X-C to Portland, ME

So I finally got in my long IFR x-c. It's funny how I'm training to fly in the clouds but can't. This time of year, in the northeast it seems nearly impossible to get any actual time in a Cessna 172. The clouds were nowhere to be seen, and the wind was calm as a high pressure system settled right over New England. The landing in Portland was one where I couldn't really tell I was down until I heard the wheels spinning up. I'll be done my Instrument rating soon and move right into my commercial training. Hopefully I'll be writing more posts as I move on. I've seen some of my favorite bloggers cancel, or suspend their blogs recently, and hopefully I will one day write posts enough to entertain others.

Until the, Happy Holidays!

Dual Cross Country to KRUT

KBTV-KRUT-KBTV

So I finally got good weather for my last dual x-c. Three days were canceled because of high winds, low ceilings, and just all around bad weather. But finally a cloudless day, and hardly any wind.

I got to the flight school, and had to figure the rest of my flight plan with the winds (internet cut out at home). I got a standard briefing and filed two VFR flight plans, one there, and one for the way back.

The plane had just been filled so fuel was no worry, and the preflight came up okay, other than one landing light burnt out. Hopped in the plane and got taxi clearance out to runway 33. Light x-wind from the right, and before calling up tower, we opened our flight plan with Burlington Radio.

Climb out was a little bumpy, but once past 2000 feet it smoothed out for the whole trip. I got up to our cruising altitude of 5,500 and went under the hood. We did an unusual attitude, and then I had to find out where we were. Good thing there was a pond I was planning on crossing right to my right. For some reason I kept the hood on, until my instructor asked why? I thought I was supposed to, but he just wanted to fly normally, haha.

From around 20 miles out I saw Rutland, so I headed straight for it. Entered a 45 for left traffic runway 01, and made a short field landing right on the numbers. We only stopped in Rutland long enough to organize the sectional and flight plan for the next leg back to Burlington, and opened our next flight plan.

The flight back had a beautiful view of the sun over the Adirondacks, but my camera died right as I tried to take a picture. I'll have some pictures, and hopefully a video of my solo x-c. Boston Center was pretty much a hello and good bye deal for flight following, and Burlington Approach cleared us to land on runway 01 about 15 miles out.

We made a soft field landing that made me smile and my instructor gave me an elbow in the side. With a slight crosswind from the left, and landed on the left wheel so smoothly that all you felt was a little drag. Soon the right tire was down, the nose, and we were making a 180 to go back to the hanger. A good 1.6 hours in the logbook, and soon for my solo long x-c.

PS: Weather isn't looking good, hopefully going on Tuesday, April 19th

Stage 2 Check

Yesterday I got to do the ASA Part 141 Stage 2 check. Being at this new flight school, they have an option of a part 141 curriculum, which I gladly accepted being in because of the benefits. For someone like me, hoping to have a career flying, it cuts out some of the hours needed in the normal part 61 program. For private you need 35 hours, and an equal number of ground. (Same for the instrument course). Also for the commercial, you only need a minimum of 190 hours, instead of the normal 250.

So I went up with a different instructor and started out going to the southern practice area. I had never been to this location, but that didn't matter. I did .4 hours of hood work. I didn't get to see it anyways. Hood work was pretty good, and he gave me a little training about what's going to come during instrument training. We tracked to/from a VOR, intercepted a radial, and also worked on passing the station.

On the way back, we got some funky vectors. First go straight west, then go straight east. Turns out a pair of F-16's were landing. We came in and did a spot landing on the numbers 33, then taxied in to look over a flight plan I had prepared.

I just have to go over steep turns, ground reference manuevers, and then I'm going up solo today. After that I'll most likely go on my first cross country flight with this school. I have another post with a link to a video of my first cross country.

I'll try to snap some pictures today.

Update

Well I no longer fly done on Long Island. I'm back in my home state of Vermont. KBTV is my new home and right now I'm in a 172G made in 1966. I was used to Lycoming engines and this has a Continental, but a plane is a plane, and it still flies. :)

Yesterday we started out around noon and the plan was for me to solo after doing a couple landings with my instructor. Well there was a lot of mechanical turbulance, had to go around twice and ended up doing 7 landings before I was sent out to the practice area solo.

The wind calmed done later in the evening so I got to go enjoy the sunset and the mountains for a .6 of solo. I got in slow flight, power off stall, steep turns, and also 5 landings. Pretty good for $78!

I plan on writing more often and putting up some pictures from my flights. Should be starting cross countries soon, I can't wait to go somewhere.

Windy Today

So last weekend I did a flight and we did unusual attitudes and vor tracking. blah blah. Don't remember too much so I'll skip ahead.

Yesterday I did my oral prog 1 check. I just sat down with a guy and talked about the Cessna 152 and some procedures. I'll be taking the flying portion Friday, and most likely in a 172.

So today my instructor and I went up in a 172 to practice stalls, slow flight, and ground reference manuevers. Slow flight and stalls were okay, I remembered them. But when we did steep turns I realized I was dropping too much altitude on the left one. We fixed that by adding a little power. I find that the 152 responds better, but it's probably because I'm not used to the 172.

Then we did some turns around a point, and S-turns. The interesting part was S-turns. Going one was our ground speed was 75, the other way it was 117. So we did those then headed back to the pattern for 33 at KHWV. On the way we got a couple of big bumps, one large enough that my instructor hit his head.

On final, there was a little bit of windshear, but I kept my speed up a little, and made the crosswind landing. Full stop, taxi back, and up we go. Right around traffic pattern altitude we hit the bumps again. I extended downwind a little more to give myself more time to get set up. This time bang on 65 and decending right on glide path. Then all of a sudden my airspeed jumped up to 75. What?? Wind at this point was down the runway, and variable 10 degrees either way. I looked at our ground speed again and we were going 35knots!!! It felt like we weren't moving, I even floated a tiny bit before putting it down nicely.

Hopefully it's calm on my progress check, lol!

Hours: 18.2  T/O's & Landings: 65

First Cross Country to KHFD (Hartford, CT)

Well I finally got into a 172. Flew up to Hartford a little while ago. I don't remember too much of the planning phase, but I got into a bigger plane. I'm used to the 152.

We  tracked the Calverton VOR (CCC) then the Madison (MAD) then flew direct KHFD. I got to practice some radio work with NY APP, and requested flight following both ways.

Winds at Hartford were variable 240-360 @ 14kts. That made for some interesting approaches.
My friend backseated so I have some video of my landings.

Takeoff from KHWV (Brookhaven)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwWhTKz1J-g

Landings at KHFD (Hartford-Brainard) My first landing looks like a bounce, but it's b/c I landed on the upwind tire first.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJVjNn584cc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuJ6NNY--LY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUGeIrgm6VI

And finally, the landing back at KHWV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nCbUcYdjfA

Total Time: 14.5    T/O & Landings: 58
PS: I didn't post my last solo to the practice area, or my  night flight, but I'm going to start to I can keep track of my training.

First Solo

Well today did not feel like it would be the day. I woke up at 10 and the winds were 40 degrees of runway heading at 7 gusting to 20. But by around 2 I decided to head over to the airport.

After preflighting the plane my instructor told me how crazy the winds had been earlier. They were calm and he said we would just go do some touch-and-goes. We did 2 and on the third we went back to the runup area. He hopped out and said "do three full stop landings, and try to bring it back in one piece like we're used to."

I had 7.9 hours, under my goal of 10 by 2.1. I taxied to the hold short line and checked for traffic on base or final. I looked over at my instructor and he gave me the thumbs up. The plane seemed to rocket skyward. 1000+ fpm! I was at traffic pattern altitude by the middle of my crosswind. Without my instructor I was always a little high.

On my first landing he said "eh, I'll give it a 7.5" By my second pattern, more planes were joining in since the winds had died down to a solid 7 knots. On my third landing I noticed two planes waiting for me to finish my last landing. They were two instructors from the flight school and I received a "Nice!" from both of them. My instructor was pleased with my performance and said that I should be able to do my check ride at the minimum hours at the rate I was learning.

Next is maybe another solo, or over to a Class D airport for some radio work with ATC.

Hours - 8.6 TO + Landings - 38

So Far, So Good

Well as of now I have 7.7 hours. I'm flying out of KHWV, which is Brookhaven on Long Island. I'm flying in a 152. As of now, I've done traffic patter, power on and off stalls, steep turns, vor tracking, short field takeoff and landing, slow flight, engine out, and radio work. I'm hopefully soloing for the first time tomorrow. I can't wait! Flying has come natural so far. This post is really short, but once I start after my lessons I'll get more into what I did.

TO's and Landings = 31