Delays

Just a quick update - my plane time on Monday was cancelled because they found a couple of things during the annual inspection. They sounded minor like something with the exhaust and a part for one of the mags. But then, Jim called me last night and told me they found something wrong with one of the cylinders, possibly a valve problem. So, they are trying to decide what to do, because dealing with a valve problem is a bigger service effort, and the plane is due for its next major overhaul this fall. Sounds like they will give it an overhaul, or swap in a freshly overhauled engine. Jim is not sure how long the plane will be out of service, but it could be a couple of weeks more. At this point, I am not going to be flying until I hear from Jim further about the status of the plane.

Pics

Also, I took a few pics while I was out flying today. Something screwy happened with my phone, and the last two turned out purple for some reason. A reboot fixed it, but there's a lurking bug in there...
Pictures

Map of Practice Area

OK, this is fun. Here's one more that shows Forest Lake, Osceola, and the area where I practice maneuvers.
Forest Lake and Osceola

Map of Moose Lake Cross Country

I made another google map of the cross country flight we took to Moose Lake and Princeton.
Moose Lake Cross Country

21st.... Flight?

I can't really call it a lesson this time. I took the plane out solo today. Getting it out of the hangar alone isn't too bad, but I have to use the winch to get it back in. The winds were fairly strong around the area - out of the south east at 10-15kt gusting to 20-25kt. This is fine in Forest Lake, with only a minor crosswind component, but this gives a fairly strong crosswind at Osceola. First, I flew three laps through the pattern at Forest Lake, then I departed to the east and climbed to 4,500ft. I spent a half hour or so practicing power-off stalls and steep turns. Then, I tuned the Osceola AWOS and got the latest weather info. 11kt gusting to 21kt out of 140 - which means crosswinds on runway 10 would be about 7-14kt. I decided to go ahead and land there though. There was one other plane in the area I was talking to, and that wasn't a problem. I did two landings at Osceola, and neither landing was very good, but I got it on the ground safely both times. Then, I headed back towards forest lake. On the way back, I practiced some more stalls and steep turns, and then I did three more landings in Forest Lake. Aside from the bouncy crosswind landings in Osceola, I'm real happy with how the flight went. After the flight, Jim came flying into the area, and I stuck around to watch him drop his banner onto the runway. Monday Jim and I are going to fly our route through various towered airports in the city, and after that I'll need to fly a solo to Anoka.

Map of Cross Country from 18th Lesson

I threw this together. Took a little time, but it's kind of neat. I'll try to create these for all of my cross countries and post the links here.
18th Lesson Map

20th Lesson

Okay, 20 lessons in now. I was supposed to go out flying around the local area solo yesterday, but we had direct crosswinds of 10-12kt at the airport, which is more than Jim recommended that I fly solo in. So, since Jim was still available at the planned flight time, we went out together and worked on my instrument hours. We took off and went north, and then when we reached our altitude and I got the plane trimmed up, Jim had me put on the Jeppshades (like these: http://sportys.com/Pilotshop/product/9407). I got 0.6 hours of instrument training in. We practiced the usual maneuvers - power off stalls, straight and level flight, turns, and climbs and descents both straight and turning - but I could only see the instrument panel. We also practiced unusual attitude correction. Jim would have me close my eyes, then hang my head down and turn it to the left, then fly the plane blind for a few minutes (while he fiddled with the trim wheel I might add). After a while like this, you typically end up in an unexpected attitude. The first time I was in a 45 degree bank to the left doing 120mph and descending - you really can't tell what the plane is doing just from your equilibrium. So, this is good practice for if you accidentally fly into a cloud, where you are effectively blind. So, I'll need another 2.4 hours of instrument training before the checkride. When we got back to the airport, we landed, and then did another lap through the pattern with the crosswinds. I didn't have any problems with either landing, so Jim had me take the plane out solo and practice some crosswind landings. I did four laps through the pattern, and didn't have any trouble with the crosswinds. So, now Jim is comfortable with me taking the plane out with 10kt of crosswind or so. He basically said whatever I feel I'm comfortable with, so we decided 10kt - I'd probably be fine with a little more.

Since this is my 20th lesson post, I'll give an update on my stats. I've completed my second page in my logbook. I've flown a total of 30.1 hours. I've done 92 landings with Jim and 10 solo landings for a total of 102 landings. I have 0.6 hours of instrument training, 28.9 hours of dual training, and 1.2 solo hours. Friday I'm supposed to take the plane out by myself and practice some solo flight around the area. Jim also challenged me to go try a few landings solo at Anoka or Osceola. I want more time with Jim at a towered airport before I go to Anoka solo, so I'll probably head over to Osceola for a few landings if I'm feeling brave (mainly it's dealing with the other traffic that I'm worried about).

19th Lesson

I had to cancel my lesson last Wednesday because I was sick again, and the lesson for Friday got canceled because the winds were around 24kt gusting to 32kt. Yesterday Jim and I flew the cross country trip to Moose Lake and Princeton that I had planned last week. It was a beautiful day for flying - clear skies, decent visibility, and very light winds out of the south. The trip frankly, was pretty uneventful. It went exactly as planned, and I was able to find all of my checkpoints throughout. I'm feeling very comfortable with the whole thing now. Gotta work on my division of attention a bit more, as Jim is trying to keep me busy the whole time, and when I get distracted, I tend to let my altitude or heading drift a bit. I think when I'm out by myself this won't be as big of an issue, because I'll be able to pay attention to what needs attention, when it needs attention. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going flying by myself in the local area. This will be my first unsupervised solo. I'm supposed to practice takeoffs and landings at Forest Lake, then fly out over the rural countryside at 4500 feet and practice steep turns and power-off stalls. I'm looking forward to it now. I've been doing all the takeoffs, flying, landing, and radio communications during the past several lessons anyway. Friday, Jim and I are going to fly a "cross city" if you will, and visit a few towered airports in the area. I need more experience at towered airports. The next step after this will be for me to fly a solo from Forest Lake to Anoka and back. Once I've done that, I will be flying a new cross country flight solo, which I need to pick and plan for. Starting to get really interesting now.

18th Lesson

I had my 18th lesson with Jim yesterday. We were scheduled to do our first introductory cross-country flight, but the weather was looking questionable all day, with thunderstorms approaching from the southwest. By the afternoon, most of the storm activity had dissipated, and it turned out to be a nice afternoon to fly, with winds out of the southeast at 10-15kt. I had done the flight planning on a few flight log sheets, and we reviewed that together. Then, we went and got the plane out of the hanger as usual, and when I hopped in the plane, right away Jim said "I want you to take it out and fly 3 laps around the pattern by yourself again." I was a bit nervous about not warming up and testing the conditions with Jim first, but I just followed my normal routines, and all three rounds through the pattern were a non-event. After completing my second solo, I swung by the gas pumps and picked up Jim, and we went on our first cross-country. We made sort of a diamond pattern, flying to Buffalo airport (KCFE). After landing at Buffalo, we headed over to Maple Lake airport (KMGG) and landed. Next, we departed back to the east-north-east, and flew over Lake George, then we turned east-south-east, and headed back to Forest Lake. The trip went pretty well, and we flew about 102 statute miles. We didn't fly at full cruise speed - instead we targeted 100mph to allow more time for matching landmarks up with the chart as a learning experience. The whole trip took about 90 minutes, 30 of which was for climb out and flying the pattern for landing at each airport. This was Jim's "introductory" cross country flight he takes all of his students on to get them used to it. Tomorrow we're going to fly a cross country flight of my choosing. I have chosen to fly from Forest Lake to Moose Lake, which is about 70nm north, then southwest to Princeton airport, after which we will return to Forest Lake. I believe if the trip goes well, I will fly the trip solo sometime in the near future. I'll be doing the flight planning for the trip this evening. The weather also looks questionable for tomorrow, with a 50% chance of thunderstorms, so the next lesson may not happen until Friday.

17th Lesson - 1st Solo!

Woohoo, I did it! Winds were 4-6kt today, out of the south. This gives a slight crosswind on 13, but not much. Jim and I spent about an hour in the office today going over my aircract checkout sheets, and my pre-solo knowledge test. Then, I signed the rental agreement and we went out to practice some landings. First, I flew a couple of normal laps through the pattern - all went well. On the next lap, everthing was as usual, but RIGHT before I was about to start my flare, Jim said "Do a go-around", which I did. On the next downwind, Jim pulled the power and said "Pretend your engine just died. I want you to land the plane." So, I tightened my pattern, and planned to come in a little long. Better to be a little high than a little low. It went great, and I got the plane on the ground just like I would have with a normal landing. On the next downwind, Jim said "Pretend you've just had an electrical failure and you can't use your flaps. Land the plane with no flaps." And, I did just that. I extended my downwind a little, and basically flew the pattern as I would have with flaps, just using less power and pitching for the appropriate airspeeds. Landing went great.

On the back taxi Jim asked "Are you feeling comfortable to try this on your own?"
"I think so..." I responded.

Then Jim asked me to taxi to the office and drop him off. He warned me that the plane would perform a lot better without him in it. His last minute advice was to keep doing just what we've been doing. And with that, Jim exited the running airplane, and went and sat on a jersey knee by the fuel pumps with a hand-held radio.

So, there I was, by myself, taxiing to the threshold for 13. Check carb heat off, mixture, fuel selector. Add 10 degrees of flaps. Announce "Forest Lake Traffic, Skyhawk zero zero hotel, departing one three to remain in the pattern, Forest Lake". Full power, and off I go. The plane really DID perform a lot better with less weight in it. Before I knew it, the wheels were off the ground, and I was climbing out on departure. Now I'm committed. I briefly glanced at the empty seat next to me. Then, I just talked myself through the procedure like I have done many times. 200ft up, flaps up. Pitching for 80. 500ft up, turn crosswind. Wait, then turn downwind. 1000ft up, there's my altitude, there's my airspeed, set my power. Pre-landing check, carb heat on, mixture rich, fuel on both, fuel in both. Announce my downwind on CTAF. There's the threshold, reduce power to 1500, and add my first notch of flaps. Slight pitch down to maintain 90. Wait, then turn to base, second notch of flaps, announce my position. Check for traffic coming straight in or right-hand traffic. Wait, turn final, announce my position. Track the runway center, and correct for crosswind. Keep her at 70. At the runway, reduce power to idle, let her come down, and flare. Nice landing. Woohoo, I did it! Then I back taxied and did it two more times. Everything went really well. On the second time around I wasn't able to call my base on the radio because there was too much chatter from nearby airports. On my third time around, I plain forgot to call my final, but no biggy. All three landings were very good, so I couldn't be happier about my performance. I pulled her up to the gas pumps to fill her up. Jim met me at the plane and congratulated me. He snapped a couple of pics of me beside the airplane, and I'll post them when he sends them to me. After refueling, we went inside and Jim endorsed my logbook and student pilot certificate for solo flight. He also cut my t-shirt back off and had me write the details about my first solo on it with a Sharpie, and he pinned it up on the wall in the office building. So, I've conquered a big milestone in my flight training!

Just to give you an idea of where I'm at: Including my solo flight today, I've had seventeen lessons, flown 24.2 hours and I've done 92 landings. Jim says we'll do one more supervised solo around the traffic pattern like we did today, and then I'm free to take the plane out by myself whenever I want to. So... enter the cross country phase of my training. It sounds like Monday afternoon, we're going to do our first cross-country to Buffalo airport, then to another nearby airport, and finally fly out and look at a specific lake on the sectional before returning to Forest Lake. He gave me a planning sheet and asked me to do the flight planning for the trip this weekend. I'm really looking forward to doing some cross country flight!

Thanks for reading, Mathias

16th Lesson

My Dad met me at the airport for my 16th lesson yesterday. He got to see the plane and we went through the preflight inspection together. Then he joined us for the lesson, and flew along in the back seat. He took some pics and posted them here: http://picasaweb.google.com/to.bobs/FlightSchool. Jim warned me that the plane would handle a little differently and it sure did. The nose wheel would pop up a lot quicker on the soft field takeoff because the CG was further back. I also noticed that it took a lot longer of a roll to get off the ground, and the plane climbed slower as well. Trim settings and required power settings were different also. I now have a log entry with a remark of "Passenger Experience - Bob". The winds were fairly light - 5 to 7kt, but direct crosswinds in Forest Lake. We were doing landing practice again. We did a few laps through the pattern in Forest lake. I came in too high on a couple of the laps and had to do go-arounds. Good practice though since I haven't done many of those. After a few landings at Forest Lake, we decided to fly out and see my Dad's house so he could take some pictures. After this, we flew along the sunrise river leaving Comfort lake, and had a good opportunity to observe the kayaking conditions from the air. Plenty of water down there - I think a trip is in store soon... Then, since we were up in the area, we headed over to Osceola to do some landing practice. I had a few bouncers, and a few nice touchdowns. The area also became busy with other traffic, with a few pilots not following the rules, and Jim got upset about the "yahoos" again. This was a good chance to practice on a narrower runway. The KOEO runway is 75ft wide, whereas it's 150ft wide in Forest Lake. I also came in high for one of my landings and got to practice using a slip to help descend for landing without picking up airspeed. After this, we departed to the west and headed back towards Forest Lake. Along the way, we did another power loss simulation, which went well. We would likely have landed safely in a farm field. Finally, we went back to Forest Lake and practiced a couple more landings, both of which went pretty well. No solo yet, but I'm betting it might be Friday. At the end of the lesson, Jim asked if I had bought renter's insurance yet (which I have), and said that soloing is very close, and that I should start wearing old t-shirts to my lessons. Next lesson is on Friday.

15th Lesson

I got out to fly again today, but it was a bit of an abbreviated lesson. There was a strong wind of 15kt gusting to 24kt directly out of the south today, with thunderstorms approaching from the south. This gave us a7-12kt crosswind on runway 13, which is a respectable crosswind, so we practiced crosswind landings. I was very happy with my landings today - all of them were really quite good, and a couple were basically perfect. I think I've got the hang of it at this point. On the 4th time around, it started to drizzle a little, and on the 5th time it was raining, and we saw some lightning a few miles to the south, so that was the last trip through the pattern for the day. I'm feeling really good with how things are going, and I have a feeling all that stands between me and my first solo are some good flying conditions with low winds. My next lesson is on Monday.

14th Lesson

Well, I finally got back out there for another lesson after being grounded for 10 days. I was sick with a cold, and then Jim was sick with a cold. Since I hadn't been out in a while, we went out and practiced some slow flight, and various stalls. We also did a high altitude fire emergency simulation, and then we came back for more landing practice. There was a strong wind, but it was mainly right down runway 13. The air was really warm, and what a difference it made! The plane climbed really slowly and used more runway for takeoff. My landings are getting better, and I had several nice smooth touchdowns just above stall speed. My next lesson is today, and it's supposed to be another windy day, but slightly cooler than yesterday. Sounds like we'll be doing more landing practice, possibly some crosswind landings, some flaps-up landings, and some power loss landings.