What should I do to kill time

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falconkidding

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Falcon Kidding
So going through the logbook I've met pretty much all the private requirements except for about half an hour of hood time and a little bit of solo work. My night, dual and solo XC, controlled airport and most simulated instrument is all out of the way. I've added it all up and only have 25.9 hours :confused:

What did you guys do when you needed to kill time? Not saying i'm perfect at everything or will ever be(always be learning, and getting comfortable is when you screw up has always been how I approach my hobbies) but I feel like I could pass the practical and have no one thing that really needs work. I figured I'll fly the 150 around cause its cheaper than the 172 but what should I work on? I don't exactly want to waste training time, but my instructor didn't really have any recommendations. So please PoA members save me from flying circles to and from my area airports.
 
Ground reference maneuvers.

Dead reckoning navigation(no electronics allowed).

If you know how to do a dutch roll, you can practice rudder - aileron coordination.

Emer procedures. Ask your CFI if you can setup to glide(power at idle) all the way to the runway from 2500' over the airport. See how good you can get at hitting the first third of the runway. He will give you specific instructions on how to do it, follow them.
 
docmirror said:
Ground reference maneuvers.

Dead reckoning navigation(no electronics allowed).

If you know how to do a dutch roll, you can practice rudder - aileron coordination.

Emer procedures. Ask your CFI if you can setup to glide(power at idle) all the way to the runway from 2500' over the airport. See how good you can get at hitting the first third of the runway. He will give you specific instructions on how to do it, follow them.
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Ah, good idea on the emergency stuff, i've done a bunch where the throttle is yanked and have to fly till its clear i'll make my target but never actually done it to an airport and landing. Dead reckoning is all i've done all my XC stuff has been sectional+plotter+metal e6b. The 172 has a gps but like I told my instructor thats no fun following the pink line :)
 
I used to have a teacher who said, "The best way to kill time is to work it to death."

Make every flight have a purpose and goal. But have fun, too, and fly someplace for breakfast or lunch.
 
I'd second the ground reference advice, especially on a day with good wind and if there's no wind try doing turns on a point around a moving car. Lots of fun and challenging stuff to do if you think about it.
 
falconkidding said:
Ah, good idea on the emergency stuff, i've done a bunch where the throttle is yanked and have to fly till its clear i'll make my target but never actually done it to an airport and landing. Dead reckoning is all i've done all my XC stuff has been sectional+plotter+metal e6b. The 172 has a gps but like I told my instructor thats no fun following the pink line :)
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Sounds like you have an outstanding instructor. He's got you ready in less than the required time, and he's working you on the basics.

The emer procedures are actually a modified form of the 'spot landing' game. Your aim point is the runway numbers, and you see how close you can get to spot and correct speed, but without touching the throttle. You can use flaps, slip, pitch but no throttle. I still enjoy it and I've been flying for years.
 
Go fly to every airport you can, controlled and uncontrolled. If you got the flying down, start putting it to use and learning the operational side of things at unfamiliar fields.
 
Shawn said:
Go fly to every airport you can, controlled and uncontrolled. If you got the flying down, start putting it to use and learning the operational side of things at unfamiliar fields.
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And make sure to stop at a self serve pump. Not everybody learns how to fuel an airplane during training.
 
Silvaire said:
I'd second the ground reference advice, especially on a day with good wind and if there's no wind try doing turns on a point around a moving car. Lots of fun and challenging stuff to do if you think about it.
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I like this idea, will probably do it in the morning.

Shawn said:
Go fly to every airport you can, controlled and uncontrolled. If you got the flying down, start putting it to use and learning the operational side of things at unfamiliar fields.
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Yeah thats probably what I'm going to do, I've been to 12-13 so far from my little grass strip to controlled airport with 9k foot runways only downside is getting my instructor to sign me off to solo to a new airport.

Matthew said:
And make sure to stop at a self serve pump. Not everybody learns how to fuel an airplane during training.
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Haha thats all i've ever used cause I'm cheap, first time I used one away from my home airport i almost shot fuel everywhere cause my home one is like a traditional car pump vs the firehose that was the new one.



Glad I posted my question got a few ideas to try now.
 
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Ground Reference, do an actual divert in the airplane, do a solo cross country to some place cool that you want to go to(not just the instructors standard ones that are almost exactly 50nm) or maybe even a class C airport. I'm surprised your instructor hasn't done engine out work in the pattern with you before. Definitely a good skill to have. The examiner may give you the engine out in the pattern. Little different than a corn field
 
falconkidding said:
So going through the logbook I've met pretty much all the private requirements except for about half an hour of hood time and a little bit of solo work. My night, dual and solo XC, controlled airport and most simulated instrument is all out of the way. I've added it all up and only have 25.9 hours :confused:

What did you guys do when you needed to kill time? Not saying i'm perfect at everything or will ever be(always be learning, and getting comfortable is when you screw up has always been how I approach my hobbies) but I feel like I could pass the practical and have no one thing that really needs work. I figured I'll fly the 150 around cause its cheaper than the 172 but what should I work on? I don't exactly want to waste training time, but my instructor didn't really have any recommendations. So please PoA members save me from flying circles to and from my area airports.
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Do a 'slow flight' cross country with the gear horn sounding.
 
falconkidding said:
So going through the logbook I've met pretty much all the private requirements except for about half an hour of hood time and a little bit of solo work. My night, dual and solo XC, controlled airport and most simulated instrument is all out of the way. I've added it all up and only have 25.9 hours :confused:

What did you guys do when you needed to kill time? Not saying i'm perfect at everything or will ever be(always be learning, and getting comfortable is when you screw up has always been how I approach my hobbies) but I feel like I could pass the practical and have no one thing that really needs work. I figured I'll fly the 150 around cause its cheaper than the 172 but what should I work on? I don't exactly want to waste training time, but my instructor didn't really have any recommendations. So please PoA members save me from flying circles to and from my area airports.
Click to expand...

Do a 'slow flight' cross country with the gear horn sounding. That's a good trim and rudder exercise.
 
Shawn said:
Go fly to every airport you can, controlled and uncontrolled. If you got the flying down, start putting it to use and learning the operational side of things at unfamiliar fields.
Click to expand...

This plus crosswinds patterns and landings. During my PPL training, we didn't work on this much. So after my check ride, my personal limits were pretty narrow when it came to crosswinds.

After much practice and crossing 250 hours logged, I am pretty comfortable landing in a cross wind situation. But it took a while.
 
Just make a plan for each flight so you're not 'wasting' time/money. For me it takes about 2 hours to practice everything in the PTS 3 times, including soft/short field take off and landings. I also try to do these flights in different conditions, luckily where I fly there's no shortage of wind.
 
Crosswind landing practice. Taxiing in high winds. Downwind landings (they happen). Downwind go arounds. Engine out drills to landing.
 
I am in about the same boat, but with a few more hours. I have one more cross country to do, an hour of hood work and a handful of towered field landings to go and right now I have 27.6. However, I am still not up to pts on a few things. I'll blow through my remaining time tightening those up. You are doing a great job!
 
You sound ready,go out and try the maneuvers that you are best at,see how that works. Go to a few different airports and to some short field and engine out maneuvers.
 
frfly172 said:
You sound ready,go out and try the maneuvers that you are best at,see how that works. Go to a few different airports and to some short field and engine out maneuvers.
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Along the same lines, find the maneuvers you are not happy with and find a different instructor to do an hour or two with and go over those. Different CFIs have different techniques, you'd do well to book those 2 hrs with a CFI who is also a DPE.
 
At 25 hours, I don't think any flight is "wasted" unless you've achieved perfection on everything you've been taught thus far. After 30+ years and 3,900,hours I'm still working on that goal with every flight.

And there's something to be said for just enjoying the sensations that accompany freedom of flight....further evidence that no flight is ever wasted.
 
Henning said:
Along the same lines, find the maneuvers you are not happy with and find a different instructor to do an hour or two with and go over those. Different CFIs have different techniques, you'd do well to book those 2 hrs with a CFI who is also a DPE.
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+1, great idea.

I've learned something new from ever CFI I've flown with.
 
Matthew said:
+1, great idea.

I've learned something new from ever CFI I've flown with.
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I had 7 or 8 in my log toward my PP with even more different plane. When I was ready I grabbed whatever CFI and plane that was available and did a lesson.
 
Fly a bunch of short, solo cross country trips, miniature versions of the way you expect to use the aircraft after you get your ticket.
This reinforces the sequence of events in real flying and will somewhat mimic the check ride in that you will do your planning, preflight and so forth and will then deliberately perform a departure, cruise, arrival, approach and landing sequence.
Hopefully you will use a checklist at each of those events. The examiner will want to see it and it will instill good habits you will re-learn if you graduate to more complex planes and operations. This should reinforce what you learned on your dual and solo cross country training, but in my opinion this is the reason you train and what you should focus on.
Enroute, you can check for emergency landing spots, throw in a few turns, stalls, etc., all as an interlude to the trip.
This can be to an airport 20 miles away.
BTW, at this stage of competency, you can on your own practice some procedures like on departure execute a consistent 500 fpm climb at a certain airspeed and use time to determine distance. Make a 500 fpm climb and a standard rate turn. Check the time. See how accurate this is and add it to your repertoire. Don't get too distracted and "head in the cockpit" but keep in mind that nearly every minute in the plane can be directed to adding to your skill set and broadening your command of the situation.
Talk out loud to your self about anything emphasized in the PTS, such as "making a clearing turn" before maneuvers.
 
I was in the same boat, and used the time to practice my steep turns, shorts, and softs quite a bit. I didn't perform a "regular" landing again until I landed flying back to my home airport after passing my checkride. Worse, I had to think a little longer about how to land the archer in a configuration that wasn't short or soft since it had seemingly been so long. :D
 
There is always something to work on. Take the PTS and make them tighter for each maneuver.
 
docmirror said:
Ground reference maneuvers.

Dead reckoning navigation(no electronics allowed).

If you know how to do a dutch roll, you can practice rudder - aileron coordination.

Emer procedures. Ask your CFI if you can setup to glide(power at idle) all the way to the runway from 2500' over the airport. See how good you can get at hitting the first third of the runway. He will give you specific instructions on how to do it, follow them.
Click to expand...
All good ideas. Also steep turns and precision slow flight. Accuracy landings, too -- if you can't put it within 10 feet of a designated touchdown point most of the time, you still have improvement possible..
 
Henning said:
Do a 'slow flight' cross country with the gear horn sounding.
Click to expand...

Wow, I'd really like to see that retractible 150.

I'm a bit skeptical that every maneuver is perfect at 25 hours or 25000.

Try putting a small stuffed animal loose on the right side of the glare shield. Fly a complete pattern. You pass if it's still there and upright after landing.
 
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So today just flew to a paved airport about 25 miles away, did some turns about a point, tried that with a moving target but the 150 is so slow kinda hard to keep up with a car :) . Did some engine out stuff at various positions in the pattern, only had one awkward approach to landing but with 3300 ft of runway plenty of time to fix it just landed a bit longer than I wanted.

Wish parachutes weren't required cause i'd love to do a bunch of spins in the 150 areobat. I've done them in a pitts but would love to learn them in the 150, I always want to experience the worst/most dangerous situation you'd likely face just so its automatic to fix when it happens unintentionally.
I like that my instructor has been the same way always doing the "hard" way, like my night flying was done with panel lights off and half the landings with no taxi/landing lights.

Tomorrow I guess i'm gonna work on deviations shouldn't be too hard cause i'm quick with the sectional and plotter, probably use the old e6b for ground speed and simulating low fuel/where I can make it.

EDIT: I need work on crosswind stuff but the weathers been to nice. I can do them either crabbing and kicking it straight with rudder on landing and I can do aileron into the wind rudder to keep it straight but i'm not super smooth with either, I think part of it is i've never actually been in a cross wind more than 8 knots at 90 degrees to runway so doing eithers kinda been exaggerated/not needed for landing

EDIT2: Also whats the general rule for parking at uncontrolled airports, the ones i've been to don't have tie down spots near the fbo I've just been parking close to fbo in a way that allows me to get out and others to park in similar pattern. Also leaving the prime spots directly in front for the jets and king air types. I wish there was a clearly labeled "visitor parking" I'd hate to walk in and be told to move my little 150.
 
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To me, the most pernicious and common failure in the GA community that you can practice against is the base to final accel stall and spin. You will need the CFI at first to set this up at altitude. Being able to instantly recognize and solve the accel stall problem will save you at some point in your flying. You can't do it at pattern altitude, and it's dangerous to try at the ground reference altitudes as well. You need at least 3000' AGL, and then the sight picture changes a lot.

For parking at uncontrolled, ask a local if there's anyone around. If no one is around, look for a T painted white or yellow. Don't park in a T that is red. Best to leave your name and phone number in the pilot window in case they need to reach you while you are away from the plane.
 
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As I recall, you're required to have a certain number of hours (3.0 I think) of dual instruction specifically in prep for your check ride, within 90 days of the check ride. Since it sounds like you're close to your ride, keep that in mind; it doesn't have to be the last 3.0 hours in your log book.
 
If you are *truly* flying at PTS level proficiency (ask the senior CFI at your school for a mock check ride), then find a taildragger and begin logging time for that endorsement. -Skip
 
Shawn said:
Go fly to every airport you can, controlled and uncontrolled. If you got the flying down, start putting it to use and learning the operational side of things at unfamiliar fields.
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+1, along with more emergency procedures.

Btw, congrats on not wanting to be a child of the magenta line!
 
eman1200 said:
WWRD ?
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54586396.jpg
 
Go out and fly a practice check ride. Look through the PTS and make sure you can fly all the maneuvers the examiner will have you do to standards. While flying talk out loud (don't cheat, it will impress the examiner if you can talk and fly at the same time) to yourself as if you were are telling the examiner what you going to do and then talk about how you are doing through the maneuver.

For example.
The Steep Turn..
We will fly level on this heading at 4500 feet. We will bank left to 45 degrees and hold the bank angle with in +/-5 degrees. We will complete a 360 degree turn while maintaining 4500 feet +/-100 feet and roll out on our current heading +/-10 degrees,

then fly the maneuver and advise at any time you are out of spec and making adjustments.

Example:
We are 50 feet low, so I am going to raise the nose slightly and verify that I am not over 45 degrees of bank.


If you don't know the approximate sequence and maneuvers that will be done then you need to have your instructor do a few mock check rides with you or go over the demonstrations you are not sure about.

If you can't describe in your out loud voice each maneuver and the PTS requirement in flight then you need to study and practice them some more.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
Went out tuesday with an instructor in the 150 did a practice exam went pretty good. I flew the 150 after flying the 172 which threw my first approach (150 flies like a rock vs the 172) off. Only thing that I really screwed up on was flaps on final cause on this old 150 the mechanism will try to keep going and doesn't "stop" at 40 so you have to flick the switch to neutral otherwise it'll keep making noise and I switched it back up past neutral. Got it figured out but for a second there it threw me with the sudden change in glide angle vs with flaps full.

Got most of my hoodtime out of the way yesterday, I don't understand the requirement for 3 hours of it. Scan instruments follow heading/instructions maybe track a vor or guesstimate where you are by tracking 2 and intersecting radials on the sectional so 15-30 minutes and you've done it all... Though it was more fun today in the 150 cause we did recovery from unusual attitudes, 172 was pretty tame and I expected the same in the aerobat but it was a lot more intense with good 4gs and steep angles when I had my head down, I think my instructor was having some fun playing around.


One thing I struggle with is stalls. I never know when I should get out of them. In approach to landing stalls I'll be full elevator back feel it buffeting and the nose will drop a bit but not really "break" down. You get so much warning and it stalls so slowly I never know when to begin a recovery. I can feel the buffeting on the wings and in reality I would already be knobs forward get flaps to 20, airspeed and climb angle but what is a examiner looking for? for me to hold it and try to make it stall hard by jerking the elevator the last little bit back or recover when you feel it start to stall? Its hard to explain but its just so docile and forgiving that theres no big moment where its obvious you should recover. If I recover when I want to(buffeting and stall horn screaming for the last 10mph) its almost too soon or a non event, it requires a lot more rapid input to make it feel like a "moment" where I need to recover right then.

Power on stalls are easy though cause it will break quick and with a big nose drop.
 
Any uncommanded nose drop is a stall break.

If you think these are docile, try a Warrior.

I'm not understanding your "rock" statement. I find 152s and 172s to behave pretty similarly on approach, with the 152 ~5 knots slower. Maybe the airspeed isn't right. Especially, the 172 may be a bit fast.
 
falconkidding said:
Went out tuesday with an instructor in the 150 did a practice exam went pretty good. I flew the 150 after flying the 172 which threw my first approach (150 flies like a rock vs the 172) off. Only thing that I really screwed up on was flaps on final cause on this old 150 the mechanism will try to keep going and doesn't "stop" at 40 so you have to flick the switch to neutral otherwise it'll keep making noise and I switched it back up past neutral. Got it figured out but for a second there it threw me with the sudden change in glide angle vs with flaps full.

Got most of my hoodtime out of the way yesterday, I don't understand the requirement for 3 hours of it. Scan instruments follow heading/instructions maybe track a vor or guesstimate where you are by tracking 2 and intersecting radials on the sectional so 15-30 minutes and you've done it all... Though it was more fun today in the 150 cause we did recovery from unusual attitudes, 172 was pretty tame and I expected the same in the aerobat but it was a lot more intense with good 4gs and steep angles when I had my head down, I think my instructor was having some fun playing around.


One thing I struggle with is stalls. I never know when I should get out of them. In approach to landing stalls I'll be full elevator back feel it buffeting and the nose will drop a bit but not really "break" down. You get so much warning and it stalls so slowly I never know when to begin a recovery. I can feel the buffeting on the wings and in reality I would already be knobs forward get flaps to 20, airspeed and climb angle but what is a examiner looking for? for me to hold it and try to make it stall hard by jerking the elevator the last little bit back or recover when you feel it start to stall? Its hard to explain but its just so docile and forgiving that theres no big moment where its obvious you should recover. If I recover when I want to(buffeting and stall horn screaming for the last 10mph) its almost too soon or a non event, it requires a lot more rapid input to make it feel like a "moment" where I need to recover right then.

Power on stalls are easy though cause it will break quick and with a big nose drop.
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You should read the PTS. It will tell you if the examiner wants a full stall or the first indication of the stall (i.e. buffeting). I think for my private ride the examiner wanted me to recover at the first indication of a stall. If you think a 152 is docile you should try flying a Warrior. Don't confuse breaking a stall with a nose down attitude. To break the stall, all you need to do is lower the angle of attack, which doesn't necessarily mean the nose has to be in a pitch down attitude. You can still recover from a stall even if the nose is pitched up. Angle of attack is not the same as pitch attitude.
 
jordane93 said:
Don't confuse breaking a stall with a nose down attitude. To break the stall, all you need to do is lower the angle of attack, which doesn't necessarily mean the nose has to be in a pitch down attitude. You can still recover from a stall even if the nose is pitched up. Angle of attack is not the same as pitch attitude.
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I think thats what sorta throws me off on the approach to landing stall is how it almost acts like a "falling leaf" with the nose just dropping a few degrees leveling and a few more degrees and so on until you recover vs when doing the power on and it does a good 20 degree swing. Just a mental thing where it feels like cheating to just ease off the elevator and its recovered (assuming i'm getting knobs forward and start bleeding off flaps to maintain the recovery/climbing).

I guess the "violence" between the two could be chalked up to where i typically am changing the angle of attack more rapidly on the power on stall not 100% on that though just makes sense off the top of my head
 
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