AdamZ
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2005
- Messages
- 14,866
- Location
- Montgomery County PA
- Display Name
Display name:
Adam Zucker
Today was a double dose of good day. I had another lesson in the Lance today. I'm happy we got it in because Philly is supposed to get dumped on major league... scratch that Philly IS in the process of getting dumped on major league. We are at the start of a storm that will bring us 8-12" at least.( And I'm going to NY to ski for two days tomrrow) Talk about timing. Anyway. The ceiling is around 11000 with a solid overcast so I know it will be nice and smooth. The snow was not supposed to start till 4:00 PM. The CFI says he isn't going to say much this lesson just wants to see what I do. Preflight went well. Cold but well, We examined the $900.00 repair on the nose gear stop we found last week and the new tire that I suggested he replace. Like I said all was good although cold. Gotta love 100LL evaporating off your hands in 23 degree temps.
Oddly winds shifted out of the North East so we took off of 6. I thought it was strange because the storm was approaching from the SW
We get permisson to transition NXX NAS Willow Grove's Delta and they as pleasantly as always grant it we cross over while watching a Warthog land below us. We are off to Trenton for some work in the pattern. on the second pattern for 6 at 129Kts GUMPS then I call Gear down and in transit........hmmm no red gear unsafe light well some much for the intransit part. OK I read this procedure in the POH and experienced it in the fall as a Pax. I call out 1) Master on 2) Breakers ok 3) Rheostat/ inst and panel lights off 4) Gear indicator lights in and out. Ok thats not working So 1) Confirm master on 2) Gear Lever Down 3) Slow to 87kts 4) Wag the tail and rock the wings 4) depress emergency gear extender level count to ten and thud thud......thud Ahhhhh Three in the green one notch of flaps, turn base GUMPS Final Third notch and 1-mixture full rich 2-Prop full forward and 3-in the green. The best part was the from time to time the only word my CFI uttered sort of under his breath but audible was a very subtle but powerful "excellent". I did have one 'butt bumper landing' not really to bad just a matter of getting more used to landing with power something I never ok very rarely do in the Archer or Tiger. after Six circuits in the pattern it was off to the practice area. To do more slow flight, and steep turns. I really like steep turns. Not a great fan of slow flight and stalls but understand they are necessary so I push myself to do more than the CFI wants. I say lets do that one more time. It is so bizzar to need right rudder in order to turn left. Then we are off to KPNE for an touch and go on 6. CFI was impressed with my situational awareness b/c as I was recovering from Slow flight I notice traffic at my 11:00 closer than I like, a warrior turning toward me. CFI didn't see him as we lost him under my left wing. We were instructed to make right traffic for 6 Then Tower instructed to cross the approach path for 24 an make left traffic for 6 due to conflicting traffic. I knew I saw him. Then backt to KLOM. By the time we headed back the pressue had droped from 30.17 to 30.01 blew through a quick bit of over anxious snow far in front of the impending storm.
Not only were every one of my landings and takeoffs centerline perfect but I didnt' need to change powe settings in the pattern until short final. All but one landing was like buttah and the pattern was tighter than ...well they were tight thats all. I know I keep saying this but there is just something that feels soooo inherintly stable in this plane. Approaches, slow flight, steep turns especially. I recall my first lesson. As Spike put it its like the plane is taking YOU for a ride. I was like whoa this thing is 400' in the air and I'm still on the runway. Now I really feel so comfortable almost like am part of the plane. ( Be the ball Danny be the ball humnnmmn)
If all this wasn't good enough today I met a friends and his 16 y/o son at the airport. For his first lesson. I introuduced him to aviaiton and to this FBO. ( See my post in hangar talk) I will sign us up for the pilot mentor program at AOPA. While I was in there another student I referred for her IR to the FBO showed up for her first lesson. The owner asked her about herself and she told them I referred her. After I landed from my complex lesson there is a message on my cell phone from the FBO owner thanking me and explaining that a $100 credit to my account at the FBO. What a great day.
Oddly winds shifted out of the North East so we took off of 6. I thought it was strange because the storm was approaching from the SW
We get permisson to transition NXX NAS Willow Grove's Delta and they as pleasantly as always grant it we cross over while watching a Warthog land below us. We are off to Trenton for some work in the pattern. on the second pattern for 6 at 129Kts GUMPS then I call Gear down and in transit........hmmm no red gear unsafe light well some much for the intransit part. OK I read this procedure in the POH and experienced it in the fall as a Pax. I call out 1) Master on 2) Breakers ok 3) Rheostat/ inst and panel lights off 4) Gear indicator lights in and out. Ok thats not working So 1) Confirm master on 2) Gear Lever Down 3) Slow to 87kts 4) Wag the tail and rock the wings 4) depress emergency gear extender level count to ten and thud thud......thud Ahhhhh Three in the green one notch of flaps, turn base GUMPS Final Third notch and 1-mixture full rich 2-Prop full forward and 3-in the green. The best part was the from time to time the only word my CFI uttered sort of under his breath but audible was a very subtle but powerful "excellent". I did have one 'butt bumper landing' not really to bad just a matter of getting more used to landing with power something I never ok very rarely do in the Archer or Tiger. after Six circuits in the pattern it was off to the practice area. To do more slow flight, and steep turns. I really like steep turns. Not a great fan of slow flight and stalls but understand they are necessary so I push myself to do more than the CFI wants. I say lets do that one more time. It is so bizzar to need right rudder in order to turn left. Then we are off to KPNE for an touch and go on 6. CFI was impressed with my situational awareness b/c as I was recovering from Slow flight I notice traffic at my 11:00 closer than I like, a warrior turning toward me. CFI didn't see him as we lost him under my left wing. We were instructed to make right traffic for 6 Then Tower instructed to cross the approach path for 24 an make left traffic for 6 due to conflicting traffic. I knew I saw him. Then backt to KLOM. By the time we headed back the pressue had droped from 30.17 to 30.01 blew through a quick bit of over anxious snow far in front of the impending storm.
Not only were every one of my landings and takeoffs centerline perfect but I didnt' need to change powe settings in the pattern until short final. All but one landing was like buttah and the pattern was tighter than ...well they were tight thats all. I know I keep saying this but there is just something that feels soooo inherintly stable in this plane. Approaches, slow flight, steep turns especially. I recall my first lesson. As Spike put it its like the plane is taking YOU for a ride. I was like whoa this thing is 400' in the air and I'm still on the runway. Now I really feel so comfortable almost like am part of the plane. ( Be the ball Danny be the ball humnnmmn)
If all this wasn't good enough today I met a friends and his 16 y/o son at the airport. For his first lesson. I introuduced him to aviaiton and to this FBO. ( See my post in hangar talk) I will sign us up for the pilot mentor program at AOPA. While I was in there another student I referred for her IR to the FBO showed up for her first lesson. The owner asked her about herself and she told them I referred her. After I landed from my complex lesson there is a message on my cell phone from the FBO owner thanking me and explaining that a $100 credit to my account at the FBO. What a great day.
