Up, Up and Away

Back at it

To catch up on my last few weeks-o-blogging, I thought I'd throw this post out here. After this, I will start blogging each lesson, like I was doing before. I've found is that it helps me "debrief" after a lesson to sit down the night after and re-live it. I tend to learn more from it and it helps me understand what happened even better.

So, for those of you who keep emailing me, sorry. I've been lazy on my story telling :)

But you should be able to see a new post at least once a week, now that I'm flying every Thursday morning to try to get this thing done!

Since I got my medical back on track, I've been flying at least once a week. About 2 weeks ago (after my 3rd lesson "back"), Kary (my trusty CFI) felt confident enough in me to re-solo me.

I have to say, the intensity of soloing wasn't quite as hefty as it was last year. I only had a few hours solo in my logbook, but when he got out of the plane this time, I was more excited than petrified (like last time). 3 takeoffs and 3 landings later, I'm official....I can fly a plane!.....well...at least in large rectangles in the sky when the wind isn't blowing.

I've since had 2 more lessons and an hour solo. One was a basic intro to some navigation/VOR work and the last one (this past Thursday) we actually left Lewisburg and WENT SOMEWHERE!??!!?!

Yes, you read that right. I, Jeff Franks, Master Student Pilot, left the confines of Marshall County, TN and flew all the way to Bedford County, TN. ok....only about 15 minutes, but it was still cool. The purpose of the flight was to do more work with the VORs, so we flew to Shelbyville while working with our OBS's to watch exactly where we were from Nashville and/or Shelbyville (note to Kary: Notice I said "FROM" Nashville and/or Shelbyville).

When we got to Shelbyville, there was a few planes reporting in the area (it's the only VOR in the area, so lots of training/transient traffic thru there). We overflew the VOR (to watch the OBS flags flip from FROM to TO) and then dropped down and entered the pattern for my first
ever, non-LUG landing.

The flight at 2500(ish) was smooooooth. Well, at 2300, it stopped being smoooooooth and got to be a bit bumpy. Nothing terrible, but I like my landings to work more like Flight Simulator than real life. No wind, No Bumps = Not much work.

Now, in my defense of the following account, I have told Kary that I need to land somewhere else, because I've caught myself using ground references for making my pattern turns. Basically, at Lewisburg, I know "when I'm over that highway, I should be turning base" or "Turn Crosswind around the School", etc. Well, the problem with that is that there isn't always going to be a highway or a school at other airports. So, I realized that I was doing it and have been trying to NOT to, but it's harder to push it out of my mind than you'd think.

So, we enter the downwind for SYI. I'm trying to judge my turns on the runway (and not look for the highway that isn't there). It goes pretty smooth. Downwind to base, base to final....all is well. Then it occurs to me. Everything looks different. The highway that leads to the airport isn't square with the runway. The fence around the airport isn't symmetrical. I'm 200ft off the ground, trying to land at an airport I've never landed at and WHY AM I LOOKING AT THE TREELINE?!?!?!

Ok, focus.....on the runway...150ft, slowing it down a bit, 100ft looking good, 75 ft......hrm....their centerline markers aren't as wide as the ones at LUG.....AH! I'm 25 ft off the ground...not 50! Ok, no big deal....start my flare and land...squirp.....we've arrived. Good landing (didn't even wake up Kary).

Power in, carb heat cold and off we go. Back to the smooth air at 2500(ish) feet and to LUG. We work the VOR a bit more to find the radial we need to get back to Lewisburg. Tune it in, set the radial you think you'll need on the OBS, turn to that heading and then fly the needle....easy enuf.

We get back to LUG, enter the pattern and land. Nice 1 hour lesson and, most impressive of all..........I got to make right turns!!!!!!!!

It's good to be back.

jf

posted by Jeff Franks @ 7:11 PM