Friday, May 26, 2006

Stormy weather

Well, this week was a bust. My Wednesday lesson was canceled because I had a family emergency. I went to my 5:00 PM Thursday lesson knowing that thunderstorms were moving across the area to the north of the field. I went out to the airplane and started the preflight hoping the bad weather would stay to the North. While out of the ramp (and I must say it was the opposite end of the ramp from the school), I noticed the dark thunderclouds to the North. As I made my way around the airplane, I noticed the skies were getting darker to the West. I was checking the fuel when I saw cloud-to-ground lightning to the West just a few miles out. I immediately got back in the cockpit, put the flaps back up, put the control lock back in, grabbed the key and flight bag, and headed back to the school. I started to walk, but then ran when the thunder and lightning worsened. I just made it back into the school when the rain began to poor.

The storm that came through the area brought high gusting winds (greater than 40 knots!) with hail. It lasted for almost an hour. I sat inside with my instructor talking about various topics related to my lessons. Finally, the storm passed and I was able to go back to the airplane and get my flight bag and headset. The winds were changing direction every few minutes and still gusting, so I made a judgment call and decided not to fly. It was already late anyway, and I wanted to go over my pre-solo test.

I spent another hour going over the test with my instructor and discussing some ground school topics. I made another 100% on this test. My instructor endorsed my logbook for the pre-solo knowledge test.

On Friday, I had a lesson at 5:00 PM. Yes, another late afternoon lesson -- prime time for latent heat thunderstorms. The weather was looking good on my way to the airport. Then I saw the dark clouds to the North. It was almost like they were following me. As I walked into the flight school, my instructor said "Looks good today." I told him not to be so sure. I was being followed. Five minutes later the phone rang. It was the owner requesting that the instructors tie down all of the planes on the ramp due to a severe thunderstorm warning just issued for the area. Not ten minutes after the instructors returned from the ramp, the skies became dark and the rain began to fall. My luck was just not good this month. "May" must have been short for "mayhem".

My next lesson is schedule for June 5. The schedule was already full for next week, so I could only get on the schedule for the week after. That's okay, because I was able to schedule a morning lesson. The morning weather is much calmer with a better chance of never seeing a thunderstorm. I've scheduled my three lessons for in the morning. Maybe, just maybe, I will actually get to solo in the next couple of weeks. I've been out of practice, so I'll have to get "warmed up" again.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Lesson 11

Lesson 11
Flight time logged:1.2 hours
Total flight time logged:14.8 hours
Total takeoffs/landings:49
Total cost to date:$2460

I was worried about today's lesson since it has been two weeks since I had last flown. The weather wasn't that great -- the winds were at 10 knots gusting to 20 knots from the NNW. This gave the runway a considerable crosswind (still less than 15 knots though, but close). My instructor thought it would be a good day to practice crosswind takeoffs and landings.

I was feeling good about flying today and excited to be going up again. Upon holding at Rwy 25 for takeoff, a jet that had just landed became disabled on the runway when one of its engines had an overspeed condition. I had to wait, airplane at idle, for almost 15 minutes for the jet to be towed off the runway.

Upon takeoff, I could feel the strong gusts coming from my right. I attempted to crab into the wind to keep on the centerline while maintaining my 80 knot climb. It was tough with lift being taken away and provided every other second. It was bumpy... and unnerving. I took a deep breath and made my way around the pattern.

On the downwind, I kept drifting in towards the runway with each gust. I had to keep making major corrections. My confidence level started to diminish. I just didn't have enough experience flying in these conditions.

On final, it was a rough ride. The gusting wind blew me to the left of the center line. I felt like I was fighting the airplane (of which, by the way, you should never do). I didn't think I was on a stabilized approach so I performed a go-around.

My second circuit around, I was a little better, made the turn to base and to final much better, and did a touch-and-go. The landing was a little bouncy while trying to land on just the right main wheel with the crosswind.

When I turned crosswind on my third circuit, I spotted traffic in front of me of the feathered kind. It was really more to my two o'clock position. It was a turkey buzzard soaring in the wind. I told my instructor, "Bird at 2 o'clock," and maneuvered toward the left. We passed the buzzard close enough to see its red head and eyes watching as we passed. My instructor told me that was a little close. I know we cleared the buzzard by at least 100 feet.

On the base, my instructor wanted me to keep traffic pattern altitude so that I could perform a forward slip to a landing on final. I needed to practice forward slips, but with the gusting winds I was not looking forward to this approach. After turning final, and trying to line up with the centerline by crabbing into the wind, the airplane was being bumped around by the wind and slight turbulence. I put the airplane into a forward slip, but the winds kept me from holding it for too long. I kept going into the slip then out. This cost me runway length. I ended up touching down almost halfway down the runway.

I practiced more touch-and-goes, some with engine-out short approaches, for the next few circuits. It was getting close to the end of my lesson. I finally called it a day... a not so good day. I was confident about soloing, but now I want more practice in conditions like this so I can handle it on my own.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Delay of game

The weather this month has been strange. It is May, yet the weather thinks it's March! The winds are gusting abnormally high. The jet stream has dipped down through Georgia bringing all kinds of weather and keeping the air cooler than normal. My lessons kept getting canceled due to the weather. I had a severe head cold that kept me from going anyway, but before I could cancel, my instructor would call to cancel due to weather. It's been almost two weeks since my last lesson.

In the meantime, I've been studying ground school and taking yet another pre-solo test that was more thorough than the last two. I'm scheduled for my next lesson on May 17. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate. I will also get the pre-solo test to take home.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Lesson 10

Lesson 10
Flight time logged:1.2 hours
Total flight time logged:13.6 hours
Total takeoffs/landings:41
Total cost to date:$2200

I had a 1:00 PM lesson today. A cold front was just off to the NW, and isolated thunderstorms were forecast for the afternoon. Cumulus clouds were building and beginning to tower. While doing my preflight, I felt a few rain drops fall as a dark cloud passed over. I was wondering if my lesson would be canceled. The ceiling, however, was over 5,000 feet, and it looked like I would be flying as long as the thunderstorms remained hours away.

I headed for Winder-Barrow airport (WDR) to practice some touch-and-goes at a non-towered airport. I had my first experience seeing rain clouds up close and seeing the sheets of rain fall from them. I also had my first experience flying through the rain.

After the touch-and-goes, I flew north and climbed to 3,000 feet to practice slow flight, stalls, and steep turns. With rain all around, there were drafts making us bounce around a little. After practicing the maneuvers, I headed back to LZU.

When I came in to land, I was determined to make a good landing. I kept on the centerline all the way down and softly let down on the runway. My instructor gave me kudos on a good landing. I think the practice is paying off.

After taxiing back and tying down the plane, the rain started to come down. We had just made it back inside before getting wet. Inside, my instructor graded two pre-solo knowledge tests I had to take. I scored 100% on both. He said I would get about two more hours of instruction, and then I would do my solo. I have two lessons scheduled for next week, so my solo could be as early as next Thursday, but more than likely will be the week after. Of course, all of this depends on the weather...

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Lesson 9

Lesson 9
Flight time logged:1.0 hours
Total flight time logged:12.4 hours
Total takeoffs/landings:35
Total cost to date:$2000

Today I practiced more touch-and-goes. I basically flew the traffic pattern doing takeoffs and landings for an hour.

My instructor showed me another emergency situation where you lose partial power near the airport. He pulled the power to 1500 RPM to simulate the engine losing power. I had to maintain traffic pattern altitude which basically meant that I had to fly much slower. I simulated the call to the tower indicated the need for an immediate landing due to a rough-running engine. Then my instructor pulled the power to idle to simulate complete engine failure while I was on the downwind leg. I had to perform a short approach and land.

After practicing landings today, I feel I'm starting to get the hang of "feeling" the airplane. I go up again on Thursday.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Lesson 8

Lesson 8
Flight time logged:1.1 hours
Total flight time logged:11.4 hours
Total takeoffs/landings:27
Total cost to date:$1835

Today was a calm day with clear skies. Runway 7 was the active runway. In today's lesson I remained in the traffic pattern doing touch-and-goes to practice my landings and to practice a few emergency landings. Because it was such a nice day, there was more traffic than usual for 6:00 PM. I had to keep on my toes while flying the pattern.

My normal landings are getting a little better. I found it interesting that my best landing was the one where my instructor did not talk as I was landing. I'm still getting the feel of the plane in ground effect, but I believe I'm getting the hang of it. I felt like I did not do as good as I could today. I'm not sure if it was due to the distractions (including the instructor) or what.

My instructor introduced emergency approaches and landings today. In the traffic pattern on downwind, my instructor pulled the throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure. We were at TPA abeam the thousand-foot runway marker. I trimmed for 65 knots then talked through the engine restart procedure. I then glided down to the runway threshold maintaining 65 knots. I had to use some flaps, but made the touchdown successfully.

I started feeling a little frustrated with the instructor today. I feel like I know what to do now, but I'm still trying to listen to the instructor to get additional input. The problem is that the input is more like "static" in that it is distracting me from getting the feel of the landing.

Anyway, my next lesson is tomorrow evening. I was told that we would do some maneuvers (stalls, slow flight, steep turns, etc.) to keep those in check and to act as a warm up for me. After these, I will continue practicing normal and emergency landings. I hope I'm more in the zone tomorrow. I still think I'm four to five hours out from soloing.