Today was an early flight – 7:00am – to see if I could get back in to the office by 9:00am. Turns out that was no problem – with a 300′ ceiling and less than 1/4 mile visibility, I was in the office by 6:30am. I monitored the ASOS (pretty much every 15 minutes, I’m ashamed to say), and the conditions started getting better. Richard was available, the plane was available, so at 11:00 we headed out. The ceiling was still pretty low, so we just stayed in the pattern and worked on the usual – landings. Repetition is really the key here, and I am indeed getting better. We made one a full stop, and did a partial power takeoff. The idea is to see what the plane would be like with either partial power, or in the case where you might takeoff downwind. A bit more ground roll, and a bit lower climb rate, but nothing major.

Back in the pattern, I suggested that we fly over to Whiteman (WHP) for lunch – my treat. Richard said OK, so we headed over. Got in the pattern, got shuffled around a bit, and then got it down. Taxied over to transient parking and shut it down. Hopped out and ate! Cool! A quick half-preflight, run up, and we were back in the air. A few trips around the pattern, and then back home.

1.7 hours/23.4 total

Still waiting for the medical, Richard and I continued to work through the syllabus as if I had already soloed. Plenty to do, really – I just want to go up alone because I know I can. Patience.

Weather was perfect today – clear, no wind, visibility 10 miles. During my preflight I found something strange – the rudder was deflected left – as though someone had their left foot half way to the floor. I checked cables, pedals, etc – all looked fine. Turns out it was the nosewheel (which is driven by the rudder pedals) was cocked to the left. Since the plane sits in little holes at the tie down, it couldn’t move. Good to stay on top of these things anyway.

After a couple of trips around the pattern and some decent landings, Richard suggested we head over to the Class C airport next door – Burbank. Big planes here – very exciting. We left the pattern and headed straight over. Burbank tower cleared us in to runway 15, which required an entry by flying over the intersecting runway. Nice thing about controlled airports (especially busy ones) is that they can ask you to do some very out-of-the-ordinary things. Great practice. We made it a full stop and taxied back for takeoff with lots of other planes – 737′s, 757′s, etc. We stayed in the pattern, and were repeatedly asked to change runways, extend downwinds, do short approaches, and expedite. Great experience. I can imagine that LAX is next – that should be great fun.

1.6 hours/21.7 total

Weather was much more accommodating today. Clear skies, light wind. The skies stayed clear, but the wind picked up pretty significantly.

We started off with three trips around the pattern at Van Nuys. Each landing was better than the last – I’m really getting the hang of it now. After that, Richard suggested we head over to a nearby airport – Whiteman (WHP). Talk about your politically incorrect names. How about WhiteHeterosexualRichSmartMan Airport instead? On the first approach we were WAY too high, so I went around. Thanks to the Burbank class C airspace right next door, you have to flight a very short departure leg, which threw my timing off. No problem, I thought – I’ll NAIL the next one. Again – WAY too high, go around. The tower asked if I wanted touch and goes instead of the full stop I’d requested. Thanks, no – I’ll try and get it on the ground. Third time around – chopped the power turning base, 10 degrees of flaps. STILL too high! I figured it out – the wind was shifting heavily on me from final to short final – it was calming way down near the field. Next time around I got it. Chop the power earlier, full flaps, watch the airspeed. Three great landings, and we headed back to Van Nuys. Coming in, the wind was 350 at 20, gusting to 25! No problem really, landing on the big (8000′) runway.

We debriefed, and Richard said I was ready to solo. No medical yet. Damn. Working on that furiously now.

1.5 hours/20.1 total

Started ground school with Richard this week. Not because I’m not learning well on my own (I really feel like I am), but because I think it’s good to talk with other pilots, get their perspective, and learn the subject matter from a live person. It’s $139 for about 30 hours of training, which is a pretty good deal as well.

Weather was lousy this morning – for once the weatherman hit it right on the head. Ceiling was just above pattern altitude, so we decided to go. After a preflight in the rain, off we went for some pattern work.

I finally figured out my problems with landings. First, my approach was too low – I was “driving it in” with power, which makes for a very difficult approach. Secondly, I was sighting too close to the plane – like just over the nose. Once I started sighting further down the runway, it became easier to gauge the height. All but one of the landings were pretty reasonable, with the one being dropped in from SO high that Richard almost grabbed the controls. Pretty hard – should have put the power in and gone around. Next time that’s exactly what I’ll do.

Afterwards we went over my pre-solo test (passed no problem) and Richard asked about my medical. I still don’t have it, and already got AOPA working on it for me. Hopefully I’ll get it this week, and can solo soon thereafter, since I have completed all of Richard’s pre-solo requirements.

1.0 hours/18.6 total

After 2 full weeks of no flying (the first because the plane needed its 100 hour inspection, the second because I was out of town), I finally got back in the air. The lesson was scheduled for 8:00, but by 8:30, Richard hadn’t shown. I paged him, and he apologized for the confusion and headed over. By 9:00 we were ready to go.

This lesson was primarily to review emergency procedures aloft and emergency landings. We did a few simulated engine failures, and approaches to land on some roads. Pretty easy, of course – when you actually HAVE a working engine. Hopefully I’ll be that calm and focused in a REAL emergency. Come to think of it, hopefully I will never HAVE a real emergency like that – much better that way. A few turns around a point (need to work on that altitude control) and then back to Van Nuys for 5 touch and goes. Interesting day in the pattern with lots of traffic, extended downwinds, immediate turns after takeoff, and changed runways. Very educational, as always. My landings were nothing short of lousy, but I chalk that up to laying off for two weeks. Hopefully THAT will never happen again.

After we debriefed, Richard gave me his pre-solo written test to take, and asked about the status of my medical so I could solo. I told him that the FAA was still sitting on it, and that I would get it as quickly as possible. Might be time to get AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) involved to help me out.

1.5 hours/17.6 total

Today I decided to do my spin training as required by my CFI prior to solo. One word: WOW!

I went up with a CFI from a flight school on the field near my flying clubs planes (more on that in a moment). We took a Citabria 150, a tandem (meaning the CFI sat behind me, not next to me) taildragger. Good experience, to be sure – but certainly different from the 172. We flew out to the aerobatic training area, up to 5000′, and got started. Pretty simple, really. All that needs to happen is to stall the plane with the throttle back as usual, and then just as the stall breaks – kick in full rudder one way or the other. We started to the left, and he did the first one. Incredible. In about 1 second you are pointed right at the ground, spinning. Recovery is easy – neutralize ailerons, full opposite rudder, and let the stick back forward. Turns out the only part that is hard on the body is the recovery from the dive itself – lots of positive G’s pulling the brain into the neck.

I did 3 each way, and with a throbbing headache headed back to the airport. GREAT training. Never again will stalls bother me.

1.0 hours/16.1 total

It was just a matter of time before my good luck with the weather faded, and today was it. By the time I finished preflighting 2257E, the weather was VERY marginal VFR, and FSS was not recommending it. I found Richard, and he thought it was just out of the question for the emergency procedures we were planning. He suggested I go button up the plane (argh!) and we do some ground school and preparation for solo. Not nearly as good as flying, but better than nothing.

We started with some discussion about my taking the FAA written PRIOR to my solo. I told him I would prefer to take it later, since I’ve taken several practice tests and passed (suggesting that I have the knowledge he wants me to have), but would prefer to study more before taking it for keeps. My reasoning is that I’ve heard that the DE (designated examiner) will spend a lot of time drilling a student during the oral part of the exam on the items they missed on the written. He said that would be fine.

Next he drilled me on various areas of engine operations, emergencies, regulations, etc. I passed with flying colors. We then discussed what was left for me to solo. A tour of the tower at Van Nuys was required, so I scheduled that for immediately after we were done. I also needed spin training, and Richard suggested I do that at a training school on the field in a properly rated plane. I scheduled that for Friday. The only items left were crosswind landings (I’ve done crosswind landings, but nothing substantial), and emergency landings outside the pattern. In addition, Richard wants me to do a phase check with another CFI, so I’ll schedule that for next week. Other that those items, I’m ready to solo.

Today must have been the best weather yet. Clear skies, 68 degrees, no wind. Richard arrived at around 8:15, and off we went.

Today was for emergency procedures. First were aborted takeoffs. We taxied to the hold line and requested an aborted takeoff procedure. The tower had us hold for about 3 minutes, and then cleared us out. Richard did the first one. Piece of cake. Once you lose the engine, just pitch the nose down, put in full flaps and land the thing! It gets a bit more difficult of course if you run out of runway, but Van Nuys has a golf course (2, actually) directly on the usual runway heading. #18 at Woodley lakes would make for a fine landing area. Plus I’ve birdied that hold several times.

Next up was partial panel. Flying and landing without an airspeed indicator was most interesting. Then a full flap takeoff, and some touch and goes. My landings were MUCH better today – all minimum 7′s, a couple of 8′s. Another lesson tomorrow, and then nothing until Monday – unless the plane becomes available. I’m getting close to solo now – I can feel it.

1.5 hours/15.1 total

Afternoon flight. Absolutely perfect weather. We plan was to finish up the stalls (accelerated and cross control) and then do some no-flaps landings. Sounds good to me – but then again, just sitting around at the airport sounds good to me.

Accelerated stalls were pretty wild. The trick is to keep the engine at around 2200 RPM, put the plane in a 45 degree bank (we did them both left and right) and then ABRUPTLY pull back on the yoke. The plane stall very quickly, but not very dramatically, thanks to the high speed. The idea is to show that the plane can be stalled at any attitude, and at any speed. Easy, and fun. Next were cross control stalls (out of a slip). Weird, but easy to get, once again. Then it was back to Van Nuys for some slips to landing without flaps – to simulate a loss of flaps. Hard to get at first, but once you have the slip concept nailed, it all falls into place. The trick for me was getting the plane lined up with the runway after coming out of the slip. We did a few of those, slipping to both sides, and then did a couple of regular touch and goes the normal way – with flaps. A couple were not pretty (5′s at best) but a couple were respectable 8′s. Getting better! A couple hundred more, and I should have it nailed.

After the lesson, I asked Richard when I might be looking to solo. Not because I’m overly anxious (yeah, right), but because of my travel requirements with the job, I don’t want to be real close to solo, and then have to leave for a week or 10 days. That might actually KILL me. I showed him his list of requirements prior to solo, and he said that I was very close. He requires his students to have passed the FAA written exam before soloing, so he said I should get that out of the way as soon as possible.

I scheduled 5 more flights between now and next Friday, since I’m leaving for New Orleans (ouch) that next Saturday for a week. Maybe I can solo before that?

1.6 hours/13.6 total