My flying blog.

[Beefitarian]

I'm booked to go in 2.5 hours from now.

I'm stressing myself up. I'm excited because it might be my favorite thing to do. I'm hanging out with the POH and reviewing everything and realising I know more than I let on. I just don't do it regularly enough to stay on top of everything.

Finally I am realising I have something to prove, so I'm putting unreasonable expectations of performance on myself and I'm allmost at the point of forcing failure, because even if I was current and in the process of training for CPL I'm going to make some sort of mistake even if it's so slight the instructor didn't catch it. For some reason I seem almost to be anticipating it so I can point at myself and go "Ha! you botched that."

It's probably a big part of why I never quite made the recomend for CPL flight test.

I can fly the plane fairly well, problem seems to be I can't demonstrate it better than moderate. No matter how well I know whatever it is as soon as someone asks I'm going to second guess myself.

Ok, I feel a little better.

[YYZSaabGuy]

Take a deep breath and count to 10. Relax. It's all going to go by quickly, but remember to enjoy it along the way. I have yet to fly the "perfect" flight, without even a single minor mistake, hard as I've tried, and who cares? It's still a great way to spend time and disposable income.

[Beefitarian]

Thanks.

I need to do the same thing I did on my last flight. I just took the nice instructor for a ride. I flew the whole time, everything went quite well. Maintained my heading and altitudes within sbout 5 degrees & 100' for most of the flight and did a near perfect slip after ending up a bit high on final and about a 6 out of 10 for the landing straight and very near the center line. Didn't beat myself up and had some fun.

This time I'm making it out to be a check ride and I'm not ready for one. I think I just want too much to be ready without putting in the time. If I can switch gears it will be not only more fun but more productive also. I just got my Cat 3 back so that's caused me to start an imaginary stop watch on the process.

[iflyforpie]

A big +1. I go through every flight after and think of things I could have done better. We learn by doing.

[Doc]

Take a deep breath and count to 10. Relax. It's all going to go by quickly, but remember to enjoy it along the way. I have yet to fly the "perfect" flight, without even a single minor mistake, hard as I've tried, and who cares? It's still a great way to spend time and disposable income.

The "perfect flight"? WTF? Take it out. Bring it back. ENJOY!!!!

[Beefitarian]

Who called for this WX?

Well by the time I got out to the airport I was in a better frame of mind. I then relaxed a bunch even though I was a little dissapointed because there was a few lightning stikes somewhere and I beat the rain that was comming toward us at about 20 knots by about half an hour.

I wandered out and did a supervised walk around. We were both reasonbly happy with my memory of where things were, how they should appear to be attatched in addition to, how should they wiggle or move? And let's make sure nothing that does move makes any noises while it does unless there's an electric motor moving it. The fuel looks a clear pretty light blue and at the 5 and 7/8ths of a quart area on the dip stick the oil is a yellowy light brown. I was cautioned not to rough up the rudder and pointed out that the trim tab had been "fixed" by someone as per the renter/student's, "Hey this thing's bent, I better straighten it." method of being helpfull.

Then we went in and had a lovely chat while I read and attempted to interpret the nice dynamic WX that changed as we kept stealing glances out the window.

It was pretty good but I kind of wanted to do what Doc said.

[hz2p]

Flying is like shagging. Rarely will you ever do it perfectly, sometimes you'll get all sweaty, but most of the time it feels good.

[trey kule]

Beefie:

Are you rescheduled? As doc put it so well, first and foremost enjoy. I was going to make a joke and say remember those most important four words..."Scotch and Mountain Dew", but without a doubt someone would post as to the evils of flying drunk....or quote a CARS reference to the time limits for alcohol consumption.....

So you will have to just go and enjoy.

[Doc]

Flying is like shagging. Rarely will you ever do it perfectly, sometimes you'll get all sweaty, but most of the time it feels good.

Ah yes, sex and golf. Two things you can be bad at, and still have a good time!

[Beefitarian]

I've never heard of anyone creating a hazzard by choosing the wrong approach speed during sexy time but it could happen I suppose.

I did reschedule. I think the less than steller WX has been putting everyone behind. I'm currently supposed to go on the 14th.

Finally 8 hours time between that tasty Dew and Dewars and flying. (I don't know what it says that I know that one for certain.)

[iflyforpie]

The wrong approach speed usually isn't a huge deal in either, but if you do a back course when you are supposed to be on front course....

[Beefitarian]

added 1.2 to the dual column.

There wasn't anyone to wait for once we finished the runup that was kind of nice, went right to paying for flying. I'm not sure what I did to start it but I did a little fish tail just before take off.

During a wing low power on stall I was surprised how much effort it took to not use the cute little steering wheel thingy once it really dropped. My feet knew what to do but my hands tried to put in aileron two or three times too early. I managed to restrain myself but it was tough.

Most things went reasonably well. I didn't have any confidence issues. Chased my altitudes a bit, there were lots of fun updrafts but I was also over using the elevator trim wheel.

The soft field landing was a little hard.

[hz2p]

added 1.2 to the dual column

Congratulations! Like sex, you probably didn't do it perfectly, but try to do it again as soon as you can.

[trey kule]

good for you, I hope you celebrated appropriately by partaking in a jubilation of mountain due and scotch.

Just a thought, but try not to take it all quite so seriously. Just do your best, then review it afterwards, and attempt to improve on the next flight for any little oversight. Stalls? soft filed landings? How long is it since you last flew? I fyou have not flown for a while, take some time just to do turns, nail the steep turns, set up power and attitude , configeration etc for approaches at altitude, practice an overshoot (at alitutde from the last message) some steep turns with ball n the center and you eyes outside the cockpit and not on the AI during the turn. simpe stuff is you have not flown for awhile. And then when you are comfortable again go on to the more advanced stuff. Jumping in with both feet so to speak, if you have not flown for awhile is only going to damage your confidence and allow your instructor to ultimately put more hours of dual.. Short field landing? I though you were flying from springbank? Is that a short field for the aircraft you were on?

Ignore the above if you are current. but if it has been awhile, you maybe should look for an instructor who understands that and lets you get comfortable with the plane before turning it into a check ride...Check rides come AFTER you have learned. Not before, and that seems to escape the understanding of some instructors. As to establishing your abilities, it is a poor instructor that cannot do that without having you run the whole gamut of the flight envelope.

Just an old guys thoughts. You number one priority should be to enjoy the flight, unless it is specifically a training flight.
As doc said..perfect flight...WTF?

Now enjoy the next one.

[Beefitarian]

I went to a birthday party for my brother in law's wife and there was no scotch or mountain dew and I'm waiting for you to come to YYC for that. It's no fun barfing by yourself. They are all going to specifically be training flights for a while here.

I have the type of personality where I am by quite a margin my own harshest critic. I'm not a regular perfectionist but I do hold myself to a slightly unrealistic standard. When I'm in a groove I have no problem meeting most of my standards.

There has been vast improvements since that first flight in November. I was ready for the stalls and slow flight and it went well so we carried on. If we got to anything challenging we probably would have spent more time on it.

Funny, I probably should have requested a different landing since soft field might be my most challenging and the one I was least prepared for. I did not get outside my comfort zone partially because I knew we were on pavement so my landing morphed into a normal landing.

They only require demonstration of proper technique on pavement same as flight test to regain currency. I have only ever landed on the grass at spring bank and the shortest runway I have been on was probably nearly 2000' but I have stopped a 172 in a pretty fair amount under 1000'. I appreciate the tips though so keep them coming.

[Beefitarian]

+1.3 hours in the "lurnin" column. I'm almost starting to feel like I remember some stuff about flyin'.

Did a couple of forced approaches. I think I liked the first one better even though I remembered to do more chit chat on the second.
The cessna 172N glides better than I recall. Gave me a chance to demonstrate one of my excellent slips. I did it with lots of flap and then we discussed reasons that's not ideal. Reduced elevator and rudder effectiveness and a possibility of an undesireable elevator oscillation. The second one we all knew we'd be long, there was no hiding it. After being prompted I did some horrible "S" turn like maneuvers and ended up long into the field. I might even start doing somthing earlier in the process next time.

My steep turn was ok and more than three times I was actually holding my altitude/airspeed. My non conforming circut/approach was ok up until I decided it was time for the rest of the flap extention and ended up being pretty short. Then we had to throttle up significantly. Once I knew I had the field made I cut the power, I soon realised maybe I should have taken a slightly more gentle approach to reducing the power.

The landing was straight, near the center line with no bouncing, porposing or even screaming but... it was pretty... how should I say it? "I think I caught the first cable!" solid.

I'll let this thread go for a nap until something exciting happens unless youse people want to read this drivel. Prince Willy is probably still a better pilot than me especially in Rotor machines but I'm catching up.

[MUSKEG]

This is kind of like facebook don't you think?

[Dagwood]

My non conforming circut/approach was ok up until I decided it was time for the rest of the flap extention and ended up being pretty short.

Nothing a little more practice won't fix

[trey kule]

Nothing a little more practice won't fix

Spoken like a true instructor

Reward yourself beefie....Scotch and mountain dew...and not that cheap no name generic stuff.. buy the real mountain dew...You deserve it.
yes, this might be like facebook. but it has been over four decades since I learned to fly and I enjoy the enthusiasm of the ones starting out. It is a nice change.

[Beefitarian]

This is kind of like facebook don't you think?

No. On face book there's more inlaws etc. they're like you and don't want to talk about airplanes.

I'm with you Dagwood practice makes better! The non conforming circut was just the inbound proceedure where they brought me in on two sort of 45° turns to final. I don't know if that threw my off or it was just the show the guy taking off put on.

It's been a couple of decades since I started too Trey. I love airplanes.

Scotch and mountain dew

Ok I can't wait, I'm doing it. I'll PM you a full report and no matter how horrible it is I'll have one with you if we're ever in the same area.