My week of flight training - Review of events

[Flocker]

It's non towered, so there was no control tower.

Thanks for the clarification.

Good write up!

[Cluemeister]

It's a stream of consciousness recap. I'm stuttering in my head.

[Cluemeister]

Today's lesson almost got canceled. Weather was getting progressively worse, and thunderstorms went from 0% to 50% by bedtime. Morning comes and the bad weather had held off, now thunderstorms in afternoon only! We delayed lesson until 10 just to be certain of mist/fog.

I arrive early, and preflight the plane. Instructor arrives prior to completion, we review the checklist, and get in the plane.

Now the best part of the morning so far. I slip on my new Bose A20 headset. Comfortable, and noise cancellation! Very spoiled now instead of that rental headset!

Because of low ceilings, we are staying in the pattern today. A 172 Skyhawk student is also doing pattern work. We do our run up, and line up on the runway. Takeoffs are all handled by me today, but still a little bit of verbal coaching. Instructor is mostly calling out oil pressure readings, etc make sure we don't have engine issues.

At 50 I gently pull back on the stick and right rudder. Plane flies off the runway. A little uncoordinated, but still not bad. Climbing at 62 up to 1900. Field elevation is 860. Turn to crosswind, and then downwind. More talk about distance from runway, and how to judge so you don't have to memorize each different runway.

Now the part I need to commit to memory. Abeam the numbers, pull carb heat, pull back throttle. Keep level, speed drops to low 70's. Pull first flaps. Turn to base, keep 65-70. Check high or low. Apply power as needed. Pull second flaps. Turn base to final. 60 knots to runway.

Early alignment not bad, but my sight picture is horrible. I'm supposed to look down the runway, and I am (kind of), but I think I'm pointed straight down, but I'm actually on the left and pointed left. Instructor gives verbal cues, ailerons to get lined up on the runway, rudder to keep nose straight once I'm centered. Drop wing slightly into wind as needed to adjust for crosswind, very mild one. I may not be explaining it quite right, but that's the best I can explain! Landing's not bad. I've had worse!

Next time in the pattern we got a little close to the Skyhawk. On the downwind, he instructs me to do a 360 loop to put some distance between us and the Skyhawk. How steep a bank angle? Whatever you're comfortable with, he says. Pretty straightforward. Another landing. Not great again, but not bad!

Back in the pattern, and instructor says "let's turn this to black" and the bright pfd goes to nothing. I thought oh great this is going to get ugly. Strangely enough, it was liberating. All of a sudden your focus goes to sound and completely the look outside. He turned it back up occasionally and briefly as we went around to make sure our elevation was good and to check our speed, but that was it. On the whole it was a relief not having to keep cross checking the display.

We did some simulated engine failure when we were close enough to the runway to get there. First step, get to the runway! We then adjusted flaps, nose pitch, etc. to land us. Obviously nothing like your engine really going out on you, and the panic that could ensue, but still reassuring and instructive.

As the pattern work became more normalized, he told me to announce on the radio. So today I did about 6-7 calls on the radio. I am not going to comment about towered or non towered airport today.

In all, we did 7 takeoffs and landings. After we were finished, he said "Of the 7 landings today, you did 5 without me touching the controls." What? Did I hear that right? I felt real good about that. No wonder the landings weren't that great.

We did a recap of the lesson in the pilot area, and talked about where we go from here. He said we're making good progress, but we need to work on my sight line down the runway.

He indicated that I wasn't too far from a solo. Yikes! On the way home, I told my wife what he said about the solo, but strangely she didn't seem as excited as I was.

All in all, a good lesson. Lots to work on, but progress!

[Flocker]

Back in the pattern, and instructor says "let's turn this to black" and the bright pfd goes to nothing. I thought oh great this is going to get ugly. Strangely enough, it was liberating. All of a sudden your focus goes to sound and completely the look outside.

My CFI did that to me as well. Forces you to become "one with the plane"

PS - Good write up!

[Nomore767]

Back in the pattern, and instructor says "let's turn this to black" and the bright pfd goes to nothing. I thought oh great this is going to get ugly. Strangely enough, it was liberating. All of a sudden your focus goes to sound and completely the look outside.

My CFI did that to me as well. Forces you to become "one with the plane"

PS - Good write up![/quote


Real world...last year my on Dynon Skyview went black. Fortunately only a few miles from home field. However, all of a sudden all I had was...a Garmin GTR200 radio! No flight instruments, altimeter or airspeed, or engine instruments.

At my uncontrolled field not really a big deal. manual flap handle and judging power/airspeed with experience and sound.

Just saying...it does happen!

[MrMorden]

My last flight review the CFI pulled the EFIS circuit breaker just after rotation and said "we won't need that anymore today."

[Flocker]

Real world...last year my on Dynon Skyview went black. Fortunately only a few miles from home field. However, all of a sudden all I had was...a Garmin GTR200 radio! No flight instruments, altimeter or airspeed, or engine instruments.

Just curious - what was the cause?

[HAPPYDAN]

You're making great progress - keep up the good work. Here's a suggestion you might find helpful. If you get the chance, take an intro flight lesson in a "real" Cub or Champ (NOT one the modern versions, although those are really nice). For myself, it was a much needed lesson in flying "by the seat of your pants". It was, strangely, very liberating and enjoyable. Good Luck!

[Nomore767]

Real world...last year my on Dynon Skyview went black. Fortunately only a few miles from home field. However, all of a sudden all I had was...a Garmin GTR200 radio! No flight instruments, altimeter or airspeed, or engine instruments.

Just curious - what was the cause?

Problems with the memory module. Apparently Dynon knew certain serial numbers had the older faulty units. Wish they;d been pro-active and told me beforehand. Charged me $150 to ship it to them too and took longer to fix it and I had to get them to update it!

Actually not a great experience with Dynon for me. Works fine now though.

[MackAttack]

Nice write-up on the lesson!!! Sounds like you are making serious progress! When you are going solo, please let us know so we can get a NOTAM posted! "Notice to Airmen - Cluemeister is flying solo - proceed at your own risk" ... You know, for the sake of protecting the public ... *laughing and just kidding of course!*

Your first solo is something that's hard to describe to a non-pilot, so don't hold it against your wife. When I did mine, all my friends at the time were similarly underwhelmed. But it means everything to a pilot and like your check ride, is an experience you will always remember!

Cheers

[Cluemeister]

When you are going solo, please let us know so we can get a NOTAM posted! "Notice to Airmen - Cluemeister is flying solo - proceed at your own risk" ... You know, for the sake of protecting the public ...

Way ahead of you. Already requested a TFR. I figure if I extended it from Kentucky to northern Florida that should do the trick.

Keep your eyes out for a GIANT red circle!

[Cluemeister]

Almost forgot. Logbook is at 16.7 hours.

[designrs]

Sounds like great progress!
"He instructs me to do a 360 loop to put some distance between us and the Skyhawk. "
That's quite a maneuver... aerobatic loops in the pattern already?!!

[Flocker]

Sounds like great progress!
"He instructs me to do a 360 loop to put some distance between us and the Skyhawk. "
That's quite a maneuver... aerobatic loops in the pattern already?!!

I didn't think the 162 was rated for aerobatics.

[MrMorden]

Sounds like great progress!
"He instructs me to do a 360 loop to put some distance between us and the Skyhawk. "
That's quite a maneuver... aerobatic loops in the pattern already?!!

I didn't think the 162 was rated for aerobatics.

Rated, schmated. It's only a 3-4g maneuver at the bottom if you do it right. 162 has a 4g limit, right?