Guess What I Did Today

SkyChaser

SkyChaser

Pattern Altitude
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SkyChaser
So, I had another lesson today. I got to the airport before the sun did today - I watched it rise over the runway. It was really pretty.
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After three laps, with three close-to, or actual, greasers, this happened:
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On downwind, all by myself!!!
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I did three full-stop, taxi back landings. All of them were quite nice. I only worried about screwing up when I was within about 10 feet of the runway, but otherwise, I was barely nervous at all. It was mostly just amazing and absolutely awesome! :)
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AND THEN! If that wasn't enough - one of my instructor's other students cancelled for his lesson (that was two hours later). So I spent those two hours planning my first cross country! I flew to an airport about 50 NM away, but flew over my house on the way, so it was 65NM each way. On the way there, I flew using dead reckoning and pilotage. The airports were spaced very nicely on the sectional in relation to the folds and fit perfectly on my kneeboard! On the way back, I was under the foggles the whole way, using the GPS. That was fun.
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Over my town.
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Back from my first cross country! It got warmer. ;)

It was a really busy day, but it was super, super fun and awesome!
 
Best new thread today!
Congratulations. That is awesome.
Always a real pleasure to hear about another PoA pilot in the making.
Really enjoyed the pictures and story. Keep 'em coming as you continue to progress with your training.
 
Congrats! Very cool Skychaser!
 
Archer... an Arrow with knee problems!

I joke. Looks like a blast. The Sac Arrow approves.
 
Zeldman said:
So, did the plane feel different without the right seat weight sitting there.??
Click to expand...

It did, just a little! LOL The DA was super low this morning so the difference was probably not as pronounced, but I was climbing at 1600 fpm at Vy. That does not usually happen! :)
 
SkyChaser said:
So, I had another lesson today. I got to the airport before the sun did today - I watched it rise over the runway. It was really pretty.
IMG_20200829_064234962_HDR.jpg


After three laps, with three close-to, or actual, greasers, this happened:
IMG_20200829_073627422_HDR%257E2.jpg


On downwind, all by myself!!!
IMG_20200829_074854832.jpg

I did three full-stop, taxi back landings. All of them were quite nice. I only worried about screwing up when I was within about 10 feet of the runway, but otherwise, I was barely nervous at all. It was mostly just amazing and absolutely awesome! :)

It was a really busy day, but it was super, super fun and awesome!
Click to expand...

Congratulations! Have your feet touched the ground yet? ;-)

Did you feel like you were flying a different airplane without the CFI in the plane?
 
Congratulations.:happydance: :blueplane:

Isn't it amazing how much better the airplane flies without all that dead weight in the right seat? :devil:
 
NHWannabe said:
Congratulations! Have your feet touched the ground yet? ;-)

Did you feel like you were flying a different airplane without the CFI in the plane?
Click to expand...

I don't think my feet have touched the ground yet. :) And the plane climbed a lot faster and descended a lot slower, which felt pretty funny at first. It didn't help that today, the DA was really low for the first time in a long while, too! LOL
 
SkyChaser said:
It did, just a little! LOL The DA was super low this morning so the difference was probably not as pronounced, but I was climbing at 1600 fpm at Vy. That does not usually happen! :)
Click to expand...

Kids these days are soooo spoiled. :D
I learned to fly in the summer 46 years ago in a 100 hp Cessna 150. When I did my first solo it was the first time to 1000 AGL before turning downwind. They didn't tell me about that :eek::)

Seriously, the Archer is a great airplane. When you get your PPL (a matter of weeks at the pace you are going :thumbsup:) you'll be able to do some serious cross country exploring in it.
 
Congrats, great accomplishment. As you see, it goes fast from here, cross countries, night flight, and before you know it, time for the ride! Go!
 
When you got home after your most excellent day (and congratulations, by the way), I’ll bet you were one tired PILOT!

-Skip
 
Did you change shirts because the first one had the tail cut off? Is that still a thing? Also, that is the first open ash tray I've seen in a long time.

Congratulations!
 
Timbeck2 said:
Did you change shirts because the first one had the tail cut off? Is that still a thing? Also, that is the first open ash tray I've seen in a long time.

Congratulations!
Click to expand...

I was wearing a sweatshirt over my T-shirt for solo because it was about 52* out for that one. It was 75* by the time I did my xc, so I took it off. My shirt stayed intact. :) (The ashtray is open because it rattles when it's shut and is very annoying.)
 
SkyChaser said:
It did, just a little! LOL The DA was super low this morning so the difference was probably not as pronounced, but I was climbing at 1600 fpm at Vy. That does not usually happen! :)
Click to expand...
I thought 1600fpm...no way, my Archer won't do that when it's negative DA....then I realized I probably weigh as much as you AND your cfi lol
 
Timbeck2 said:
I wonder what that's like. :sad:

By the way, you have a twin in Vail, Arizona. (doppelganger) You look exactly like my girls' babysitter a few years ago. Her name is Lacy.
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52* is nice, until it's the high temperature for the day!

I've never been to AZ before, though I want to go someday! I take it it's not 52* there. ;)
 
Jim K said:
I thought 1600fpm...no way, my Archer won't do that when it's negative DA....then I realized I probably weigh as much as you AND your cfi lol
Click to expand...

Probably not quite! LOL With my CFI on board, we were climbing at a more respectable 1000ish fpm. :)
 
Timbeck2 said:
Double it!
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My sister moved to Arizona a few years ago because she was convinced she was having health problems due to the damp climate of her previous New England area home. She's moving back to the east coast next month. Guess she decided that she'd rather be sick than baked. Arizona sure looks gorgeous, and we'll be heading out west sometime for an extended road trip in the next year or so, but I could never live in that kind of heat. I barely make it through summer in upstate NY. I'm a winter/fall guy, and the colder the better. Really, the main reason I like fall is because I know winter is coming. No bugs, no mud, no dirt, quiet, lots to do, fires in the woodstove, wonderful smells, snowshoeing and xcountry skiing, ...Mmmmm....bring it on!

Folks who can deal with heat have my deep admiration...wish I could. As long as I can jump in a lake or the ocean every 15 minutes, I can deal and enjoy baking a bit. If I'm just walking around or working, heat is just sheer misery to me.
 
BORING!!!

No in flight fires? No wings falling off? No almost crashing because a hawk came through the windscreen? No 3 turns into a spin because you had to avoid a midair?

You can't call yourself a pilot until you learn to tell a proper, "There I was..." story. Now go back and edit the first post and tell us what REALLY happened. :D
 
EdFred said:
BORING!!!

No in flight fires? No wings falling off? No almost crashing because a hawk came through the windscreen? No 3 turns into a spin because you had to avoid a midair?

You can't call yourself a pilot until you learn to tell a proper, "There I was..." story. Now go back and edit the first post and tell us what REALLY happened. :D
Click to expand...
On a completely unrelated note, one of the funniest signs I ever saw was outside an expat bar in a tiny town in Mexico. It said, "Beer......because no good story starts with, 'So there we were, sharing a salad....'"
 
MuseChaser said:
On a completely unrelated note, one of the funniest signs I ever saw was outside an expat bar in a tiny town in Mexico. It said, "Beer......because no good story starts with, 'So there we were, sharing a salad....'"
Click to expand...


And no good adventure starts with, “Here, hold my soy milk.”
 
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