Ground school, and a surprise

Ground school was all that was scheduled for today – to go over some weight and balance problems, performance problems, and to do some final review for my phase check on Friday. Turns out this took all of 20 minutes. When Richard said “So, do you want to go fly around a little?” – what was I supposed to say? No? Impossible. I checked to be sure the plane was available, and off we went.

Van Nuys has two parallel runways – but the short one (if you can call 4000′ short) that we normally use for touch and goes is closed until Friday. The result – the place was loaded with traffic. The tower eventually ended up not authorizing any touch and goes due to traffic. We decided to head over to Santa Monica (SMO) to see how it was over there. The wind and ceiling were great, but it was hazy – maybe 5 miles visibility. I had a hard time even FINDING the airport once we were over the hill. I was cleared to land about five miles out, and suggested to Richard that as long as we were there, and it was lunchtime – maybe we should eat. He agreed. It might have been a nice lunch, except I came in WAY too high, and had to do a go around. Once we were off the south end of the runway, we noticed a cloud layer moving in rapidly. Good thing we didn’t stop for lunch – we might not have been able to leave – at least not VFR, anyway!

We headed back to Van Nuys and were cleared on the downwind as number 5. The place was a zoo. Lousy landing, but safe. Oh well – any flying is better than no flying.

1.0 hours/31.2 total

Once more for good measure

Today was just one last run around the pattern before my pre-solo phase check with another CFI (his name is EJ) on Friday. The weather was marginal, but fine for pattern work. I really concentrated on doing everything perfect, and things went just fine. The bottom line is this – the chances of everything working out “perfect” are pretty slim. Wind, traffic, etc are variable, and so are the approaches and landings.

We finished up by reviewing the pre-solo exam given by AV8. Tomorrow we’ll just go over the aircraft information (weight and balance, engine, electrical, etc.) and that will be it. I got my medical yesterday (yipee!) so after the phase check on Friday, I’ve scheduled Monday 7-9am for my solo. FINALLY!

1.0 hours/30.2 total

Polishing those landings

The weather was very marginal today, so we decided to just work on polishing my landings. Sounded great to me – they are the hardest thing to do if you ask me.

Very focused today. Besides being a bit long (maybe 200 feet past the numbers), my first landing was PERFECT. RIGHT on the centerline, BARELY able to feel the tires hit! So nice. 4 or 5 more like that, working on being closer to the numbers, and ALL of them were 8’s or better! Some clouds started accumulating at about 1000 feet, so we decided to head in and do some ground school to prepare for my solo. We went over my checklists (to be sure I understood WHY I did everything on them), then through Richard’s stall/spin test, and then through the pre-solo test given by the FBO (AV8, Inc.) where we debrief. Very educational. Another flight scheduled for tomorrow to polish a bit more, then a pre-solo phase check with a different CFI on Friday! Monday I should solo!

1.0 hours/29.2 total

A bit farther away

The weather was forecast as rain and low clouds in the morning, and was COMPLETELY wrong. Clear skies, but very windy. No problem – I need the crosswind practice anyway.

We got a clearance out to Camarillo airport (CMA) for today, and actually got to fly there. CMA was reporting calm winds, with Van Nuys at 11 knots gusting to 17. We took off and bumped around until we were over Simi Valley, where things calmed down. Nice cruise into Camarillo, good landing, taxied around to see the whole place, and then back in the pattern for some touch and goes. Great landings today. Then it was back to Van Nuys in the wind – now 20 gusting to 25 – one touch and go for crosswind practice, and back home.

Good news this week – the FAA sent my medical on Thursday! I told Richard, and we scheduled two flights for next week, one with ground school to go over some other pre-solo tests he gave me. We then scheduled a pre-solo phase check with another CFI on Friday. If all goes well (and I’m sure it will), I’ll solo on Monday! Woo hoo!

1.9 hours/28.2 total

More landings, but better now

The weather sucked again, so we had to stay in the pattern. Richard showed up as I was midway through my preflight, and said he had a conflict with another student. Unsure as to why it was ME that should get bumped, I BEGGED to go up. He pushed the other student back an hour, and up we went.

More of the same, basically. Just the landings need work – everything else is habit and procedure. My first two landings were not pretty – for two reasons. First, because I was pulling my old tricks and coming in too low and “driving it in” with power. It seems to me that there is just no way to make a real nice landing doing this, not to mention it is unsafe. If your engine should fail in that situation, you wouldn’t make the field. Second was the crosswind. I just simply wasn’t side slipping all the way to the flare, and ended up landing WAY left of the centerline. Once those things were fixed, it was MUCH easier. The last touch and go I did in fact was pretty close to perfect. Just barely left of centerline, but the smoothest touchdown I think is even possible. You could just BARELY tell we had touched down. Nice.

1.1 hours/26.3 total

More landings

The plan today was to fly out to Camarillo (CMA) to get still more experience at another airport. I took a bit longer than usual to preflight the plane, thanks to a nav light that was out and needed replacing. By the time we got airborne, there was a layer of overcast over the entire valley – no way to go to Camarillo. We turned around and headed back to Van Nuys.

After several touch and goes on the long (8000′) runway, I suggested we head over to Whiteman (WHP) just to mix it up a little. Richard agreed, and we headed over. Good conversation along the way – I feel very comfortable at the controls now – a sure sign I’m ready to solo. Several touch and goes at Whiteman, and back to Van Nuys. All in all, a good flight – but I need to get soloed soon, so I can start on my cross countries. Nothing from the FAA or AOPA on my medical yet – I’ll call tomorrow.

1.8 hours/25.2 total

Out to lunch

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

Class Charlie, here I come

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

Fun in the wind, and a new location

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

Around the patch – in the rain

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