Buying your own plane for training

[rcpilot]

Well, got a couple of solo flying days in this week. Practicing takeoffs and landings. Nothing exciting. Got a late start both days so it was mostly pattern work. Next week I'm going to try to get an earlier start and do some short and soft field takeoffs/landings and work on my ground reference maneuvers. Instructor won't be back till next Sunday. I'm sure he's going to expect improvement in my technique so I better not slack off. Also need to do some studying for the practical oral stuff. Getting close.

[rcpilot]

Well had the day off and got 1.3 hours solo time in. It was busy but I managed to stay out of people's way. Too busy to do my soft/short field takeoffs(I like to take my time and it was enough to just get to takeoff waiting for others). Did some turns around a point and steep banks. My landings kind of sucked. Right down the middle but 3 of the 4 had a bounce. Oh well. I'll probably get one more day in and next week the instructor will be back. Also working on renewing my insurance. My current carrier looks like they're not cutting me any slack even though I have 40+ hours. So I may change, especially since my instructor now has enough time in my plane for it not to be a problem. We'll see.

[rcpilot]

So the instructor was around and we did mock check ride stuff to get me ready. Soft field takeoff, power on/power off stalls, steep turns, turns about a point, slow flight, engine out scenario, fire on board with emergency decent and a short field landing. Questions through out. We're getting there. Looks like a couple more of these sessions and then he's going to signoff for me to take my check ride. 38.2 hours dual, 10.1 hours solo. Also looks like my controlled airspace endorsement will happen after my check ride. That's OK. In no hurry.

[rcpilot]

Ok, so tonight we had about an hour ground lesson. Finally went over what I missed on the written test and of course I knew the answers to almost all of the questions he asked(guess he didn't actually ask the ones I got wrong) Then more general questions like what I should expect on the oral. Finally some flying. Short field takeoff and I nailed it(hmm, must have been luck). Power on/off stalls, s-turns, questions and tips for the check ride through out. Back to the field and a soft field landing. So looking very good. More home work, plot a x-country to Martha's Vineyard and more prep for the check ride. Meeting again tomorrow.

[rcpilot]

Well, finally got to do some flying last night. We tried Wednesday but the ceiling was too low so we just had a 2 hour ground lesson. It was a bit windy but we managed. The usual drills power on/off stalls, slow flight, turns around a point. Emergency descent and engine out procedures followed by some oral questioning. Did a short field landing and considering there was a bit of a crosswind it went pretty well. Next week looks like maybe I'll get some solo work in my instructor is away and I have some prior obligations my self. Should be close to getting a signoff for my check ride soon.

[rcpilot]

So as expected with my instructor out till the end of the week, did about an hour of solo last night. A few takeoffs and landings and some practice of turns about a point. Having my brakes checked today and probably won't get any other flying in till the end of the week.

[rcpilot]

Instructor was back today so another day of check ride prep. Soft field takeoff, slow flight, power off/power on stalls, simulated engine out, oral questions before, during and after. Hopefully, if things go well I'll get my signoff next week.

[rcpilot]

Well yesterday was interesting. My instructor and I made plans for a lesson yesterday, but when I looked at the forecasted winds I thought it might get canceled. He texts me yesterday and says how about a 4 hour lesson, we'll fly to Block Island and can we meet at 4 PM. I arrange to leave work early, meanwhile the wind is 14 kts with 20 kt gusts. Well I try to get out of work early but that plan is foiled. Get there about 40 minutes later than I wanted. I preflight the plane, we sit and plot the course to Block Island. He tells me we'll do some stuff along the way and we probably won't go to Block Island, he has another secret destination in mind. We finally take off winds 16 kts, 20 kt gusts but they're pretty much right down the runway. Off we go, a bit bumpy. We do S turns around a line of power lines. They go OK. Then we try turns around a point. With the wind they're a bit tough to do well. Then off we go to Fisher Island, which incidentally has an airport. His intention is to have me practice crosswind landings. We calculate that the winds are within limits for the plane(actually we did this before we left too). When we get there he does the first one. The approach to this rather short runway(2200') is over the water. He demonstrates a crab into the wind and we land. No taxiways so we back taxi and he takes off. A bumpy crosswind take off. Then it's my turn. I fly the pattern and bring her in. Not a beautiful approach but the landing was good. Rinse and repeat. Next approach is better and landing is spot on. Off we go back to the South Shore of Long Island. We do power on and power off stalls. My instructor is satisfied with the results. Slow flight goes well too. Then we practice engine out and emergency descent. Of course thanks to the wind we were getting blown a bit too far off the shoreline at one point. I'm crabbing into the wind trying to get back and ask him "are we moving". Yes, slowly. We transition the class D of Gabreski along the shoreline and back to Brookhaven. So the point of the lesson was to give me experience flying on a windy day. And no I wouldn't fly in that kind of wind. Yes it's doable but certainly not enjoyable but it was good experience. Going to try and get another lesson in this week and maybe a signoff for me to take my check ride.

Oh, and because of the late start, by the time we landed the Sun was setting. I had even flipped on the nav lights. It was funny because last week I was at a church bbq on the beach and kinda noticed it seemed at bit dark at sunset and mentioned that to my instructor(knowing that it's still technically civil twilight and OK to fly). From the air though it was not too bad although I think as a rule I'd prefer to land before sundown.

[rcpilot]

Another windy day lesson. 13 knots with 20 knot gusts. So first we do some oral questioning. This time I have all the answers. Then off we go. Soft field takeoff. Not very good. Followed by a short field landing. Ok but not great. My instructor then demonstrates both. Considering the wind, takeoffs and landings are a bit "bumpy". He lets me try again. On the next short field landing we hit some wind shear and the plane did some unpleasant gyrations, I recover and do a good landing. So now we climb out and head to the shoreline. Much smoother once we get to about 2000'. He has me do some steep turns. They're looking much better. Back to the airport and a normal landing. We'll probably meet a couple times next week and then it looks like I'll get my signoff.

[rcpilot]

A much calmer day yesterday. More of the same. Did some ground stuff on the AIM/FAR and sectional chart and then flying. Soft field takeoff, ground reference maneuvers. My S turns are better than my turns about a point but at least I was maintaining my altitude very well through both. Engine out procedures and short field landings. We did some touch and go's(don't tell anyone they're technically not allowed on weekends). So looks like one more of these and I'll get my sign off. Hopefully this week but we'll have to see how my and my instructor's schedules are.

[JimC]

"The key is never to get in front of the wing when propping the plane".

Was that a typo? How do you prop from behind the wing?
In the 50+ years that I've been propping J3's, I've always propped from in front of the wing behind the prop.
_________________

[3Dreaming]

I think you're in the wrong thread.

It's the right thread, but way back in there.

[FastEddieB]

Video of hand-propping a Cub from behind:

https://youtu.be/jwMpfA9n2jY

[JimC]

Right thread.
I'm new to the forum. Are we required to respond only to recent posts?
If so, how far back can we go without offending anyone?

[Wm.Ince]

. . . "I'm new to the forum." . . .

Welcome aboard!