gil_mor
Pre-takeoff checklist
My folks are visiting and I promised my mom a ride.
My CFI had a flight today, and since my folks are leaving tomorrow - we had to fly today.
WX-BRIEF said everything should be clear, but after 1pm - TS would start hitting Flagstaff (North of us).
Prior to departing P-52 (around noon) Sedona's AWOS was talking about lightning far north.
Ok, so TS are a little early, but we still have time, it was going to be a local flight anyway, so we'll just stay clear of Flagstaff, no big deal.
Sedona is always nice from the air, so I figured I'll take her there, just a few minutes away. As we get close - the whole area is Dark, I mean, its not just shadow, its Dark.
I've flown in rain with my CFI before, but with all the TS talk today I decided to avoid that area, my mom was 100% ok with skipping it.
We start heading back, no AWOS in P-52 so I decided to do a low approach and get the wind direction.
No wind.
"Cool" I think, just use 32 which is the calm wind rwy. Doing the pattern, turning final maybe 100ft to high and getting ready to do a great landing to impress my mom.
Short final, a little to high, throttle idle, flaps 20[FONT="]°[/FONT], we should be tiny bit long, but the rwy is long and I know it very well, it will be ok.
Over the numbers, airspeed is getting high, altitude seem to stay the same I'm WAY high, I don't understand what is going on. I'm waiting for the plane to come down, but it wont.
As I pass about 1/3 of the rwy, and still about 100ft high I think
"Damn it - I'm going around"
The next approach I'm really focusing on altitude, and making a little longer downwind, so I have more time to adjust.
Short final seem a tiny bit low, but still good. Over the numbers, starting to be high again, but not nearly as it was the last time.
Flare for an HOUR, I don't remember being too fast, but eventually I make a pretty good landing.
I'm usually very gentle on the breaks, and since the parking is down the rwy, I'm willing to use the next exit... But, plane doesn't seem to slow down as it usually does.
And then I see it.
As I pass next to the mid field wind sock its saying "You landed with a strong downwind".
"What? you were lying there resting just 5 minutes ago, how come you are showing a strong downwind now?"
The wind sock looks at me, keep pointing to the end of the rwy and says :"Welcome to the Monsoon season".
My CFI had a flight today, and since my folks are leaving tomorrow - we had to fly today.
WX-BRIEF said everything should be clear, but after 1pm - TS would start hitting Flagstaff (North of us).
Prior to departing P-52 (around noon) Sedona's AWOS was talking about lightning far north.
Ok, so TS are a little early, but we still have time, it was going to be a local flight anyway, so we'll just stay clear of Flagstaff, no big deal.
Sedona is always nice from the air, so I figured I'll take her there, just a few minutes away. As we get close - the whole area is Dark, I mean, its not just shadow, its Dark.
I've flown in rain with my CFI before, but with all the TS talk today I decided to avoid that area, my mom was 100% ok with skipping it.
We start heading back, no AWOS in P-52 so I decided to do a low approach and get the wind direction.
No wind.
"Cool" I think, just use 32 which is the calm wind rwy. Doing the pattern, turning final maybe 100ft to high and getting ready to do a great landing to impress my mom.
Short final, a little to high, throttle idle, flaps 20[FONT="]°[/FONT], we should be tiny bit long, but the rwy is long and I know it very well, it will be ok.
Over the numbers, airspeed is getting high, altitude seem to stay the same I'm WAY high, I don't understand what is going on. I'm waiting for the plane to come down, but it wont.
As I pass about 1/3 of the rwy, and still about 100ft high I think
"Damn it - I'm going around"
The next approach I'm really focusing on altitude, and making a little longer downwind, so I have more time to adjust.
Short final seem a tiny bit low, but still good. Over the numbers, starting to be high again, but not nearly as it was the last time.
Flare for an HOUR, I don't remember being too fast, but eventually I make a pretty good landing.
I'm usually very gentle on the breaks, and since the parking is down the rwy, I'm willing to use the next exit... But, plane doesn't seem to slow down as it usually does.
And then I see it.
As I pass next to the mid field wind sock its saying "You landed with a strong downwind".
"What? you were lying there resting just 5 minutes ago, how come you are showing a strong downwind now?"
The wind sock looks at me, keep pointing to the end of the rwy and says :"Welcome to the Monsoon season".
