Who turned off the lights - lesson 20
Jul. 15th, 2006 12:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
slipstreamsurfrMy first night flying lesson tonight.
It was really different. I haven't flown 956 in a while, and she had just come out of her 100 inspection. So the preflight was extra close, extra attention, extra critical of everything. She passed our preflight and we loaded up and set the radios and got ready to taxi out.
Arlington was quite, one plane on approach, one plane waiting to take off. We taxied to the run up area and I worked the checklist. Checked the mags 3 times, because they didn't seem to drop the first time or two I checked them. Fiddled with the panel lights and found out what would work and what wouldn't. Briefed on emergency procedures in case of engine out on take off and we took off.
We grabbed a tight pattern and Mischa did the first landing to demonstrate how it's done in the dark. Off we went again and it was my turn. The air seemed still, although it really was just straight down the runway, made for easy pattern work tonight. I called my turns, dropped my flaps and speeds and turn INSIDE the turn to final for a change. Corrected and lined her up and rode her down the centerline for a change. Caught myself staring at the taxi light and forced myself to look UP the runway, flared at what seemed late but turned out to be just right, nice easy full stall landing, no side loads, on the centerline. Easy...
Off we went to the south west, time to grab some air underneath us and set up for some airwork in the dark. First he wanted slow flight. 50 foot margins above and below. I would tend to start to balloon up some, but wouldn't let it break my 50 foot mark. Then wanted me to turn left and slow flight, don't drop it, then right. Then full flaps. Then none. Then he called for straight ahead stalls. I watched the nose, stayed focused and stayed awake on the rudders. Clean buffets and I dropped, accelerated and recovered. Less than 50 foot loss of altitude. He called for a second, same thing, played the game, kept it all centered and recovered, less than 50 foot loss. He called for some full flaps power off stalls, played the same game. No problems. Called for power, and wanted a full power clean stall. These I botched only because I forgot to slow to 65 to enter them. I made sure I was in the white arc and performed them, keeping the P factor under control and the nose lined up and recovered. I did a second, same game. He took the controls and reminded me that entry was at 65, but I knew that right? (sheepish look on my part, glad it was dark) He demonstrated it from the proper entry speed. That's a better ride than six flags my friend. :)
It was amazing to watch the stars just rotate down the windshield as our nose came up and then they shot back up while we nosed over on the recovery. It was beautiful. We laughed about them and did some more. Everything was working well.
We set up and headed over to Spinks, their tower closed because it's late but nothing to worry about. We clicked the mike and lit up the runway, then played with setting the brightness. Such a simple thing, but so very fun. The first approach was good, I had lots of time, I nailed my numbers and had her on a good glidepath and the landing lights hit the runway and I fixated on them. Quickly Mischa said not the landing lights, look down the runway. I tore my eyes away from that bright patch and looked down, saw the problem I as about to cause on the flair and did it the right way. On she landed, a bit harder than the one in Arlington but nice non the less. We taxied all the way down to the end of the runway and turned around and took off the other way. We had no wind now. Up we go and pull the pattern. I line it up again and turn inside on the final again. I turn wide during the daylight, but inside at night. I wonder what's going on there. I'm a bit more rushed, but get it close to right and then Mischa failed my landing lights. THAT WAS FUN. The landing was much more, uhm, substantial then. He laughed and we left again. I did another where he failed the lights and it was better, but I was getting behind in the pattern now on the base to final setup.
He then wanted to try something new with me. What he calls a military approach. Pull power at the touchdown zone, nose to 85, drop in full flaps, ride the top of the white arc all the way on your continues turn from downwind to final. Bleed off the airspeed and set her down. One with lights, one without. They were actually a lot of fun. Talk about a steep approach though. We did a handful of these. I was starting to get sloppy on the centerline again and we decided to head back. We looked at the time and decided we still had the plane for a while so opted for a bit of site seeing. We flew north to I30, dropped to 1800 feet to stay under the class B shelf and stayed to the south side of the freeway and crossed Arlington. Saw the lights at DFW airport, saw Six Flags all lit up in the dark, the lights on the coasters. We turned south at 360 and headed towards the airport.
Mischa asked me if I had the field in site, and I told him that I had the beacon in sight but not the field. He asked where and I pointed it out. Good he said. Then I went looking for Grand Prairie but didn't see it, asked him about it and he looked over on my side, I'd already flown past it and it was just behind and off to the right from me. He asked how I was going to land at GKY. I told him I was planning to head to the marina and turn in on the inbound 45 to downwind for 16. He asked me why, I told him it was where people expect me to be coming from. A standard entry. He said good answer, but then warned that he will require me to do straight ins or other oddball approaches, just to make sure I can make the pattern work work out.
I brought us in, got us into the pattern, made the radio calls and pulled the power when I needed to. He called for the 'military' approach and I took to long getting it set up and the flaps in still flying AWAY from the airport. I turned got us into the turn and watched the altitude, the things on the ground and said, "We're going to be too low" as I started reaching for the power. He said yep, don't wait on me to fix it, fly the plane. I bit of power and I got us back where we needed to be and put it on the ground. We came to a full stop, and he called for a take off. Off we went again to do another pattern. I kept this one closer, got the power pulled, the flaps in, the 80 knots captured and the turn in. I came in tight on a short final and dropped like a rock. Over the touchdown markers and he's failed my landing light. I flair too flat and I bounce it, I felt the newly serviced nose gear(just out of 100 hour) compress and spring as I bounced it. This throws the nose up. The first thing I think of is 'porpoise' and I consider a go around. It didn't seem bad though and I wasn't too far out of everything, so I tried to work it on a bit more. I managed to get things back together and got the plane to land, this time with a more proper nose up attitude and got her to stay. I still had a bit too much lift in the wings and the mains tried to walk it right, then left before I bled enough lift out. If I hadn't had Mischa with me, I would have gone around. We talked about it afterwards, he said that it wasn't a bad porpoise that I started, but I did get one to start. He's glad I stayed with it and tried to work it out, and he actually hopes we have a bit worse one at some point in our training together so he can make sure I'll really know WHEN to go around. I told him I knew, and if he hadn't been there, and it was me alone, I would have gone around after the nose sprung like that.
All in all, a VERY good night. The plane flew well, I flew well, the landings stayed together. Everything was pretty. The air was smooth. I still don't like not being able to see much on the ground, but it wasn't bad. I can't wait until the next time!
--1.8 hours night
--8 landings
It was really different. I haven't flown 956 in a while, and she had just come out of her 100 inspection. So the preflight was extra close, extra attention, extra critical of everything. She passed our preflight and we loaded up and set the radios and got ready to taxi out.
Arlington was quite, one plane on approach, one plane waiting to take off. We taxied to the run up area and I worked the checklist. Checked the mags 3 times, because they didn't seem to drop the first time or two I checked them. Fiddled with the panel lights and found out what would work and what wouldn't. Briefed on emergency procedures in case of engine out on take off and we took off.
We grabbed a tight pattern and Mischa did the first landing to demonstrate how it's done in the dark. Off we went again and it was my turn. The air seemed still, although it really was just straight down the runway, made for easy pattern work tonight. I called my turns, dropped my flaps and speeds and turn INSIDE the turn to final for a change. Corrected and lined her up and rode her down the centerline for a change. Caught myself staring at the taxi light and forced myself to look UP the runway, flared at what seemed late but turned out to be just right, nice easy full stall landing, no side loads, on the centerline. Easy...
Off we went to the south west, time to grab some air underneath us and set up for some airwork in the dark. First he wanted slow flight. 50 foot margins above and below. I would tend to start to balloon up some, but wouldn't let it break my 50 foot mark. Then wanted me to turn left and slow flight, don't drop it, then right. Then full flaps. Then none. Then he called for straight ahead stalls. I watched the nose, stayed focused and stayed awake on the rudders. Clean buffets and I dropped, accelerated and recovered. Less than 50 foot loss of altitude. He called for a second, same thing, played the game, kept it all centered and recovered, less than 50 foot loss. He called for some full flaps power off stalls, played the same game. No problems. Called for power, and wanted a full power clean stall. These I botched only because I forgot to slow to 65 to enter them. I made sure I was in the white arc and performed them, keeping the P factor under control and the nose lined up and recovered. I did a second, same game. He took the controls and reminded me that entry was at 65, but I knew that right? (sheepish look on my part, glad it was dark) He demonstrated it from the proper entry speed. That's a better ride than six flags my friend. :)
It was amazing to watch the stars just rotate down the windshield as our nose came up and then they shot back up while we nosed over on the recovery. It was beautiful. We laughed about them and did some more. Everything was working well.
We set up and headed over to Spinks, their tower closed because it's late but nothing to worry about. We clicked the mike and lit up the runway, then played with setting the brightness. Such a simple thing, but so very fun. The first approach was good, I had lots of time, I nailed my numbers and had her on a good glidepath and the landing lights hit the runway and I fixated on them. Quickly Mischa said not the landing lights, look down the runway. I tore my eyes away from that bright patch and looked down, saw the problem I as about to cause on the flair and did it the right way. On she landed, a bit harder than the one in Arlington but nice non the less. We taxied all the way down to the end of the runway and turned around and took off the other way. We had no wind now. Up we go and pull the pattern. I line it up again and turn inside on the final again. I turn wide during the daylight, but inside at night. I wonder what's going on there. I'm a bit more rushed, but get it close to right and then Mischa failed my landing lights. THAT WAS FUN. The landing was much more, uhm, substantial then. He laughed and we left again. I did another where he failed the lights and it was better, but I was getting behind in the pattern now on the base to final setup.
He then wanted to try something new with me. What he calls a military approach. Pull power at the touchdown zone, nose to 85, drop in full flaps, ride the top of the white arc all the way on your continues turn from downwind to final. Bleed off the airspeed and set her down. One with lights, one without. They were actually a lot of fun. Talk about a steep approach though. We did a handful of these. I was starting to get sloppy on the centerline again and we decided to head back. We looked at the time and decided we still had the plane for a while so opted for a bit of site seeing. We flew north to I30, dropped to 1800 feet to stay under the class B shelf and stayed to the south side of the freeway and crossed Arlington. Saw the lights at DFW airport, saw Six Flags all lit up in the dark, the lights on the coasters. We turned south at 360 and headed towards the airport.
Mischa asked me if I had the field in site, and I told him that I had the beacon in sight but not the field. He asked where and I pointed it out. Good he said. Then I went looking for Grand Prairie but didn't see it, asked him about it and he looked over on my side, I'd already flown past it and it was just behind and off to the right from me. He asked how I was going to land at GKY. I told him I was planning to head to the marina and turn in on the inbound 45 to downwind for 16. He asked me why, I told him it was where people expect me to be coming from. A standard entry. He said good answer, but then warned that he will require me to do straight ins or other oddball approaches, just to make sure I can make the pattern work work out.
I brought us in, got us into the pattern, made the radio calls and pulled the power when I needed to. He called for the 'military' approach and I took to long getting it set up and the flaps in still flying AWAY from the airport. I turned got us into the turn and watched the altitude, the things on the ground and said, "We're going to be too low" as I started reaching for the power. He said yep, don't wait on me to fix it, fly the plane. I bit of power and I got us back where we needed to be and put it on the ground. We came to a full stop, and he called for a take off. Off we went again to do another pattern. I kept this one closer, got the power pulled, the flaps in, the 80 knots captured and the turn in. I came in tight on a short final and dropped like a rock. Over the touchdown markers and he's failed my landing light. I flair too flat and I bounce it, I felt the newly serviced nose gear(just out of 100 hour) compress and spring as I bounced it. This throws the nose up. The first thing I think of is 'porpoise' and I consider a go around. It didn't seem bad though and I wasn't too far out of everything, so I tried to work it on a bit more. I managed to get things back together and got the plane to land, this time with a more proper nose up attitude and got her to stay. I still had a bit too much lift in the wings and the mains tried to walk it right, then left before I bled enough lift out. If I hadn't had Mischa with me, I would have gone around. We talked about it afterwards, he said that it wasn't a bad porpoise that I started, but I did get one to start. He's glad I stayed with it and tried to work it out, and he actually hopes we have a bit worse one at some point in our training together so he can make sure I'll really know WHEN to go around. I told him I knew, and if he hadn't been there, and it was me alone, I would have gone around after the nose sprung like that.
All in all, a VERY good night. The plane flew well, I flew well, the landings stayed together. Everything was pretty. The air was smooth. I still don't like not being able to see much on the ground, but it wasn't bad. I can't wait until the next time!
--1.8 hours night
--8 landings