Lesson 32 4/29/09

1.5hrs – Everything in the book (it seemed)

We began with reviewing stalls, both power-on, power-off, and while in a turn. All are really a non-event (with 3000ft of air below you anyway).

Next up were steep turns, which have really shaped up after the solo time I spent last week practicing.

Ground reference was easy with winds of about 4kts, but probably still need a little work on a day that’s blowing a bit more.

My first engine out of the day went very well. I trimmed for best glide (68kts), found a nice large field, and settled into a nice easy descending turn into a downwind leg. On final at 500ft I had the field made, but saw that an actual landing could be a bit sketchy as a string of light power lines came into view. Power lines a very difficult to see from the air.

My second engine out also went well, and had just noted and airport we’d not been to in Newberg (Chehalem – 17S) prior to my instructor pulling the power out. On short final I had the runway made, so it became a go-around practice.

After we climbed out from Chehalem, my CFI pulled the throttle back to 1800 to simulate a partial power situation. 2S6 (Sportsman) was now close, and I could maintain altitude, so the simulated partial power became a simulated stuck throttle. This was a first for me, and actually really fun to control the descent and airspeed with changes in pitch and/or adding or removing flaps. If the thottle was actually stuck, or the for some reason not adjustable, you'd pull the mixure out once the landing is assured. In a simulation, the throttle is pulled back to idle. On final I was a little high, and could also have controlled the descent more with a slip, but slips are still a weak spot.

While at Sportsman we practiced simulated short and soft field takeoffs and landings. The weak spot here is short field landings.

Next on the list was hood work. My instrument scan has improved, making turns climbs and descents much easier. Recovery from unusual attitudes went pretty well, as did flying directly to the Newburg VOR. The process for recovery from unusual attitudes involves closing your eyes with your head down while the instructor makes a series of pitch and bank changes to throw your sense of balance off. You then open your eyes and recover to straight and level flight using only instruments (you have the "hood" on, which limits you view).

The feeling of being thrown around a bit with your eyes closed, and your head down, in an aiplane is pretty crazy. My instructor reminded me to let him know if begin to not feel well. At no point have I not felt well while being bounced around in the airplane (though maybe apprehensive), but I can see how someone could during this part of the training.

One interesting addition to the hood work was that my instructor told me to close my eyes and try to make a steep turn to the left, another to the right, back to level, then open my eyes and recover (I still have the hood on, so by instruments only). With my eyes closed I was easily able judge whether I was climbing or descending based on the sound of the engine, but it was surprising to see that what I thought may be a steep bank turn was either a shallow turn in opposite direction, or a shallow climb. I asked if I approached anything close to a steep turn. My instructor said it doesn’t matter; the point was to mess me up, and see if could recover.

With that completed we turned for home.

The final landing was another try at a short field. A nice landing, but not a short field.

A lot packed into 1.5hrs, but a very fun and challenging lesson.

The next I meet with my instructor is for two hours of ground, grilling me in prep for the oral portion of the check ride with the FAA examiner. Hard to believe that the check ride is only a few lessons away!

4/21/09 Solo

1.4hrs – Solo Practice

I lifted off at 7:30am into a bright spring morning, with temperatures in the high 40’s, and turned towards Hillsboro airport to complete my remaining two solo landings at a towered airport. Three solo landings at a towered airport are required for a Private Pilot Certificate, and my first was completed at Redmond during my long cross country solo.

I was a bit nervous, since Hillsboro is the second busiest airport in Oregon, but was cleared to land on 30 in response to my initial call to the tower. I made a small turn east, and then back to line up for 30. Looks like it won’t be too bad.

My two full stop landings went very well, and I have no problem working with the tower while in the pattern, but once on the ground, I seem to struggle a little with taxi instructions. Likely because I haven’t had many full stop landings at a towered airport, and still not sure what to expect.

After the second stop a Hillsboro I departed to the south to practice some steep turns (a turn with a 45 degree or more bank angle).

I lost count of how many steep turns I did in total, but did at least a half dozen in each direction. Some were better than others, but nearly all were improved. I do seem to struggle a little more with steep turns to the left.

After nearly making myself dizzy watching the horizon sweep by so many times, I just flew around on somewhat of a wandering course enjoying the spring weather, and air so smooth that any sense of movement was nearly removed. One of those “this is why I’m learning to fly” moments.

The time I had available grew short much too soon, and it was time to head home to 7S3.

I got back to work feeling relaxed, and happy with the start to the day.

As I was about to leave 7S3 and return to work, I stopped and took this photo. How cool a place is it where they park a plane in the front yard??

Lesson 31 4/16/09

This photo is Sportsman Airpark (Newburg OR)from about 2500ft AGL.

Lesson 31 – 1.5hrs stalls, steep turns, and simulated engine out.

Sunny skies with no wind! Nice for flying, but not much help for practicing the ground referance maneuvers I need work on, so we departed Twin Oaks and headed for the practice area for some work on steep turns, and stall review.

We overflew Sportsman Airpark at 3000ft, and began a simulated engine out. I was a bit worried about losing too much altitude, resulting not losing enough, and made the mistake of diving to correct. Diving for the runway did lose some altitude, but also put me at least 10kts fast. After half the runway had gone underneath without us touching it, I had to go around.

My instructor demonstrated the next, and rolled out on final high to demonstrate how a slip would have been a better choice.

We took off again so I could take another shot at it, managing my descent better, and touching down just past the numbers with 10 degrees of flaps.

Simulated engine out landings are all about energy management. You can slow down (to a point) and gain a little altitude, or at least slow your descent. You can lose altitude by pushing the nose down, but then you increase the airspeed making it difficult to slow down again to land. Or, you can increase drag using flaps and/or a slip to lose altitude without gaining airspeed. In the end, you can't slow the loss of altitude without a loss of airspeed, or increase airspeed without a loss of altitude, so it's a balancing act (art).

After each landing I’d practice a simulated short of soft field take off. My short field takeoffs have been good for a while, the soft field I’ve had trouble holding it in ground effect. This lesson I seemed to get the hang of it (a minor victory, but I’ll take it).

Power-on and power-off stalls were good, steep turns still need some work but are getting better, and turns around a point were easy with no wind.

We also covered emergency descents, and I’m pretty sure a 60 degree bank angle turn with a 2000 fpm descent will always be a rush.

A good simulated short field landing back at Twin Oaks was a nice end to lesson that really highlights some areas that need work.

Lesson 30 4/13/09

1hr – Beginning of prep for the checkride

1.2hrs – Simulated engine out, turns around a point, S-turns across a road, crosswind landings, simulated soft and short field takeoffs.

The weather was looking crummy all day, and when my instructor called a half hour before my lesson was scheduled, it looked like a no-go. We talked for a few minutes, and decided it would be worth coming out for the ground portion, and see what happens with the weather.

My instructor started with quizzing me on regulations, airspace, and interpreting the sectional. Not too bad, but I have some studying to do!

We departed Twin Oaks with winds WSW at 20G25kts, and headed south for some ground reference. I’ve had very little practice with ground reference maneuvers due to a pretty windless winter, so this would be great.

As we passed Newburg, my instructor pulled the throttle. I quickly pulled carb heat, knew that I had just passed over 2S6 (Sportsman Airpark), and trimmed for best glide. I was a little low adjacent the numbers on downwind, and turned base into somewhat of a headwind, so base became an angled approach to a short final, but I touched down just past the numbers nicely with a crosswind. Best was that my instructor was able to remain pretty silent.

We taxied back for a simulated short field takeoff, and headed south for ground reference.

I found a suitable point, and entered a left turn at about 900ft AGL. I could probably draw a better circle using a crayon, eyes closed, with my left foot, but after a few times around I had a better handle on it, and managed to maintain altitude well.

Next we did some S-turns across a road, and again I could have probably done better with the crayon in the above scenario. I did better after a few tries, but more work is needed. During the S-turns, I did run into more rain than I’ve experience previously, which was interesting. The visibility was still very good, and the sound of the rain, and seeing the pattern it produced on the windshield, was very neat.

We could see that the weather was going to go downhill, and turned for home.

Back at Twin Oaks, the wind, and slight crosswind, favored landing on 20, which has always been a little tricky for me. The first two landings required losing quite a bit of altitude on final, but I managed the gusty wind well, and the end result was good.

Before calling it a day, we practiced a simulated soft field, which I understand well, but have difficulty holding the nose down in ground effect. 4KU seems to just pop up and be ready to fly, so I maybe need to practice in 40H with a passenger in addition to my CFI.

The third and last trip around I had dialed in all the way and back down. Always a good way to end the lesson.

Next lesson is Thursday for more ground reference practice, stall and steep turn review, and whatever else my instructor adds in.

I do have a lot of studying to do!!

I also finished off page four in my logbook with 52.4hrs total time, 11.1hrs solo, 9.7hrs cross country, 3.6hrs night, 159 day landings, and 14 night landings. Cool...

Long Cross Country 4/06/09

4.4hrs – Solo Long Cross County

Yesterday was a perfect day for a long flight; sunny, clear, highs between 70 and 80, and little wind along my planned route.

Before leaving home for Twin Oaks I got a standard briefing, completed the remainder of my flight plan, packed all I’d need, and walked out the door feeling pretty nervous, but confident.

I arrived at the airport about an hour ahead of my scheduled takeoff time to meet with my CFI to endorse my logbook for the flight, go over my plan, file the first two of three flight plans, and just talk through the trip.

An early lesson with the airplane I was scheduled to use was a bit late returning, but by 10:30am I was looking down 20 and sliding the throttle in, and feeling like I had at that point on my first solo a few months ago.

After my initial climb out, I called up McMinnville FSS to open my flight plan, was set up with the GPS, on the 111 degree radial from the Newburg VOR, and called up Portland Approach to request Flight Following, receiving the first of only two reports of traffic for the trip. From there it was just climb to 9500, and enjoy the view!

I was soon passed off to Seattle Center, and continued on over the Cascade mountain range, just south of Mt Jefferson, and north of the Three Sisters. Beautiful!!

As I descended on the east side of the Cascades, flight following was terminated, a call to Redmond Tower (RDM)and I was cleared for a straight in approach to 10, and cleared to land when I reported 3 mi final. With a slight crosswind and a nice touchdown, I was on the ground and receiving taxi instructions to the Redmond Air FBO.

I had flown higher than I have in all my training, made my first solo landing at a class D airport (one I’d never been to, as was the case for all airports on this trip), made my first crossing of the Cascades, and did so with a fair amount of confidence. With that, I shut down and got out, talked with some very nice folks in the FBO, and enjoyed the fact that I was there.

Soon I was ready to go, received progressive taxi instructions, and cleared to take off on 28 for southbound departure. It began to get a bit bumpy on the trip south to Sunriver (S21), but I enjoyed flying over Bend, the Deschutes River, the lava fields, and other areas I’ve vacationed with Heatherle and the kids.

I overflew midfield at Sunriver and made a descending left turn to enter right downwind for 18, but became a little leery of the rising terrain west of the airport, putting me close on down wind. When I rolled out on right base it was clear that I would completely overshoot any attempt at a turn to final, so I announce that I was going around for a second try. The next was much better, and I was on the ground at Sunriver, the highest airport I’ve landed at so far.

Sunriver Resort is a great place, I've bicycled past the airport with Heatherle and the kids in the past, wondering how cool it would be to be able to fly in there. I celebrated finding out how cool by having a snack, talking to some nice people in the FBO, and sitting on the FBO porch enjoying the view.

From Sunriver I headed west, back across the Cascades, to Cottage Grove (61S). The trip west was full of great views of the Cascades, but was also quite turbulent, and I was glad to enter the relative calm west of the mountains, and right downwind for 33 at Cottage Grove.

Once on the ground at Cottage Grove, I found that their tank of 100LL was dry, so I’d need to make a short 8nm hop north to Creswell (77S). Fortunately my CFI had included Creswell in my endorsement for the trip, just in case. I closed my flight plan, and filed another for the trip north.

A quick stop at Creswell for 18 gallons of fuel, a call to my CFI and Twin Oaks to give them a heads up that I be a little later than planned, and I was off for the trip up the Willamette Valley and home.

The Willamette Valley was smooth, hazy, and warm, at 4500, and enjoyed watching roads and farmland pass below. I began my descent as I approach the Newburg VOR, entered the pattern for Twin Oaks, and made one of my best solo landings there to date, after covering 305nm, logging 4.4hrs, and 6hrs and 10min after leaving.


I pulled up to the fuel pump, shut everything down, and just relaxed in the silence for a brief minute. What a great feeling.

My CFI met me out on the ramp, where we spent a few minutes talking about the trip, and talked more in the classroom. He feels that I’m about 95% ready for the checkride, with 2 full stop solo landings remaining at a class D airport, and the 3 hrs checkride prep my only remaining minimum requirements.

When I arrived at the office to pay up, I found that my parents had called earlier in the day, and requested to pay for my flight as a belated birthday gift. That really put a nice ending on the day!

Lesson 29 3/31/09

1.3hrs – Gusty crosswind, hood work, and getting used to 4KU again.

We had originally planned to go to a few very short fields, as well as a grass field, but decided to take full advantage of the 16kt with variable gusts to 21kt winds, which at Twin Oaks were variable between 60 and 90 degrees to runway 20.

I got off cleanly from Twin Oaks but quickly realized that my right leg had become a little lazy from flying 40H lately, and struggled a bit through the lesson with holding enough right rudder. Funny how an airplane that I’d become so used to, now seems foreign after a short time.

On my first landing, I began a slip just after turning final to give myself some time to get a feel for it. I was able to get the wing down/opposite rudder arranged in my head and translated to hand here/foot there pretty quickly, completing a very acceptable landing.

Feeling good about that, we departed Twin Oaks for Sportsman Airpark (2S6) over in Newburg, just a short hop south.

In route to Sportsmen we worked on wrapping up the required hood time I had remaining. With the gusty wind, and the resulting turbulence generated by the ridge between Twin Oaks and Newburg, it was a good workout.

We arrived at Sportsman, and started with a nice crab on final, transitioning to a slip, but got caught up in some variable gusts just before touching down, requiring some rudder assistance from my instructor.

My instructor demonstrated the next time around, and did so very skillfully, conceding that the conditions were pretty challenging down low.

My next several trips around the pattern were pretty acceptable, and we turned toward North toward Twin Oaks.

My pattern for 20 at Twin Oaks was just as it should be, which I felt very good about since approach and landing on 20 is a little trickier, and not often used unless landing on 02 would be with a tailwind in excess of about 7kts. The landing was also as it should be, and ended the day well.

We also discussed my long cross country, which I was given the green light for if the weather conditions are agreeable. The plan is to be off at 10am Friday, with stops at RDM (Redmond), S21 (Sunriver), 61S (Cottage Grove), and SLE (Salem), but the extended forecast doesn’t look to promising. I have plenty of time to wait for the right day.

While paying up for my rental time, I met someone in the office that was looking at getting started on his long time desire to learn to fly, and spent the next hour talking. It was nice, and just less than 6 months ago I was in his very spot, checking the place out, and talking to a student nearing the end of his training. Sometimes that day seems like last week, sometimes years ago.

Good times!