Learning to Fly: March 2006 Archives
Flying lessons were fun today.
First off, we headed out beyond Dixon, out to the middle of nowhere. We practiced slow flight, and stalls. This time around, I didn't try and fight the stall - I had much less of an issue with trying to intentionally stall the airplane. Recovery was good.
Next up. we climbed to 5000 feet, and did a spin. That was done by intententionally stalling the airplane, while not having the plane straight and level. This was mostly a demonstration only - I didn't actually practice it. From when we started spinning to recovery, we dropped 1000 feet - in a very small number of seconds. The demonstration was very impressive. Both, the ability to recover - and just how fast it really happens. I'm planning on doing additional spin training once I have my license over at the acrobatics school (where their planes are more meant for this kind of intentional stress).
From here, we headed towards Franklin Field, to practice crosswind landings. On the way, we practiced an emergency descent. Kill the throttle, point the nose down, and get that glide speed up to the top of the limits arc. Wee! We bled off a couple thousand feet in no time, and my ears got a good pop from it.
After that, it was time to head back to the home airport. Time's up!
Tomorrow: Screw the lesson. We're going to the air show!
Today was an awesome day. The weather is slightly chilly in the shade, which turns into a perfect temperature inside the cockpit. The clouds today are pretty impressive looking. Lots of fluffly clouds all over (and some pretty tall and menacing ones in the north). Visibility is better than 10 miles (I could see downtown clearly from our practice area 15 miles away). Absolutely gorgeous day out there.
The downside to a day like today, is the air was a bit bouncy - about the same as driving I880 near Oakland. Bumpy, but not bad. Okay, maybe it is bad - the I880 part - but the air was pretty reasonable.
Landings are improving. They still aren't great - but no longer terrible. Today's weather was good for it - lots of cross wind landing practice hit the log book.
Tomorrow's schedule: short field landing and take off - what to do when the runway isn't a mile long - and simulating engine fire, practicing what needs to happen when you need to get down *now* from altitude.
