hazelmurphy
Filing Flight Plan
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2013
- Messages
- 14
- Display Name
Display name:
hazelmurphy
January 17th, 2014
First Flight
KOFP
C172 N9925V
0.5 hours dual
Today was the day. I arrived at KOFP around 3:30 and met with the instructor to talk about why I was there and what I wanted to accomplish. We talked for a while and then he suggested we go fly a plane. I enthusiastically agreed!
We went out and pre-flighted the aircraft. He walked me through the key instruments, explained the controls, and did a basic briefing. He had me sit in the left seat eek and off we went!
He briefly explained how to steer the plane while taxiing and gave me control. I taxied all the way down to the run-up area where he took over, did the run-up, and got us in the air.
The pattern altitude there is 1006MSL and we climbed through that up to 2000. He then gave me the controls and told me to fly to King's Dominion (about 10 miles to the north). I made a left turn all the way around (we were heading SE) and during the turn he demonstrated how the turn coordinator works and what happens if you let the ball get out of control.. now that's an unsettling feeling!
We covered pitch and how to control speed, what happens when you pull power, how to avoid 'undulating' while trying to chase the horizon, and a lot of turn coordination.
I had a hard time keeping up with pitch and therefore my altitude (yes I know power for altitude pitch for speed, but I was really letting it get out of hand). During turns I'd lose or gain 500' easily. I also refused to trim for some reason and just fought the plane constantly. He had to tell me a few times to relax my 'death grip' on the yoke. The vent was blowing directly on my hands and they were pretty much frozen so I couldn't tell how hard I was gripping it. I wish I had figured that out earlier than I did.
After a bunch of turns and long circles we ended up way downfield and lined up at around 2500' for a very long final. This is the part that left me a bit puzzled... we never entered pattern altitude, did left downfield, turned base, and then final. We just ended up lined up way far out and called long final. Is that an acceptable approach for an uncontrolled airport?
Anyway, I'm trying to arrange another flight tomorrow afternoon. I'm hooked! Goodbye retirement fund!
First Flight
KOFP
C172 N9925V
0.5 hours dual
Today was the day. I arrived at KOFP around 3:30 and met with the instructor to talk about why I was there and what I wanted to accomplish. We talked for a while and then he suggested we go fly a plane. I enthusiastically agreed!
We went out and pre-flighted the aircraft. He walked me through the key instruments, explained the controls, and did a basic briefing. He had me sit in the left seat eek and off we went!
He briefly explained how to steer the plane while taxiing and gave me control. I taxied all the way down to the run-up area where he took over, did the run-up, and got us in the air.
The pattern altitude there is 1006MSL and we climbed through that up to 2000. He then gave me the controls and told me to fly to King's Dominion (about 10 miles to the north). I made a left turn all the way around (we were heading SE) and during the turn he demonstrated how the turn coordinator works and what happens if you let the ball get out of control.. now that's an unsettling feeling!
We covered pitch and how to control speed, what happens when you pull power, how to avoid 'undulating' while trying to chase the horizon, and a lot of turn coordination.
I had a hard time keeping up with pitch and therefore my altitude (yes I know power for altitude pitch for speed, but I was really letting it get out of hand). During turns I'd lose or gain 500' easily. I also refused to trim for some reason and just fought the plane constantly. He had to tell me a few times to relax my 'death grip' on the yoke. The vent was blowing directly on my hands and they were pretty much frozen so I couldn't tell how hard I was gripping it. I wish I had figured that out earlier than I did.
After a bunch of turns and long circles we ended up way downfield and lined up at around 2500' for a very long final. This is the part that left me a bit puzzled... we never entered pattern altitude, did left downfield, turned base, and then final. We just ended up lined up way far out and called long final. Is that an acceptable approach for an uncontrolled airport?
Anyway, I'm trying to arrange another flight tomorrow afternoon. I'm hooked! Goodbye retirement fund!
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