Training has begun! (my journey)

Banjo33 said:
Unless the crosswind has changed in the flare, you should be maintaining the aileron/rudder deflections (slip) all the way to touch down. Now, if you were flying final in a crab, then you'd have to kick out the crab prior to touchdown.

It's been great reading, thanks for sharing your experiences! I'd be interested in seeing what kind of winds you've been flying...considering all the comments.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the advice. The winds vary alot week to week. Ive been flying in everything from calm (5kt steady) to what I consider rough (18kt gusting to high 20's). This past flight I think was something like 12kt with not too much gusting. That should give you an idea of what I fly in from week to week.



Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 
Hey Joe! Congrats on getting close to solo. It is a very exciting time. I'm sure when that first real nice day comes along you will get the go ahead to take the plane around the pattern by yourself. That's an awesome feeling for sure!

I give you credit too for flying in all sorts of conditions during training. It is very smart to fly in the high winds we have been having here on Long Island this winter. It will make for some relative ease when you take off in the calmer spring winds( although we rarely have totally calm days around here!)
 
this all sounds like what I will deal with as well. We have nothing but windy days all the time here. If there is a calm day, its a fluke. I will get to experience all of this saturday! I cant wait. Thanks for sharing Joe.
 
muleywannabe said:
this all sounds like what I will deal with as well. We have nothing but windy days all the time here. If there is a calm day, its a fluke. I will get to experience all of this saturday! I cant wait. Thanks for sharing Joe.
Click to expand...


Just read your thread... welcome to the party!

I really do appreciate getting to fly in the windy days. It has definitely made me a better pilot, as I am always prepared for a gust to throw me off course at any time. It has been particularly useful for me during landing, because after setting up for landing on a day with 20 kt winds, landing on a calm day is truly a breeze (no pun intended.. well maybe ;) )

Good luck to you man, and enjoy. Theres nothing like flying.
 
PPL LOG: 17th Flight 2/2/14

Not much to say about this flight. I was in the pattern, and my landings sucked... pretty much all of them. I am just going to cross this one off as a bad day and not think too much about it.

My approaches were fine, but from pulling power to touchdown everything was a mess. Not enough flare, high approach speed, too much yaw, the list goes on and on. My first landing was bad, and then it just got in my head and I was nervous the entire time. I was babbling like an idiot on the radio as well.

I thought I was supposed to be getting better at this stuff?

Well, better luck next time.
 
As long as you didn't make the same mistake twice then you're getting better.
 
VERY common to have a day like this when you're getting close to solo, lol! Stay motivated!
 
joeparrilla said:
PPL LOG: 17th Flight 2/2/14

Not much to say about this flight. I was in the pattern, and my landings sucked... pretty much all of them. I am just going to cross this one off as a bad day and not think too much about it.

My approaches were fine, but from pulling power to touchdown everything was a mess. Not enough flare, high approach speed, too much yaw, the list goes on and on. My first landing was bad, and then it just got in my head and I was nervous the entire time. I was babbling like an idiot on the radio as well.

I thought I was supposed to be getting better at this stuff?

Well, better luck next time.
Click to expand...

Joe hang in there! Solo comes when it is supposed to! Kind of like the right girl comes into one's life when it is supposed to! ;)

Ok if your first landing stinks that makes sense that you would struggle with the rest of the landings. Something to consider is that each landing is a new chance and even after you get your PPL each approach will be different. So you got some good experience dealing with various approaches. Also, we all make bad landings but the truth is that as a pilot you can't let what just happened rattle you. It is always the next landing that is the most important landing you'll ever make.

Also the winds were much calmer on Sunday around here than you were flying in on previous flights. That makes a huge difference. Sometimes calm days can be harder than on days with some wind. I flew Saturday and it was so calm that I had to be way more patient when landing and hold the plane off the runway for longer than any flight I've had all winter.
 
Last edited:
Joe,

This tip might be a little late, or maybe already said, but it helped me with my landings. Everybody is saying to look far out to the end of the runway to judge distance from the ground. That woks great. The tip that helped me the most (and I read it somewhere on this forum) is to not think about the flare as a flare. Level the plane off above the runway, and then just try and keep the plane there. As you loose airspeed you will have to pull back on the yoke more and more. By the time you are slow enough for touchdown, the yoke is fully back and you are in a "flare". Works for me every time. My issue before I learned this is that I was thinking very programmatically; so I would level off, wait a little while, and then FLARE! Usually ending with a baloon. But a flare is more of a feel maneuver than just a step.

I hope this helps!
 
Before I inform you of my latest flight, I just wanted to respond to the latest advice really quicky.

TehMightyPirate - Thanks man, yeah I would say that thats the case. Each go around improves SOMETHING at least.

Banjo33 - hope so, thanks!

momalley - Yes that is true, but still I have taken two weeks off before and not done so crappy! Youre right though, there is rust involved in waiting 2 weeks.

jspilot - thanks man, youre advice always helps. It is true that the conditions are always different... and not even from flight to flight but even from approach to approach. Sometimes I come in high, sometimes low, sometimes I turn downwind a bit early causing my base to have to be sharper. All of these things affect my approach and cause the landing to be different every time. Luckily my ability to create a stable approach has been pretty spot on regardless of the situation. I am pretty good at rectifying errors early and coming in pretty damn stable. Its just that damn touchdown...

Heftiger - Yes, that advice has actually helped me. Thinking about keeping the current correct flare instead of increasing it does help me. Balooning has been an issue for me, since I notice I am losing my flare, so I pull too much instead of slowly increasing pressure to maintain the flare.
 
PPL LOG: 18th Flight 2/9/14

So I wish I had much to say about this flight, and I wish I could say that it mas much better than the last... but it really wasnt.

All of the really dumb mistakes I made last time due to nerves didnt happen this time (radio babbling and stuff), which is good.

I pretty much had a bad feeling about the day when I decided to go around on my first approach. I came in high, and I mean HIGH. I thought I would be able to lose altitude quickly (which is pretty easy to do in the Alarus) but it just was not happening. On one hand it was a good decision and a good experience, and my instructor was happy to see me make the decision.

The rest of them (expect for one) had the usual landing gear crunching thud I have become so accustomed to ;) I do actually know what the problem is, I just need more practice and more times around to be able to get used to it. The issue is mainly not responding quick enough / smooth enough to various things going on.

One thing is responding to yaw at the last minute... instead of anticipating the yaw and correcting before it gets bad.. I am trying to whip the rudder around at the last second in an attempt to get down straight.

The other big issue is my response to my flare decreasing as speed decreases.. I come into a flare and it looks good, then as I begin to lose my flare angle I am either pulling too hard too quickly resulting in a baloon and a thud, or I am not pulling enough and coming down too flat.

I think thats once I get these two things down (the latter being the more common one), I am going to be good to go.

Practice practice practice....

I wont let this defeat me, although I will admit that it is becoming VERY discouraging. I feel like up until this point everything came pretty easy to me. I feel like every bad landing just takes a bit out of me....

Ill keep coming back though (as long as I have a job and can afford it ;) )
 
Last edited:
Joe try this next time. Try leveling off the plane over the runway and holding it level- forget about the flare. Let the speed die off and then you will sink towards the runway( you will feel it in your butt.) Then, as you sink, just return the nose of the plane to roughly the same pitch as you use on initial climb out. Just make sure the main wheels hit first!

Based on what I've read on your threads it seems like your approach is always good so that's great! It's those last few feet that are killing you! Leveling off is important as you can't land until you've leveled off and allowed the plane to slow down. I feel the following, I pull the power, wait about 1 or 2 seconds after the power is pulled, start pulling back to level off, reach a level pitch, wait till I feel the sink towards the runway, then I keep pulling back little by little till I have guranteed the main wheels touch first. This series of events is what makes landing make sense for me!
 
Hang in there Joe. Your training progression sounds very similar to mine. Cross wind landings kicked my ass from hour 10 through 20. So much happening at once. I didn't feel as if I was processing the feedback my instructor was giving so I used a camcorder to videotape my solo landings and found it to be an incredible tool. I placed a small microphone in my headset to catch side tone audio. As I talked myself through each landing. Later I would play back the video in a controlled environment (home). Almost like game tape for a QB on Monday morning. My crosswind landings get better at an amazing pace after that. Might be worth a try. Good luck!
 
I too had(and occasionally have) a problem with adding too much pitch in the flare. This results in being a little high and a pretty hard landing. If you get in this position, just add a touch of power and the airplane will settle rather than "drop out of the sky".

I'm enjoying reading your adventures. Reminds me a lot of my training. Keep on truckin, you'll get it!
 
The thing I remember most vividly from my primary training is honestly BELIEVING that I'd never learn to land an airplane. I could fly the pattern and set up the approach, but when it came to touching down it was like I'd never been in an airplane before. Then, one day, it just CLICKED and it all made sense to me.

My issue (in case it helps you) was that I was trying to land the plane (ie, touch down at a certain point with the least amount of speed, both vertical and horizontal). Once I started thinking about it as flying the airplane onto the runway (by first practicing some low passes at approach speed), it got much easier. Plus, it had the added benefit of reminding me that the landing's not over when the wheels touch down. The landing rollout and taxi to the hangar deserve just as much attention.

If you're anything like me, you'll one day look back and wonder how you ever had so much trouble... as it starts to become second nature. Good luck and I hope to hear soon that things are clicking for you!
 
mjburian said:
The thing I remember most vividly from my primary training is honestly BELIEVING that I'd never learn to land an airplane. I could fly the pattern and set up the approach, but when it came to touching down it was like I'd never been in an airplane before. Then, one day, it just CLICKED and it all made sense to me.

My issue (in case it helps you) was that I was trying to land the plane (ie, touch down at a certain point with the least amount of speed, both vertical and horizontal). Once I started thinking about it as flying the airplane onto the runway (by first practicing some low passes at approach speed), it got much easier. Plus, it had the added benefit of reminding me that the landing's not over when the wheels touch down. The landing rollout and taxi to the hangar deserve just as much attention.

If you're anything like me, you'll one day look back and wonder how you ever had so much trouble... as it starts to become second nature. Good luck and I hope to hear soon that things are clicking for you!
Click to expand...

That is EXACTLY how I feel. I feel like I am aiming at the numbers, and trying to put the plane onto the ground. My approaches are very very solid, and about 5 seconds before the flare... I just feel like my brain has leaked out of my ears.

I will try to fly it down like you said. Im scheduled for Friday and Sunday.. so we will see.
 
joeparrilla said:
That is EXACTLY how I feel. I feel like I am aiming at the numbers, and trying to put the plane onto the ground. My approaches are very very solid, and about 5 seconds before the flare... I just feel like my brain has leaked out of my ears.

I will try to fly it down like you said. Im scheduled for Friday and Sunday.. so we will see.
Click to expand...

Joe, patience is the key to landing! Don't try and put the plane anywhere. The plane lands when it can't fly anymore. I think flying it down relates more to controlling the plane all the way through touchdown and even after and does not mean to control the plane and force it to land. Trust me, forcing it to land will never ever work!

I'm rooting for you here buddy! Hope it clicks but I agree that it will click at somepoint, that's for sure.
 
jspilot said:
Joe, patience is the key to landing! Don't try and put the plane anywhere. The plane lands when it can't fly anymore. I think flying it down relates more to controlling the plane all the way through touchdown and even after and does not mean to control the plane and force it to land. Trust me, forcing it to land will never ever work!

I'm rooting for you here buddy! Hope it clicks but I agree that it will click at somepoint, that's for sure.
Click to expand...

jspilot is exactly right. I didn't mean to fly it into the ground, but... landing isn't THAT different than other flying you're already doing quite well by the sounds of it. It's sort of like straight and level flight, just that with the lower power setting you have to keep pulling back on the controls to maintain altitude (think slow flight). And, eventually, you can no longer hold altitude and you begin to sink. Only, you've been doing all of this a few feet above the ground so after a foot or two of sinking, you've landed!

(I feel like these descriptions aren't doing justice to what I'm trying to convey, so if they're confusing in any way... just ignore them. And know that you'll get over this landing hurdle that most (all?) student pilots experience.)
 
PPL LOG: 19th Flight 2/23/14 (SOLO!)

So I was back at it again today after a week off (took a trip to DC last weekend). I had a strangely good feeling about today. I had an odd sense of extra confidence.. maybe it was the weather. We got into the pattern, I nailed 3 really good landings in a row and then something happened that I did not expect.. I was popped the "do you wanna do a few by yourself?" question.... and... I SOLOED!

So time for some details. Beautiful day, 5 kt winds, using the gigantic 24 runway... couldnt have asked for a better day. We did 3 times around and my landings were good.. like probably my best ever. I took the advice about flying the plane down easily and not trying to "land" with any sort of force.. and it made a COMPLETE difference. After I did 3, I was asked if I felt like doing some on my own. I must admit I was kind of confused, and didnt realize what exactly was being asked. Anyways, we did a full stop, went back to parking, and after some chatting and relaxation I headed back out except the front seat had nobody in it ;)

Pretty standard taxi out, and after a 20 minute wait to depart I finally got up. I really didnt notice much of a difference in the takeoff with the weight not being there... it all felt pretty normal. So this was it, I was going to have an awesome solo with no curveballs right?? Of course not!

After reporting downwind for my first approach, I am told they just decided to switch the runway to the perpendicular 33 and that I should turn downwind for that runway. So of course I partially panic, and feel like I have no idea where the runway was in relation to myself. Instead of freaking out, I did what I thought was best, and I told the tower I was on my first solo and that I had been landing on 24 all day, and that I would feel more comfortable using it. I got the OK and just proceeded to use 24 and nailed a pretty good landing. I got back up again for another go, and what do you know, not only do they change my pattern traffic from right to left (no big deal) but now he wants me to land on 28! So I figured it was no big deal and I would just do that. I get downwind of 28, and of course another call asking me to forget 28 and use 24...

So I altered course and got on the downwind of 24. At this point I am just very flustered but still confident. I planned to do 3 landings, but I decided I just wanted to make this a full stop since I was kind of anxious from all of the changes.

I did another nice landing and headed back to parking. It was really an amazing feeling. I was proud of how I handled all of the changes, as I had never had a runway changed on me mid-flight ever before, let alone 2 times between 3 different runways! My instructor said I made a good decision, and if I was more comfortable using 24 then it was the right choice.

What more can I say? I finally beat my bad landing streak, and got rewarded with my instructors confidence in me to fly an airplane on my own... there is not much more I could ask for. Now that this huge weight is off my back, I am ready for bigger and better things.

As always, thanks for reading... and I would be happy to elaborate or answer any questions anyone may have.

Thanks, and happy flying!
 
Last edited:
joeparrilla said:
PPL LOG: 19th Flight 2/23/14

So I was back at it again today after a week off (took a trip to DC last weekend). I had a strangely good feeling about today. I had an odd sense of extra confidence.. maybe it was the weather. We got into the pattern, I nailed 3 really good landings in a row and then something happened that I did not expect.. I was popped the "do you wanna do a few by yourself?" question.... and... I SOLOED!

So time for some details. Beautiful day, 5 kt winds, using the gigantic 24 runway... couldnt have asked for a better day. We did 3 times around and my landings were good.. like probably my best ever. I took the advice about flying the plane down easily and not trying to "land" with any sort of force.. and it made a COMPLETE difference. After I did 3, I was asked if I felt like doing some on my own. I must admit I was kind of confused, and didnt realize what exactly was being asked. Anyways, we did a full stop, went back to parking, and after some chatting and relaxation I headed back out except the front seat had nobody in it ;)

Pretty standard taxi out, and after a 20 minute wait to depart I finally got up. I really didnt notice much of a difference in the takeoff with the weight not being there... it all felt pretty normal. So this was it, I was going to have an awesome solo with no curveballs right?? Of course not!

After reporting downwind for my first approach, I am told they just decided to switch the runway to the perpendicular 33 and that I should turn downwind for that runway. So of course I partially panic, and feel like I have no idea where the runway was in relation to myself. Instead of freaking out, I did what I thought was best, and I told the tower I was on my first solo and that I had been landing on 24 all day, and that I would feel more comfortable using it. I got the OK and just proceeded to use 24 and nailed a pretty good landing. I got back up again for another go, and what do you know, not only do they change my pattern traffic from right to left (no big deal) but now he wants me to land on 28! So I figured it was no big deal and I would just do that. I get downwind of 28, and of course another call asking me to forget 28 and use 24...

So I altered course and got on the downwind of 24. At this point I am just very flustered but still confident. I planned to do 3 landings, but I decided I just wanted to make this a full stop since I was kind of anxious from all of the changes.

I did another nice landing and headed back to parking. It was really an amazing feeling. I was proud of how I handled all of the changes, as I had never had a runway changed on me mid-flight ever before, let alone 2 times between 3 different runways! My instructor said I made a good decision, and if I was more comfortable using 24 then it was the right choice.

What more can I say? I finally beat my bad landing streak, and got rewarded with my instructors confidence in me to fly an airplane on my own... there is not much more I could ask for. Now that this huge weight is off my back, I am ready for bigger and better things.

As always, thanks for reading... and I would be happy to elaborate or answer any questions anyone may have.

Thanks, and happy flying!
Click to expand...

Congrats..Awesome...

You are now a pilot. Regardless of any paperwork that says otherwise.
 
joeparrilla said:
PPL LOG: 19th Flight 2/23/14 (SOLO!)

So I was back at it again today after a week off (took a trip to DC last weekend). I had a strangely good feeling about today. I had an odd sense of extra confidence.. maybe it was the weather. We got into the pattern, I nailed 3 really good landings in a row and then something happened that I did not expect.. I was popped the "do you wanna do a few by yourself?" question.... and... I SOLOED!

So time for some details. Beautiful day, 5 kt winds, using the gigantic 24 runway... couldnt have asked for a better day. We did 3 times around and my landings were good.. like probably my best ever. I took the advice about flying the plane down easily and not trying to "land" with any sort of force.. and it made a COMPLETE difference. After I did 3, I was asked if I felt like doing some on my own. I must admit I was kind of confused, and didnt realize what exactly was being asked. Anyways, we did a full stop, went back to parking, and after some chatting and relaxation I headed back out except the front seat had nobody in it ;)

Pretty standard taxi out, and after a 20 minute wait to depart I finally got up. I really didnt notice much of a difference in the takeoff with the weight not being there... it all felt pretty normal. So this was it, I was going to have an awesome solo with no curveballs right?? Of course not!

After reporting downwind for my first approach, I am told they just decided to switch the runway to the perpendicular 33 and that I should turn downwind for that runway. So of course I partially panic, and feel like I have no idea where the runway was in relation to myself. Instead of freaking out, I did what I thought was best, and I told the tower I was on my first solo and that I had been landing on 24 all day, and that I would feel more comfortable using it. I got the OK and just proceeded to use 24 and nailed a pretty good landing. I got back up again for another go, and what do you know, not only do they change my pattern traffic from right to left (no big deal) but now he wants me to land on 28! So I figured it was no big deal and I would just do that. I get downwind of 28, and of course another call asking me to forget 28 and use 24...

So I altered course and got on the downwind of 24. At this point I am just very flustered but still confident. I planned to do 3 landings, but I decided I just wanted to make this a full stop since I was kind of anxious from all of the changes.

I did another nice landing and headed back to parking. It was really an amazing feeling. I was proud of how I handled all of the changes, as I had never had a runway changed on me mid-flight ever before, let alone 2 times between 3 different runways! My instructor said I made a good decision, and if I was more comfortable using 24 then it was the right choice.

What more can I say? I finally beat my bad landing streak, and got rewarded with my instructors confidence in me to fly an airplane on my own... there is not much more I could ask for. Now that this huge weight is off my back, I am ready for bigger and better things.

As always, thanks for reading... and I would be happy to elaborate or answer any questions anyone may have.

Thanks, and happy flying!
Click to expand...

How amazing!!! Hooray for you Joe! I flew at KISP today and it was a perfect day for a first solo! It was crazy busy though and I'm sure that did make things a bit more challenging.

Anyway, you can now lay claim to doing something very few people can claim to do. You took an airplane into the air and returned safely to tell about it!

PS- I taxied out behind one of your companies planes( it was N266am) and I have a feeling based on your stroy( the long wait, the changing runways,) that we flew at around the same time. Did you go up around noon today? If so, I have a picture of your plane that I took that I'd be happy to share with you. I really hope so because that would be an awesome thing to add to your first solo story! Anyway, congrats again and no the smile won't wear off for several days!
 
Last edited:
jspilot said:
How amazing!!! Hooray for you Joe! I flew at KISP today and it was a perfect day for a first solo! It was crazy busy though and I'm sure that did make things a bit more challenging.

Anyway, you can now lay claim to doing something very few people can claim to do. You took an airplane into the air and returned safely to tell about it!

PS- I taxied out behind one of your companies planes( it was N266am) and I have a feeling based on your stroy( the long wait, the changing runways,) that we flew at around the same time. Did you go up around noon today? If so, I have a picture of your plane that I took that I'd be happy to share with you. I really hope so because that would be an awesome thing to add to your first solo story! Anyway, congrats again and no the smile won't wear off for several days!
Click to expand...

N266AM was me! Haha thats my usual airplane. I was right in the thick of the traffic madness. I flew from 11 to around 1 so that was most definitely me you saw. I would absolutely love the pic!

I saw a Saratoga behind me today as well as another model that I cant remember now on my two trips out... was one of them you? I was holding short for over 20 minutes today.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Congratulations on your solo!

I suggest studying up on the airport diagram until you have the runway alignments memorized. Quite often I will take off to do pattern work and the tower will give me left or right traffic for a completely different runway. It's not entirely unusual, but you get a break because you're pretty overloaded on your first solo anyways. And it was the right thing to do to let the tower know you wanted to stay on the same runway.

Normally a week away helps you recover from the "grueling" training of flying several days a week, and it sounds like that is just what you needed:)
 
joeparrilla said:
N266AM was me! Haha thats my usual airplane. I was right in the thick of the traffic madness. I flew from 11 to around 1 so that was most definitely me you saw. I would absolutely love the pic!

I saw a Saratoga behind me today as well as another model that I cant remember now on my two trips out... was one of them you? I was holding short for over 20 minutes today.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

That's awesome!!! I guess I can try and PM you the picture. Yes the traffic was absurd. I've never had delays at KISP for that long!

I was flying a Cessna 152. I think I got you while you were still going around with your instructor but still that's awesome. Ok I need to figure out how to get the picture to you but I will some how!

Congrats again!
 
jspilot said:
That's awesome!!! I guess I can try and PM you the picture. Yes the traffic was absurd. I've never had delays at KISP for that long!

I was flying a Cessna 152. I think I got you while you were still going around with your instructor but still that's awesome. Ok I need to figure out how to get the picture to you but I will some how!

Congrats again!
Click to expand...

Thanks! Ill PM you my email address if that works. Talk soon.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 
Congratulations, Joe!

I'm not sure if it would've helped (sounds like things were busy), but my CFI had me announce myself as "Student pilot, first solo... departing runway 26." Not sure if it made a difference, but I always pictured it being equivalent to those "Student Driver" tags on cars... everybody gets out of the way! ;-)

Way to stick with it, even when you were frustrated. You've now done something that a VERY tiny fraction of the world will ever do. Enjoy/celebrate the accomplishment, but don't forget... there's more work to be done. Soon, you'll be a licensed pilot!
 
mjburian said:
Congratulations, Joe!

I'm not sure if it would've helped (sounds like things were busy), but my CFI had me announce myself as "Student pilot, first solo... departing runway 26." Not sure if it made a difference, but I always pictured it being equivalent to those "Student Driver" tags on cars... everybody gets out of the way! ;-)

Way to stick with it, even when you were frustrated. You've now done something that a VERY tiny fraction of the world will ever do. Enjoy/celebrate the accomplishment, but don't forget... there's more work to be done. Soon, you'll be a licensed pilot!
Click to expand...

Yep, did that... I basically called tower up starting with "Student Pilot ..." but apparently noone cared!

Yes I was getting a bit frustrated, but it all paid off. Between the advice from here and my CFI, something just clicked yesterday.

I am really excited for whats to come... I cannot wait to do cross countries. Navigation is really one of the most interesting parts of flying to me.
 
joeparrilla said:
Yep, did that... I basically called tower up starting with "Student Pilot ..." but apparently noone cared!

Yes I was getting a bit frustrated, but it all paid off. Between the advice from here and my CFI, something just clicked yesterday.

I am really excited for whats to come... I cannot wait to do cross countries. Navigation is really one of the most interesting parts of flying to me.
Click to expand...

You're going to love the cross countries (especially solo, when you know it was ALL YOU). I'm anxious to follow along for the rest of your journey to the PPL!
 
definitely an inspiring story. I am a very low hour student right now and this thread has really been good. thanks for sharing "pilot"
 
joeparrilla said:
Thanks! Ill PM you my email address if that works. Talk soon.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Ok Joe I sent the picture to you. Check your email!

Yeah the cross countries are going to be amazing. Do you know where you are going on your XC's yet? I think the trip to KGON( Groton CT) is so pretty! It's where I went on my first XC and it still holds a special place in my heart for sure!
 
jspilot said:
Ok Joe I sent the picture to you. Check your email!

Yeah the cross countries are going to be amazing. Do you know where you are going on your XC's yet? I think the trip to KGON( Groton CT) is so pretty! It's where I went on my first XC and it still holds a special place in my heart for sure!
Click to expand...

Nope Im not sure yet. I have heard of other students going to CT, particularly Bridgeport (I am guessing KBDR Sikorsky?) Other than that I am not sure. Excited to find out though.
 
joeparrilla said:
Nope Im not sure yet. I have heard of other students going to CT, particularly Bridgeport (I am guessing KBDR Sikorsky?) Other than that I am not sure. Excited to find out though.
Click to expand...
Bridgeport is not far enough to qualify as a XC. I did both dual and solo XC from Republic to Groton and a night dual to Hartford.
 
Yeah Joe Bridgeport is not more than 50nm away and that's the legal minimum. Groton is like 63ish nm's away from KISP so it is pretty good. My long XC was to KIJD( windham ct.). IJD has gone downhill a bunch since I went there for the long XC 3 years ago. I went back last fall and everything was shut down and very few planes on the field.
 
jspilot said:
IJD has gone downhill a bunch since I went there for the long XC 3 years ago.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the FBO closed a while ago but there's rumor that it might be coming back. I frequently use KIJD for landing practice so it's great for that.
KGON is a nice place to fly into since it's right on the water. My last dual XC was from KHFD to KBID (Block Island), that was a lot of fun.
block-island.jpg

I'm very close to getting my solo XC endorsement. Kind of excited and nervous. The first one will be to somewhere we already went on a dual so KFIT, KPOU, or KUUU.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top