Just to clear the air, I am getting very close to the check-ride. Prior to this lesson all that was left to complete is an hour or so of practical test prep. The plan for this lesson was to perform all the maneuvers required for the check-ride and then work on anything that needs improvement. That means we will do stalls, steep turns, slow flight, ground reference maneuvers, and unusual attitudes.... Read more »
Continue ReadingTag archive for "ground reference"
Practical Test Prep and Last Night Landings
Josh let me know on the very end of the downwind, that my electrical system had just failed. He turned down all the lights, and we were in the dark. All I had was runway lights, engine sounds and a stall horn to guide me. My response to this was, "Oh...does that mean I have no flaps either?" (The Skyhawk has electric flaps.) So now it was a no flap landing too. Nevertheless, I made a really good, short landing.... Read more »
Continue ReadingA short lesson
We went up and down 321 and then headed back to the airport, for at least one landing. The cool thing is that we overflew the fall festival. It looked pretty interesting from the air. I also found out later that my flight was seen. I made a very good landing, and we put the plane to bed.... Read more »
Continue Reading
Half and half
The radio chatter was coming so quickly, that I was afraid I would never be able to break in and request to come back in for landing. I just flew along the ridge and kept turning around to try and maintain a decent proximity to the airport and practice area. I made about 3 circuits of this pseudo holding pattern before I got a chance to request permission to head back in. ATC issued me a heading that was basically parallel to the ridge and I complied. After about 5 minutes and upon noticing that I was nearly to Six Mile, the controller broke in and let me know that I didn't have to stay on the heading and just to hold to the east of the field until further notice.... Read more »
Continue Reading
Solo Lesson – GPS
The lesson culminated with me putting on a show for my mother and wife. There was a bit of a crosswind so I came in in a crab. I rode it down almost to the runway and (for the first time ever) kicked out the crab so that I was lined up perfectly with the runway. I touched down on centerline slightly fast, but otherwise a really good landing.... Read more »
Continue Reading
Pictures
The week after my solo, we started working on cross-country flying. I had a week off following a ground lesson. It wasn't really my choice - the schedule filled up.... Read more »
Continue ReadingTwelfth Lesson – ground reference solo
I elected to forego touch and goes in an attempt to lighten the load on the controllers and myself. They vectored me in, which was easy. I came straight in to my base leg and turned final. I set it down in the first thousand feet and made it to the first turn off. It was a really good landing.... Read more »
Continue ReadingEighth Lesson
On the final landing, the crosswind was gone and consequently I made another really nice landing. It wasn't the picture perfect landing from last time but it was still grade A.... Read more »
Continue ReadingAbout Me
Hello, my name is Matt Everett and as of 1/1/2010 I am a private pilot ASEL. I started this blog early in my training and used it primarily as a place to keep notes of my lessons. Since then it has grown to much more than that, but my main focus is still on aviation experiences.
Looking for more?
Be sure to check these great sites for more of your favorite aviation content from Leaving Terra Firma.
© 2012 Leaving Terra Firma. Powered by WordPress.
