1.4hrs Short field, soft field, hood work, and a different aircraft.
This would be my first lesson in a different 172 since my intro flight, so I spent a few minutes getting used to were everything was located, how the radios were set up, how the flaps operated (these operated with a switch that you held down to extend, rather than just move to the next notch), etc.
We departed Twin Oaks for Sportsman Airpark, which is just south near Newburg, to work on short and soft field.
The first thing I noticed was the need for less right rudder and longer takeoff roll. This 172 has the stock motor and 30 less horsepower than the 172 I've trained in so far.
We entered right traffic for runway 35 trying to remember all along to use the correct tail number. As we began descending I fought to adjust for the airspeed indicator in MPH rather than knots, different style of flaps switch, extra 10 degrees of flap travel, difference in trim needed, and completely blew the first landing. I was just about to go around, but may have hesitated just long enough to trip the warning alarm in my CFI's head, and he took over. First time that's happened since somewhere like lesson two or three. He said after we taxied off that it would have been okay, but would have bounced pretty hard, and knew that would throw me for the remainder of the
lesson. I think it would have been very hard.
We did two short field takeoffs and landings that went pretty well, but my landings were off. The third time around at Sportman was a soft field, which I managed to keep in ground effect much better than my first try a few weeks ago. My soft field landing was mediocre. This 172 seemed mushy and slow compared to what I've been used to, and I struggled to get a good feel for it.
We departed sportman and spent the next .6hrs under the hood making turns, climbs, descents, selecting and tracking a few VOR's, standard rate turns to a heading with the heading indicator covered and counting seconds, etc, all by referance to intruments only. I ended up entering the 45 for downwind back at Twin Oaks while under the hood. Pretty cool, but hard work.
My 6th and final landing of the day was the best of the 6, so it did end on a high note.
After taxiing off and shutting down, my Heatherle said she'd like to just sit in the back for a few moments. Apparently my CFI taking over on the first landing really shook her up (a first in an airplane for her). Back at the classroom she she had a few minutes to talk to my instructor, where he explained what had happened, and why he had taken control. Poor girl was shaken up for the better part of the lesson, but didn't want to say anything for fear of distracting me. Pretty great of her, but I feel terrible for scaring her. At least she still wants to go again.
Next is a night lesson, a night cross country, a lesson at a towered airport with the 172 I flew today, then my short solo cross country.
Amazing how much differant two aicraft of the same model, and only two model years apart, can be.
This would be my first lesson in a different 172 since my intro flight, so I spent a few minutes getting used to were everything was located, how the radios were set up, how the flaps operated (these operated with a switch that you held down to extend, rather than just move to the next notch), etc.
We departed Twin Oaks for Sportsman Airpark, which is just south near Newburg, to work on short and soft field.
The first thing I noticed was the need for less right rudder and longer takeoff roll. This 172 has the stock motor and 30 less horsepower than the 172 I've trained in so far.
We entered right traffic for runway 35 trying to remember all along to use the correct tail number. As we began descending I fought to adjust for the airspeed indicator in MPH rather than knots, different style of flaps switch, extra 10 degrees of flap travel, difference in trim needed, and completely blew the first landing. I was just about to go around, but may have hesitated just long enough to trip the warning alarm in my CFI's head, and he took over. First time that's happened since somewhere like lesson two or three. He said after we taxied off that it would have been okay, but would have bounced pretty hard, and knew that would throw me for the remainder of the
lesson. I think it would have been very hard.We did two short field takeoffs and landings that went pretty well, but my landings were off. The third time around at Sportman was a soft field, which I managed to keep in ground effect much better than my first try a few weeks ago. My soft field landing was mediocre. This 172 seemed mushy and slow compared to what I've been used to, and I struggled to get a good feel for it.
We departed sportman and spent the next .6hrs under the hood making turns, climbs, descents, selecting and tracking a few VOR's, standard rate turns to a heading with the heading indicator covered and counting seconds, etc, all by referance to intruments only. I ended up entering the 45 for downwind back at Twin Oaks while under the hood. Pretty cool, but hard work.
My 6th and final landing of the day was the best of the 6, so it did end on a high note.
After taxiing off and shutting down, my Heatherle said she'd like to just sit in the back for a few moments. Apparently my CFI taking over on the first landing really shook her up (a first in an airplane for her). Back at the classroom she she had a few minutes to talk to my instructor, where he explained what had happened, and why he had taken control. Poor girl was shaken up for the better part of the lesson, but didn't want to say anything for fear of distracting me. Pretty great of her, but I feel terrible for scaring her. At least she still wants to go again.
Next is a night lesson, a night cross country, a lesson at a towered airport with the 172 I flew today, then my short solo cross country.
Amazing how much differant two aicraft of the same model, and only two model years apart, can be.
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