April 3, 2011 - Finally Another Solo!
Determination is critical -- back this afternoon for one last attempt at finding reasonable winds in order to solo before Lari's return next week. And, sure enough, things were considerably better -- minimal to no gusting, so I could actually focus JUST on circuits, but still enough cross wind to make things a bit challenging.
I am still fighting to visualise and remember necessary cross wind inputs, especially on take off after touch and goes. And final approach just before the flare is also not stellar; still trying to perfect the dance between aileron and rudder. Part of the problem is that I don't know what "normal" is at this stage of training, so I keep worrying about how stupid or slow I am compared to others like me, rather than focussing on just feeling, responding, perfecting. Argh! So self-centred, me!
I have to hand it to Anthony, he is pretty meticulous and specific about his feedback. Also, he pulled a simulated engine failure on me, so I immediately went to (almost) 60, but because of the wind, I continued to fly sort of a circuit, which I guess I shouldn't have -- just make the field, right? Anyway, next time I will remember not to put down flaps until the very end, when I am sure I made the field (as it was, we needed a miraculous engine recovery at the last minute to add just a smidgeon of power so we didn't land right at the edge of the threshold.) The good thing was that I stayed pretty calm during the failure and didn't freak out.
Anyway, Anthony decided to let me loose after a few dual circuits, so once again, I soloed. The first circuit ended up being 24, due to Porter and lots of other Cessna traffic. That was fine, because the wind was a little more aligned with that runway. The complication came on landing, as I had to do a full stop, thanks to a recently departing Porter jet on 26. (Wake turbulance) Upon landing, tower asked if I wanted to backtrack to Charlie, which I did. However, another plane (Cessna) was coming in #1 for 24 while I was still on the runway. Stupidly, I assumed tower wanted me to take Charlie to line up on 26 for my next take-off. Turns out that's probably not what they had in mind. But anyway, now that I was there on Charlie, they told me to go ahead on 26. So flustered was I that I forgot a few basic things. Nothing too major, but as I took off and began to climb, and even in the crosswind, I noticed the performance of the plane was not quite what it had been before. I checked a few things -- temp & pressure in the green, A/S was fine, RPMs okay, carb heat cold.... it wasn't until the downwind that I realised I had forgotten to retract the flaps!!! Boy am I ever dumb, lol! Anyway, we all survived, (all being me and the plane), and I turned base, then final and was informed I was #2 for touch and go on 24.
By the time I got to short final on 24, I had still not been cleared to land, and then suddenly the guy in front of me tells the tower there is an animal on the runway!!!! HUH???? I am thinking, "I don't see an animal, and am I supposed to overshoot now, or what??!!" Suddently the instructor comes on and apologizes, noting to the tower that it was just a training exercise. Immediately following that, I got landing clearance, and not a moment too soon, as I was just about to enter the flare. :-)
The final circuit I requested a full stop on 26 (I am sure they were delighted to hear I was finally getting out of the ciruit and reducing the danger to everyone else in the vicinity!!) The landing was decent if not stellar; although not entirely smooth, at least I was aligned with the runway, and I was doing a little better with the aileron/rudder dance. (Or, at least I remembered to dance, even if it was not elegant.)
And so, it continues...
I am still fighting to visualise and remember necessary cross wind inputs, especially on take off after touch and goes. And final approach just before the flare is also not stellar; still trying to perfect the dance between aileron and rudder. Part of the problem is that I don't know what "normal" is at this stage of training, so I keep worrying about how stupid or slow I am compared to others like me, rather than focussing on just feeling, responding, perfecting. Argh! So self-centred, me!
I have to hand it to Anthony, he is pretty meticulous and specific about his feedback. Also, he pulled a simulated engine failure on me, so I immediately went to (almost) 60, but because of the wind, I continued to fly sort of a circuit, which I guess I shouldn't have -- just make the field, right? Anyway, next time I will remember not to put down flaps until the very end, when I am sure I made the field (as it was, we needed a miraculous engine recovery at the last minute to add just a smidgeon of power so we didn't land right at the edge of the threshold.) The good thing was that I stayed pretty calm during the failure and didn't freak out.
Anyway, Anthony decided to let me loose after a few dual circuits, so once again, I soloed. The first circuit ended up being 24, due to Porter and lots of other Cessna traffic. That was fine, because the wind was a little more aligned with that runway. The complication came on landing, as I had to do a full stop, thanks to a recently departing Porter jet on 26. (Wake turbulance) Upon landing, tower asked if I wanted to backtrack to Charlie, which I did. However, another plane (Cessna) was coming in #1 for 24 while I was still on the runway. Stupidly, I assumed tower wanted me to take Charlie to line up on 26 for my next take-off. Turns out that's probably not what they had in mind. But anyway, now that I was there on Charlie, they told me to go ahead on 26. So flustered was I that I forgot a few basic things. Nothing too major, but as I took off and began to climb, and even in the crosswind, I noticed the performance of the plane was not quite what it had been before. I checked a few things -- temp & pressure in the green, A/S was fine, RPMs okay, carb heat cold.... it wasn't until the downwind that I realised I had forgotten to retract the flaps!!! Boy am I ever dumb, lol! Anyway, we all survived, (all being me and the plane), and I turned base, then final and was informed I was #2 for touch and go on 24.
By the time I got to short final on 24, I had still not been cleared to land, and then suddenly the guy in front of me tells the tower there is an animal on the runway!!!! HUH???? I am thinking, "I don't see an animal, and am I supposed to overshoot now, or what??!!" Suddently the instructor comes on and apologizes, noting to the tower that it was just a training exercise. Immediately following that, I got landing clearance, and not a moment too soon, as I was just about to enter the flare. :-)
The final circuit I requested a full stop on 26 (I am sure they were delighted to hear I was finally getting out of the ciruit and reducing the danger to everyone else in the vicinity!!) The landing was decent if not stellar; although not entirely smooth, at least I was aligned with the runway, and I was doing a little better with the aileron/rudder dance. (Or, at least I remembered to dance, even if it was not elegant.)
And so, it continues...