My week of flight training - Review of events

[Cluemeister]

Clue, are you training at RZR?

Yes

[Cluemeister]

Sorry for the one word answer!

As you probably know, KRZR is a fantastic facility. Brand new airport, nice building.

I see you're in Chattanooga. Feel free to pm me if you would like to meet up and have lunch sometime!

[hirschr]

Yes, RZR is nice! I usually catch their CAP Pancake Breakfast on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Good luck with your training, I enjoy the updates. Let me know if you want to wing it old school, my Ercoupe is based at FGU.

[Cluemeister]

Well, feeling much better, so back up today. It had been 8 days since my last lesson, so after preflight (checked the fuel 3 times!). I announced on the radio "Cleveland Regional 60045 departing runway 21 Cleveland" or something like that.

Lined up on runway, full throttle on three count, speed's alive, right rudder, check the pressures, get to 50, rotate, gently pull back and we fly off the runway. Not sure why this seemed so difficult before! Up at 62 knots and instructor notices I have a tendency to bank right slightly on take off. I didn't notice, but he was correct. I need to keep an eye on that! Went out to the practice area, and did some turns around a point, and some slow flight. He said he just wanted to get me more comfortable at the controls as it had been a week. I agreed. Relaxed a little. Now flew back to the pattern. I did all the radio work today. "Cleveland Regional 60045 entering downwind pattern on the 45 Cleveland" or something like that.

Today the first 5-6 landings were touch and goes, so it was a little faster paced. But in general, the pattern work was tighter, the rhythm of the landing sequence was better. The speeds he wants are 70 after abeam and flaps - 65 on base - 60 on final. I was holding those numbers pretty well. Lined up runway much better, very little coaching required for the final approach. At landing, he still verbally coaches me to pull at ground effect, but it's not corrective as much as a reminder.

The last part of the lesson was another round of simulated engine out emergency landings. The instructor did two of them. Started on downwind, pulled carb heat, and then pulled throttle back. He demonstrated getting back to the runway right away, using flaps as needed, and described that instead of three things (throttle, altitude and airspeed), you only have two things to work with. He said on this third one you will control the plane, but I'll control the throttle. We started the engine out on downwind and I was concerned about my airspeed and altitude and didn't turn back to the airport right away. Turned and tried to keep speed high enough but not lose altitude. Banked to the runway, and came in too low. The instructor added power (which of course would not have been there in a real emergency) to get us to the runway. He said we probably would have made it in a real emergency, but no need to take chances. The takeaway was that I managed my airspeed and altitude poorly and had plenty of both to get there. It was not pretty! I look forward to practicing these further.

After the lesson, we talked about the pre solo test. I am going to take that this week.

I have three lessons scheduled next week. He said if the situation allows it (weather, winds) and I do well in the next lesson, he anticipates I will be doing my first solo on one of those next three lessons. I'm glad we're talking about a solo ahead of time, as I don't enjoy the stories of the instructor who jumps out of the plane and says "go on up yourself now", highly surprising the student. But that's just me!

1.3 on the Hobbs today - 19.4 total

[MackAttack]

Sometimes a few days off can reduce stress and improve skills! Looking forward to the solo report - and the photos! Don't wear a nice shirt ...

[drseti]

1.3 on the Hobbs today - 19.4 total

Thank you, Clue, for being so candid about your flight hours to date. Far too many flight schools claim they will solo you in 10 hours, and cite the FAA minimum requirement of 20 hours when answering the inevitable question "how long will this take?" Both figures are generally unrealistic. They fail to take into account the myriad variables that determine just how much training a given student actually needs. Your numbers look altogether realistic, and you are well on track to becoming a safe and competent Sport Pilot. Keep up the good work!

[Cluemeister]

1.3 on the Hobbs today - 19.4 total

Thank you, Clue, for being so candid about your flight hours to date.

Thanks Paul. I feel it's important to show future student pilots what was involved for me in getting a SP certificate. Other Sport Pilots I've talked to are in the 35-40 hours to certificate. Young guys as we know tend to be quicker.

The truth is in the very beginning I was concerned about how long it would take. But as I started training, I realized how little I knew after 15 instructor hours! I see no downside to additional training, and I enjoy it.

I'll get a license to learn at some point in the future, and then the education continues!

[MrMorden]

I'd probably raise my eyebrows a bit at anybody who solos in less than 20hrs or so, never having flown before. It just takes most people that long to understand how to control the airplane and get their coordination down.

I soloed at about 20 hours and got my certificate at 38.5. I changed instructors and airplane types in the middle, which slowed things a little bit. But I think it was great experience to be exposed to different instructors and airplanes.

Sounds like you are perfectly on track!

[3Dreaming]

I not to long ago had a student solo at about 12 hours.

[drseti]

I think my best was 13 hours, but we're probably talking about youngsters. My demographic is the older student checking off a square on the bucket-list, and those generally need more time. Fortunately, most of my students are in no rush!

[SportPilot]

.......

[3Dreaming]

Just an observation, but it seems like for a new student, the number of hours to get a Sport Pilot certificate closely correlates with age.

It's not just age. The airplane they are flying also makes a big difference. The student I had solo in 12 hours was flying my Warrior. If he had been in the CT it would have likely been at least 50% more.

[Cluemeister]

Went up on Thursday and focused again on pattern work. Takeoffs solid, touch and goes solid, landing still a little weak, but I'm picking at myself little. We practiced bounced landings, and crabbing. Instructor says I'm ready to solo, and I'm a cautious pilot.

Solo was scheduled for yesterday. We got rained out. Rescheduling for Monday or Tuesday. I have my solo shirt in the back of my car ready to go, as wife says I can't ruin one of my good shirts.

Oh yeah, 1.3 on the Hobbs. Crossed 20 hours today.

[MackAttack]

Congrats!!! Post pics of the solo when you take it!!

[Cluemeister]

Well, today was the day I was supposed to solo. Winds looked a little iffy on the forecast, with about a 10 knot crosswind. I just said, well, let's see what happens. As the day went on, the winds never did shift, and stayed within 10 degrees of runway 3, with winds about 5 knots. So that was good.

Get to the airport just before 3 pm. Instructor is there, said let's preflight the plane. We taxi out, and run up. I ask him a question prior to takeoff, and he just looks at me from the right seat and says "I'm not here. I'll only get involved if I need to."

I single, double and triple check everything, and we take off. Pretty good takeoff. Right at about 300 feet, we hit some pretty bumpy thermals, a little surprising, but came through them fine. Turned a messy left crosswind, and then to downwind.

Got abeam the numbers, pulled the carb heat, pulled throttle back to about 1600, and bled off speed. Pulled flaps, turned base, and then came in for a landing. Not bad.

Second time around powered through the thermals better, tighter pattern, and then came into land. All was good until I flared too high. The plane was floating, but when we ran out of enough speed, we fell from a few feet and bounced. Recovered quickly, and landed. The instructor explained I flared too high, and needed to get lower. I'm glad it happened with him in the aircraft!

Third time was a planned go around, to make sure I understood completely the go around procedure in case I didn't like my landing. We did a go around, I've got it ok. Came in to land.

We taxi and he says, "What do you think, are you ready?" I said "I'm ready." He said drop me off by the end of the runway where you take off and land, and I'll talk to you as needed.

I am sitting in the run up area. Nobody but me. A plane of some kind says it's coming in to land. Did they say this airport? Did they say a different one? I wait and watch, and can't see. After a few minutes the instructor comes on the radio and says "are you ok?" He must have thought I had stage fright. I say "I heard an aircraft coming in and I'm trying to spot him". After I said this, the other pilot spoke up and said he was a helicopter, and coming in to land at the pad at this airport. I then spotted him, he was clear of everything, and I announced that I was departing runway 3.

I line up, take a deeeeeeep breath, and push in the throttle. I was expecting to take off much more quickly, but I didn't notice if I did or not. Got up to 50 and rotated, came up off the runway, and away I went. Then I thought "Get to at least 500 feet without engine trouble. I don't need an engine out on my first solo."

Got up about 600 ft, began my left turn, and then downwind. Got abeam, did what i was supposed to do, and then came in base and final. Little high, pulled flaps, lined up, and came in ok. Landing was a little off center, no bounce, but I did it! I landed an airplane! I landed an airplane!

Second time was the best. Good takeoff, good pattern, and a wonderful landing. The instructor came on and said "With landings like that you don't need me anymore!" I thanked him and said "One more".

Then the day got a little interesting. Prior to takeoff, a plane came on said he was planning on entering the left downwind for the pattern. He was about 3 miles out. I waited a minute or two just to be safe, and then got on the radio and said I was departing. Right after I took off, the other plane said he was in the downwind. Good, plenty of space. As I turned into the downwind, he said he was turning base. I couldn't see him, but he was being active on the radio to let me know where he was which was good. Right before I turned base, I heard him say he was on final. Ok, I thought, so I turned base and announced.

What I didn't know was that he took a loooooong downwind. So when he said final, he was actually much further out. At this point I've just turned base, and now I see him. Off to my right, coming in final. We were not on a collision course, but if I stay my course, I'm going to be right behind him. Luckily he was a faster low wing aircraft, so he was moving along. I decided to angle out my base, and then make a wide turn to final. This bought me a little time, and allowed me to get behind the aircraft with enough space. The whole time I'm thinking, nose down, keep the speed up, go around if you have to. I called final on the radio, lined up, and had an uneventful, but not pretty landing. That was three.

I turned off, cleared the runway, made the announcement on the radio, and sat there. Mentally tired, but a feeling of achievement unlike any I've felt in a long time. The instructor walked up to the plane, opened the door and shook my hand. I explained my actions on the last landing in regards to the other plane, and he said I did fine.

My wife came with me today, as she knew I was going to solo. However, she didn't see the instructor get out of the plane prior to my solo, so she thought something had happened and it was a regular lesson. She didn't realize I was flying solo until she saw the instructor get back in the plane on the taxiway. She said it was almost better that she didn't know.

I will follow up with a few pictures.