Finally flew the Skycatcher today!!!

[N918KT]

Well today, I took my first flight lesson with Aero Safety Training at Lincoln Park Airport. I flew in a Cessna 162 Skycatcher today and it's my first time flying it!

So we took off from Lincoln Park and headed Northeast I believe. We then did some turns. I keep looking at the instruments and the G300 and my CFI kept telling me to look outside. Then we did some power off stalls and slow flights. We flew to Greenwood Lake and did a landing over there-my CFI did most of the landing and I followed through. After that, we took off and headed back to Lincoln Park. During a few times during the flight, he taught me how to program the GPS on the G300. We then entered left downwind for runway 19 and as we turned base, the plane stalled somewhat and my CFI helped me get the plane stabilized again. That was scary for a few moments actually. As we turned final, he did the landing for me. We then taxied back to the ramp after landing.

Some things he told me we need to work on.

1.The Skycatcher uses differential braking to turn. When I try to make a turn using the rudder, I was like "Why isn't the plane turning? Come on come on!" and then I realized that I had to press on the brakes to do it. I guess I just need more practice on that.
2. There was so many things going on in the plane that I keep getting distracted and it was hard for me to focus. The instruments, the CFI talking, looking outside for traffic and landmarks. My CFI says that's what other students at my age and skill level do.
3. I kept looking at the instruments when I should have looked outside the plane. The CFI had to cover up the instruments at some point to prevent me from looking at it.

That's all I could think about for now on what he told me.

My new CFI was good, I guess. Unlike other CFI's I flew with in the past, he is actually more of a serious and firm person. He is less fun than what I had with other CFI's. And unlike the CFI I had at Trenton, at least so far, he doesn't whack me or touch me to get my attention.

So yeah, that's all for now. I'm glad I flew the Skycatcher, after 2 years of waiting for it.

[drseti]

I flew in a Cessna 162 Skycatcher today and it's my first time flying it!

Congratulations, Kevin -- I know it's been a long wait. So, my main question is, how does the SkyCatcher compare (in your view) to other LSAs you've flown?

[N918KT]

drseti, I think the Skycatcher is not bad compared to other LSAs I've flown. I would say that's it's a tad better. The stoke (as some 162 pilots call it) is very easy to get used to. When you make a turn, you really don't realize that's it's easy to make a turn-you just do it. It's second nature, as one pilot calls it.

I could've sworn that other sources show that the 162 has both a steerable nose wheel and differential braking, but my CFI told it only has differential braking. I'm not used to differential braking and I know it will take time to get used to it.

This is my first time flying a LSA with glass cockpit. This 162 has only one G300 screen but the best part is that it comes with synthetic vision! When we flew it, my CFI taught me how to program a "direct to" on the GPS on the Garmin G300 when the CFI flew the plane. I never programmed an airplane GPS before-usually, the other CFIs just do it for me.

[Jack Tyler]

Kevin, congrats on getting back in the air. And don't fret about that differential steering. After only a bit of time, you'll find you become quite adept at not only steering the a/c but making very tight turns with it (which can at times be very useful).

You mentioned in your pirep...
"...and as we turned base, the plane stalled somewhat..."

Could you elaborate a bit on what you meant by this. Did the engine 'stall', or did the plane itself 'stall'? If it isn't clear in your own mind, think about what the instructor did to 'help you stabilize the a/c': Did he add power, temporarily level the a/c from its bank, both...or neither?

[N918KT]

Kevin, congrats on getting back in the air. And don't fret about that differential steering. After only a bit of time, you'll find you become quite adept at not only steering the a/c but making very tight turns with it (which can at times be very useful).

You mentioned in your pirep...
"...and as we turned base, the plane stalled somewhat..."

Could you elaborate a bit on what you meant by this. Did the engine 'stall', or did the plane itself 'stall'? If it isn't clear in your own mind, think about what the instructor did to 'help you stabilize the a/c': Did he add power, temporarily level the a/c from its bank, both...or neither?

Jack, the plane stalled. I was too low on base and tried to pull up to a high pitch then it stalled. I think from then on, the CFI helped me by immediately pushing the throttle back up and lowering the pitch. I think what happened was that I was busy looking when to turn to final when I should have been looking what the plane is doing. A lot of things go on my mind when I fly the plane that it overwhelms me trying to focus and trying to listen to my CFI.

[drseti]

I was too low on base and tried to pull up to a high pitch then it stalled.

Kevin, I'm sure your CFI has already told you this, in which case, permit me to reiterate: it's a common misconception that elevator controls altitude, and power controls speed. In slow flight, exactly the opposite is true. If you want to go faster, push the nose down. If you want to be higher, add power. So, pulling up when low on base is exactly the wrong thing to do. Instead of getting higher, you got slower, and stalled. This is actually a very good experience to have (with a CFI on board, of course!) because you will now begin to think "pitch controls speed, power controls altitude", and will not make that mistake again.

There's an old adage: "to go up, pull stick back. To go down, pull stick way back."

Congratulations -- you're now on your way to becoming an airplane driver. Next step is to become a pilot.

[N918KT]

Thanks for the advice drseti! I will remember it the next time I fly.

[Jack Tyler]

Kevin, thanks for the clarification.

And to zoom out from Paul's helpful tutorial to a perhaps more global view of learning to fly:

"A lot of things go on my mind when I fly the plane that it overwhelms me trying to focus and trying to listen to my CFI."

It's very common to suffer from data overload when absolutely everything that's happening is new to you - and down low, even tho' you are going slow, there is lots that is happening. As you build a few hours, some things will begin to 'look right', some steps will become automatic, you'll find you won't need to process those things consciously, and that will free you up to spend time on the things for which you don't have quite so intuitive a feel.

[NismoRR]

Nice to see another student training in the Skycatcher. I just passed my checkride in her and am really liking the plane. Saw another new C162 at a different airport this past weekend which is great to see. Looks like we may finally be seeing Skycatchers getting put into service in bigger numbers.

As far as the stall...remember it as the question of when stalls are most likely to occur came up during the oral part of the checkride; when turning base/final and go arounds. Just keep an eye on your airspeed which you need to deploy flaps, and stay coordinated. I think you're really going to like the plane.

Here's a video I got last week from my CFI.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaZPo5Z5PgM

Enjoy and good luck to you! Going to the airport today to thank everyone and reserve the plane for my first flight as a certified pilot next Wed. (still sounds strange and very awesome!) For some reason, I love hanging out at the airport. Looks like there's a great article in Flight Training this month about getting a Sport CErt. from start to finish, which I'm looking forward to checking out. All I've been reading for the last month are Gleim study books and the FAR/AIM.

Todd

[N918KT]

Thanks for the compliment Todd! I really need it!

Todd, about the Skycatcher, I think this happened when I made my first takeoff in the 162 but I don't really remember if it happened to me though, but, let's say that as soon as I takeoff, the stall horn goes off, for the first few seconds of flight, then it stops. I know for sure, that this same thing happened when I was watching a video about EAA flying home their 162s. Is this normal? I don't hear it in other aircraft except for probably the Skycatcher.

[NismoRR]

Hi Kevin,

Yeah, the stall horn does go off early in the C162 at times. I've heard it at over 60 knots on a few occaisions. Asked my CFI about it and he just rolled his eyes and agrees it sounded too early at times, and used it to teach me to always be aware of your airspeed regardless of the stall horn.

Good advice!

[ming1000]

it's a warining; stall happens when pitch sinks, most trainers designed this way.

Toward the end of my training, I could do all my slow flight with stall horn on, I did it even at my checkride.

[NismoRR]

Toward the end of my training, I could do all my slow flight with stall horn on, I did it even at my checkride.

You have to do that on the checkride. Funny, slow flight is relatively easy, but my CFI kept reminding me towards the end of training that if you stall during slow flight, you fail the checkride. I usually did slow flight at 43-44 kts, but keeping in mind what my CFI said, the stall horn was on at 47-48kts, and that's the speed I used on the checkride. No worries.

[drseti]

I usually did slow flight at 43-44 kts,

That's extremely slow, Nismo. I usually have my students do their slow flight maneuvers at traffic pattern speed (which in my plane is 60 KIAS). At that speed, there's no chance of an inadvertent stall, and the plane is nice and stable with shallow banking turns. The DPE has never busted any of my students on slow flight (or anything else -- so far -- fingers crossed...)

[NismoRR]

That is pretty slow, and it was fun. seriously, the Skycatcher seems pretty hard to stall, so 44 kts and she's stable, very stable actually, even in shallow turns. Good pitch control practice too, which is what I tried to get out of it. Control speed with pitch as my Cfi taught me.

Excited for my first flight Wednesday! A leisure flight to the coast with a good friend to Dana Pt.