I could do this once - lesson 17
Jul. 4th, 2006 05:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
slipstreamsurfrToday we opted to depart from GKY for a bit of slow flight practice and landings at Spinks.
Out in the practice area we played a game. I would fly the plane on a heading and altitude. He would monkey with the power. I would retrim the plane and stay at the same altitude. I had a 50 foot window. For the most part I did okay. Even to the point of holding us in slow flight with the stall warning horn blaring I still held our altitude. He had me turn left, then right 180 degrees. Still good on altitude, I had to add a little power because we were so on the edge, but a good practice.
Good enough and so we headed to Spinks for landing practice and tower communication practice. I handled the calls with the tower today, did a pretty good job over all. I think they only have one controller because every time we go over there for landings, it's the same voice on the radio. Don't they ever let him leave?
My first landing at Spinks required a go-around. This is the first go-around I've had to do since I started flying again. I was about a half mile behind the plane and just wasn't getting it lined up on the runway correctly and we were far, far to high. The second approach was almost a repeat of the first, but I somehow got it down in altitude and we tried for a touch and go. We talked about what was going wrong and I went for the next one. Standardize the approach, at the touchdown marker pull power to 1500-1700rpm, pitch for 80 knots, 10 degrees, turn base, 20 degrees of flaps and 70 knots, turn final (early Mitch, get ahead of the plane, don't want to fly back to the runway) and put in 30 degrees of flaps and 65. I managed to pull this one off okay, except I dropped the crosswind correction again after the gear was planted. We took off again and made another pattern. This time I tried to do it without Mischa chanting in the headset, got the first 10 degrees in and 80, turned and got the 20 degrees and 70 in, turned final and just dropped on putting in the last 10 of flaps and I landed it. Again dropping out the crosswind correction after the main was planted.
We went around one last time and I tried it again, I got all my flaps in, more or less at the right time, speed control was a bit off. I've seemed to lost my ability to trim when I'm close to the ground. At altitude it's no problem, second nature, 1000 feet or so AGL and what's a trim wheel? I managed to plane a so so landing and we take off. Departing Spinks airspace with their blessing to the west (my one botched radio call to them of the day, but he didn't laugh at me at least, at least not where I could hear it ;) )
We headed back to GKY as the plane was due back soon, I called on inbound to the pattern for 34. Botched that because I forgot to tell them from where I was inbound from. Got in the pattern, pulled power, had problems getting trimmed for 80 and 10 degrees, got the turn to base, the next notch of flaps, then to final, overshot it and had to fly back to it with the last of the flaps in. I fought for the centerline but my feet and hands seemed to not want to talk to one another by now. I got us down, fairly close to the centerline, then dropped the crosswind correction out once more. (shakes head) and started braking for the turn off. This surprised Mischa, he had assumed we'd do a touch and go, I assumed we'd do a full stop since the plane was due back. No problems, I turned off the runway, cleaned up and taxied it back.
For some reason I've hit a big slump on the landings all of a sudden. Just last week or so I could do them. I wasn't really far behind the plane. Most of them were power off, flapless landings. Today, I couldn't find the runway with both hands and a roadmap. I was about a half mile behind the plane. If Mischa is there prompting in the headset I put it all together and we come off with a fair landing, once he lets me have my own way with it, I get slow, hesitate, get behind, turn too shallow. The goal the rest of the week is some desk flying. Burn the procedure in place, abeam the touchdown zone, power back, 80, 10 degrees of flaps, base, 20 degrees of flaps and 70, final, 30 degrees of flaps and 65 and land. Learn it, live it, do it. I used to be able to land. I could do this once. Not that long ago.
--1.8
--6 landings
Out in the practice area we played a game. I would fly the plane on a heading and altitude. He would monkey with the power. I would retrim the plane and stay at the same altitude. I had a 50 foot window. For the most part I did okay. Even to the point of holding us in slow flight with the stall warning horn blaring I still held our altitude. He had me turn left, then right 180 degrees. Still good on altitude, I had to add a little power because we were so on the edge, but a good practice.
Good enough and so we headed to Spinks for landing practice and tower communication practice. I handled the calls with the tower today, did a pretty good job over all. I think they only have one controller because every time we go over there for landings, it's the same voice on the radio. Don't they ever let him leave?
My first landing at Spinks required a go-around. This is the first go-around I've had to do since I started flying again. I was about a half mile behind the plane and just wasn't getting it lined up on the runway correctly and we were far, far to high. The second approach was almost a repeat of the first, but I somehow got it down in altitude and we tried for a touch and go. We talked about what was going wrong and I went for the next one. Standardize the approach, at the touchdown marker pull power to 1500-1700rpm, pitch for 80 knots, 10 degrees, turn base, 20 degrees of flaps and 70 knots, turn final (early Mitch, get ahead of the plane, don't want to fly back to the runway) and put in 30 degrees of flaps and 65. I managed to pull this one off okay, except I dropped the crosswind correction again after the gear was planted. We took off again and made another pattern. This time I tried to do it without Mischa chanting in the headset, got the first 10 degrees in and 80, turned and got the 20 degrees and 70 in, turned final and just dropped on putting in the last 10 of flaps and I landed it. Again dropping out the crosswind correction after the main was planted.
We went around one last time and I tried it again, I got all my flaps in, more or less at the right time, speed control was a bit off. I've seemed to lost my ability to trim when I'm close to the ground. At altitude it's no problem, second nature, 1000 feet or so AGL and what's a trim wheel? I managed to plane a so so landing and we take off. Departing Spinks airspace with their blessing to the west (my one botched radio call to them of the day, but he didn't laugh at me at least, at least not where I could hear it ;) )
We headed back to GKY as the plane was due back soon, I called on inbound to the pattern for 34. Botched that because I forgot to tell them from where I was inbound from. Got in the pattern, pulled power, had problems getting trimmed for 80 and 10 degrees, got the turn to base, the next notch of flaps, then to final, overshot it and had to fly back to it with the last of the flaps in. I fought for the centerline but my feet and hands seemed to not want to talk to one another by now. I got us down, fairly close to the centerline, then dropped the crosswind correction out once more. (shakes head) and started braking for the turn off. This surprised Mischa, he had assumed we'd do a touch and go, I assumed we'd do a full stop since the plane was due back. No problems, I turned off the runway, cleaned up and taxied it back.
For some reason I've hit a big slump on the landings all of a sudden. Just last week or so I could do them. I wasn't really far behind the plane. Most of them were power off, flapless landings. Today, I couldn't find the runway with both hands and a roadmap. I was about a half mile behind the plane. If Mischa is there prompting in the headset I put it all together and we come off with a fair landing, once he lets me have my own way with it, I get slow, hesitate, get behind, turn too shallow. The goal the rest of the week is some desk flying. Burn the procedure in place, abeam the touchdown zone, power back, 80, 10 degrees of flaps, base, 20 degrees of flaps and 70, final, 30 degrees of flaps and 65 and land. Learn it, live it, do it. I used to be able to land. I could do this once. Not that long ago.
--1.8
--6 landings