Flying Is So Awesome

Congrats on the awesome flight. I fully understand your feeling. I have been flying since the early 80's and I still love it.

In regards to your iPad battery, I purchased two of these external iPad batteries. I have one for my iPad and one for my Stratux. I never have to worry about my battery running down. You can fly all day on one of these.

https://www.amazon.com/EC-Technolog...0682247&sr=8-3&keywords=ipad+external+battery
 
rfunston said:
I sure am glad you didn't lose oil pressure. You would have never known. I definitely don't agree with your CFIs tactics. There are better ways to cover individual flight instruments for partial panel operations.
Click to expand...

This was just one trip around the pattern with an 85-year old CFI and DPE who has been flying forever and has more than 7,000 hours in 172s. He is a recipient of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. I think the experience was worthwhile.
 
Sinistar said:
So I'm just a lowly student now signed off to solo. Last night the winds were calm so took the old Skylane out for several touch and go's. Then full stopped, drank a bunch of water and departed to the practice area to just fly on my own for the first time. AWESOME. Peaceful. Alone. Private. Could feel the adventure. Didn't want to fly back...but my tablet was down to 8% so I didn't want have to rely solely on my VOR skills and get lost :) Cleaning a thousand smashed bugs and still smiling!
Click to expand...

Great post! It explains the real reason a lot of us fly (not the tablet part, though :) ).
 
Congrats!

like others have hinted at- look out the window more. The views from the left seat can't be matched. Oh- and you will start navigating using that big VFR chart below.
 
DesertNomad said:
This was just one trip around the pattern with an 85-year old CFI and DPE who has been flying forever and has more than 7,000 hours in 172s. He is a recipient of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. I think the experience was worthwhile.
Click to expand...
My cfi used a couple checklists to cover up the primary gauges without covering the engine gauges. He also did it in a way that he could still see the primary gauges from his side.
 
I figured the tablet comment would inspire a few comments! Actually, I flew out to practice area just as I usually did, course and looking out the window. Once I got out there I made myself find the 2 nice grass strips and several other good fields. What was great about this flight was the looking out the window!!!

Once I had my bearings straight I did some steep turns about a point...our house. Then flew around a bigger lake, spotted a power parachute driver...below me....but a lot higher up than expected. Usually there are 2 or 3 out together so lots of intense looking after spotting him. I purposely came back south of our normal return path to get the wider, longer runway. Heard the tower approve a Blackhawk to fly over the field 500' above pattern altitude as I was coming in so I started down to pattern altitude a bit early. Sure enough, passed right over me, that black was really easy to spot and the tower notified each of us in advance. Nice to feel ahead of the situation and nice to have some not so standard radio work without the cfi next to me.

Regarding the tablet, I guess we have a light hearted approach. He's fine with always having it with. When needed he just turns it off. A few times he has demonstrated things such as the difference in altimeter vs gps altitude and ground speed vs ias on really windy days. He always makes me use the sectional view. I always have the paper sectional in the pocket next to me. We're using the paper sectional quite a bit now as we're doing our second cross country this week and all by paper, stopwatch, vors and looking out the window. I have a hunch he likes that I have the tablet as a backup even though I know the area quite well. We are very close to the bravo surface column and I know he doesn't want me making that mistake.
 
MassPilot said:
My cfi used a couple checklists to cover up the primary gauges without covering the engine gauges. He also did it in a way that he could still see the primary gauges from his side.
Click to expand...

Meh. Can't even see half of them from the right seat in many panels. He or she will get over that need to see them from over there eventually. :)

Sinistar said:
Heard the tower approve a Blackhawk to fly over the field 500' above pattern altitude as I was coming in so I started down to pattern altitude a bit early. Sure enough, passed right over me, that black was really easy to spot and the tower notified each of us in advance. Nice to feel ahead of the situation and nice to have some not so standard radio work without the cfi next to me.
Click to expand...

Just a word of caution, flying under a helicopter is usually not recommended. Especially if they're heavy and slow. Be alert if they crossed your altitude as you reach that point, their downwash can give you a Bad Day(TM). Same thing if they departed from or arrived on a runway just prior to you.

Have you seen the video of the Cirrus crash at KFNL? Blackhawk departed via the runway, and quite some time later, a Cirrus in the landing flare was flipped over inverted at about 15' AGL and impacted inverted next to the runway.

Give helos plenty of room.
 
Thanks for the advice on the helo!

While listening to the tower I could tell they had been flying the same speed and same altitude and were just transitioning thru the Delta airspace. I think we crossed at a 45 degree angle or should I say he overflew the field 1500ft above the field and at a 45 degree angle to the parallels. I am sure the tower would have chimed in had it been a wake/rotor turbulence situation...they are quite conservative where we are (which works for me).
 
Don't bank on it. They are humans. Ask if it sounds "odd".
 
Sinistar said:
Thanks for the advice on the helo!

While listening to the tower I could tell they had been flying the same speed and same altitude and were just transitioning thru the Delta airspace. I think we crossed at a 45 degree angle or should I say he overflew the field 1500ft above the field and at a 45 degree angle to the parallels. I am sure the tower would have chimed in had it been a wake/rotor turbulence situation...they are quite conservative where we are (which works for me).
Click to expand...

I just don't share airspace with helicopters anymore after nearly being swatted to the ground by a CH-47 that crossed the runway in front of me unannounced as I crossed the numbers on final. For several seconds I was doubtful as to the outcome of that landing.
 
brian] said:
Don't bank on it. They are humans. Ask if it sounds "odd".
Click to expand...

Agreed. Numerous aircraft have been affected by both helos and standard wake turbulence from other fixed wing aircraft, with poor outcomes, even though the minimum separation was met.

The phrase to remember is "Don't accept 'maybe'." "Maybe this is ok..."

If you hear your inner voice asking that question, just ask it out loud to the controller. No harm can be done by asking.

All's well that ends well, but beware getting complacent about wake turbulence... that's when it tries to bite. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top