John Baker
Final Approach
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2008
- Messages
- 7,471
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Display Name
- John Baker
- Home Airfield
- KMYF
Today was a good day for me in San Diego, perfect weather, clear skies, almost no wind. Today, for the first time since I sold my Warrior, I went flying. It's been almost twenty months. I rented an Archer and flew with a buddy. We stayed in the pattern while I tried to guess at the assorted things I had to do.
I actually did surprisingly well, other than forgetting to set my directional gyro on the check list for instruments. All my radio work was about perfect. My first landing, was downright sloppy. I had forgotten that I was a mono vision pilot, and I failed to follow the landing procedures for folks who can only see out of one eye. I ended up with, for starters, starting my flair too high, and setting her down somewhat abruptly, sort of emebarsilgly hard. I had also done a very sloppy job on my downwind and base.
After giving it all some thought, something I don't much care to do when I'm having fun, I decided I had better fly by the numbers and do the things I aught to do in their proper sequence and speeds.
Second landing......grease. Then Bob did a couple, and I did two more, the last one no flaps. I came in a little fast for no flaps, but followed my landing sequence correctly and greased it in again.
To the amazement of the flight school, their airplane was still usable when I brought it back.
Anyway, even though I can no longer afford such frivolities, I decided the heck with it this morning, got my headset, called Bob, and headed out.
Fun Day.
Feel free to post your own stories about how you did after long breaks, or any atta boys you want to dispense.
-John
I actually did surprisingly well, other than forgetting to set my directional gyro on the check list for instruments. All my radio work was about perfect. My first landing, was downright sloppy. I had forgotten that I was a mono vision pilot, and I failed to follow the landing procedures for folks who can only see out of one eye. I ended up with, for starters, starting my flair too high, and setting her down somewhat abruptly, sort of emebarsilgly hard. I had also done a very sloppy job on my downwind and base.
After giving it all some thought, something I don't much care to do when I'm having fun, I decided I had better fly by the numbers and do the things I aught to do in their proper sequence and speeds.
Second landing......grease. Then Bob did a couple, and I did two more, the last one no flaps. I came in a little fast for no flaps, but followed my landing sequence correctly and greased it in again.
To the amazement of the flight school, their airplane was still usable when I brought it back.
Anyway, even though I can no longer afford such frivolities, I decided the heck with it this morning, got my headset, called Bob, and headed out.
Fun Day.
Feel free to post your own stories about how you did after long breaks, or any atta boys you want to dispense.
-John
