Buying your own plane for training

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3Dreaming
Posts: 3107
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:13 pm
Location: noble, IL USA

Re: Buying your own plane for training

Post by 3Dreaming »

FastEddieB wrote:
3Dreaming wrote:I think criticizing him on what he said based on the picture in your mind without knowing the idiosyncrasies of this model airplane and the actual details of what the approach was isn't fair.
I in no way meant to criticize!

I just wanted to understand the logic where a high, fast approach would lead to a no-flap landing, since it seemed not to follow.

Since he was with an instructor, I also wanted to be sure he was taking away the right lesson from the experience.
Eddie, sometimes you and eyeflygps come across as grouchy old farts. I am certain that I sometimes come across the same way. I would bet that in most cases when we are writing it is not intended to come across like it sometimes does.
I took it as you being critical of the decision, and the fact that you brought it up a second time didn't help. I think based on rcpilot's post that he made in the mix he may have taken it the same way.
rcpilot
Posts: 356
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:32 pm
Location: Mastic, NY

Re: Buying your own plane for training

Post by rcpilot »

So I had post check ride lesson #2. Since I know I'm going to need to fly to NJ (and beyond) on occasion I wanted to get some experience using flight following and at least try and get through the JFK class B. I picked an airport near where my mom lives since she's expecting a ride at some point. So I plotted a course to Princeton(39N) essentially along the South Shore of Long Island. Off we went. First call to NY approach near Islip. Requested VFR flight following. It was a bit windy so we decided on a lower altitude(2500) and just in case they don't let us through the class B we wouldn't have so far to descend. Before we even get near the class B we're handed off 3 times. As my instructor expected, as we near the class B they ask us if we plan to fly below it(hint, hint). So we descend down to 400. Then they hand us off to the JFK tower and that takes a couple of frequency changes till they’re done. Apparently they have no idea what we’re doing to we have to repeat the whole thing. We continue along and another hand off. They do keep us appraised of traffic like the flight of 4 headed right towards us probably 500' over us. So we're still skirting under the class B and they just ask us to report when we have Princeton in sight. Once we see Princeton we call approach and terminate the flight following. We land, gas up and off we go. On the way we had decided not to use flight following on the trip back so I can see the difference. On the way back we were over the water probably about 2 miles from the Verrazano bridge and my instructor asks if I want to fly up the Hudson. Why not. So he explains in detail what's expected and what to do. Since he knows all of the reporting points he handles the radio and I fly the plane on the Northbound side. We turnaround at the GWB and he flies so I can enjoy the scenery and take some pictures. We circle the Statue of Liberty and then I take over and we get back on our course to home base. Of course it's much windier then when we left and my instructor is impressed with my cross wind landing. Hey, I had a good teacher. So now I have a couple more things to practice. I'm sure flight following is a good thing but based on my experience today, NYC just ain't one of the areas to use it. Much easier just to monitor frequencies, look for traffic and avoid the class B. I'm sure in the Summer flying 400' near the beach can get dicey but not having to putz with the radio every 10 minutes will let me focus on flying.
rcpilot
Posts: 356
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:32 pm
Location: Mastic, NY

Re: Buying your own plane for training

Post by rcpilot »

So , in the sense of completeness, since this is about my training, I should include this last "lesson". As I mentioned before, my instructor held off on my airspace endorsement until after my check ride. We did some flying in C&D but he only "technically" cleared me for D as he wanted me to get some more practice in C. We fly to Islip, which can be busy between the general aviation flights and Southwest. So we planned to go there yesterday. I get to the airport early, have my breakfast, preflight my plane and get my paperwork ready. He's late. I text him/call him to no avail. So, since I'm ready to go I figure I'll just have a little flight. Shortly after I take off he calls me. Can't talk so he texts me and says he overslept be there in 15(young people). So I go back to the airport and wait. In the meantime it's getting a bit bumpy up there. We meet up, he briefs me on what to expect and then off we go. We takeoff and we get the ATIS, they're using 24 at Islip. I call approach, get my squawk code and they eventually hand me off to the tower. We're cleared for the straight in approach to 24(and we're miles away at the moment). We were expecting it to be busy but doesn't seem so. We land and taxi over to the avionics shop just to chill and discuss what's next. He wants me to contact clearance we're going to depart at 2000' rather than fly under the class C like we did the last time. He tells me to use C-R-A-F-T(clearance, route, altitude,frequency,transponder). We get the updated ATIS and I call clearance. Call ground and apparently now the tower is handling that so they have me switch to tower frequency. My instructor told me how they would probably have me taxi back for takeoff. Not! Proceed to A1, taxi onto runway 6 and back taxi. Hmm, things must really be slow if they want me to taxi on the active. Of course once I get on the runway they're like BTW we have a Southwest jet inbound so don't doddle. Taxi about 3/4 the way down, turn around and off we go. We get a couple of instructions to turn and then they clear us to squawk VFR. A little more bumpy now on our way back to KHWV. We land, taxing back to my parking spot and debrief. He signs off my logbook for class B and C ops. My first trip to a class C will probably be to KABE. I met a fellow Zenith owner(he just finished building his 650 last year)on line and he's based there. He's finishing up his sport pilot training and couldn't find a DPE so I hooked him up with the guy I used. Now to do some flying and enjoy.
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