1 Field, 2 Field, Short Field, Soft Field

We had a simple yet productive flight today. My normal airplane, N4963G was in for it 100 Hour checkup so I was flying N5173V today. It is always nice to fly something new for a change. The weather wasn't so great. The winds blew a thick cloud of ash over the area and by the end of the flight the plane was covered in a white ashy powder.

Soft Field
We started the flight out with a soft field takeoff. Use on grass or unpaved runways, the goal is not to get stuck and get into the air quickly. With 10 degrees of flaps, we roll onto the runway without stopping and go to full power. With constant back pressure, we lifted off the ground at 55kts. Then while staying in ground effect, we accelerated to climb speed before climbing away from the field. It wasn't until we gain sufficient altitude that the flaps were brought in.

We flew out to Morro Bay for the first time since my first lesson and did maneuver practice. A marine layer fog in the ground, so there was nothing really to see. After a short review we headed back to the airport.

Short Field
Next we did a few stop and goes on the runway and practiced short field procedures. Completely stopped on the runway with 10 degrees of flaps, I move the throttle all the way in. Then I released the brakes. At 65 knots we lifted off and maintained maximum and of climb until clear of all obstacles. After a few of those, the lesson was complete.

Flight Time Logged: 1 Hour
Total Flight Time: 9 Hours

Flying Blind

Yesterdays flight was almost all about hood work. We did our normal takeoff and proceeded to the practice area. It wasn't soon after I turned for the downwind departure my instructor handed me the hood and instructed me to wear. This was the beginning of the more boring part of my flight training to date.

Where are we going?
Nowhere as usual. It is just I couldn't tell with my head focused on the instruments. My instructor gave me heading call outs and altitude call outs as I blindly navigated around the skies. Left to... climb to... turn right AND decent to ... left 360...and on it went. Finally after 25 minutes of this he had me pull off the hood. First thing I heard on the radio. "Cessna 4963G, be advised, oncoming traffic at 12 o'clock, 2 miles at 4000." I was a little anxious looking for the traffic until I remembered, we were 1000 feet below and the traffic passed harmlessly above. What? Me doubt my instructor? Never...

Landing number 6. Why not 7 and 8 while were at it.
With eyes to see, we headed back to the airport for some pattern work. Each time, my landing improved a little bit but was still off. My biggest problem was flaring too high. Looking at the runway, it seems a bit unnerving to continue nose down towards the runway as it gets closer. I would slowly flare up soon after passing the threshold, and I would end up level at 10 ft above the ground. The ensuing drop as the plane lost speed was not the most comfortable land. On the third and final time, my instructor forced my to continue the decent to the runway and flare just above the ground. I will have to say the landing this time was much smoother. My instructor claims I was hiding smirk on my face after that landing, but I didn't notice. I played it off real cool. ;-)

Flight hours logged: 1.2
Total flight hours: 8.0

You have just experienced a power loss!

After a small hiatus from flying for the fourth of July weekend, I returned today to master a new skill, and something I already have experience in: Emergency procedures and instrument flying.

The Tower
I was greeted today with a welcome surprise. "Would you like to tour the tower?" my instructor asked. Of course I would. My instructor had just given a lesson the previous hour and decided to solo his student. I arrived a little early and was invited to join my instructor in the tower to check things out and watch the student solo for the first time. After bidding the student good luck, we made our way up the narrow staircase that led to glass room atop the tallest building around. Inside the tower this evening was one controller, manning clearance, ground and tower duties. It was slow enough that she could. She issued out clearances and held a decent conversation with us at the same time. It gives me even more respect for what they can do. It is also nice to see the face behind the person I talked to every day when I go flying.

What would happen if...
We performed a downwind departure today in search of clearer skies to avoid the smoke and marine layer that left visibility down to 7 miles. After leveling off at 3 thousand, my instructor had me perform a few clearing turns before presenting me with my first situation of the day. He yanked the throttle out and declared, "You have just experience a power failure, what do you do?" I remembered what he told me in ground school and when through my ABCDEs. Airspeed: Best glide. Best place to land: A flat fiend into the wind. Checklist: 7up and emergency power failure checklist. Doors: Opened and unlocked. Egress. Of course I did not complete the last two items but the entire situation was simulated. Next came the electrical fire emergency. We shut off all the electrical equipment in flight and snuffed out the pretend fire by cutting off all vent. (That fire better go out quickly or I might suffocate myself) The last simulation we did was another power loss, but this time, my checklist revealed that carb ice was to blame as power magically restored itself when I turned on the carb heat. (Or my instructors hand)

Under da Hood
En route back to the airport, my instructor handed my a pair of vision blocking goggles, enabling me to lose my peripheral vision. With my outside vision blocked I was told to maintain course and altitude as we approach the airport. With my experience in flight simulation, this part of the flight was a breeze. As long as I maintained my scan and had the plan trimmed correctly, I could fly just fine. Even constant vertical speed altitude changes with turns were simple while using the artificial horizon as my outside world. After a few minutes under the hood, I made my first completely unassisted landing today, with a much smoother flare. I didn't hold it up long enough, but I touched down with the wheels straight and just enough vertical speed.

Flight Time Logged: 1 Hour
Total Flight Time: 6.8 Hours

A new plane for number 5

Just before my flight yesterday, I got a call from the flight club say 63G will be out for maintenance, so they scheduled me in one of their newer Cessna 172SPs. Fine with me, as long as I don't go broke.

Differences in the SP from the N
My preflight highlighted some of the main differences between the two models: An alternate static source, 13 fuel sumps instead of 2, pressurized fuel for the fuel injection, and landing light positioned on the wings instead of the cowling. The inside of the cabin looked much nicer with the instrument panel somehow oddly familiar and identical to the panel I fly with in the sim. (end sarcasm) Starting the aircraft also requires a different procedure for priming the engine. Instead of the hand pump used in the N model, the SP has an electric fuel pump to prime the engine with. Other then all that, the laws of physics dealt exactly that same with the two aircraft.

Ground Reference Manuevers
The flight lesson was incredibly fun for the primary reason that yesterdays maneuvers were all done at 1000 ft AGL. Being this close to the ground, it was probably the first time I got to check out the scenery and look down, especially since the maneuvers required that I look at the ground instead of the horizon. Unfortunately, my next lesson will probably be quite the opposite.

The primary goal for this lesson was to learn how to keep the ground track of the aircraft where I wanted the plane to go regardless of the wind. We started with a rectangular pattern around an agricultural field. Next we flew to a large water tower and flew circles around it. Lastly, from the tower we flew to the highway and practiced S-turns.

Flight Time Logged: 1.2 Hours
Total flight time: 5.8 Hours

Numero Quatro

At a time when the wind was blowing and the sky's were brown, I went flying. I also received my student pilot certificate after going though the shortest doctor visit of my life, the flight physical. Apparently I was kicked out of the doctors office for being too health. (Damn, I am starting to sound like Rod Machado and his lame jokes, boy does that guy get annoying).

A square in the sky
The primary objective of yesterday's lesson was to practice the traffic pattern. After an uneventful takeoff and departure(except for the very long hold for landing and departing traffic), we made our way out to the agricultural fields of Nipomo. Along the way we practiced all the basic maneuvers learned through the previous three lessons: Turns, climbs, descents, constant altitude speed changes, and proper trimming techniques. These were all things that would be very useful for the pattern maneuvers.

My instructor picked a straight road through an agricultural field to use as a pretend runway. The wind was right down the road so it worked out great for practice. Starting from traffic pattern altitude, we intercepted the downwind at a 45 degree angle. the GUMPS check was performed. (Gas both, Undercarriage down and welded, Mixture rich, Power as needed, and Safety lights and seatbelts) Using an intersection as the numbers, I announce my position over the radio to a fake tower, and started my decent. Throttle at 1700, trim 80, and flaps 10. Turn to base was performed with the touch down point 45 degree behind. Throttle at 1500, flaps 20 and trim 70. Check for traffic and turn final. Then trim 65 and 30 degrees flaps.

Surprising me, we descended pretty low, probably scaring the only truck on the road as we descended to 500ft, maybe below. At the appropriate time my instructor announced go around and with performed the go around procedure. I did this several time to get familiar with pattern procedures.

So where is the runway?
All the pattern practice didn't apply to my landing this day.We we number 3 to land by the time we were abeam of the number so we extended our downwind few miles. By the time the tower called for us to turn base, I had lost site of the runway. It was just that smokey. I turned back towards the airport on the runway heading and we performed a straight in approach. I can say my landing a little better this time, but I ballooned quite a bit on the flare. Oh well, there is always next time to practice the landing.

Flight time logged: 1.5 hours
Total flight time: 4.6 hours