flyersfan31
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2006
- Messages
- 14,269
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Display name:
Freiburgfan31
WAhooo! Got to log my first solo actual time, and approach. FLew to KOQU (Quonset) in RI this morning. TS Ernesto had cleared out of here, but was still finishing up in NE. Coastal airports were reporting 15g20 winds, 800 overcasts, -RA, BR but good vis, lower winds off the coast. Entered the clouds as expected just east of New Haven on descent. Intermittent rain, solid clouds, but relatively smooth ride. Kept the autopilot on for heading, which helped.
I had briefed the ILS16 several times on the ride up, but it still seemed like a lot of action after being cleared to intercept. I was happy to have vectors instead of a full approach. Flew to the intercept by hand, made a few major overcorrections due to slight rust in the skills (plus I only had 2 approaches in actual during training, and they were done under the hood anyway). Once I got myself in the groove, remembered to make gentle corrections, everything kind of came together, and I rode down the ILS pretty much smack on.
Broke out about 300 above DH, runway just ahead, did a nice crosswind slip and probably my best crosswind landing ever, wing low and left main touching first, smooth roll-off onto right main. Winds were cranking a bit, about 20kts but only about 30 off the nose. The runway is twice the length of Wings, so I had a TON of runway left when I taxiied off. Nothing like an ILS and a long runway to make an easy approach!
I have to say, 3 tools in my cockpit are worth every $$$ for actual IFR -- the STEC30, the G430, and the G396 with WX. Definitely made this flight easier for me. I feel like I'm cheating with that gear helping out, but whatever it takes to fly safely, I'll do!!
I had briefed the ILS16 several times on the ride up, but it still seemed like a lot of action after being cleared to intercept. I was happy to have vectors instead of a full approach. Flew to the intercept by hand, made a few major overcorrections due to slight rust in the skills (plus I only had 2 approaches in actual during training, and they were done under the hood anyway). Once I got myself in the groove, remembered to make gentle corrections, everything kind of came together, and I rode down the ILS pretty much smack on.
Broke out about 300 above DH, runway just ahead, did a nice crosswind slip and probably my best crosswind landing ever, wing low and left main touching first, smooth roll-off onto right main. Winds were cranking a bit, about 20kts but only about 30 off the nose. The runway is twice the length of Wings, so I had a TON of runway left when I taxiied off. Nothing like an ILS and a long runway to make an easy approach!
I have to say, 3 tools in my cockpit are worth every $$$ for actual IFR -- the STEC30, the G430, and the G396 with WX. Definitely made this flight easier for me. I feel like I'm cheating with that gear helping out, but whatever it takes to fly safely, I'll do!!
