Skyhawk

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..