Flying Lessons

On this page I list pilot skills, my practice sessions with each, and my evaluation of my proficiency. Skills numbered 61.87.d come from the FAR pre-solo skills list.

61.87.d.1: Proper flight preparation procedures, including preflight planning and preparation, power plant operation, and aircraft systems.

My experience owning and operating boats and older cars has prepared me well for operating airplanes. I feel reasonably able to identify problems during pre-flight and operate the equipment. Same for flight planning, including weather.

1/21/04 - Cross country flights have raised the bar on flight preparation. The FAA directive to "obtain all information pertaining to the flight" is a heavy weight and high standard to acheive. It takes me hours to gather the data and plan the route.

1/24/04 - On my first solo I miss turning the transponder to "Altitude" mode and turning off the master switch after shutdown. Got to work those check lists.

2/5/04 - I've now done 21 flights and planned several cross country flights. I'm a believer in the checklist and try to work through it methodically. A good, easy to use check list is important.

Taxing or surface operations, including run ups (61.87.d.2)

Taxiing happens at a slow speed and I can always stop and figure out what to do. Taxiways at unfamiliar airports may confuse me - I've not seen enough different layouts to be able to recognize the intended use of taxiways.

I'm doing good with run ups. It is just a matter of carefully going through the list and taking care to check everything on it. I feel reasonably confident that I'll recognize problems that I've been told to look for.

• Remember to do a min-run up after any full stop landing.

2/5/04 - The engine was missing on the left magnito. I didn't know what to do so I called Deane. I think there are still many situations that I do not know how to handle other than returning to parking, shutting down, and calling a mechanic. That's always the safe thing to do, but in this case I just had to run the engine full throttle to clean out the plugs.

2/12/04 - At BFI I call the tower for takeoff clearance and get no responce. Again. They respond and say I'm broken up. Suddenly I'm concerned that the alternator has gone out again and I'm running off battery. I go back to the runup area, check several things, call ground for a radio check (clear), and decide things are working and take off. Another sign that there are many things I don't know how to judge.

Takeoffs, Calm and Crosswind (61.87.d.3)

12/28/03 - Pulled back too fast and did not check forward - plane lost speed and stopped climbing. Gentler back pressure.

12/29/03 - Takeoff from Boeing the plane climbed then stopped climbing. Deane said that could have been a small downdraft. I felt I flew the plane well through that. First climb out of PWT didn't get the nose up enough to slow to 80 and climb. Did generally better on takeoffs. Subsequent climbs were better.

1/9/04 - All takeoffs in calm conditions went fine.

1/15/04 - I do 4 takeoff in light cross wind. The first has me so focused on the aileron control that I take my right hand from throttle to wheel. I manage to get all off the ground with out bouncing. I do well flying the aircraft over the runway. But sometimes the plane seems more willing to become airborne than others and I don't feel I know why.

2/22/04 - All takeoffs have been good. Maybe partly because I've been flying solo.

Final - I'm still somewhat sloppy about cross wind correction when on the ground. Returning to parking I taxi behind a large twin which apparently was doing an engine run up because I feel one wing lifted and my airplane skid sideways an inch. I think I'll be more attentive in the future.

• Normal take off. Gentile back pressure, let the plane rotate and climb.
• Cross wind take off. Faster speed, center aileron controls, more decisive rotation.
• Try rotating different speeds (within safe limits).

Takeoff, Short Field

Described in lesson 17.

1/21/04 - Deane described the technique and I practiced a couple. I tend to let the speed go above Vx just after takeoff.

Final - The old 150 has a very low Vx: 51mph. It's somewhat scarry to hold such a slow speed, but the thing climbs impressively at that speed.

• Positive rotation
• Hold Vx, especially just after take off.

Takeoff, Soft Field

Described in lesson 31.

Final - I've practiced several times by my self and now do one with Deane. I'm fairly comfortable flying the airplane just above the runway so this is now fairly easy.

Landing, Calm and Crosswind (61.87.d.3)

12/28/03 - At Renton the plane drifted right 20 ft just before touchdown. On a smaller runway this would have put us very close to the edge. I was slow to respond. Need to either land it there, bring it back to center and land it (more power to keep flying:, or execute go-around.

12/19/03 - Landings at PWT winds 11 gusting to 20. Let the air speed drop too much on the first approach. Better subsequent approaches. Need to work on maneuvering the airplane low over the runway. Keep flying it all the way to the ground.

1/8/04 - Achieved good landings at night.

1/9/04 - Good calm wind landings. Last landing done in light cross wind was a little hard, off center, and somewhat sideways.

1/13/04 - 7 landings on my first cross country, 2 with out flaps, one of those with a long slip on final, light to moderate turbulence. All decent to good, but with room for improvement.

1/15/04 - 4 landings at BFI with light cross wind and turbulence. I was consistently downwind of centerline.

1/25/04 - 5 landings in the old 150. With only me in the plane it floats more, which surprised me. Still need to drill the plane handling into my body.

2/5/04 - Landed Skaget in a 5 or 6 knot cross wind. Off center and bounced once. Not terrible, but needs more practice.

2/16/04 - Moderately turbulant day. The airplane is bouncing around quite a bit on final. I'm fairly relaxed and confident that I can get it to the runway in good position. Most landings are reasonable. I'm able to make final adjustments before landing.

3/7/04 - 8 to 10 knot crosswind at Boeing. I did 3 decent landings in the 172.

Final - I still have a couple flaws. I don't hold aileron adjustment to keep the airplane banked. In normal turns once the airplane is banked I can center the aileron and the airplane holds the bank. In a slip I have to keep the aileron input in to balance the rudder input. I also tend to let the wings level just before touch down and I often forget to progressivly apply cross wind correction as the airplane slows. But, all that said, I've done pretty good with landings in all conditions.

• Low pass using low wing technique to position plane.
• Low pass using normal turns to position plane.
• Work on balance between attitude for speed and throttle for altitude during descent.
• Practice flying the glide slope over a longer distance.

Landing, Short Field

Described in lesson 17.

1/21/04 - Deane described the technique and I practiced a landings.

2/12/04 - Practice short field in the 150. First landing at the aiming marks then at the threshold. I'm usually on the ground within 50ft of my target.

Final - I've practiced these many times and am fairly good, but always learning.

• Go long to give myself plenty of base to stabalize approach.
• Choose a point on runway to set down on (rather than end) so I have some lattitude to expirment and land short of target with out landing short of runway.
• Create an artificial obstical (given altitude at given point before runway) to clear then see how quickly I can get the airplane down.

Landing, Soft Field

Described in lesson 31. I get this slightly wrong on the check ride. I figure I can land power off and apply power as necessary to keep the nose up. My examiner tells me it would be better to keep power through touchdown and roll out.

Landing, Night

Described in lesson 29

3/4/04 - Cross country to Chehalis and Olympia. The runway comes up faster than expected. I learn to flair sooner and user power to fly the plane down.

Final - I land at Paine, Bremmerton, and Boeing, making nice landings at each. At Paine Deane turned instrument lights off on base so I had to land by feel.

Straight and level flight, and turns in both directions (61.87.d.4)
Flight at various airspeeds from cruise to slow flight (61.87.d.9).

My cross country flights have given me more practice at straight flight. It takes a while but I usually get the airplane settled into a stable cruise.

1/15/04 - Slow flight under clouds. Deane says that once in the flap range it is better to use flaps because the airplane will require less power.

2/22/04 - I've been practicing slow flight on most recient flights. I'm getting good at not using the ailerons too much and more rudder both to turn and to keep the plane level.

3/4/04 - I still find my altitude creeping up or down. I can even gain hundreds of feet with out knowing it if my attention is on something else.

Final - I easily stabalize the airplane and hold closely to my altitude. Of course it is easy to do this in calm air.

• Configuring the airplane for flight at various speeds. Take enough time to watch what happens to my configuration and correct. See how stable I can get the airplane.

Climbs and climbing turns (61.87.d.5)
Descents, with and without turns, using high and low drag configurations (61.87.d.8)

I need to be faster getting the plane configured for a given rate of descent or climb.

Airport traffic patterns, including entry and departure procedures (61.87.d.6)

I think I understand the proceedings but need practice.

1/13/04 - I land at 3 different airports on this cross country flight and get some good practice.

1/25/04 - Enter a busy pattern at Auburn. Make a long final at 60 knots. Maybe should have gone faster. Balancing landing my plane by the numbers against what other people are doing.

• Approaching an airport, deciding on a runway and how to enter the pattern for that runway.

Stall entries from various flight attitudes and power combinations with recovery initiated at the first indication of a stall, and recovery from a full stall (61.87.d.10)

Did these once with Deane. I feel I can recognize stall well before it happens UNLESS there is something else distracting me.

1/9/04 - Practiced landing configuration stall. I was more comfortable with procedure. First practice I didn't apply the power. This is fine at 2000 ft, but this is practice for stall during final when there is not much altitude to use in recover and full power is the correct response. I feel generally more able to feel what the plane is doing and control it.

2/12/04 - Practice landing configuration stalls by my self. I am more comfortable. It takes a surprising amount of back pressure just to the the airplane to really stall.

Final - Stalls are still somewhat scarry even though I've never had a scarry stall. I now have good rudder reflexes.

• Practice again when I feel my flight reflexes are faster.

Emergency procedures and equipment malfunctions (61.87.d.11)

What to do when the engine fails. Described in lesson 6. This is really broken in to two skills. This half deals with the immediate response, including things that might restart the engine and radio communications. The second half deals with landing with out an engine.

3/9/04 - Deane pulled the power off. I forgot that the first step is to climb until the speed drops to best glide. I also may have been a bit high on the best glide speed. I got FMI right, mayday call, and passenger brief ("buckle up"), and identified a good landing field that we would have made.

Final - I'm good enough at emergency landings (engine failure) that I think I could successfuly land most of the time decent sized fields. But I'm keeping this heading at "yellow" because one can never practice emergency procedures too much. When an emergency happens you perform to the level of your training, not the full level of your ability.

• Drill FMI (Fuel, Mixture, Ignition).

Approaches to a landing area with simulated engine malfunctions (61.87.d.13).

Described in lesson 6. This is the second half and deals with how to make a good landing after being unable to restart the engine. This can best be practiced near an airport on which you can actuall land.

I'll probably make over 50% of my emergency landings but the goal is closer to 100%. I have learned to be constantly aware of the nearest landing site, especially when heading out over water.

2/22/04 - I've been practicing emergency landings. My first attempts would have overshot the runway. Since then I've been getting better. I now think I have greater than 50% chance of making a decent landing in a large field or small airport.

• Look at descent rate on VSI. Figure out how far I'll descend over given distance and in a 180 and a 360 degree turn.
• Practice arriving at the "pattern entry point" at my desired altitude.
• At an airport practice power off landing from "pattern entry point" to runway.

Ground reference maneuvers (61.87.d.12).

I did these once with Deane and did fairly well. Subsequent practice has been rougher. I do OK, but hope to do better. Examining the GPS track helps me judge my turns.

2/22/04 - Been practicing these on recient flights. Still have difficulty keeping altitude stabalized. Usually within 100ft of target, but my goal is within 50 ft.

• Practice with various cross winds.

Slips to a landing (61.87.d.14).

I'm pretty good at getting the plane into a slip and manouvering in the slip

1/13/04 - Long slip on final with no flaps for final landing of cross country trip. I roll out at what feels like close to the ground

1/15/04 - Slip on final into Boeing field. Better at holding it to closer to runway.

1/24/04 - A couple slips done while practicing short field landing. Better at knowing what to do with the controlls. Let my speed build too much.

3/9/04 - Deane called for a slip and it took me a little while to remember which rudder to use.

• Set up landings where I'm high and use slips to get the plane down.
• Watch for excessive speed while in slip.
• Practice rolling from left to right slips.

Go-arounds (61.87.d.15).

I feel reasonably confident that I can execute a go-around. I've just never had to do one unexpectedly.

• Have Deane call for a go-around at an unexpected time.
• Set up tight parameters for a landing and execute a go-around if I'm not within those parameters. That is, imagine a narrow, short runway over layed on a larger one. If I can't make the imagined runway then go-around.

Radio Communications

Getting better every time. I'm still slow to get complex instructions. Every time out I hear something new. Eventually I hear other pilots making mistakes and missing instructions and I begin to relax. By the end I feel pretty comfortable talking to ATC and figure that my mis-speaks will help new students realize that everyone makes mistakes.

Final - I still make mistakes, but so do other people. I understand the vast majorities of transmissions to me.

Description of the various ATC facilities in lesson 14.

• Ask FSS for a DF steer. (Say Again p. 10-7).

Instrument Flight

Flying with reference only to the instrument. I find this surprisingly similar to instrument practice in flight simulator, which is somewhat disapointing because I find it difficult in flight simulator. I too easily get fixed on one instrument and forget to scan to the other instruments. I'm well able to control the airplane, just not with the finess required of an instrument rated pilot.

Final - At the end of training I can keep the airplane well stabalized and am developing a pretty good instrument scan.

Recovery From Unusual Attitudes

I have done 3 recoveries fairly well, but need practice to get the skills wired.

Final - All recient recoveries from unusual attitude have been mostly reflexive. Unless the airplane is upside down or something I'm confident I can bring it back to level flight.