poadeleted3
Pattern Altitude
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2005
- Messages
- 2,055
Went flying yesterday, a spectacular day to do so. Chose to make a short flight to LNS to visit Airways pilot shop, just for giggles and to give Sean something to look forward to. He loves flying, but he's got some issues flying in a Skyhawk, namely he gets scared of heights, and bumps don't make him a happy camper.
About 18 miles east, I tuned in Lancaster tower so I could start getting a picture of what was going on, and thought I heard a group of planes saying they were at 2500 over Lancaster headed east. Since I was at 2500 east of Lancaster, this got my attention. I called the tower to confirm what I'd heard, and it turned out to be a group of airplanes at 2500 east of Lancaster headed west. Sigh... guess I should have listened a little longer. In any case calling up so early sure seemed to ease my passage to the airport, since I was told to come straight in for 26, report 5 mile final.
Get on the ground, and forgot to change to ground freq before calling up. Then at some point I called the female ground controller "sir." Sigh.
Not a good day on the radio at all. But at least my flying wasn't bad. I've been working on being a lot smoother, not using so much bank (20 or 30 degrees doesn't bother me, but I suspect it's part of what's been causing Sean issues), and entering the banks a little slower, and Cathy and Sean both commented favorably. Sean was able to keep from being scared on the trip there. On the trip back, it was coming up on noon and the thermals had kicked up. They weren't too bad, and I want Sean to get used to them, so I didn't climb out of them. They are only going to get worse as summer goes on, so he's just got to learn to deal with them, same as I did. He seems to find it easier now that he knows I don't like them either. Misery loves company, I guess LOL. He munched on his Bugles and managed to have a good time on the trip back. He told me post flight that he still has "thoughts" before takeoff. Still, he insists on going flying with us, and so long as he's willing and appears to be enjoying I certainly am not going to make him quit!
My landings lacked perfection, a quest I'm always on and which I suspect will be as successful as the search for the Holy Grail, but they were pretty good.
About 18 miles east, I tuned in Lancaster tower so I could start getting a picture of what was going on, and thought I heard a group of planes saying they were at 2500 over Lancaster headed east. Since I was at 2500 east of Lancaster, this got my attention. I called the tower to confirm what I'd heard, and it turned out to be a group of airplanes at 2500 east of Lancaster headed west. Sigh... guess I should have listened a little longer. In any case calling up so early sure seemed to ease my passage to the airport, since I was told to come straight in for 26, report 5 mile final.
Get on the ground, and forgot to change to ground freq before calling up. Then at some point I called the female ground controller "sir." Sigh.
Not a good day on the radio at all. But at least my flying wasn't bad. I've been working on being a lot smoother, not using so much bank (20 or 30 degrees doesn't bother me, but I suspect it's part of what's been causing Sean issues), and entering the banks a little slower, and Cathy and Sean both commented favorably. Sean was able to keep from being scared on the trip there. On the trip back, it was coming up on noon and the thermals had kicked up. They weren't too bad, and I want Sean to get used to them, so I didn't climb out of them. They are only going to get worse as summer goes on, so he's just got to learn to deal with them, same as I did. He seems to find it easier now that he knows I don't like them either. Misery loves company, I guess LOL. He munched on his Bugles and managed to have a good time on the trip back. He told me post flight that he still has "thoughts" before takeoff. Still, he insists on going flying with us, and so long as he's willing and appears to be enjoying I certainly am not going to make him quit!
My landings lacked perfection, a quest I'm always on and which I suspect will be as successful as the search for the Holy Grail, but they were pretty good.