stagecoachco
Line Up and Wait
Pilot in Command time, .5 yesterday and .7 today.
I did my first solo yesterday at LMO (Longmont). Three full stop landings with four trips around the pattern. One go around!
I was doing pattern work with my instructor at LMO and we were doing no flap landings. I seemed to be putting the plane on the ground pretty good, so he said, lets make the next one a standard approach and a full stop. I figured I knew what was up, and my palms started sweating immediately. Sure enough, he makes me stop near the taxiway and gets out.
My first trip around the pattern wasn’t too bad. Didn’t hold it off quite long enough, and hit a little hard, but still serviceable. As I was in the runup waiting to takeoff, an approaching plane decided to switch the traffic from 29 to 11 based on the AWOS (winds were 0-3knts, variable so it really depended on which moment you listed to the AWOS). No problem, I just taxied down the the other end.
Next landing I really didn’t hold it off long enough and got a good bounce. I realized that I was still fast, so I decided to go around. Full throttle, carb heat in, and immediately reduce flaps from 30 to 20 deg. I pushed the nose down a little to remain in ground effect to accelerate, and when I reached 65 kts, started to pull back a little. As speed and climb rate increased I slowly bleed off the remaining flaps. It was a little scary, but I felt confident that I knew what I was doing, and had made the right decision.
The next lap I consciously made myself relax and loosen up. On my turns from downwind to base and base to final, I noted that I was slowing up to much. I felt pretty good that I recognized the trend and confirmed it with a glance to the Airspeed Indicator and pushed the nose down. This landing had a little bounce too, but not so much to warrant a go around. I taxied back to my instructor, and we talked a bit. He said I was doing great, and congratulated me on making the right decision on the go around. He asked if I had another one in me, and I said sure.
The last pattern was pretty uneventful, I was actually getting used to flying by myself!!! After an acceptable landing I taxied back. That was it, my FIRST SOLO. I actually feel like a pilot now!!!!
Thanks for all the encouragement from POA’ers.
Here is a link to a low quality video a friend took from the approach end with his cell phone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEhcIas_DPc
I did my first solo yesterday at LMO (Longmont). Three full stop landings with four trips around the pattern. One go around!
I was doing pattern work with my instructor at LMO and we were doing no flap landings. I seemed to be putting the plane on the ground pretty good, so he said, lets make the next one a standard approach and a full stop. I figured I knew what was up, and my palms started sweating immediately. Sure enough, he makes me stop near the taxiway and gets out.
My first trip around the pattern wasn’t too bad. Didn’t hold it off quite long enough, and hit a little hard, but still serviceable. As I was in the runup waiting to takeoff, an approaching plane decided to switch the traffic from 29 to 11 based on the AWOS (winds were 0-3knts, variable so it really depended on which moment you listed to the AWOS). No problem, I just taxied down the the other end.
Next landing I really didn’t hold it off long enough and got a good bounce. I realized that I was still fast, so I decided to go around. Full throttle, carb heat in, and immediately reduce flaps from 30 to 20 deg. I pushed the nose down a little to remain in ground effect to accelerate, and when I reached 65 kts, started to pull back a little. As speed and climb rate increased I slowly bleed off the remaining flaps. It was a little scary, but I felt confident that I knew what I was doing, and had made the right decision.
The next lap I consciously made myself relax and loosen up. On my turns from downwind to base and base to final, I noted that I was slowing up to much. I felt pretty good that I recognized the trend and confirmed it with a glance to the Airspeed Indicator and pushed the nose down. This landing had a little bounce too, but not so much to warrant a go around. I taxied back to my instructor, and we talked a bit. He said I was doing great, and congratulated me on making the right decision on the go around. He asked if I had another one in me, and I said sure.
The last pattern was pretty uneventful, I was actually getting used to flying by myself!!! After an acceptable landing I taxied back. That was it, my FIRST SOLO. I actually feel like a pilot now!!!!
Thanks for all the encouragement from POA’ers.
Here is a link to a low quality video a friend took from the approach end with his cell phone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEhcIas_DPc
