wpierce
Pre-takeoff checklist
(cross post)
My lesson last Saturday had me seriously contemplating giving up. I was behind the plane the whole time, couldn't stay on the localizer, it was bumpy, great for practicing cross wind landings... not so great for trying to line up an ILS landing. I did two touch and goes at one of our local airports then flew home and did a ILS ending in a circle to land. The wind was more than I was expecting, directly across the runway and I was crabbing down to the flare, I didn't lower the upwind wing and when I flared I actually saw the plane moving to the right of center. This was the first time I actually saw the plane being blown across the runway. Not a good end to not a good lesson.
Last night, my CFII, our new partner (WayPoint who's posted here a couple of times) and I went out for another lesson. Russ is working on his IR, too, and has just passed his written so we are very close to the same point. Russ flew first with a DME arc approach into UOX. It sucked for me, he did it great! Then we came back to Olive Branch where he was vectored into the ILS 18, again he did pretty good.
My turn, its dark, no wind and I just wanted to do a couple of ILS 18 so we took off and MEM ATC vectored me pretty good, I slowed the plane when I should have and basically I was ahead of the plane the whole time. Remember there is no wind, so that's not saying a whole lot. But, I nailed the GS and LOC on all three attempts, I went missed at the appropriate altitude and did not bust any of my altitudes. The third attempt was again nailed and the landing was about as smooth as you can land a Cherokee. It was an excellent evening and one that I really needed to turn out the way it did.
I only wish I could have seen the three attempts, I love flying at night and they had the rabbits on! There is nothing more beautiful about flying then seeing an airport environment at night, well at least to me.
Yea, me!
My lesson last Saturday had me seriously contemplating giving up. I was behind the plane the whole time, couldn't stay on the localizer, it was bumpy, great for practicing cross wind landings... not so great for trying to line up an ILS landing. I did two touch and goes at one of our local airports then flew home and did a ILS ending in a circle to land. The wind was more than I was expecting, directly across the runway and I was crabbing down to the flare, I didn't lower the upwind wing and when I flared I actually saw the plane moving to the right of center. This was the first time I actually saw the plane being blown across the runway. Not a good end to not a good lesson.
Last night, my CFII, our new partner (WayPoint who's posted here a couple of times) and I went out for another lesson. Russ is working on his IR, too, and has just passed his written so we are very close to the same point. Russ flew first with a DME arc approach into UOX. It sucked for me, he did it great! Then we came back to Olive Branch where he was vectored into the ILS 18, again he did pretty good.
My turn, its dark, no wind and I just wanted to do a couple of ILS 18 so we took off and MEM ATC vectored me pretty good, I slowed the plane when I should have and basically I was ahead of the plane the whole time. Remember there is no wind, so that's not saying a whole lot. But, I nailed the GS and LOC on all three attempts, I went missed at the appropriate altitude and did not bust any of my altitudes. The third attempt was again nailed and the landing was about as smooth as you can land a Cherokee. It was an excellent evening and one that I really needed to turn out the way it did.
I only wish I could have seen the three attempts, I love flying at night and they had the rabbits on! There is nothing more beautiful about flying then seeing an airport environment at night, well at least to me.