Category: Blog

After some touch and goes with my instructor, I went up solo for some full stop-taxi backs.

The flight was mostly uneventful. I rushed myself too much, and forgot my takeoff checklist once. I immediately recognized it, and did the important stuff from memory, and verified once I leveled off in the pattern. After that I slowed myself down some, and got back into the flow.

The landings we're all pretty good, I was on the little runway here, and so I tend to come in high all the time. Wasn't really a problem on any but the last. I would just idle the power on final, and glide down to glide slope, touching on the numbers. On the last one, I was really high for some reason. Idled the power, and pitched up to slow, but would have put me too far down the runway. I entered a forward slip, and got it down a little past the numbers.

I should have stopped here at three landings, but I didn't. 🙂 I did one more on the big runway.

Then I called tower when I should have switched to ground for taxi clearance. I laughed.

I have a picture of me and my instructor and the plane coming- I will post it when I get it.

Did some touch and goes this morning, but was unable to go up solo. There was a broken cloud layer at 700 feet moving over the airport. Which is below the minimums required for me to go up solo.

Had some good touch and goes though…

We're going to try again Monday morning.

Today I had my pre-solo stage check, check ride. I met with another instructor here who is a designated check airman.

Basically it was an extended pre-brief, with an hour flight. We talked about aircraft systems, and a little bit about some FAR's. After answering all of his questions, I grabbed a plane, and did the performance and weight and balance.

From here it was a very normal flight. After all the pre-flight check was complete, we departed out north along the coast line. I did some clearing turns, a radio call, and set up for some maneuvers. I couldn't have asked for more perfect conditions. The air was smooth, trim was perfect, sky was clear. Did some slow flight, and power on, power off stalls. I haven't nailed those as perfectly as I did today. Standards say +/- 100 feet, +/- 10 knots, oh no. It was perfect every time. Kept altitude, kept my airspeed. Oh it was like flying bliss.

Came back into the pattern for some touch and goes. First one we had a very short base to final, and once we crossed the numbers we were way too fast, and still high. I called the go-around, and we came back for another, this was right on.

At this time the wind had shifted a little, so they switched us to another runway. Our first approach to this one, we were too high again. I extended a little on downwind, and threw out all my flaps on base. Once I swung onto final, I was still too high. No big deal, did a forward slip, and I swear it was the most beautiful thing you have ever seen. Kept it in the slip all the way to the numbers. Swung the nose to centerline, and flared. I could have cried it was so awesome.

We did one last landing. This one was nearly textbook. Approach was good, right on glide slope on final. Good way to end the flight.

Overall he said I had very good aircraft control, my comm skills were great, landings were awesome.

Tomorrow morning after a quick flight with my instructor, I will be going up solo!