Learning to Fly (Part 2)

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Fine Tuning My Landings (June 12, 2007)

This morning the ceilings were low (low clouds) and much of the Southeast was reported to be in IFR conditions, so it was a good day to work low patterns (only 700 feet above the runway and the surrounding area).    Worked out pretty good.  My takeoff was much, much better due to better concentration in keeping harder right rudder and maintaining center line as well as fixing my issues with proper flaring before touchdown.  Just a LITTLE bit of crosswind today, enough to keep me honest.   Got to fly Cessna 172SP N2132W, which I hadn't flown before.  I handled pre-flight myself before Matt arrived.

This morning's plan was simple: improve how I fly the pattern, tighten up how I stay lined up with the runway, and most importantly, get MUCH better in the flare and in setting the plane down gently on the runway.   Winds were light from 060, so it was back on runway 4.

The first four landings were ok, although the second one should have been a go-around since I let it get way too far left of center line at the very end.  All were touch and go landings, pretty much sharing the airport with another student pilot that's about a month ahead of me in his lessons.

Today I was considerably better in anticipating the airplane and in making small corrections as needed.  I'm not there yet, but so much better than I have been.  Also much better in coordinating rudder and yoke on short final.

After three touch and go landings, we did a full stop and headed over to the fuel farm for a Coke and some discussion as to what went right and wrong.  Two big discussions from Matt: 1) keep flying the airplane and let it gently settle itself down on the main gears.  Yes, we've talked about that repeatedly, but reinforcement is to keep flying the airplane and let it land itself.  2) When I'm 50 feet off the runway and find myself getting off center line, it's ok to correct, rather than to let it drift.  When I'm 10 feet off the runway and drifting off center line, GO AROUND.

So back into the plane and try her again for another half hour.  The last three landings were better yet.  Sure enough, I did have problems with drift at the end of my short final, but I was able to correct and land properly.  The next two landings I did even better in keeping things better lined up.

So the score: 7 unassisted landings, no go-arounds, and better control and much better flare on landing.  "Much improvement over last Saturday" said Matt.  "You're definitely making improvements."

The weather started to lift about the time we put the airplane away-- of course!

Using a Tower-Controlled Airfield (June 20, 2007)

Thanks to having to travel last week and Matt being off last Saturday it's been 10 days since I last flew- but I did ok.

Had my first afternoon lesson (one day before the first day of Summer), so I got to experience the thrill of Summer afternoon thermals- the "bumps" in the air from rising air currents.  Frankly, while the visibility was superb and the sky was blue with high scattered clouds, it wasn't a fun flight.  I was simply too busy having to fly to enjoy myself and the air was bumpy enough to where I really couldn't relax.  Too busy having to maintain altitude and heading while changing frequencies and working radios-- control, control, control.

On the ground we spent over 45 minutes training on how to plot and fly a cross-country to another airport, plotting our flight to Athens, Georgia.  Normal pre-flight and run-up, took off on runway 4, then turned on a magnetic heading of 133 for a 15-minute flight to Athens.  We climbed to 3,500 feet and discussed what we'd be doing as we approached.

We called the tower at 10 miles out, then dropped our throttle down to 2,000 RPM to get a 500 feet per minute sink rate to enter and land.  They gave us a straight-in approach on runway 9- right over Sanford Stadium on final.

It was a bit squirrelly, with a left, gusty crosswind.  But I kept it under good control, putting her down gently with a decent level out and flare.  Just controlling keeping it on center line was a challenge, but I did ok.  This was a full-stop landing, so the tower instructed us to NOT use the taxiway, but rather stop, do a 180 and taxi down the same runway we had just landed on to takeoff.  Which we did, doing a takeoff into a left crosswind after requesting from the tower we make a left pattern and land again.

Normal pattern (takeoff, climb, turn left briefly for "crosswind" leg, turn left for "downwind" leg, left turn for "base" leg and then final approach).  Landing was better- more left wing down into the wind, but still struggling to keep it lined up properly and on center line for touchdown.  Did a touch and go, then told the tower we were headed back to Gainesville.

I messed up entering the pattern, not seeing which runway was which; I probably should have simply crossed the runway high and then dropped down into the pattern.  But we recovered nicely, flew a good crosswind, downwind, base and final.  Winds on the ground were virtually calm, thank goodness.  A decent approach until the end, when I got too far to the left off of center line.  Probably should have been a go-around.

But Matt said my control was definitely improving, even though it had been a week since I had flown.  TWO more lessons this week, in order to work towards a solo next week before Matt goes on vacation.

Touch and Goes- Slow Flight Practice (June 21, 2007)

Tough afternoon again.  Practiced touch and goes within the pattern on runway 4 at Gainesville, then flew north for some slow flight practice.  Only 1:20 of flying, but I was wet and wrung out when I parked the plane.

As hard as it is to believe, I am getting better on my landings.  Had three pretty good landings out of three today- but still working on runway alignment and flaring.  Matt noted that I'm still not bringing the nose up enough, and that when he flares he actually brings the yoke all the way in (high nose attitude.)  Ok.

Fortunately, my pattern work is fine.  I'm controlling throttle, flaps, radio, and alignment, including crosswind alignment, well.  At least, according to my instructor.  Just have to keep working on that last bit of centerline alignment.  Fortunately, that's on the agenda for tomorrow.

After three touch and goes, we flew north for slow flight.  What a chore.  I was way over-correcting, mostly not using enough power, so I couldn't hold the 4,500 foot altitude Matt wanted me to hold.  Eventually he had to show me what I was doing wrong, and he promised we'd have "lots more slow powered flight" tomorrow.

Back to the airport for two landings- one by Matt so I could take photos of the airport and landing, and one of me handling a full stop.  My final landing for the day WAS better.  Just not what it needs to be.  Better than yesterday for sure, but not ready to solo.  Watch this space for tomorrow's lesson.

Understanding Landings?  Can it be true?  (June 22, 2007)

MUCH better day today- and for the first time, I got a much cleaner, clearer picture of  EXACTLY, and I do mean EXACTLY how to land the Cessna 172.   What I had been missing is to use power as needed or not needed to fly and point the plane down and between the numbers and the 1,000 foot marker- then float the plane along the runway- then gently pull the yoke back for a "stall" and gentle touchdown on the main gears.

Ok.  I finally get it.  Took me four landings to understand it, but Matt said after semi-flubbing landing number three to "use power to fly the airplane (nose down) to the area in between the runway numbers and the 1000-foot marker, float above the runway, then gently pull the nose back and let it settle down."   All this, of course, while keeping the plane lined up with the center line.  He's only been telling me this for weeks, I'm sure, but all at once I got it.  It clicked.

So the funny part is, my fourth and final landing of the day for the first time I did step number one and step number two really well, including a good lineup on runway 29 (definitely not my favorite runway).  If I had done a better job of floating just a bit lower, and in flaring just a bit more slowly, I would have have had a great landing instead of what I ended up with.  But I came away elated- I now better understand exactly what I need to be doing.  So now I can start working on doing it, starting next Monday morning.

I also practiced more slow flight and stalls today, and did much better on control than I did yesterday.  Much better.  High power flight with full flaps requires HARD right rudder, of course, to counter the left tendency of the propeller.

So after two trying days packed with challenges, my third day gives me better understanding.  And with understanding, I can make the changes I need to make.  For the first time, I'm looking forward to getting in the pattern and practicing my landings.

Pre-Solo Check Ride  (June 25, 2007)

Today I went up with Matt to determine my readiness to solo.   I got to the airport a few minutes before 8 am, and spoke to Matt and a few other instructors.  I told them that all I wanted to get straight in my mind was how to know when and where to round out and flare.  The answer- "Transition your eyes from your aiming point to all the way down to the end of the runway when you get right at the end of your descent."  (Could it be that easy?  I've only heard that from Matt a hundred times...)

So out we go to fly.  High overcast and haze, only 5 miles visibility.  But good enough to fly!  So out to my favorite plane, N2135S, where we had an easy pre-flight, run-up and takeoff on runway 4.  We stayed in the pattern for three touch and goes before heading out to practice pre-solo maneuvers.

The verdict: "Best landing you've ever done."  Wow.  Could it be that easy?  Oh, it wasn't perfect, by any means.  Too far left of center line, and the approach was less than optimal.  But very good, according to Matt.  All three were good to very good, although still too far left of center and need more work on the round-out and flare.  But SO much better than they've been, and according to Matt, "Good enough to solo.  Nothing wrong with those landings.  You could make them better, of course...."  (Of course.)

Departed runway 4 and paralleled I-985 at 2,500 feet.  Seven minutes of easy, comfortable and smooth flying (thank you, Lord) until we came to Matt's favorite water tower where we could practice flying around a fixed object (the water tower) with a crosswind, plus having a relatively safe place to land should the engine fail (since we were only at 2,500 feet.)  Did great.  Next, climbed to 4,500 feet (safer altitude) while we flew a few miles to the west and did S-turns to the left and right using a power line below as a reference point.  Not as great, but perfectly acceptable.  Finally, power-off stall (no problem) and power-on stall (also no problem).

Finally, Matt orders a steep turn to the left, then to the right- a challenge, considering how HAZY it is outside-- hard to do those maneuvers  without a clear horizon to keep in your eye- so I had to rely more heavily on straight instruments.  Again, not perfect, but good.

So then fearless leader turns off my multi-function display (MFD) that shows where we were in relation to the airport (of course) and says, "Fly us home."  So I headed back to the southeast looking for the airport and for I-985.  Found I-985, couldn't find the airport- so I did a 360 to the left, and there she was- pretty as a picture.  Aha!  I dropped my power so I could lose altitude, entered the pattern at 2,300 feet, called my downwind leg and made perfectly acceptable full-stop landing, taxied down to the fuel farm and we parked the plane on the grass so we could go in and get a Coke (bio break!).

Fifteen minutes of relaxing, then back into the air for two more landings- one touch and go, one full stop.  Number one was fine, but I didn't like number two and did a go-around.  Number three was one of my best.

The score today- Almost two hours of takeoffs, landings, maneuvers.  "Ok," says Matt.  "Let's aim for a solo this Wednesday."  That's two days from now.  Can't wait.

Part 3: Solo