This is a checklist, stupid!

My birthday flight was not one of my better flights. The weather was nice, light turbulence, the sky was about 4500 broken, but I just did not have it this day.

One problem that I have found that I am doing is that I am ignoring my checklist, or just skimming it and not following it accurately. I have to remind myself that a checklist is there for a reason. The checklist is exactly that... a checklist. The checklist is not reading material to entertain you before starting the engine or before taking off. Every item is important to some extent or another. Ignoring an individual item may not result in disaster, but ignoring several items could quite easily resulted in more than just ruining your flight.

To diminish or eliminate this problem, I have been using my checklist and practicing on my computer with my Microsoft flight simulator. I have a flight schedule today, and since I have practiced several times I should have no problem at all.

Today's weather ... KAKR 141254Z AUTO 00000KT 8SM CLR 22/19 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP223 T02220189 TSNO=

How I spent my 4th of July.

This was a last minute flight since my instructor was available along with the plane that I prefer to fly.

Hot day and slightlybumpy. This was the final landing after doing 3 touch and goes at Wayne County Airport, but those did not come out.

I finally get to fly one

When I was a teen I collected brochures of different airplanes and the one I really fell in love with was the Cessna 210 Centurion. I saw the plane as gutsy. Naw ... the plane was ballsy. When I saw them on the ramp I found it down right intimdating.

Today, I got to fly one at Skypark (15g). WOW. What a rush!!

I sat in awe and got to do one takeoff which was the same as flying a 737 to me.

Quick, send me a check for $110,000.

My flight instructor is messing with me

Yesterday I went to the airport for 1 1/2 hour lesson expecting to do that the basics plus a few takeoffs and landings. That's what I had in mind, but my flight instructor had different ideas.

We started off with the basics, regular takeoff, depart the pattern, fly southwest of airport, climb to 3500 feet, do some slow flight, steep turns (45° bank), and turns around the point. Overall I did okay, I still need to work on my power management to maintain altitude and slow flight. My turns around a point were okay, and I identified a mistake before my flight instructor did and made a second attempt that came out much better.

After completing those maneuvers he told me to fly back to the airport, and three minutes later after giving me these instructions, he decided to start messing with me. My flight instructor pulled the power all the way off and announced to me "You just lost your engine what are you going to do"?

So I started putting together some commonsense answers in my head and then explained them to him as I started the procedures. But the more I explained to him the more he kept asking me "then what"? I selected a field to the left of me and we had plenty of altitude to set up even though I was unsure of my selection. As I made my selection I gave them a brief overview as to why and he seemed to agree with me, and did not point out any better selections.

After this emergency procedure he told me to fly back and overfly the airport and 3500 feet. I thought maybe he was going to show me another procedure instead, he pulled off the power again and told me to land at the airport. He explained to me the best way to accomplish a safe landing and taught me to procedure, resulting in a decent landing.

So twice today he played this game with me. Luckily I put on extra deodorant because in the Cessna 152 you are in very close quarters with your passenger.

So we decided to practice some takeoffs and landings and except for a couple of minor issues I was having a good day.

On my second landing I was slightly off-line with a runway which was easily corrected but instead I opted to practice a go around. And I am proud to say that this one went quite well is specially since this was my first practice go around.

On the following landing while on the downwind leg, you guessed it ... he pulled the power off again! He told me to make a landing without power from my present location. Surprisingly it was not difficult at all and I should feel even more comfortable with this procedure once I practice it two or three more times. It resulted in a good landing, and I only swore at him once or twice under my breath.

The third time around the pattern was uneventful, the landing was smooth but I will have to make sure instead of looking over the cowl to look off to the side to judge my height. I don't know why I am not doing this now because when I started flying again I automatically looked off to the side to judge my height and my landings were perfect. But then again, I was in a Piper Cherokee.

I hope to get up in the air this weekend and see if I can pick up where I left off. I'm just wondering, since he's starting to throw emergencies at me... MAYBE HE WANTS TO KICK ME OUT OF THE NEST???

Cha-cha changes!

I really had my heart set on flying the Piper Warrior or even a140 for my training, but, I had to make the switch.

I enjoyed the location of my school. Only 10-15 minutes away and also 3 location. But, due to the cost, I have to now drive to Wadsworth Sky Park Field (15g). It’s really work the drive though. All but 5 minutes of the 45 minute drive are freeway.

The only downside is that I have to fly Cessnas. I want to fly Pipers. The other thing is, by suggestion, I am back to the Cessna 150/152 model which is a 2 seater. Yes, it’s a shock. But the important thing right now is to solo and get my license. Once I solo I may consider going up to the Skyhawk which is a 4 seater.

So far I took an intro and then a full hour lesson in the 152. Well, I have to admit, I was less turned off to it once I got started.

Sloppy take off and departure but I got over it in short order. I tend to climb at a higher airspeed so that I can look over the nose.

I found the 152 not too hard to manage and actually almost too fun to fly. Of course there are different procedures than in the Cherokee. The constant yanking of the carb heat was annoying. The slow electrical flaps were annoying. Climbing onto the wing to check the fuel cap and to visually check the fuel quantity was annoying. The visibility down was spectacular. The visibility in turns was down right scary because the wing cuts off your view completely.

First landing on my intro was okay. Too firm though. The landing on my second lesson was better and my third overall landing was crap by my standards. I miss ground effect in landings.

I looooooove the small field and that was a selling point to me. Skinny, 2,400 foot runways teach you how to land. You become a much better pilot at airports that make you fly right. I floated on my landings but that will change.

Also the small airports make you feel at home. At my old place, it was okay. At this Sky Park many of the people initiate conversations with you.

This airport reminds me of the long gone Chagrin Falls Airport. Man, I miss her.

First Flying Lesson. All Over Again

I was having butterflies in my stomach for two days. The excitement of flying again, that is OFFICIALLY flying again, was clearly taking over my thoughts.
I missed being in the air, and in control of the airplane. In fact, for years I even avoided small airfields due to the frustration that I was never going to have a chance to be a licensed pilot due to my transplants.
It was a cool day, but sunny and just a light breeze. The trip to Burke Lakefront took 5 hours. Okay, it was more like 15 minutes, but it seemed to take that long.
Bill was scheduled to be my instructor, but I ended up flying with Brian. A young’un. Too young to be my instructor, but so are many of the certified instructors these days are young and very qualified. Where do you think airline pilots get their start?
Pre-flight was easy enough, but I need to do the whole thing myself next time. Following the book with a few modifications worked out fine for me.
Start up on a cold day required 3 attempts and 4-5 shots of prime. Once running, the engine purred and we were off to the races. The radios were handled by Brian and everything flowed through the taxi, run-up, and takeoff.
Once we were southeast of Cuyahoga County airport D airspace we started maneuvers.
All of my maneuvers were fair to okay and since I have flown 1 hour in 18 years, I felt confident that I can hit everything on target soon.
30 degree turns were within range, but I have to work on my altitude holds and learn to trim and/or increase power for turns to offset drag.
Transition to slow flight was a hoot. While at cruise altitude and speed, you reduce the throttle to 1,700 RMPs and wait for the for speed to bleed off. This is not an easy maneuver to pull off without experience. I have to remember next time to reduce to 1,700 RPMs, and at 90 knots, to add in 15 degrees of flaps, then at 80 knots to add in 25 degrees of flaps and then at 70 go full 40 degrees of flaps, and when you are close to the desired speed add in the power to hold altitude. The nose up pretty much up into the sky and visibility over the nose is bad.
On the way back to Burke Lakefront I did a landing at Cuyahoga County and handled the radios. The landing was pretty smooth without excessive float. The take off was good and back to Lakefront and all went okay until we called in and found out that we were switched from 24 runways to the 6 runways, necessitating a downwind entry. Behind me was a Bonanza, and a Citation was also on the way in. We landed long since I was high in the pattern and rushed the turn to base for traffic flow.
It all went pretty well and I grade my lesson as a B- or C+ because I am so critical of myself. I remember how I used to fly and judge myself on those past performances. Brian told me to keep studying my ground school even though I passed last month and to not be so hurried.
I can not wait for my next time up.
My ASA headset should be in the mail tomorrow!

Okay, first lesson again!!

Here I am, planning for my first flying lesson.
Actually, it’s not my first one. That first lesson was years ago in Nashville when I was a young buck. Joe Smiley was my instructor at Cornelia Fort Airpark. Here I am many, many years later, starting all over again and while I am nervous, I am confident, I just wonder if I will fell the same 16 hours from now.
The forecast shows a high pressure cell over West Virginia, bringing the wind from the east, so I get to use the runway number 6 left or right. I like those because I get to fly over the stadium and Rock Hall of Fame.
The weather is calling for VFR and light winds.
Time to go read my Piper Warrior manual and review the procedures for the aircraft.
Wish me luck!