SkyChaser
Pattern Altitude
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2020
- Messages
- 2,019
- Display Name
Display name:
SkyChaser
The good weather finally coincided with a weekend and stayed longer than an hour and when that happens, this happens:
1.6 awesome hours later, I felt like I really was a pilot again. After only flying my night xc on Jan. 13 and before that Dec. 20th, I was worried I would be so rusty by now. I wasn't. LOL
It was ideal weather - cloud layer at 12k and light winds almost directly down the runway. I did three great short landings right away - landing exactly where I was aiming for each time, just about greasing it on each time. I've never been able to get that so perfect before! I tried some soft field next. That didn't work as well. It seems like they should be easier since it's not so precise, but they weren't yesterday. If it had been a true soft field, I'd have been trying to figure out how to get a plane out of the mud! After getting a sorta passable one, my CFI had me try a couple no-flap landings before heading in, since the DPE likes to fail the flaps. She didn't know if he would in the Archer (the recent tests have all been in Skyhawks), but we did a few just in case. I had to go-around my first attempt due to overshooting the final turn. Without flaps, that plane was SO slippery-feeling. And round-out...I felt like I was almost standing the plane on it's tail the nose was up so high! I'm so thankful for flaps - it's nice to be able to see more!
So, now I'm signed off again for solo and hoping for a lot more good weather this week and next weekend!
1.6 awesome hours later, I felt like I really was a pilot again. After only flying my night xc on Jan. 13 and before that Dec. 20th, I was worried I would be so rusty by now. I wasn't. LOL
It was ideal weather - cloud layer at 12k and light winds almost directly down the runway. I did three great short landings right away - landing exactly where I was aiming for each time, just about greasing it on each time. I've never been able to get that so perfect before! I tried some soft field next. That didn't work as well. It seems like they should be easier since it's not so precise, but they weren't yesterday. If it had been a true soft field, I'd have been trying to figure out how to get a plane out of the mud! After getting a sorta passable one, my CFI had me try a couple no-flap landings before heading in, since the DPE likes to fail the flaps. She didn't know if he would in the Archer (the recent tests have all been in Skyhawks), but we did a few just in case. I had to go-around my first attempt due to overshooting the final turn. Without flaps, that plane was SO slippery-feeling. And round-out...I felt like I was almost standing the plane on it's tail the nose was up so high! I'm so thankful for flaps - it's nice to be able to see more!
So, now I'm signed off again for solo and hoping for a lot more good weather this week and next weekend!