Flying is Fun!
Obvious, I know. But I just realized today that a bunch of my lessons before my 2 1/2 weeks off were really hard work. Engine failure, getting ready for the check ride, the check ride itself, soloing...lots of work.
These last couple of lessons have been really fun! Today we worked on short field and soft field takeoffs and landings. I get the two types of takeoffs; it's pretty straight forward. Short field, you go full power while staying on the brakes, and then let go and pull up at about 55-60 knots. Once over 50 feet, level off, get up to Vy (73 knots) and resume the climb. Oh yeah -- all that's with flaps at 10 degrees, until Vy is established. Soft field is different; it's all about not sinking into the mud. Elevator all the way back, gently go full power. The nose comes up, and eventually you lift off at about 40 knots. Since that's not enough to climb, you have to hold the plane in ground effect while it accelerates -- which means pushing the elevator _forward_ even though you're 10 feet off the ground! Counterintuitive, but kind of fun!
The landings were harder. Soft field, once again, I get (not that I can actually DO it, but I get it). It's like the gentlest landing I can do, made gentler by the addition of a little power just before touchdown, and keeping the elevator WAY back. Short field I don't really get. Seems like a normal touchdown but without holding it off the runway, and then get rid of the flaps at touchdown and go hard on the brakes.
My substitute instructor (what was I calling him? Chris?) confirmed that what I felt yesterday was wake turbulence, and we actually felt a milder version on one of our takeoffs today. That's definitely what it was. And he also was sympathetic about finding the airport in the level of haze there's been the last few days.
We also saw the 210 that crashed last Friday. This was about 20 minutes after I'd finished my AWESOME pattern work -- he just overran the end of the runway. Shut down the airport for about 6 hours. And the plane was such a mess; it looked totaled. Very sad.
Next flight -- Friday! Solo! Then Sunday, then a lesson on Monday! Flying is FUN!
These last couple of lessons have been really fun! Today we worked on short field and soft field takeoffs and landings. I get the two types of takeoffs; it's pretty straight forward. Short field, you go full power while staying on the brakes, and then let go and pull up at about 55-60 knots. Once over 50 feet, level off, get up to Vy (73 knots) and resume the climb. Oh yeah -- all that's with flaps at 10 degrees, until Vy is established. Soft field is different; it's all about not sinking into the mud. Elevator all the way back, gently go full power. The nose comes up, and eventually you lift off at about 40 knots. Since that's not enough to climb, you have to hold the plane in ground effect while it accelerates -- which means pushing the elevator _forward_ even though you're 10 feet off the ground! Counterintuitive, but kind of fun!
The landings were harder. Soft field, once again, I get (not that I can actually DO it, but I get it). It's like the gentlest landing I can do, made gentler by the addition of a little power just before touchdown, and keeping the elevator WAY back. Short field I don't really get. Seems like a normal touchdown but without holding it off the runway, and then get rid of the flaps at touchdown and go hard on the brakes.
My substitute instructor (what was I calling him? Chris?) confirmed that what I felt yesterday was wake turbulence, and we actually felt a milder version on one of our takeoffs today. That's definitely what it was. And he also was sympathetic about finding the airport in the level of haze there's been the last few days.
We also saw the 210 that crashed last Friday. This was about 20 minutes after I'd finished my AWESOME pattern work -- he just overran the end of the runway. Shut down the airport for about 6 hours. And the plane was such a mess; it looked totaled. Very sad.
Next flight -- Friday! Solo! Then Sunday, then a lesson on Monday! Flying is FUN!
posted by MKT at 6:29 PM
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