Sport Pilot Talk

Took my first lesson at the age of 6 in october 1991... Solo'd today, in Sport Cruiser N777NG at KRUQ in Salisbury NC.

What a RIDE! Also took the checkout for the Class B/C/D today (Concord, Charlotte, and Greensboro... all passed without my instructor having to do anything except clarify what runway i wanted on my initial call up... i assumed i'd be assigned!)

Had two issues that I'd like some clarification one:

1) Take off, it climbs faster (we expect this). How often to you tell students that trim will be different? I ended up getting very high on downwind and ended up with a high approach to final... no biggie, corrected by going long on base and doing a quick S-Turn into final... life is good.

2) This is the one I really want some clarification on... Pilot was on base->final and so I held short -- announced i was holding short as well... he saw me... then never announced clear of 20. I announced positioning on runway 20... and heard silence... called up my instructor who informed me that he never declared clear, but was actually already in the fuel box, shut down, and out of the plane... Whats the appropriate procedure here when you can't see the entire runway? Do a quick taxi to find out? ask other traffic? I know making the assumption is incorrect, and i didn't want to do that. I do not have (nor do most planes have) TCAS, and at a small GA airport, i doubt he was squawking on the ground anyways...

Whats the consensus?

Sounds like you did great! Watch you altimeter in the pattern and you won't end up high.

Not sure what to tell you about the plane clearing the runway. You can always ask the pilot if he's clear after he lands.

Happy flying!

Congrats on the Solo! Yes, these smaller GA a/c do feel different with only one aboard.

Mind that 'extended base, with S turn on final' choice, it's half a step into cross-controlling the a/c just when you don't want to be doing so. There's no shame in choosing to go around; it just illustrates your 'airmanship' quiver is has a full load of arrows.

I recently had the same experience you did, as the most oft-used runway at our airport - KHEG - is 4,000' with a hump in the middle. I chose to depart after a suitable wait and two CTAF calls because, for how we were loaded, I could be off by the 'hump point'...and really, what's the alternative? Back-taxi on the taxiway until you find the 'missing a/c'? It's very disappointing how cavalier some pilots are on their radio calls and a wee bit of peer pressure ("Say, I didn't hear you declare you were clear of the active the other day; left me kinda hanging...") wouldn't be an inappropriate thing to say, with a small smile, even if you are in training.

_________________
Jack
RAF Florida State Liaison
Please visit www.theraf.org