Two Mile Final
I'm close. I can feel it, I'm almost there. Kevin tells me I'm on "short final" and I need to just stay focused, keep flying, keep neglecting the rest of my life for just a little while longer. But it's not really short final, it's longer than that -- like a 2 mile final. It's been really hard; my band has a CD coming out and I need to help promote it. My job and my home life both require attention..I think I may be completely out of clean underwear right now. But as Kevin said, I need to just stay focused and I'll be done soon. Once I have that piece of paper, I can take as long a break as I want.
On Tuesday 1/31 I went out in the morning for 1.4 hours and practiced landings, over and over again. Ten landings in all, mostly soft field but a few attempts at short field, one of which actually worked to some extent. I had some absolutely beautiful soft field landings! Then at night we went out on my first night flight; we flew to LVK and did a few landings there, then back to PAO and some more pattern work there. It was not hard, but that is in large part due to Kevin's 700+ hours of experience flying at night.
For instance, one of the things that I've read so much about is how hard it is to judge height off the runway at night. I found that to be absolutely true. Kevin's solution? Use soft-field landing technique, and if in doubt, flare a little high. Result? Nice soft landings, every time. We even did an engine out simulation (which of course required a normal landing technique rather than soft field), and I nailed it. I'm feeling really confident (but not overconfident, just that I know what I know and I'm pretty consistent with it) and ready for my phase check tomorrow.
I wish I'd gotten to go out today, for one reason -- Kevin corrected my approach technique on Tuesday night and I haven't really had a chance to practice. I've been engaging full flaps as soon as I turn final; this is not actually the right thing to do (except on a short field approach) and could be dangerous if I have an engine failure on final. On our final landing on Tuesday night, Kevin had me come in with 20 degrees of flaps, and just extend full flaps only about 1/4 mile (or less) before the runway. It was actually much easier to stay on glide slope, easier to control the craft with slightly higher airspeed (65-70 knots vs. 55-60). So, something to practice during my phase check -- and I'm not really worried since the new way is easier anyway.
I'm also scheduled for a night flight on Saturday; we're just going to go to Modesto and back. And after the solo x-countries are completed, Kevin says he needs 3 lessons with me and then I'm done.
So, by my count, I have 10 flights left:
10. Solo X-Country Phase Check
9. Brush up from solo x-country phase check (+ hood time)
8. One more night flight
7. Solo cross country
6. Long solo cross country
5. Lesson #1
4. Lesson #2
3. Lesson #3
2. Private Pilot Phase Check
1. Private Pilot FAA Check Ride
I'm sure I'll put in some solo time as well, but it looks like I'll probably be done right around 60-65 hours, which is pretty much exactly what I was told it would take. Amazing.
On Tuesday 1/31 I went out in the morning for 1.4 hours and practiced landings, over and over again. Ten landings in all, mostly soft field but a few attempts at short field, one of which actually worked to some extent. I had some absolutely beautiful soft field landings! Then at night we went out on my first night flight; we flew to LVK and did a few landings there, then back to PAO and some more pattern work there. It was not hard, but that is in large part due to Kevin's 700+ hours of experience flying at night.
For instance, one of the things that I've read so much about is how hard it is to judge height off the runway at night. I found that to be absolutely true. Kevin's solution? Use soft-field landing technique, and if in doubt, flare a little high. Result? Nice soft landings, every time. We even did an engine out simulation (which of course required a normal landing technique rather than soft field), and I nailed it. I'm feeling really confident (but not overconfident, just that I know what I know and I'm pretty consistent with it) and ready for my phase check tomorrow.
I wish I'd gotten to go out today, for one reason -- Kevin corrected my approach technique on Tuesday night and I haven't really had a chance to practice. I've been engaging full flaps as soon as I turn final; this is not actually the right thing to do (except on a short field approach) and could be dangerous if I have an engine failure on final. On our final landing on Tuesday night, Kevin had me come in with 20 degrees of flaps, and just extend full flaps only about 1/4 mile (or less) before the runway. It was actually much easier to stay on glide slope, easier to control the craft with slightly higher airspeed (65-70 knots vs. 55-60). So, something to practice during my phase check -- and I'm not really worried since the new way is easier anyway.
I'm also scheduled for a night flight on Saturday; we're just going to go to Modesto and back. And after the solo x-countries are completed, Kevin says he needs 3 lessons with me and then I'm done.
So, by my count, I have 10 flights left:
10. Solo X-Country Phase Check
9. Brush up from solo x-country phase check (+ hood time)
8. One more night flight
7. Solo cross country
6. Long solo cross country
5. Lesson #1
4. Lesson #2
3. Lesson #3
2. Private Pilot Phase Check
1. Private Pilot FAA Check Ride
I'm sure I'll put in some solo time as well, but it looks like I'll probably be done right around 60-65 hours, which is pretty much exactly what I was told it would take. Amazing.
posted by MKT at 10:06 AM
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