Finally restarted my flying lessons.

GoFly said:
How long has this been going on?
Click to expand...
Ooh, your friends with their fancy persuasion
Don't admit that it's part of a scheme
But I can't help but have my suspicions
'Cause I ain't quite as dumb as I seem

Ace, 1974
 
SFDukie said:
Ooh, your friends with their fancy persuasion
Don't admit that it's part of a scheme
But I can't help but have my suspicions
'Cause I ain't quite as dumb as I seem

Ace, 1974
Click to expand...
But the original was written by the Gershwin bros in 1927. Here's Ella's version.

 
Crashnburn said:
Hi All,

I'm back. I know it's been a while since I posted. I felt I was spending too much time on this board and not enough time even thinking about actually flying.

Hope you all are sitting down, but you were right about flight simulation. It got me a long way, including helping me get over my ground fear and especially crosswind landings. All three of my CFIs thought that it was OK to use it,

However, it got to the point that 20 minutes on the simulator felt like an hour, and an hour in a real plane feels like about 5 minutes. But what really happened was Micro$oft kept doing Windows 10 bug fixes, and just like what happened with FSX, Lockheed Martin didn't keep up. Eventually, the plane wouldn't generate enough power to get out of ground effect. I couldn't get TrackIR to recognize XP11 nor XP12, and M$F$ 2024 felt like buying a pig in a poke, so I didn't install it.

And, surprisingly, at least to me, my flying improved. What I call an intervention at Aero-Shere with my 3 CFI's and the FBO manager about not pushing to solo and they would all be happy to fly with me got me to trying harder, and that helped.

Most of the constructive criticism, and what took me the longest time, was to fly a consistent pattern, especially maintain airspeed and 500 fpm descent turning to base and final, and maintain 65 knots until I pull the power and start the round out. I almost never have a problem going to fast on final, it's keeping my speed up. I've found I can take quick peeks at the ASI, and keep the plane on the center line until the runway is made.

Except for my first few landings at Aero-Sphere, they've all been pretty good, except for the time I landed on the nose wheel and got shaken up. After 2 bounces in an underpowered plane, I decided it was best to go around and try again. I applied full power, and with 30 degrees of flaps, it gently settled to the runway, and I pulled the power. That was enough excitement for the day. Aaron said that was the right decision. After that, I've been a lot better about flaring.

I had a flight with Sara Friday, last week. She only had minor criticisms and said overall I crushed it. I flew with Aaron Monday, and he said I should schedule a flight with Kate, the new FBO manager, and after that, we'd talk. They haven't used the word "solo", but I'm sure that's what they are leading up to. I'm scheduled to fly with Kate tomorrow afternoon. It's in the underpowered plane, so I hope the density altitude isn't too high for safe flight.

Today, Aaron said he would be my dummy pilot, let me take care of where to go, and all the details. That's pretty much how it went from Longmont to Greeley for three landings, and back to Longmont. However, he helped with traffic avoidance.

I saved my best landing for Longmont. I was on the glide slope when I turned final, and a slight nudge of trim got me to 65 knots. I pulled power when I had the runway made, rounded out and eventually flared. The plane didn't really want to land for a long time, so I just let it glide in ground effect until it was done flying. Both Aaron and I were happy with that landing.

I have a plane picked out, a Cessna C177B Cardinal. I'm concerned about the spar carry through, but I have a neighbor down the way with a C177 RG. Unfortunately, his seats are out, so I couldn't double check for clearance. I want to make sure I fit before I go any further.

I'm hoping to have more good news for my next post.
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Crash, just out of curiosity, I have three questions:

1) How many total flight hours do you have?
2) How many different instructors have you flown with?
3) What is your average flight time per month?

Have you ever thought about taking a week or ten days off from everything else to just go fly with a single instructor every single day? As long as you’ve been at it, flying with multiple CFIs and in multiple planes, there has got to be a lot of confusion from having heard multiple approaches and trying to fly with different panel layouts and instrument configurations.

I have to wonder if you would benefit from narrowing your focus and using an immersion-style learning technique to lock down your instrument scan and control inputs.
 
StraightnLevel said:
Crash, just out of curiosity, I have three questions:

1) How many total flight hours do you have?
2) How many different instructors have you flown with?
3) What is your average flight time per month?

Have you ever thought about taking a week or ten days off from everything else to just go fly with a single instructor every single day? As long as you’ve been at it, flying with multiple CFIs and in multiple planes, there has got to be a lot of confusion from having heard multiple approaches and trying to fly with different panel layouts and instrument configurations.

I have to wonder if you would benefit from narrowing your focus and using an immersion-style learning technique to lock down your instrument scan and control inputs.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestions. I've mostly been flying with one instructor the last several months. For a while, I tried to fly as many days as possible, but I took a week off for a road trip to an alumni dinner at Wichita State University, and I actually flew better than before I left. I saw this happen last year when flying with Vector Air. I know this goes against accepted theory, but that's been my experience.

I'm also not just hearing but starting to listen to the pilots on the radio, and starting to look for ADSB traffic on the GPS, as well. That's what made the difference and got me taking a pre-solo check ride today (fingers crossed).
 
I learned to fly at a class D airport. You had to use the radio just to taxi.
Early in my training I got a hand held radio and spent hours after training listening to the radio and watching the planes come and go. I made up my weather paperwork up for my knee board by listening to the AWOS in my truck. Also did the same thing for my IFR clearance paperwork. It was a lower level stress listening in my truck behind the fence than when I was in the plane.
Don't know if that will help you any?
 
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StraightnLevel said:
Crash, just out of curiosity, I have three questions:

1) How many total flight hours do you have?
2) How many different instructors have you flown with?
3) What is your average flight time per month?

Have you ever thought about taking a week or ten days off from everything else to just go fly with a single instructor every single day? As long as you’ve been at it, flying with multiple CFIs and in multiple planes, there has got to be a lot of confusion from having heard multiple approaches and trying to fly with different panel layouts and instrument configurations.

I have to wonder if you would benefit from narrowing your focus and using an immersion-style learning technique to lock down your instrument scan and control inputs.
Click to expand...

Crashnburn said:
Thanks for the suggestions. I've mostly been flying with one instructor the last several months. For a while, I tried to fly as many days as possible, but I took a week off for a road trip to an alumni dinner at Wichita State University, and I actually flew better than before I left. I saw this happen last year when flying with Vector Air. I know this goes against accepted theory, but that's been my experience.

I'm also not just hearing but starting to listen to the pilots on the radio, and starting to look for ADSB traffic on the GPS, as well. That's what made the difference and got me taking a pre-solo check ride today (fingers crossed).
Click to expand...

You did not answer the questions!
 
The flight went well. I've had two more flights since then. I walked into the FBO this morning and Aaron said I was on the hairy edge of being ready to solo; but he wanted to wait until cooler weather. We are having a heat wave, so I asked when?

We were going to fly to today, some landings, some simulated emergencies, some ground reference maneuvers, and as much traffic awareness as possible. Unfortunately, the alternator had failed during runup.

I flew with Kate, Monday, to Fort Morgan KFMM and back. My first attempt ended up as a go-around. Lately, I've been able to feel the plane sinking out from under me as it loses lift, and on that attempt, I felt we were too high when I felt the plane losing lift, so I went around. The second landing was uneventful.

I was able to find a Piper that had just taken off from Longmont and said "It looks like he's turning crosswind" just before the pilot announced the same. We followed him in, but he was a lot faster than us. When I was finishing up the round-out, and starting the flare, a gust of wind caught the plane and threw it all over the place. I got it back over the center line, and had the plane lined up with it when we touched down. Kate gave me a chef's kiss after the landing.

She said I'd come a long way since our first flight to Ft. Morgan and her only criticism was that I forgot to close the carb heat on go-around.

I have a Stratus 3 ADS-B receiver and a 8.3" mini-iPad with ForeFlight on it. The iPad is registered with HD, but I need to use either my Stratus or their Sentry in EQ. The first time I used it, the screen was really dark, but now it's bright as day. When I wore a dark shirt, there wasn't any glare, but there was with a white shirt. I have a matt screen protector on order that will take care of the glare.

My downwind to base, and base to final turns are now nominal. I was unconsciously pulling the throttle back about 200 RPM on base, so consistently rolling out under the glide slope on final. I figured out a cure. I rest my first two fingers on the knurled knob around the throttle shaft, and the RPM stays put, AND I'm now consistently rolling out on glide slope.

I might fly tomorrow at noon, but it doesn't look good. ForeFlight's MOS is predicting high temps and winds at Noon, and EQ is NOT a high temp. plane.
 
What the hell does the temperature have to do with soloing? Hitch up your balls and tell them they either explain what deficiency you have preventing it right now or to let you go.
 
Salty said:
What the hell does the temperature have to do with soloing? Hitch up your balls and tell them they either explain what deficiency you have preventing it right now or to let you go.
Click to expand...

High density altitude, maybe?
 
Crashnburn said:
The flight went well. I've had two more flights since then. I walked into the FBO this morning and Aaron said I was on the hairy edge of being ready to solo; but he wanted to wait until cooler weather. We are having a heat wave, so I asked when?
Click to expand...

The weather looks pretty good for Friday ... especially in the morning. You need to strike while the fire is hot ...

ETA: If the forecast holds you'd be using runway 34.
 
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FMM is pretty far out there for pre-solo work! Burning around 1.5 in the air alone, just to do a go around and a landing. You could knock out a dozen or more landings at LMO in that time.
 
Crashnburn said:
1) A lot.
2) A lot.
3) A lot.

Does it matter?
Click to expand...
Yes.

At some point in time a hard look at the evidence demands your readers to consider things differently. Not answering the questions might preserve psychological well being but hide realities not yet talked much here.

For example, in the world of trading the market there is a lot of fluff and bragging, success stories, and massive wins. But at the end of the year, comparing one’s efforts and energies to some yardstick, let’s call it the sp500, must be done. All of the bluster often doesn’t pass muster, and the work does not beget outsized performance. It is how I call a duck a duck. And if traders won’t state their performance or underperform but claim some special exemption then I file them in the circular file of opinions. For my own efforts investing, it was extremely painful at times to evaluate my own performance, sink into despair and depression, and then change.

Or in the working world training a new employee, from my old world the process might take 13 weeks. Evaluations are given along the way and every chance is given for success, often with a new trainer, or maybe even more time. But at some point, the issue becomes apparent that the problem is not the employer, trainer, or work load and the employee is helped to find other work, sometimes in the org, other times not.

An additional question to ask, is how much money have you spent so far?
 
@4RNB - does it really matter, though? He's just flying for recreation and enjoyment. His CFIs are obviously not about to turn him loose before he is a safe pilot. If he is okay with the rate and progress of his training and how much he is spending, why does it matter what we think? He's not asking us if his flight school is milking him or screwing him over. Maybe he will never get to the checkride. I hope that isn't the case, but so what if it is? He isn't trying to train for a job, he is flying for enjoyment and there aren't any laws that say a person can't fly with a CFI for 10,000 hours and never get their license.
 
SkyChaser said:
@4RNB - does it really matter, though? He's just flying for recreation and enjoyment. His CFIs are obviously not about to turn him loose before he is a safe pilot. If he is okay with the rate and progress of his training and how much he is spending, why does it matter what we think? He's not asking us if his flight school is milking him or screwing him over. Maybe he will never get to the checkride. I hope that isn't the case, but so what if it is? He isn't trying to train for a job, he is flying for enjoyment and there aren't any laws that say a person can't fly with a CFI for 10,000 hours and never get their license.
Click to expand...
I agree, but then why keep talking about a pending solo?
 
Half Fast said:
High density altitude, maybe?
Click to expand...
KLMO has a 5000 ft runway. Also, Aerosphere's 172s are mostly STCd with the 180 hp engine and perform pretty stoutly (I got my PPL there).

In my experience, the instructors there wanted you to succeed, and weren't interested in milking money out of people, so if they keep pushing back a solo for this guy, the reason is probably not because they like taking his money for no reason.
 
Salty said:
What the hell does the temperature have to do with soloing? Hitch up your balls and tell them they either explain what deficiency you have preventing it right now or to let you go.
Click to expand...
Because it's not fun when it's over 95 and DA is 2000 higher than physical altitude when you start at 5000 ft. Unless you can schedule the solo before 10 am, it's just not fun. When it's a first solo, you want to minimize the negatives. I schedule to the annual in July because I hate being in a flying convection oven.
 
This topic started in August of 2021 when the poster said they had not lost much ground.
Since then, I’d be hard pressed to explain what additional ground has been gained.
FOUR YEARS
And didn’t have a medical for a lot of it?
And won’t answer questions directly?
And keeps explaining how things are to us rather than listen or query? If the posters insights and self critiques had any value the performance would have improved.

If the poster just wanted to claim they were doing things for fun and be a perpetual student, so be it. I’m good with that.
 
murphey said:
Because it's not fun when it's over 95 and DA is 2000 higher than physical altitude when you start at 5000 ft. Unless you can schedule the solo before 10 am, it's just not fun. When it's a first solo, you want to minimize the negatives. I schedule to the annual in July because I hate being in a flying convection oven.
Click to expand...
I’d go along with that if this wasn’t the dozenth reason.
 
murphey said:
Because it's not fun when it's over 95 and DA is 2000 higher than physical altitude when you start at 5000 ft. Unless you can schedule the solo before 10 am, it's just not fun. When it's a first solo, you want to minimize the negatives. I schedule to the annual in July because I hate being in a flying convection oven.
Click to expand...
More like 3000’ above and if he’s flying “EQ,” it’s only 160HP (according to the website). I actually agree with the ADM on that one.
 
Well, I'm signed off to solo. It would have happened today in Greeley, but the weather gods weren't cooperative, and the winds were too strong. And I thought the weather was too weird. Maybe Saturday. My CFI said to keep wearing my ugly T-shirt.IMG_3553.jpeg302929556883005183.jpeg
That's me landing the plane at KGXY today. The picture was taken by the mechanic/pilot I ferried there so he could check out and fly the plane back to KLMO. Both Aaron and Vince said I made a good landing there.

I think there are a few reasons why we fly to different airports. The first is there is a lot of traffic at KLMO and often we have to extend downwind to accommodate traffic ahead of us. Second, the air here is often unstable. When I first flew to KGXY, KFMM, etc., I had a hard time keeping the plane's wings level and it headed in the right direction. I was wondering then if I would ever be able to react fast enough not to have the plane ride like a bucking bronco. And I wasn't over controlling.

Today, for the first time, Aaron said I was doing a lot better job of keeping the plane under control and even offered to let me use the autopilot. I declined. I figured if I was paying to fly the plane, I was going to fly the plane!

Calm wind is 4 knots or less and 29 at KLMO is the calm wind runway, and I had a 4-knot tailwind landing there today. I also had a 6-knot crosswind. I'm sure spending so much time flying in turbulent air helped me deal with the crosswind. I thought I would have to think about banking into the wind and using opposite rudder, but it all happened automagically.

When we got back, he didn't have any words of what I needed to do to improve.

I'm still hardly perfect at picking out traffic, but much better. I have great distance vision, but my eyes had to learn to focus on tiny dots at a great distance, farther than I needed to worry about in California. When we were waiting at the hold short line, I actually saw traffic on final before he did and then picked up everything else he saw.

My next lesson with Aaron is Saturday.
 
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As of this timestamp….gorgeous weather, not much wind, not even a light breeze at the northern Colorado airports. If the Cherokee weren’t in for annual, I’d head up north to watch the solo.
 
I soloed sometime in the 80s and the only thing I remember is that I actually had to land since the other seat was empty. Kind of a SURPRISE moment. Of course it’s stupid but there I was with no safety net for the first time…so it was time to act

Anyway, here’s to a great solo by crash sometime soon
 
Flying Keys said:
At 1730z, N738HD did three laps at LMO, taxied in for a minute, and went right back out and did four more laps. That you, @Crashnburn? If so, congrats!
Click to expand...
Absolutely. Thank you very much.

So, I now have 0.5 PIC time.

I was only supposed to two laps. One touch and go, and one full stop. I had two go-arounds in between. The first was I didn't like the spacing between the plane on short final and me, considering I had just turned final. I powered up, offset to the right and announced a go-around.

The next lap, I was on final and a guy who had been waiting at the hold short line pulled out onto the runway and took off. I'm sure he violated at least one FAR. I got just a little bit hot when he did that, but then it was back to aviating, navigating, and communicating.

I had decided up front that this was going to be a 20-degree flap day because it was bumpy and the higher airspeed helps me control the plane better. However, on my last pattern, I ended up being a little too high and a little too close for 20 degrees to get me down, even at idle. I decided to try 30 degrees flaps (and the air was smooth as silk then), and 30 degrees, idle, and 65 knots got me down to the aiming point at the right height to flare. Maybe all those hours I've spent flying weren't all for naught. If I wasn't going to make the aiming point, I would have gone around (Aaron likes my ADM).

Anyway, that was my best landing of the day.

As I rolled out, I could see Aaron on the ramp jumping for joy and waving his fists in the air.

Some notes
When we took off, there weren't that many people in the pattern. By the time I made my last landing of the day, I had a hard time getting my position reports in sideways.

I announced my first solo just before I took 29 and got encouraging calls. Then, on my fourth solo lap, after I announced turning final, they encouraged me, telling me I could do this. I responded, something like, I'll be fine landing the plane, I just need people to stay off the runway.

As I finished rolling out, a couple people gave me congratulations. I said, "Thank you, HD clear of 29", then taxied back to Aaron and shut down. I was surprised, all that excitement only took an hour.

Finally, I guess knowing I was my only traffic spotter, I did a lot better spotting traffic. At least once, I saw the traffic before ADSB reported it.

Thank you all for your words of advice and encouragement.

To celebrate, I bought a big bucket of KFC extra crispy fried chicken. I'll stop at Cold Stone Creamery later.
 
Crashnburn said:
Absolutely. Thank you very much.

So, I now have 0.5 PIC time.

I was only supposed to two laps. One touch and go, and one full stop. I had two go-arounds in between. The first was I didn't like the spacing between the plane on short final and me, considering I had just turned final. I powered up, offset to the right and announced a go-around.

The next lap, I was on final and a guy who had been waiting at the hold short line pulled out onto the runway and took off. I'm sure he violated at least one FAR. I got just a little bit hot when he did that, but then it was back to aviating, navigating, and communicating.

I had decided up front that this was going to be a 20-degree flap day because it was bumpy and the higher airspeed helps me control the plane better. However, on my last pattern, I ended up being a little too high and a little too close for 20 degrees to get me down, even at idle. I decided to try 30 degrees flaps (and the air was smooth as silk then), and 30 degrees, idle, and 65 knots got me down to the aiming point at the right height to flare. Maybe all those hours I've spent flying weren't all for naught. If I wasn't going to make the aiming point, I would have gone around (Aaron likes my ADM).

Anyway, that was my best landing of the day.

As I rolled out, I could see Aaron on the ramp jumping for joy and waving his fists in the air.

Some notes
When we took off, there weren't that many people in the pattern. By the time I made my last landing of the day, I had a hard time getting my position reports in sideways.

I announced my first solo just before I took 29 and got encouraging calls. Then, on my fourth solo lap, after I announced turning final, they encouraged me, telling me I could do this. I responded, something like, I'll be fine landing the plane, I just need people to stay off the runway.

As I finished rolling out, a couple people gave me congratulations. I said, "Thank you, HD clear of 29", then taxied back to Aaron and shut down. I was surprised, all that excitement only took an hour.

Finally, I guess knowing I was my only traffic spotter, I did a lot better spotting traffic. At least once, I saw the traffic before ADSB reported it.

Thank you all for your words of advice and encouragement.

To celebrate, I bought a big bucket of KFC extra crispy fried chicken. I'll stop at Cold Stone Creamery later.
Click to expand...
Congrats! What’s next?
 
Crashnburn said:
Absolutely. Thank you very much.

So, I now have 0.5 PIC time.

I was only supposed to two laps. One touch and go, and one full stop. I had two go-arounds in between. The first was I didn't like the spacing between the plane on short final and me, considering I had just turned final. I powered up, offset to the right and announced a go-around.

The next lap, I was on final and a guy who had been waiting at the hold short line pulled out onto the runway and took off. I'm sure he violated at least one FAR. I got just a little bit hot when he did that, but then it was back to aviating, navigating, and communicating.

I had decided up front that this was going to be a 20-degree flap day because it was bumpy and the higher airspeed helps me control the plane better. However, on my last pattern, I ended up being a little too high and a little too close for 20 degrees to get me down, even at idle. I decided to try 30 degrees flaps (and the air was smooth as silk then), and 30 degrees, idle, and 65 knots got me down to the aiming point at the right height to flare. Maybe all those hours I've spent flying weren't all for naught. If I wasn't going to make the aiming point, I would have gone around (Aaron likes my ADM).

Anyway, that was my best landing of the day.

As I rolled out, I could see Aaron on the ramp jumping for joy and waving his fists in the air.

Some notes
When we took off, there weren't that many people in the pattern. By the time I made my last landing of the day, I had a hard time getting my position reports in sideways.

I announced my first solo just before I took 29 and got encouraging calls. Then, on my fourth solo lap, after I announced turning final, they encouraged me, telling me I could do this. I responded, something like, I'll be fine landing the plane, I just need people to stay off the runway.

As I finished rolling out, a couple people gave me congratulations. I said, "Thank you, HD clear of 29", then taxied back to Aaron and shut down. I was surprised, all that excitement only took an hour.

Finally, I guess knowing I was my only traffic spotter, I did a lot better spotting traffic. At least once, I saw the traffic before ADSB reported it.

Thank you all for your words of advice and encouragement.

To celebrate, I bought a big bucket of KFC extra crispy fried chicken. I'll stop at Cold Stone Creamery later.
Click to expand...
Awesome, congrats!
 
Congratulations! You finally became a pilot!

Now you just need to keep working at it so you can get your FAA certification to reflect that fact.

You should be proud of yourself, brother!
 
Mazel tov! You definitely had a cheering section, even if a few of us doubted you. Way to prove us wrong
 
Thank you all. I appreciate your kind words. Even if Aaron hadn't occasionally commented about the progress I was making, I knew I was making progress.

I think it was Henry Ford who said "Whether you believe you can do, or don't believe you can do it, you're probably right."

Oh, I'd probably have enough time to qualify for commercial, but I think it has to be PIC time, and I have a few more hours to get. :)
 
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