5/17/03 - A day that started off warm and rather humid, partly cloudy. Flew two 20-minute lessons with P again, taking over the tow at 100'. I got rather far out of line on the tow, and P helped bring it back in at least once. Partly I was oversteering, partly it was more turbulent than I had experienced before. I seemed to be very tense today - don't know why.
The second time was better. He demonstrated straight-ahead stall and recovery, and I did it about 4 or 5 times. I think I did pretty well, nosing forward too aggressively just once or so. Better rudder coordination into turns, but came out of some cross-controlled. Very good attitude control on 360's.
No real lift, so we just kind of flew around and practiced turns and stalls. I flew the patterns and followed through on landing, getting the feel of the flare. Need to memorize the checklists better. The weather never did get very good, remaining hazy, with altostratus and wind later on.
C went along and flew a 40-minute ride at SE - wife had given him a gift certificate.
Saturday, May 17, 2003
Sunday, May 04, 2003
Cloud base
5/4/03 - Got there way before anyone else, so I washed the Blanik and did most of the preflight inspection, except for things that take two people or a few items I didn't understand. There were broken clouds at about 4500' so we waited a while.
Again with P. He released us at 2000' AGL because we were in lift, and then we (mostly he) worked weak lift all the way up to the cloud base. It turned out to be higher than reported, and we topped out at 5000', staying up for 45 minutes. He showed me how the darkest part of cumulus can have some pretty strong lift just below it - we flew some very straight lift and kept going up and up. I also played with the trim and now I think I understand it. I did many circles, getting the hang of flying by attitude (pointing the nose along the horizon) and keeping the yaw string in my peripheral vision, only occasionally glancing at the instruments.
Really good tows - he gave it to me at just 100' the second time out. Good practice with spotting traffic. We had two others in our thermal for a while - that's kind of cool. I'm having a lot of trouble remembering to use rudder at the beginning of the turn! Stick & rudder, stick & rudder!
We did another flight of 25 minutes. I could steepen my banks, I guess, I haven't been even doing 30 degrees. He did a 50-degree bank that made my head swim a bit - that'll take some getting used to. I flew to the IP, planning ahead by about 200', did the whole landing checklist and followed along in the pattern. First time, there was quite a wind, so the downwind leg went really fast. By the time we were done, it was nearly 100% clouded over, so the lift was gone, but we did loiter in zero-sink for a while.
Only one other guy flying today, so I hung out and learned about tying down and securing.
Again with P. He released us at 2000' AGL because we were in lift, and then we (mostly he) worked weak lift all the way up to the cloud base. It turned out to be higher than reported, and we topped out at 5000', staying up for 45 minutes. He showed me how the darkest part of cumulus can have some pretty strong lift just below it - we flew some very straight lift and kept going up and up. I also played with the trim and now I think I understand it. I did many circles, getting the hang of flying by attitude (pointing the nose along the horizon) and keeping the yaw string in my peripheral vision, only occasionally glancing at the instruments.
Really good tows - he gave it to me at just 100' the second time out. Good practice with spotting traffic. We had two others in our thermal for a while - that's kind of cool. I'm having a lot of trouble remembering to use rudder at the beginning of the turn! Stick & rudder, stick & rudder!
We did another flight of 25 minutes. I could steepen my banks, I guess, I haven't been even doing 30 degrees. He did a 50-degree bank that made my head swim a bit - that'll take some getting used to. I flew to the IP, planning ahead by about 200', did the whole landing checklist and followed along in the pattern. First time, there was quite a wind, so the downwind leg went really fast. By the time we were done, it was nearly 100% clouded over, so the lift was gone, but we did loiter in zero-sink for a while.
Only one other guy flying today, so I hung out and learned about tying down and securing.
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Wing running certificate (woo-hoo)
4/29/03 - Read up on the wing runner's job on the Soaring Safety Foundation's web site. Took the CAP test and got 90%. I read a bunch of safety notes. One that sticks in my mind is the need to fasten the safety harness tightly... some accidents have occurred when the pilot got thrown around and hit his head. I keep re-reading the takeoff and landing procedures because they should be introduced in the next couple of flights.
I was talking with J at work... he brought up aborted takeoffs. In his Cessna's they need to be up to at least 1100' to do a 180!
I was talking with J at work... he brought up aborted takeoffs. In his Cessna's they need to be up to at least 1100' to do a 180!
Monday, April 28, 2003
SSA
4/28/03 - Received the SSA membership packet. I also learned recently that my dad was much more interested in soaring than I ever knew. I'll have to take him up someday.
Sunday, April 27, 2003
Wing running
4/27/03 - Arrived about 8:40. Met A and observed the end of preflight. Washed some of the plane. Learned a bit about BFR - Biannual Flight Review. I didn't see A do a positive control check nor test the airspeed indicator... wondered whether to bring this up but didn't. Two flights with P, didn't fly takeoff but did fly tow. I held height very well but yawed a bit, not too bad. Learned about watching the horizon on turns instead of watching the instruments. In straight-and-level flight, seemed to yaw due to oversteering. P recommends flying with a very light touch: two fingers and thumb. Flew the pattern (got to the Initial Point but missed the island) but not the landing - just called out speed. Observed airspeed dropped quite a bit just before landing - wind gradient? I'm having a little trouble interpreting the altimeter quickly. Learned not to focus on the airspeed indicator - it lags.
I observed the tow prep procedure carefully and did the wing running a couple of times for T and P... hard to remember the whole sequence. The second time, they released early and landed on the runway because they discovered belts sticking out of the canopy and flapping.
I observed the tow prep procedure carefully and did the wing running a couple of times for T and P... hard to remember the whole sequence. The second time, they released early and landed on the runway because they discovered belts sticking out of the canopy and flapping.
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