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