Last solo practice as a student pilot - I hope
08/07/2007 Filed in: Flying
Tuesday - 08/07/07
Solo practice today. I'm determined to head south again today and find my way back to Smyrna without the tower hand-holding required on the past couple of southerly excursions.
Heading out is uneventful, and as I approach Shelbyville (KSYI), I veer west and work on turns around a point, S-turns, and steep turns. All are passably good by the time I finish, but at one point I cleared the area only to see that I've strayed too close to the KSYI field and I've got a real good look at an airplane on final approach that I wish I had seen earlier.
He was still a mile or two away, but it's considerably larger than any airplane I've seen before outside the pattern. I remind myself that I *really* want a traffic system in my airplane. And not just TIS. I'm talking full-time traffic, baby. Then I've only got to worry about that random transponder-less yaehoos kiting about, which, given their lower numbers, will still provide me with some level of comfort.
As I'm heading back to Smyrna, I'm trying really, *really* hard not to screw up. I'm told to report a left base for runway 32. Ok where's the airport, where's the airport... see, damnit, don't just look, see! Aha! Got it!
I can even make out a runway from here, but uh... I'm sort of on a straight in for it rather than a left base. I check the DG and it's pointing somewhere between 330 and 360. I figure it's off, but I can't reliably reset it at the moment because I'm not straight and level. I call the tower.
Me: Tower, 223NH, can I get a straight in on 32?
Tower: 223NH, negative, you can enter left base from there.
Me: Ok, but I'll have to cross back over.
Tower: I think you're seeing runway 1.
Shit!!!
Me: Ok, sorry, will report left base for 32.
The rest of it went ok, but I was really hoping to avoid that. Not a huge deal, but I felt kinda stupid.
At Smyrna I do some pattern work, including some more no-flap landings, soft fields, and, of course, many short-field landings. I'm proud to say, I don't think I missed a one of them.
I'm also provided a little amusement from what I presume was an MTSU student coming over to perform her required 3 landings at a towered field. For instance, at one point I heard...
MTSU student: Smyrna traffic, we are midfield downwind landing, Smyrna.
Or something to that effect. I can only imagine tower-guy's reaction. Her CFI, I presume, came on shortly after to complete the request.
Now, let me be very clear... I'm not making fun of her *at all*. I remember all too well how those first few calls felt for me, so I have tremendous empathy for everyone who has to try their hand speaking with a tower for the first time. I'm just glad that there's someone to take the heat off of me for my runway mixup idiocy just minutes earlier. She also sounds cute and dainty. I love that.
So after 10 landings, almost all of them spot on, I return to the ramp and hoist myself out of my vessel.
One more lesson tomorrow morning with CFI1. Then the big day. Feels like I should be more nervous than this by now... I'm sure it'll come. There's still 1 day and 20 hours left to go, after all.
Logged: 2.2
Solo practice today. I'm determined to head south again today and find my way back to Smyrna without the tower hand-holding required on the past couple of southerly excursions.
Heading out is uneventful, and as I approach Shelbyville (KSYI), I veer west and work on turns around a point, S-turns, and steep turns. All are passably good by the time I finish, but at one point I cleared the area only to see that I've strayed too close to the KSYI field and I've got a real good look at an airplane on final approach that I wish I had seen earlier.
He was still a mile or two away, but it's considerably larger than any airplane I've seen before outside the pattern. I remind myself that I *really* want a traffic system in my airplane. And not just TIS. I'm talking full-time traffic, baby. Then I've only got to worry about that random transponder-less yaehoos kiting about, which, given their lower numbers, will still provide me with some level of comfort.
As I'm heading back to Smyrna, I'm trying really, *really* hard not to screw up. I'm told to report a left base for runway 32. Ok where's the airport, where's the airport... see, damnit, don't just look, see! Aha! Got it!
I can even make out a runway from here, but uh... I'm sort of on a straight in for it rather than a left base. I check the DG and it's pointing somewhere between 330 and 360. I figure it's off, but I can't reliably reset it at the moment because I'm not straight and level. I call the tower.
Me: Tower, 223NH, can I get a straight in on 32?
Tower: 223NH, negative, you can enter left base from there.
Me: Ok, but I'll have to cross back over.
Tower: I think you're seeing runway 1.
Shit!!!
Me: Ok, sorry, will report left base for 32.
The rest of it went ok, but I was really hoping to avoid that. Not a huge deal, but I felt kinda stupid.
At Smyrna I do some pattern work, including some more no-flap landings, soft fields, and, of course, many short-field landings. I'm proud to say, I don't think I missed a one of them.
I'm also provided a little amusement from what I presume was an MTSU student coming over to perform her required 3 landings at a towered field. For instance, at one point I heard...
MTSU student: Smyrna traffic, we are midfield downwind landing, Smyrna.
Or something to that effect. I can only imagine tower-guy's reaction. Her CFI, I presume, came on shortly after to complete the request.
Now, let me be very clear... I'm not making fun of her *at all*. I remember all too well how those first few calls felt for me, so I have tremendous empathy for everyone who has to try their hand speaking with a tower for the first time. I'm just glad that there's someone to take the heat off of me for my runway mixup idiocy just minutes earlier. She also sounds cute and dainty. I love that.
So after 10 landings, almost all of them spot on, I return to the ramp and hoist myself out of my vessel.
One more lesson tomorrow morning with CFI1. Then the big day. Feels like I should be more nervous than this by now... I'm sure it'll come. There's still 1 day and 20 hours left to go, after all.
Logged: 2.2