Pilot Training Updates
August 2004
               
On page links to specific dates:
2Aug04, 04Aug04, 07Aug04, 09Aug04, 11Aug04, 14Aug04, 17Aug04, 19Aug04, 24Aug04, 26Aug04, 31Aug04

2 Aug 04: My 40th Birthday. Beautiful day all day. But, it was hot as all get out.. Density altitude: 3000 feet.  The School shuts down all flying at anything above 2700 feet. No flying today.
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04 Aug 04: I had been watching the density altitude all day. It was supposed to be hotter today than it was on the 2nd, so I didn't expect to fly today at all. I called and spoke to Richard and we both agreed that it was a 99% chance we would NOT fly.  D/A was already at 3000 feet and the school had shut down.  I told him I would see him Saturday.  About 20 minutes later he called and said they had had a big rain up there and D/A was back down to 2600. Flying was back on.  I went up there and we flew.  He went over stalls (power on and power off) and any other kind of stall he could get the airplane to do.  I didn't do any of them.. This was more of a "here's what a stall is, why it happens and how to recover" lesson.  Richard did 90% of the flying while doing all this.  I took over to do 2 touch and go's, around the pattern and 1 full stop landing.  We're at about 35% - 65% me to Richard proportion with my landings right now.  I did do a lot of the radio calls today. Screwed up a few and did decent on a few.  Overall, a good flight.  Speaking of the radio, I want to thank my Parents for giving me the new aviation headset for my b-day.  I have one, but it's hard to wear a  hat with it.  They got me the kind that's fashioned like the ones they wear in the pits at races that are made to wear hats under them.  Trying to make up for lost weather time, I'm scheduled for this Saturday, next Monday, next Wednesday and the following Saturday.  We'll see how Mother Natures treats us.
Time in Log Book: 1.1 hrs
Total time: 3.8 hrs
Next flight is scheduled for: 1600, Saturday 7 Aug 04
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07 Aug 04: Nice weather two flight days in a row!!  The weather turned nice on Friday and we've only had highs in the mid to uppers 80's the last two days. Nice break from the high 90's and 100's we've been having.  Met Richard at the flight school at 1600.  I got the weather and pre-flighted the airplane.  A couple of small things were wrong so he wrote them up and off we went. We took off and went to our maneuvering area about 15 miles NW of the airport.  We went over slow flight and then we did power off stalls. Landing configuration (full flaps), airspeed at 65 KIAS (in this airplane), power to idle, pitch up the nose.  Airspeed drops, stall warning horn sounds, the airplane buffets and then drops in a stall. Corrective actions: Rudder to keep direction and counter drop of either wing, full power, 3 seconds of flaps up, slight nose high attitude to gain altitude.  Sounds easy enough, right?  Yeah, sitting here in my computer chair typing it up, it is easy. Doing it at 3000 feet makes it a bit rougher to remember all the steps quick enough to keep you from losing too much altitude.  I'd forget to add power or I'd remember to put in full power, but forget the flaps and didn't pull up, or I'd remember the power and pull up too much of the flaps and point the nose too high to almost induce a secondary stall.  Each time they got better and quicker. The first stall, I probably lost somewhere between 400 and 500 feet of altitude. At the end of the day, and about 7-8 stalls later, I was down to losing around 50-75 feet and getting it almost right.. Although, my hand was KILLING me from gripping the yoke so tight and pulling back to stall the aircraft.  After the stalls, Richard pulled back the throttle to idle and told me I had an engine out, what did I need to do. I just learned this last week: A-B-C: A: Airspeed. Make sure we have at least 65 knots (in this aircraft). B: Best place to land. We were 15 miles out from the airport and I was only at 2500 feet, so we couldn't make the airport. I picked the biggest field I could find and could make easily. C: Communicate. Simulate calling in an emergency on the radio on a specified freq and tuning the transponder (simulated) to 7700.  The other C is Checklist: We went through the emergency checklist. About halfway through it when I pulled carb heat on, Richard said that cleared my problem and to give it full throttle.  We were still at about 2300 feet.  After that, we headed to the airport.  I called in our position (badly.. Still having problems with the radio, but it's getting better)  and we headed to join the traffic pattern around Herbert Smart for a couple touch-and-go's and 1 "full stop."  Richard told me I was doing most of the landing and he was there to help out.  Well, I really needed the "helping out" on the second landing because it was kinda crossed up and I started the flare about 40 feet too high.  I didn't stall it or anything, but I gave it a good bounce. Actually, I bounced the crap out of it and Richard took over right at the last to ease to torture I putting the airplane through.  We took back off and we went around again.  When we took off, and I started turning crosswind, I had the plane in a decently steeper bank than I really should have and a gust of wind (or thermal) hit the high wing and threw us over pretty hard.  Richard grabbed the controls and set us straight again.  I think that was the only time I even thought about getting scared in an airplane.  But, it only lasted about 2 seconds and then it was straight and level again. Any subsequent turns were much less banking.   The next two landings were much better and the last one was greased in there, but I think Richard was more on the controls with that one than any of the rest.  All in all, a good day.  I, personally would have liked to have gotten the stalls better, quicker, but they were getting there.  Them there landings have got a lot of work to do before they even resemble and real landing.
  The next flight will go back over the power off stalls and we'll do the power on stalls if I pass the power off to Richard's approval.
Time in Log Book: 1.4 hrs
Total time: 5.2 hrs
Next flight is scheduled for: 1800, Monday, 9 Aug 04
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09 Aug 04:  Another nice day.  Pre-flight went easy enough.  As we were leaving, Richard told me I was going to do the take off on my own this time.  I taxied out, we did the run up and then I pulled out on the runway.  I was better on the rudders (for a change) and we were up in no time.  A pretty decent take off for my first "unassisted" one.  As we were climbing and exiting the pattern, we talked abut the last lesson and this one.  We did a couple of power off stalls and I got them about 90% right with one only losing about 30 feet of altitude.  Then, we moved on the power on stalls.  No big deal there.  55 KIAS, flaps up, pull up until plane stalls. Point nose down, gain airspeed to 65, then start climbing.  2 tries, got them with no probs.  Then Richard showed me an emergency decent.  Pretty cool. We dropped from 3000 feet to the lowest altitude allowed for training, 1000 feet, in about 10 seconds.  Awesome feeling.. Then, pulling up, pulling a couple G's and leveling out.. I'll get to actually do it next time.  Then, we hit the patter and started doing touch and go's. Trying to get me to learn to land and take off practice.  My first 4 landings and patterns were full of minor mistakes, but nothing that couldn't be corrected easily enough and quick enough to make everything look decent.  However, landing # 5 was a different story.  I thought the airplane was pretty straight coming in and Richard kept asking, "Are you sure it's straight?"  Well, when I say YES, then who is he to argue, right?  When we got about 15 foot off the ground and I started to flare, then I realized how crossed up the airplane REALLY was.  I hit hard at about a good 30 degree angle, instead of straight like I said it was and it bounced even more sideways. I just knew it was going to come down on the right landing gear and just buckle it over.  One thing about me, when I'm in over my head, I realize it very soon and I knew I was in that predicament as soon as we bounced.  The next thing out of my mouth over the radio was: "HELP ME RICHARD!!!"  He calmly stepped on the right rudder, the plane straightened out and bounced straight on the runway to a roll.  HOLY CRAP that scared me.  Richard just smiled and said, "That look it took a little bit out of you that time."  I just nodded my head and he said we were done for the day anyway.  I think even if it hadn't have been time, it would have been after that landing.  While I was taxing the airplane back, he explained my lack of rudder control and that's what got us into that situation.  I'll have to work on that big time!!!  It was a GREAT day, except for that last landing.  Each time will get better.  I am feeling better with the airplane and Richard says my control and holding altitude, etc. are all getting much better.  Little steps..
Time in Log Book: 1.3 hrs
Total time: 6.5 hrs
Next flight is scheduled for: 1800, Wednesday, 11 Aug 04
Although, the storm named Bonnie is raining on us now and has been for the last 9 hours straight..  Not sure it will go away before I'm supposed to fly tomorrow. We'll see...
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11 Aug 04:  Well, the rain we were getting wasn't from Bonnie. That hasn't hit yet.  Not supposed to be here until tonight or tomorrow morning. Of course, when it makes it way up this far into GA, it's only rain. No big deal.  I had been watching the weather all day wondering if we were going to make VFR minimums.  Come time to go to the airport I called Richard to see if we were flying.  The ceiling was around 2700 MSL and we do our maneuvers at 3000, so that was off. But, Richard said since we do pattern flight at 1000 ft AGL, we could work on take off's, landings and pattern flying.  Considering the "Oh Shit" landing I had on Monday, I know I could use the landing practice.  I got to the airport and took a written test over a couple chapters in the Private Pilot's Manual.  50 questions, 2 points a piece.  After all was said and done I got a 77.  Not good, but it was passing.  The last few pages of the 2nd chapter, I was trying to study at work. Bad call. I missed every question concerning that area of study.  If I had studied at home like I did the other Chapter, I would have almost aced the test.  Lesson learned.
  I got the weather and everything was cool.  Winds were only about 7 mph, no rain, so it was good to go.  No sense going into too many details since nothing really out of the ordinary happened.  I did ok on my take offs, but as soon as we left the ground, the wind was pushing us to the left.  Richard kept added right rudder to keep us over the runway.  My pattern flying was really good (according to Richard).. I did my checklists and caught most (if not everything) he messed with and fixed it during the checklist.  Oh yeah, on my first take off, Richard yanks the throttle out like the engine dies just as we started gathering speed.  Just like I said in my pre-flight briefing, I kept the plane straight and started to slow for a stop.  Then, we hit the throttle and were on our way.  I did 8 flights.  (Take off, around the pattern and landing) Richard did one of the landings to show me the "sight picture" of what I should be watching and doing.  I did all the rest with inputs from Richard to keep us on the straight and narrow.  Never had a really good one, but didn't have any REALLY bad ones either.  I would be too high once, too low once, flare too soon once, go in too steep once, etc, etc.  Each time I did something new wrong.  But, I didn't make a habit of making the same mistake more than 2 or three times.  All in all, I progressed GREATLY from my botched attempt at my last landing on Monday.  Richard said I am coming along nicely.  Still need to work on the rudder control, though...
Time in Log Book: 1.1 hrs
Total time: 7.6 hrs
Next flight is scheduled for: 1200, Saturday, 14 Aug 04
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14 Aug 04:  Nice weather to start the day.  No wind and no clouds to start with, but they started coming in later in the day.  We started the day out with me taxiing out and taking off on my own. Richard, again, had to apply some little controls to keep us over the runway, but, I'm getting to where I need less and less "help" on the take offs.  We flew out to the maneuvering area and reviewed slow flight and power on/off stalls and engine out procedures.  Doing those satisfactorily, we headed out for me to be introduced to S turns, turns around a point and rectangular flight paths.  Rectangular flight is what I do in the airport pattern, so I don't see much a problem with that one.  S turns are fairly straight forward, as long as you can keep your altitude and aren't afraid to do a steeper bank than normal pattern flying.  Turns around a point, on the other hand, will be my weak point in the next lesson.  I have a bad habit of watching the instruments while flying right now.  To do turns around a point, you make your airplane fly around a certain point on the ground while you are 1000 ft AGL.  You make two complete circles around the point, while keeping the point in the same general area off your wing. Which means, you are watching the ground during this maneuver more than anything else.  Of course, while you are keeping the same altitude and compensating for any winds.  Yeah, I can see some practice being necessary on this one.  After we went through the introduction of all that, then we headed back to airport for a couple touch and go's.  The heat was building up and it was starting to get bumpy about this time.  As we came into the pattern, there was another airplane falling in line as # 2 behind us.  He was much quicker than us, so Richard decided to do a simulated engine out landing.  He took the controls and put us down much quicker than a normal pattern run and then took right back off.  I took the controls on the climb out and then did 3 normal pattern flights with landings.  The first two were "ok."  Small problems here or there and a pretty big bounce on # 1, but nothing really major.  Still not using enough rudder to keep us over the runway after takeoff.  And, we noticed I'm resting my left arm down (which is holding on the yoke) and pulling the yoke to the left, feeding left aileron when it's not needed.  Need to really work on that.  The last landing was pretty decent.  Richard said he put in a little flare to help me out, but, other than that, it was all me.  It felt really good  as soon as we turned on final.  We were lined up, we were a bit further out, so it gave me time to make sure I was lined up. We came in at the right speed and altitude and it was a very easy landing.  You know, I just might learn this stuff yet... :)
Also, Happy Birthday to my younger sister, Leslie, on 15 Aug 04!!!  I won't mention how old she is, but her age has a 7 and a 3 in it.
Time in Log Book: 1.3 hrs
Total time: 8.9 hrs
Next flight is scheduled for: 1800, Tuesday, 17 Aug 04
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17 Aug 04: Awesome day!!!  Today started with me feeling a bit apprehensive due to knowing I was going to have to do the ground reference and things like that.  Richard and I talked about it on the ground and then we headed out.  After we got to the maneuvering area, Richard had me do my clearing turns, slow flight, power off stalls and power on stalls.  The standard is to finish each maneuver within 200 feet of your beginning altitude.  So, you have 200 feet of fudge factor there.  For commercial standards, you must finish your maneuver within 50 feet of the starting altitude.  After I did all mine, Richard was ecstatic!!  While doing my review maneuvers I was doing most of them with an altitude change of 20-30 feet.  He was blown away and was very excited at how well I was doing. I was concentrating too hard to get too excited about it, but I was feeling pretty good.  Then we moved on the turns around a point, S turns and rectangular fight.  On each one of my maneuvers, I hit it right the very first time and, again, my change in altitude ranged from 20 feet to about 50 feet.  Richard said as well I was doing, I could easily be signed off on those maneuvers for Private Pilot.  Of course, I can't be signed off on anything yet, but it makes it that much closer.  Even my turns around a point were easy for me to do. I couldn't believe how well the flight went for everything.  After we did those, we headed to Smart for some touch and go's.  I got 6 landings and most were pretty good.  A bounce here and there, but overall, a great flight.  Richard even told me, "When you update the site, put in there, 'Richard said: EXCELLENT FLIGHT!!'"  So, I am putting it in..  It feels really good to have that kind of compliment from an accomplished Pilot like Richard.
Time in Log Book: 1.5 hrs
Total time: 10.4 hrs
Next flight is scheduled for: 1800, Thursday, 19 Aug 04
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19 Aug 04: A little different today.  Not near the "I'm doing a great job" write up as I had from Tuesday.  It was a very good learning experience today.  Pre-flight and everything went good.  Richard and I decided since there was some major haze in the area and he had a cross country to do right after my lesson, that we would do just pattern work with take offs and landings.  We took off on our regular runway (28) and did one pattern run with a touch and go. Just after that, the winds changed and favored runway 15.  This was a runway I have NEVER used.  It has a displaced threshold and it's about 1/2 the width of 10/28 and about half the length of 10/28.  So, this was WAY different for me.  Also, this runway has no VASI, so I had nothing to guide me for the glide slope except my own eyes and feel of the airplane.  Richard did the first approach so I could get the sight picture and I took over just before we landed and then took off ok, but since the runway was so short on the downwind, my checklists were hurried and my turns were needing to done quicker. I was dealing with this along with having another plane in the pattern with us and, at times, others coming in for landings. It seemed VERY busy on the radio and on the field.  There was a lot of extra things going on while I'm trying to learn a new, short, skinny runway with a displaced threshold.  It was almost too much to take in at one time.  I was making mistakes I normally don't make.  Skipping steps on the checklist, forgetting radio calls, turning the plane too steep.  Just a bunch of little mistakes that made the whole flight seem like I was lost.  I got in 8 landings, but this flight wore me out.  I was tired after trying to fit all this in my small brain. Richard was a bit haggard himself. Not only was he having to watch everything I was doing, he was watching the other planes in the pattern and the others coming into land and communicating with them on the radio.  Although the flight made me feel like a complete beginner again, it showed me how different the same airport can be just by using a different runway.  You can get complacent very easily at your home airport when you use the same runway everyday.  Changing things up can keep you on your toes.  This was a very good learning day.  I'll be ready for it next time.  I won't be caught off guard by that again.
Time in Log Book: 1.0 hrs
Total time: 11.4 hrs
Also with this flight I finished my first full page of entries in my log book!!
Next flight is scheduled for: 1800, Tuesday, 24 Aug 04
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24 Aug 04:  Another great weather day.  No wind, no bumpiness.  It started spitting rain as I pre-flighted the airplane, but, by the time I was done and we walked back in, it was gone. Just an all around perfect flying weather day after the brief spitting..
  We are coming close to the part of the flight training syllabus that mentions the dreaded "S-word."  SOLO...  A term that can strike both fear and exhilaration simultaneously within a student pilot's heart.  Its coming. We don't know exactly when, but it's coming.
  Today we went over 2 more things I hadn't done.  The first was steep turns. Which are a blast!!  Most turns done within the airplane are done a mild 15-20 degrees. During the s-turns, we did 30 degree banks. Steep turns are done at a cool 45 degrees.  The proper way to do them is turn into your 45 degree bank at a certain heading and altitude.  You do one complete 360 in one direction and then turn instantly the opposite direction and do a 360.  All without losing or gaining any altitude.  The first time, I was probably 250 feet away from my starting altitude and about 15 degrees away from my original heading.  After 4 tries, I was right on heading and, honestly, no change in ending altitude more than about 10 feet.  That was fun.  Next we went into instrument training.  I put on a pair of goggles that are all frosted over except for one little portion at the very bottom of each lens, called "Foggles."  All you can see are the instruments. No outside references at all.  I had to learn to keep altitude, attitude, heading and airspeed by just watching the instruments.  Richard then had me do a few maneuvers such as climbing turns, descending turns, etc.  A little shaky at the beginning, but I got used to it.  Then he started me go to headings and altitudes as we worked our way back to the airport.  After about 15 minutes under the foggles, he said, "You can take off your glasses now."  I kind of knew where we were, so I just raised my head and looked out the bottom.  We were on final, about 500 yards out and lined up with the center line.  I landed the airplane and then Richard took over to take off, so I could get the glasses off my face.  After we were off, the glasses were off and we were climbing, I took back over and we did 2 pattern flights with landings.  Not perfect landings, but they are much better each time.  I totaled up my landings in my logbook: 44 landings so far.  You'd think after 44 landings, I'd have this down-pat.  It's a bit harder than it looks.
  I have my "Pre-Solo Written Test" and I'm doing the answers to it.  Heh.. I get shivers just thinking that I may actually solo an airplane next week.  I'm scheduled for next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of flying.  If the weather holds, I'm thinking it will be one of those days.  But, until then, I'm just practicing hard, going through my checklists and making sure I'm learning everything to the best of my ability.  Richard is a great teacher and with his help, I know I'll be able to do it.
Time in Log Book: 1.1 hrs
Total time: 12.5 hrs
Next flight is scheduled for: 1800, Tuesday, 26 Aug 04
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26 Aug 04: No flying today. I knew since we were having such a great stretch of days we were flying, it would have to come to an end soon.  But, for once it wasn't mechanical or weather related.  Richard was sick and couldn't make the flight.  Just another one of those things in life you can't control.
  We're still scheduled for 3 days next week. we'll see what happens.
Next flight is scheduled for 1700, Tuesday, 31 Aug 04.
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31 Aug 04: I was assigned a new instructor today.  His name is Barry Chancey.  He called me yesterday and introduced himself to me. We went over the schedule and we met at 1700 today.  Since Richard had me, basically, ready to solo, Barry and I went up and just did pattern work for my hour.  We did 7 take offs and landings.  Barry is a little bit bigger guy than Richard is, so we had to alter my landing a bit.  It took me a few times to get the hang of it, but by the time we did the last landing, I was doing ok.  Barry said I did good work and if I did as well tomorrow, he thought this would be a good week.
Time in Log Book: 1.0 hrs
Total time: 13.5 hrs
Next flight is scheduled for: 1700, Wednesday, 01 Sept 04
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