency and called in, the controller asked me what transponder code I was using. After I told him, he asked me whether that was the assigned code. I said it was after double-checking what I wrote when I got it on the phone. He asked me to ident, I did, and then he told me that my transponder was observed and sent me on course. Very peculiar.
I proceeded out to the bay, turned south, and promptly arrived in the practice area. I did my clearing turns, followed by a figure 8 medium bank turn, followed by a series of steep turns. It was very smooth, but I had a hard time holding altitude and lost more than I liked. I then did some slow flight, with shallow turns. When I'd had enough, I went back, landed, and went once more around the pattern.
Some firsts on this flight: first time solo away from the airport, first time solo practicing maneuvers, first time solo finding my way to the practice area and back to the airport, and finally, first time dealing with ATC solo.
I went around the pattern once, just to get a sense of the visibility, wind, and airplane performance. I landed, taxied back, took off, and departed the area. When I switched to the ATC frequency and called in, the controller asked me what transponder code I was using. After I told him, he asked me whether that was the assigned code. I said it was after double-checking what I wrote when I got it on the phone. He asked me to ident, I did, and then he told me that my transponder was observed and sent me on course. Very peculiar.
I proceeded out to the bay, turned south, and promptly arrived in the practice area. I did my clearing turns, followed by a figure 8 medium bank turn, followed by a series of steep turns. It was very smooth, but I had a hard time holding altitude and lost more than I liked. I then did some slow flight, with shallow turns. When I'd had enough, I went back, landed, and went once more around the pattern.
Some firsts on this flight: first time solo away from the airport, first time solo practicing maneuvers, first time solo finding my way to the practice area and back to the airport, and finally, first time dealing with ATC solo.
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