Another day of flying. Wednesday was the end of my work week, it was definitely an odd schedule this week. I was exhausted, but still excited to fly. Though at 8am I wasn’t too happy to wake up (I work at night so that’s still early for me). I kept checking the weather over and over again because there was TEMP for OVC at 2500. It changed to 3500 30 minutes later, then at KISP it was gone, but still at KJFK. It seemed like it was clearing up, so I took the chance and went out there. If we were going to do Touch and Gos that’d be fine.
Regular start. We did go in the classroom at the start to go over landings and she quizzed me on ground reference maneuvers as well. I did the radio again when we got in the plane and we went over how to request Touch and Gos. I did have to ask the controller to repeat our taxi instructions, since they were a bit complicated and I was trying not to rely on my instructor. We had a long taxi so good time to work on my rudder skills. They are getting a bit better. Still sometimes I do too big of changes, or especially right before holding short of the runway I don’t apply equal brake pressure so I always go to the right more.
We take off, the winds pretty much straight down the runway so no crosswind correction. Our airport is normally right traffic, neither of us remembered if we were cleared right or left, so had to ask the controller again. I thought it was right, but it was left. Another mistake on the radio, luckily it was a different controller. We do the pattern and the first landing isn’t too bad! She asked how it felt and I said it was the first landing that I wasn’t completely baffled about how I did it.
During the next pattern, I was thinking about the base leg when the controller said to stay in the downwind until she cleared us for base. I THOUGHT I had said “Continue in downwind” Nope. I said “Continue to base” She got pretty angry, she already sounded pissed to begin with every time she spoke. My instructor responded after I heard about 4 times to continue in the downwind. She must have been busy or I’m thinking just angry at me because she kept us in the downwind until we were almost out of the airspace. It also happened that a Gulfstream was behind us to land. I don’t know how they slowed down so much but the controller rushed us to land and do quickly take back off again, therefore that landing was a bit of a blur to me.
Definitely an intimidating sight!
During the next pattern there was another plane on the radio with the exact last three digits of my tail number. It was pretty confusing and not something else I wanted thrown at me. What are the chances of that? Luckily, that plane was only landing and not going touch and gos.
The next one I felt the ground effect more which was nice because I don’t remember ever feeling ground effect. It’s one thing reading about it, another thing feeling it. Then our winds kept changing to the right and to the left of the runway. I was saying how in theory I know how to do a crosswind correction but when they keep changing I’m not sure what aileron/rudder to use. I would keep losing the correction and when I flared as soon as the main wheels touched down I would release the back pressure right away. I didn’t realize how much longer I had to hold it. The other thing I didn’t realize about flaring was I’m so use to seeing it in commercial jets so I just assumed it was so much higher than it is in a small plane.
The last time around the switched controllers which threw me when I heard a different woman’s voice take over. Again something else that threw me but glad to have had both those things happen because I’m sure they will happen in the future.
For the last landing, my instructor said we’d do it together. Apparently, she forgot but I thought she was helping me but it was just her constantly reminding me to do the crosswind correction. I felt the ground effect and I believe I kept the flare a bit better. She said it was my best landing and she didn’t help. I told her I thought she did, maybe that’s why it was better? Who knows.
We went over some things after the flight. What I need to know for my pre-solo test that is required by the school and if I had any questions about the landings. My only question is that why whenever I look for traffic or something else, I lose my pitch. She said it’s just natural at first and compared it to driving at first.
She said next time we’ll do my last two maneuvers (power on stalls and accelerated stalls) and more touch and gos until I get it “perfect”. I need to get my medical and study some more for that test now! I had three flight lessons (ideally) next week, so hopefully my landings will improve.
I’m planning on doing some sim time with Embaer Boyfriend but not being able to feel it makes it so different. We’ll see if that can help any though, I think it did with slow flight. Fingers crossed!
Also, I filled the first page of my logbook! I’m kind of excited about that.
Lesson Time: 1.2 hours
Total Time: 7.7 hours
Awesome. It’s so cool to read about someone else doing the same things I am. I spent all day doing touch and goes and maneuver reviews. Going to post tonight.
Great read as always… 2 things that will help you nail the landings (at least mechanically – perfecting them seems to be the work of a lifetime): see if you can’t get some lessons in a non-towered strip in the country – you will find that without the distractions of the controller and other traffic and taxiing instructions that you can get more of them done AND have more of your attention available to spend absorbing it. Secondly, the flight sim will definitely help – have a read of my post on using FSX for this, see if it makes sense. I can tell you for me at least, once I had the landings to the point where they were nearly second nature then I suddenly had a bit more brainpower left to start feeling more comfortable with the finer points like radio chatter etc. Agree with travisshea, really enjoy reading about other people’s experiences with this awesome hobby!!