Morning Flight

I could not have picked a better time to fly than Monday morning of this week. Although a fine haze limited visibility to about 6 miles, the air gratefully greeted me free of any agitation. This flight was made that much more satisfying after a ground conversation with two Challenger pilots.

After the preflight, the aforementioned Challenger pilots, acting like children at this point, gathered, in admiration, around the Sport Cub. They both loved the cockpit and were astonished that a later re-model could resemble the cherished, time tested, Piper version. Their excitement bewildered me and provoked the question, 'Which would you rather be flying, the Challenger or the Cub?'. Both agreed that they would rather be logging time in the Cub. However, I suppose the monetary needs are not quite satisfied if all of your time is spent in a Cub playing, and not working. I informed them that my PPL training, including cross country trips, were completed in the Cub. I think they were a little impressed.

After prostrating themselves before the Cub, I told them I would take them up if I ever saw them in town again. Maybe we can swap rides :)

Images to follow!

No flying today

I decided not to go flying today in an effort to save money. I was able to receive the wife's blessing to take her sister inlaw's mother flying some evening in the upcoming week.

The lack of funding has led to, not only a lack of flying, but also a diminished level of confidence when I do fly. I should be more specific, my confidence isn't in constant jeopardy, it becomes most susceptible during the landing phase of flight. All other phases, though just as important, remain relatively docile and less threatening. While I am able to make nice approaches, both crabbing and slipping, I find it difficult to keep the appropriate aileron correction applied throughout the entire landing. Consequently I develop significant apprehension about flying when prevailing winds greater than 5 knots. I am as picky with winds as some children are with trying new foods. I really hope to get over this soon because I don't want it to ruin my love for flying. I know that the only way to cure what as me is more practice. Unfortunately, my practice is compromised by low funds.

I'll get there. I feel slightly embarassed admitting this after obtaining my license. Maybe I should keep this achievement in mind and use it to build my confidence by knowing that I possess the required skill sets to manage situations. At the same time, if conditions aren't within my confidence range I know not to fly. There has to be a happy medium, right?




-- Post From My iPhone

First Passenger and "The windsock never lies"

Until yesterday, I have not had time to get back into the air. I had the itch and needed the appropriate fix. I had been looking at the weather all morning and decided, at lunch, that the conditions would fall within my comfort zone. I grabbed a neighboring co-worker (who is going for his private pilot's license) and we headed over to HKY for a quick flight around the area.

We departed rwy 19 with one of the smoothest take-offs I have ever made headed west to the surrounding foothills. The humidity was very low so the usual summer haze was non-existent; giving way to a very crisp view of the mountains. Being summer however, there were some bumps which to my surprise the passenger enjoyed. As we made out way closer to MRN I decided that we should get back to avoid missing too much work and spending more money than I should.

As I entered the downwind and advised the tower I was doing so, another pilot was landing on rwy 24. When there were safely off of the taxiway, the pilot (my instructor) told tower to let me know that the winds were actually favoring 06. After waiting for a few seconds for tower to relay the message, I announced that the windsock, although flaccid, was favoring 06. As a result, I asked if it was possible for me to use this runway instead. Tower replied that they were observing variable winds and I could take 06 if I wanted. I should have gone with my gut and taken 06. After turning final the plane was subject to a tail wind. With two notches of flaps and the throttle pulled back, the plane refuse to descend. I threw in a forward slip to help it out a little, but we ended up landing long.

After the wheels touched, the plane weather-vaned to the right. I corrected with some right rudder, and observed no drift. A few seconds later I found myself left of center. Although it wasn't significant, I was still disappointed that it wasn't down the centerline. For some reason I find it difficult to keep the upwind wing down when faced with the crosswind. I tend to relax and focus on the rudder. I am thinking that the next time I fly with a significant crosswind I will have my instructor there to help a little and give me some advice. I am also curious to see if I would benefit from flying the length of the runway, at about 25' from the surface, in a side slip, to help build muscle memory.

When we got out of the plane my instructor called and said, "the windsock never lies" and went on to remind me the importance of not landing a tailwheel airplane in a tailwind. I should have heeded his advice, and will gone with my gut.

I would not have passed myself

Well, it is with excitement and disbelief that I announce the achievement of passing my private pilot checkride and oral exam. This announcement is two weeks delayed for a few reasons. One, I wanted to make sure that my dream was no longer a dream, and I wanted to have more than the temporary paper license issued as proof that I am in fact a pilot. On friday the proof arrived. I think I might need to find a safe place for this...

Although I am now considered a fully capable pilot, I am still in shock that I passed. Although nothing horrible happened on the checkride, there were a few minor errors that worried me along the way. Before the DPE arrived I was sitting at the FBOs computer preparing to discuss the weather when she arrived. However, she had different ideas and asked what I thought about the visibility. I mentioned that everything looked good for our planned route and she accepted my answer and we proceeded to preflight the airplane.

The preflight was uneventful until she asked why I hadn't lowered the flaps to examine their integrity before departure. I proceeded to explain that the sport cub's checklist did not outline this as a necessary check while my previous trainer, the 172, did in fact require full flap extension during the preflight. She accepted my answer and went on to explain that I might not have all of the information to make confident a go/no-go decision. Although the checklist for the cub does not require this, I will continue to use this step to gain that much more information concerning the plane's airworthiness before departure.

Upon completion of the preflight, we contacted tower with our intentions and followed accordingly to make a departure form KHKY to the east towards KFAY. We departed using the shortfield departure technique and climbed to 3500'. We reached TOC at the exact calculated time and position. This trend continued for the subsequent two checkpoints until the DPE had me divert to KSVH. Heading towards SVH she gave a choice between shortfield or a forward slip to landing. I chose shortfield and set up for a left downwind. I applied carb heat abeam the numbers and throttled back to 1500 rpm. We turned base and I realized then that we were significantly lower than my previous approaches. I should have gone around here. However, I was confident I would be able to hold it off and make thousand foot markers. I used power to drag us in, something my instructor was not fond of, and touched one wheel before making the decision to go around. She said I should have gone around sooner, I agreed, and she asked if the displaced threshold threw me for a loop. Indeed it had, but it is no excuse; which is why I would have failed myself here. For whatever reason I neglected to consider the added distance before I made my base turn. We went up for round two and I greased it on the captains bars. The third landing was a forward slip that went off without a hitch.

After a few landings at Statesville, she had me don the foggles and navigate to the BZM VOR. This was quite boring and drawn out due to a nice headwind. Once past the VOR we made some constant rate turns to various headings. I took the foggles off and performed some steep turns, which she said felt shallower than the required 45 degree bank. She subsequently admitted that she could not confirm this since the the cub does not have an attitude indicator. Following this I performed a power on and off stall. I strayed a little on the heading for the power on stall, but was able to maintain enough of a heading not to fail.

Before heading back to KHKY she pulled the power on me and I had to run through the ABCs and checklists for an emergency landing. When she determined we would make the field we throttled up and headed back to KHKY for a soft-field landing that turned out to be less than a soft-field landing. I was sure this had been the final straw, but after taxiing to the FBO she let me know I had passed!

Since passing the checkride, I have not flown. In fact I am in considerable withdrawal. The next few years are going to be very difficult financially as my wife is going to grad school and we will be footing the bill without loans. We figured that I could have a $60 monthly allowance to fly. If I can split the cost with someone, this would allow for two bi-weekly, half-hour flights, or one monthly one hour flight. I can live with this as long as I am able to maintain my currecncy until she is finished with school. I am also to feed my addication by acting as a safety pilot for another pilot I work with who is going for his instrument rating.

More importantly, I have been trying to figure out how I might be able to use my license to help others by establishing a non-profit organization that might provide foster children with an opportunity to take free rides and expose them to something they may never have the opportunity to experience. So, if you have any ideas as to how I can use my newly learned skills to help others, please let me know.