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IFR Lesson 12 - Long Way Around
12/12/2007 Filed in: Flying
IFR Lesson 12 - Long Way Around
CFII and I had planned to the the long IFR cross country today. The weather is... um... interesting. Seems we have IFR and LIFR in just about every direction. I call CFII to see if we're a go.
Me: This is exactly the kind of weather that would be a no-go for me personally. But if you're very comfortable, it would probably be a good experience for me.
CFII: I'm good, but we need a plane. Read More...
CFII and I had planned to the the long IFR cross country today. The weather is... um... interesting. Seems we have IFR and LIFR in just about every direction. I call CFII to see if we're a go.
Me: This is exactly the kind of weather that would be a no-go for me personally. But if you're very comfortable, it would probably be a good experience for me.
CFII: I'm good, but we need a plane. Read More...
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IFR Lesson 11 - Crossfire
12/11/2007 Filed in: Flying
IFR Lesson 11 - Crossfire
Another simulated IFR XC today. This time the weather is very much VFR with a few scattered clouds. We decide to take a Katana to Crossville (CSV), fly an approach there, and then fly back.
I suspect very strongly that CFII had some inside knowledge of the winds at CSV when he suggested this destination. They were reporting 190@11G17. The runways are 08/26. So basically, if I don't have enough fun on the approach, I should have plenty when I land.
Read More...
Another simulated IFR XC today. This time the weather is very much VFR with a few scattered clouds. We decide to take a Katana to Crossville (CSV), fly an approach there, and then fly back.
I suspect very strongly that CFII had some inside knowledge of the winds at CSV when he suggested this destination. They were reporting 190@11G17. The runways are 08/26. So basically, if I don't have enough fun on the approach, I should have plenty when I land.
Read More...
IFR Lesson 8 - Tones of Home
12/04/2007 Filed in: Flying
IFR Lesson 8 - Tones of Home
Another simulated IFR XC today.
CFII: So how about 2M2 with MRC as an alternate with approaches into both?
Me: Works for me.
I've been wanting to visit MRC (Maury County) for a while anyway. The way I hear it they're basically giving away hangar space down there and the gas prices aren't bad either. The thing about where I live is that I'm equidistant between about 5 local airports, all of which are at least a 30 minute drive. MRC is one of the farther ones, but the cheap hangar space has me intrigued. Read More...
Another simulated IFR XC today.
CFII: So how about 2M2 with MRC as an alternate with approaches into both?
Me: Works for me.
I've been wanting to visit MRC (Maury County) for a while anyway. The way I hear it they're basically giving away hangar space down there and the gas prices aren't bad either. The thing about where I live is that I'm equidistant between about 5 local airports, all of which are at least a 30 minute drive. MRC is one of the farther ones, but the cheap hangar space has me intrigued. Read More...
IFR Lesson 7 - It's Not Easy Being Green
11/30/2007 Filed in: Flying
IFR Lesson 7 - It's Not Easy Being Green
I point to the sleeping dragon that is some Evangelical group's 747 short that is even now sitting on the ramp at MQY. It easily dwarfs all of the corporate jets that, until today, appeared big to me.
Me: My God! Look at that monster!
CFII: Yeah, it's apparently a 747 short.
Me: I've never even heard of such a thing.
CFII: Me either until this one.
Me: Shhhh! You might wake it! Read More...
I point to the sleeping dragon that is some Evangelical group's 747 short that is even now sitting on the ramp at MQY. It easily dwarfs all of the corporate jets that, until today, appeared big to me.
Me: My God! Look at that monster!
CFII: Yeah, it's apparently a 747 short.
Me: I've never even heard of such a thing.
CFII: Me either until this one.
Me: Shhhh! You might wake it! Read More...
IFR Lesson 6 - Mama I'm Coming Home
11/29/2007 Filed in: Flying
IFR Lesson 6 - Mama I'm Coming Home (aka ATC and
"Your Mama" jokes)
First lesson out of the sim! The DA40 at our school has been broken for *checks watch*... ever. My last five lessons have been in the full-motion MOTUS simulator at the school. Having fully mastered the art of IFR flying on the contraption, I put in a request to CFII that we train in the DA20 until such time as the 40 decides to depart its current state of depression.
Our timing is perfect as I have a helluva good reason to fly on an XC today: I have a demo in an A36 in Paducah. I mean, yeah, I might learn a thing or two about IFR flying on the way, ya killjoy! But in case you missed it, I get to fly a Bo for the first time today, so pretty much everything else is secondary. Read More...
First lesson out of the sim! The DA40 at our school has been broken for *checks watch*... ever. My last five lessons have been in the full-motion MOTUS simulator at the school. Having fully mastered the art of IFR flying on the contraption, I put in a request to CFII that we train in the DA20 until such time as the 40 decides to depart its current state of depression.
Our timing is perfect as I have a helluva good reason to fly on an XC today: I have a demo in an A36 in Paducah. I mean, yeah, I might learn a thing or two about IFR flying on the way, ya killjoy! But in case you missed it, I get to fly a Bo for the first time today, so pretty much everything else is secondary. Read More...
Lesson 22: Because the night belongs to lovers...
07/23/2007 Filed in: Flying
Monday - 07/23/07
If you've been keeping up, you remember my previous night lesson did not go as I hoped. It's no surprise then, I really wasn't looking forward to my night CC flight tonight. I was, however, cautiously optimistic that I could force the suck back into its holding cell.
Moreover, I'm a textbook morning person. At 6am, I feel like I can solve fourth order, non-linear, differential equations in my head. After 6pm I have trouble putting my sandals on the proper feet and remembering to not eat soup with a fork. Most nights I'm dead asleep by 10pm.
The solution? Starbucks! A rarity for me, but I stopped off on the way to MQY and bought a couple of mocha speed-in-a-bottles and two coffee cakes for me and CFI1. I arrive at the FBO and hand over my loot.
Read More...
If you've been keeping up, you remember my previous night lesson did not go as I hoped. It's no surprise then, I really wasn't looking forward to my night CC flight tonight. I was, however, cautiously optimistic that I could force the suck back into its holding cell.
Moreover, I'm a textbook morning person. At 6am, I feel like I can solve fourth order, non-linear, differential equations in my head. After 6pm I have trouble putting my sandals on the proper feet and remembering to not eat soup with a fork. Most nights I'm dead asleep by 10pm.
The solution? Starbucks! A rarity for me, but I stopped off on the way to MQY and bought a couple of mocha speed-in-a-bottles and two coffee cakes for me and CFI1. I arrive at the FBO and hand over my loot.
Read More...
Lesson 21: Long John Silver XC
07/21/2007 Filed in: Flying
Saturday - 07/21/07
Ok, let's check the weather forecast for tomorrow... lemme guess, "Partly cloudy with X% chance of thunderstorms". Wait a second... "Clear" ?? What does that mean?! I'm not buying it.
You can't fool me. I'm being punked. Bob Saget or Pauly Shore or whoever the hell is in charge here, you might as well come on out! I was born at night but it wasn't *last* night.
Well, just in case it's not an elaborate prank coordinated between the NWS and the admins at weatherunderground.com, I called CFI1. Oh, I see now... "Clear" means that the plane is about to enter its 100 hour and I can't fly. Yeah, that's more like it.
Read More...
Ok, let's check the weather forecast for tomorrow... lemme guess, "Partly cloudy with X% chance of thunderstorms". Wait a second... "Clear" ?? What does that mean?! I'm not buying it.
You can't fool me. I'm being punked. Bob Saget or Pauly Shore or whoever the hell is in charge here, you might as well come on out! I was born at night but it wasn't *last* night.
Well, just in case it's not an elaborate prank coordinated between the NWS and the admins at weatherunderground.com, I called CFI1. Oh, I see now... "Clear" means that the plane is about to enter its 100 hour and I can't fly. Yeah, that's more like it.
Read More...
Lesson 19: Solo CC - I am four
07/18/2007 Filed in: Flying
Tuesday - 07/18/07
I was supposed to solo CC for the first time on Monday. You will all be shocked to learn that was canceled due to weather. Such a rare occurrence, I know. I figure the odds are on par with a male, albino California condor giving birth to live young. The mind boggles.
So I rescheduled that for Tuesday from 9am-12pm. I showed up and reviewed the planning and weather with CFI1 and he sprinkles a little holy water (read: ink) on my logbook and away I go for the preflight.
As I'm checking the airplane for signs that it will suddenly, and without warning, drop out of the sky on me I note some lowish puffy white things in the sky. I go back in to check the weather.
Ceilings around 3500 ft, which is ok, except my trip back is scheduled for 4500 feet. Hrm... I guess that's not going to work, but I've still got plenty of altitude over the plateau at 3500-ish so it's not a deal-breaker. I see CFI2 on the ramp and have him help me reach a decision. We decide it's a go, with the caveat that I may get some 180 practice on the way. Read More...
I was supposed to solo CC for the first time on Monday. You will all be shocked to learn that was canceled due to weather. Such a rare occurrence, I know. I figure the odds are on par with a male, albino California condor giving birth to live young. The mind boggles.
So I rescheduled that for Tuesday from 9am-12pm. I showed up and reviewed the planning and weather with CFI1 and he sprinkles a little holy water (read: ink) on my logbook and away I go for the preflight.
As I'm checking the airplane for signs that it will suddenly, and without warning, drop out of the sky on me I note some lowish puffy white things in the sky. I go back in to check the weather.
Ceilings around 3500 ft, which is ok, except my trip back is scheduled for 4500 feet. Hrm... I guess that's not going to work, but I've still got plenty of altitude over the plateau at 3500-ish so it's not a deal-breaker. I see CFI2 on the ramp and have him help me reach a decision. We decide it's a go, with the caveat that I may get some 180 practice on the way. Read More...
Lesson 17: These words... they taste so delicious!
07/12/2007 Filed in: Flying
Thursday 07/12/07
It was a beautiful plan, really. Tuesday we work on short/soft field stuff in the pattern. Wednesday we do another dual cross country. Thursday (today) I do my first solo cross country....
CFI1: We'll go to Crossville together Wednesday and, unless you screw up majorly, you can do a solo cross country Thursday.
Me: Great, no pressure there.
Best-laid plans of CFI and student pilots... Read More...
It was a beautiful plan, really. Tuesday we work on short/soft field stuff in the pattern. Wednesday we do another dual cross country. Thursday (today) I do my first solo cross country....
CFI1: We'll go to Crossville together Wednesday and, unless you screw up majorly, you can do a solo cross country Thursday.
Me: Great, no pressure there.
Best-laid plans of CFI and student pilots... Read More...
Lesson 16.1: It's not the length, it's the width that matters
07/09/2007 Filed in: Flying
Monday - 07/09/07
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I get to fly again today after nearly a week off... I'm salivating like Rosie O'donnell at a female body building championship.
Adding to my excitement is that today is my first dual XC, which is something I've looked forward to since I started reading other student pilot blogs. It's just so incredibly cool to me to finally get to *use* the airplane for its intended purpose. What a concept!
Like everything good in life, however, there are tradeoffs. The airport to which we'll be flying has a 3700x50 ft runway. Yeah, that's 50 metric feet. Er, I mean English. Ok, either way, it's frickin small. And surrounded by foothills and trees. There are, however, no trucks, so it has a leg up on Lebanon. Read More...
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I get to fly again today after nearly a week off... I'm salivating like Rosie O'donnell at a female body building championship.
Adding to my excitement is that today is my first dual XC, which is something I've looked forward to since I started reading other student pilot blogs. It's just so incredibly cool to me to finally get to *use* the airplane for its intended purpose. What a concept!
Like everything good in life, however, there are tradeoffs. The airport to which we'll be flying has a 3700x50 ft runway. Yeah, that's 50 metric feet. Er, I mean English. Ok, either way, it's frickin small. And surrounded by foothills and trees. There are, however, no trucks, so it has a leg up on Lebanon. Read More...