Skyhawk

Well after a pretty long break, I went flying last Saturday.  It was an early morning flight, 0830 am to be exact.  Since I hadn’t been flying in a while this was going to be a refresher lesson.  We took off and headed out to the practice area.  We went into slow flight and then did some stalls.  After the stalls we tried a stall I hadn’t tried before.. A power off stall in a turn.  It didn’t work out real well but I tried it…that needs more work.  We then did steep turns, basically a 360 turn with a 45 degree bank.  After that we went over to the Culpepper airport, and practice some touch and go’s…we did 4.  the first two weren’t too good but the last 2 were right on.  then it was time to head back into Manassas.  The landing there was decent.  Now I’m ready to move on to some ground reference maneuvers.

Well that’s all for this time…

Went flying a couple of Saturdays ago.  This was sort of a review flight.  Took off around 8:30 in the morning and the sky was clear.  It was a beautiful day to go flying.  My instructor gave me a task that would challenge me to fly a certain way.  He created a scenario where we had to go drop some supplies to some campers who were stranded on a river.  My job was to fly slow and straigt and tell him when to drop the supplies.  So we flew out to the practice area and I set up for slow flight about 1000 ft above ground….I then flew straight and slow…it took me three attempts to get in the right position and the right altitude but eventually I did.  We then climbed back to about 2500 ft and I set up to do some power off stalls.  After 3 of those we did a couple of Power on stalls.  We then started heading for the Warrington airport to do a couple of Touch and go’s.  However, there was an aerobatic practice area established near the airport and no touch and gos were allowed.  So we turned around and headed for the Culpeper airport…there we did a couple of Touch and go’s and then headed back in.  All in all it was a fun day flying.  I’ll have to lay off flying for a little while due to some dental and medical treatments…but hopefully we’ll be back in the air shortly…

Went out and did another lesson today.  For some reason I was more nervous this time, not sure why.  However after I got in the plane I calmed down and was comfortable in the airplane.  Todays lesson included more slow flight, some power on stalls, and two types of power-off stalls.  Then we did something new…Steep turns.  Basically we did a 360 with aircraft banked at 45 degrees.  After that we headed over to Culpeper to do some practice landings/touch and go’s.  Then back to Manassas for a cross wind landing…  So that’s the plan….

After startup an taxing out to the runway, we had to wait while a couple of planes landed, then it was my turn.  For some reason I was all over the runway, I just couldn’t keep it tracking down the centerline of the runway, eventually I got up flying and away we went.  I did most of the communications till we got out into the practice area.  I’m getting better at talking on the radio, but it needs more work.  Seems simple but for some reason there’s a barrier to communicating over the radio…oh well, I’ll have to work at that some more.  Once we got out to the practice area, I set up for slow flight and did some slight turns to the left and right in that configuration.  Then it was time for a power-on stall.  Once that was done, we did a power off stall.  This power off stall immulates the landing configuration, then pulling the nose back until you feel the stall then push the nose over and recover.  We next did a power-off stall, basically pull the power all the way back and then point the nose up…The aircraft stall, go with full power and recover.  This one scared me a little, cause when the stall occurred, the nose dropper sharply and we were looking at the ground, I recovered but it was a little scary there for a moment.  We then headed over to the Culpepper airport and practice landings.  the first one, kinda sucked.  I was all over the place.  After landing we taxied back to the end of the runway and tookoff again.  I flew around the patter and then landed again.  This time it was a touch and go…after landing, raise the flaps, go full power and take off.  I did a third one then the instructor did one to demonstrate a few little things, the final one was too bad.  Then it was time to head back in to Manassas.  I handled most of the communication but then it got a little confusing, so the instructor took over the communications.  He was explaining to me what I needed to do because there was a little cross wind on the runway.  So I was listening to him, the ATC guy was talking to us and things got a little confused.  The instructor picked up the communications while I flew the plane.  The wind was a gusting a little on landing which made things kind-of interesting, but I landed and taxied in.

I would rate this lesson a C…there were some good points, the landings and the approaches need a lot of work.  So till next time..

Well, after a little lull,  (Had a trip to Texas and San Diego), I got back up in the air again today.  Today’s lesson, more slow flight, basic coordinated flight maneuvers, introduction of the landing pattern, setting up a decent configuration and we did a couple of stalls.  (The stalls are required maneuvers that must be accomplished in order to get your pilot certificate.)

After pre-flighting the aircraft (N65637), started up, and called the tower for taxi clearance.  (This was my first time on the radio).  After we did the run-up at the end of the runway.  (a runup is when you advance the throttle and check the various engine gauges for anything wrong).  Call the tower for take-off clearance and we were given clearance to takeoff.

Advanced the throttle and away we went.  For some reason I did not go to full power and after climb out we (the instructor and I) discussed that.  There was no reason, I just didn’t do it.  Next time I’ll remember.  After flying out to the practice area, we set up for slow flight and then reviewed some of the actions from last lesson.  Basically left turns and right turns coordinating the use of the rudder and the ailerons together.  I’m still not very good at the that.  I have to keep working at that.  After that we climbed up to 3500 feet and set up the airplane as if we were landing.  I basically flew the rectangular landing pattern.  Adding flaps and setting a decent attitude for the airplane, holding airspeed as we basically flew a big rectangle in the sky.  We did this several times and then the instructor demonstrated power on stalls and power off stalls.

Power on stalls are most likely to occur on takeoff  while power off stalls are more likely to occur during landing.  We weren’t stalling the airplane completely but anticipating when the stall was going to occur and then recovering from it.  Then it was my turn, first the power on stall.  At first I had trouble holding the aircraft in the stall configuration with the wings  level.  Eventually, the left wing stalled and the aircraft sort-of fell off to the left.  Put the nose down and I recovered from the stall.  Next we did power off stalls.  Put the airplane in landing configuration, flaps down, 65 knots, pull the nose up and the aircraft shudders a little bit as the stall approaches.  Push the nose down and increase power, and you recover from the stall.  I’m sure I’ll become more familiar with these maneuvers as things go on.

We then headed back in toward the airport.  As we were approaching Manassas airport, another plane called in and he was going faster than I so I extended my base leg and he passed and landed in front of me.  I turned final and then set the airplane up for landing and aimed at the numbers.   Flaired the plane and touched down…another landing..taxied back in and that was it for today.

A couple of things I need to work on.  Standard climb rates, standard decent rates, go over the pattern in my head. Read ahead more on the ground school subjects.  Anyway that’s it for this lesson.  No pictures or maps this time….

later

Barry

Well, got out to fly again this morning.  An early flight.  I had hoped that the air would be smoother, but an overcast sky kept us below 1500 ft.  I wasn’t as nervous this time, so I thought it was a better flight.  I was using the same plane I went up in the first time.  This is a newer 172 and I kinda like this one.  We took off and after turning toward the west, we were climbing up to 1200 ft and the clouds were just above me.  Because I’m a student I can’t fly in clouds, I fly what is called Visual Flight Rules (VFR).  So I couldn’t go up into the clouds and I had to stay at least 500 ft below them.  As we proceeded to the west, cloud layer went up but we never got above 1500 ft the whole time.  The lesson for today was ATTITUDE…that is the angle of the wings to the flow of the air.  Point the nose up, the airplane goes up. Point the nose down the airplane goes down.  Once I got the airplane trimmed up (Trimming the airplane is the setting of a tab on the back end of the elevators that hold the airplane in a set attitude and it releaves the pressures on the control yoke, aka steering wheel).  Once trimmed up correctly the airplane will fly hands off.  If gives you some releaf and lets you enjoy the ride.  That’s was something else I was working on, was enjoying the ride, looking at the scenary going below me and around.   I have a tendency to keep my head in the cockpit looking at the gauges, need to look more outside.  I’m getting better at it.

On the flight out to the west, we’re at about 1200 ft and there’s this big-ole bird.  Looked like a big crow.  He was just floating along right in front of us.  The instructor said…”don’t hit the bird” .  He flew off to the left then came back again in front of us.  It’s kind of wierd seeing a single bird that high right in front of you doing 110 knots.

Anyway we went out to the “practice area” and starting practicing cordinated turns.  Using the rudders and the wings to cordinate the turns.  This isn’t as easy as it sounds.  Your feet controls the rudders and your hands controls the wings.  So we did a few of these to the left and right along a straight line.  (There’s a pipeline out in the  practice area where the trees have been cleared out and forms a nice straight path).  We then did some slow flight.  Basically slow the airplane down to 70 knots without loosing altitude.  We then did some turns in that configuration.  Turns at this speed are a lot more sluggish then the ones I was doing earlier.  We then went back to cruise speed, or 110 knots without loosing altitude.  I was kinda all over the place.  Up and down a couple of hundred feet.  Eventually I got the basic handle on this. The slow flight is the speed and the attitude you use to set up for landings, so I guess they are kind of important.

We then did a couple of “power on” stalls.  A stall basically causes the airplane to quit flying and starts falling.  We got back into slow flight configuration, 70 mph with the nose high holding altitude.  Then pull back the yoke increasing the nose up attitude until the airplane stalls.  The stall is preceeded with a “stall warning” horn that tells you are approaching a stall.  The airplane then shudders, the nose drops and the airplane starts flying again.  we did a two or three of those and then we headed back to the airport.

On the way back to the airport, I was paying more attention to the scenary and picking out landmarks, like water tower, the pipeline again, other airports, other airplanes landing and taking off at other airports.  I was also listening as the instructor talked to Air Traffic Control and the airport tower.  Eventually I’ll have to be doing that also.  So once cleared to land I put the airplane in slow flight configuration and then turned toward the runway.  The instructor talked me down and we landed.  We taxied off the runway and back to parking.  All in all 1.8 hours of flight this morning.

I’ve included a map below that shows where we flew this morning.  The blue line is obviously my flight path.  The red line indicates where the restricted flight area in Washington DC starts.  To the east (upper right)  of that line you must be in contact with ATC.  To the West your VFR and can basically go where ever you want.

So that was flight number 2, not bad.  I was more comfortable in the airplane this time

later

Barry

Well I had my first “Official” flight lesson today.  The one back in April was what they call an “Adventure Flight”.  Today’s lesson was the first “Official” one.

This lesson however started earlier with going over the lessons from the Sporty’s Pilot Training DVD Course.  Sporty’s offers these online or via DVD.  I had tested the online version and the connection even with a DSL account still was not fast enough for reliable use.  So I went with the DVD course.  The first lesson basically goes over the paperwork required on the aircraft as well as the local dispatch procedures.  (How you get an airplane assigned to you).  We went over the “GO/NO-GO” decision process.  While this was just a “training hop”, we went through the process as if this was a point-to-point trip, with respect to the GO/NO-GO decision process.    We next went over the procedures for filing a flight plan with Flight Service.  Manassas is within the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area and therefore you have to file a flight plan with Flight Service when flying out or into Manassas.  This process has been made pretty easy with some prestored flight plans on file at Flight Service and all you have to do is modify the departure times, altitude..basically answer 3/4 questions and your done.  These SFRA flight plans are automatically opened when your cleared for Takeoff and automatically closed when ATC clears you out of the SFRA airspace.   We then went over the use of Checklists, aircraft servicing procedures, flight controls, instruments, emergency equipment,etc.  We generally talked over the Pre-flight checklist before walking out to the airplane.

We then walked out to the airplane.

Cessna 172M

I went over the Preflight Checklist and then we climbed in.  Continuing with the checklist, through startup and before taxi.  We then taxi’d out to the end of the runway, did the runup’s, then called the tower for departure.  The tower cleared for takeoff on One Six Right (Movie title)…we crossed 16L over to 16R, centered up on the runway then off we went.

Again the air was very “bumpy” and the bouncing around made me very nervous this flight.  I had the Death Grip on the yoke.  The Instructor, Roger Coughman, kept trying to talk me into easying my grib.  Eventually I was able to fly with just the fingertips, but it was a struggle.  I also had problems trimming up the aircraft but eventually got the hang of it.  After about 40 minutes of climbing, decending, and generally just trying to maintain attitude, we headed back into Manassas.  Roger handle the Radios today as I was busy enough just flying the aircraft.  Manassas cleared us to land on 16L and I turned us onto final.  Roger then took over as there was a pretty good crosswind.  We landed and then I taxied back to East Ramp.

So another .9 hours flying …along with the Adventure flight that gives me 1.9 hours of flight time.

The game plan is to go over the first lesson objectives and then work my way through the 2 and 3 lesson on the DVD course.  More to come.

Oh by the way, here’s a google earth picture of KHEF where I fly out of..

Manassas Regional Airport/Harry P. Davis Field