A Windy Day! - Saturday, September 25, 2010
So, I called the AWWS 1-866 tel number to get a weather report before heading out to the airport this afternoon. The lady on the phone said "Windy!" and laughed when I told her I was a student. Anyway, I had her read me the report anyway, a series of numbers and descriptions, most of which I did not understand. The general idea, though, was that it was windy. No matter, I had amassed PLENTY of questions since the last flight lesson, and wanted some answers. I also happen to have Monday afternoon available to fly, so I booked another lesson then, thinking that if we DID get up in the air today, we could do some review and consolidation, then move into new material on Monday.
The ever-patient and knowledgeable Lari spent over an hour on the ground with me in pre-flight briefing (is there another name for it if it's not "brief"? Haha!), but a few things actually started to click for me! Hurrah!
1. Take Off
Up to now, I had just kind of been doing this as my instructors guided me verbally through it. Now I know that the steps are like this: Throttle ALL the way in (may pull back very slightly on yoke to relieve pressure on the nosewheel). Once the aircraft reaches 50 kts* (as indicated on ASI, top left of 6-pack), you pull gently back on the control column (this is also referred to as "rotating", since you are rotating the aircraft up) until climb attitude is reached (about 50 degrees, through it feels like more, because you can't see anything ahead!!!) You stop peddling before you lift off, though you can apply some right rudder.
I wish things were a little more relaxed, so I could take it all in and make sense of it. The whole thing seems to happen so quickly, there is never time to think about what you're doing! It's not a riff in a piece of music, that you can slow down and practice until you have it right! Frustrating. Arrgghh!
2. Density
Density is pressure corrected for temperature. Still not entirely sure I understand what that means, but in any case, knowledge of air density and its effect on flight is critical to effective control of the aircraft.
Three "H's" exist to remember: height, heat and humidity.
As altitude increased, air density decreases. Same for temperature and humidity. As any of these increase, air density decreases. This results in decreased performance of the aircraft, because it needs to more through more air particles to maintain lift. i.e. you need to add more throttle the higher you go -- OH, HEY!!! NOW I GET WHY LARI WAS TELLING ME TO ADD MORE THROTTLE WHEN I WANTED TO CLIMB THIS AFTERNOON AND WAS HAVING TROUBLE! A-HA! ! !!! :)
Therefore, also, taking off from the ground on hot days requires a longer take-off roll (what "taxi-ing" is called on the actual runway), and the aircraft will take longer to climb. Hmmmm. Who knew!
3. Straight and level flight
- means direction, altitude and airspeed are constant.
- Still have some trouble with this in practise. I get the theory now, but it is tricky, especially when windy!
4. YAW is caused by...
- slipstream from propeller (yaw to the left) -- I understood this when Lari explained it, but now I've lost it again
- asymetric thrust (ascending)
- torque (plane wants to roll left, inducing yaw; as it turns out, yaw and roll are related)
- gyroscopic precession (not sure, but once can't learn everything in one day!!!)
In the end, we did go up for about an hour. Even did two landings, one of which I partially did, under Korkka the Pilot's guidance, lol!
I am going to try again on Monday, if I don't chicken out. Lots of reading before then... review of all chapters in Flight Manual, and reading exercises 3 and 7.
Also, after Monday, I am out of $. Please, if anyone is reading this who either needs a website, or knows someone who might -- REFER THEM TO ME!!! That is how I am paying for flight lessons! Help! :P
* when reading the POH for the C150, I noticed it said 60-70 kts... I will have to remember to ask about this!
The ever-patient and knowledgeable Lari spent over an hour on the ground with me in pre-flight briefing (is there another name for it if it's not "brief"? Haha!), but a few things actually started to click for me! Hurrah!
1. Take Off
Up to now, I had just kind of been doing this as my instructors guided me verbally through it. Now I know that the steps are like this: Throttle ALL the way in (may pull back very slightly on yoke to relieve pressure on the nosewheel). Once the aircraft reaches 50 kts* (as indicated on ASI, top left of 6-pack), you pull gently back on the control column (this is also referred to as "rotating", since you are rotating the aircraft up) until climb attitude is reached (about 50 degrees, through it feels like more, because you can't see anything ahead!!!) You stop peddling before you lift off, though you can apply some right rudder.
I wish things were a little more relaxed, so I could take it all in and make sense of it. The whole thing seems to happen so quickly, there is never time to think about what you're doing! It's not a riff in a piece of music, that you can slow down and practice until you have it right! Frustrating. Arrgghh!
2. Density
Density is pressure corrected for temperature. Still not entirely sure I understand what that means, but in any case, knowledge of air density and its effect on flight is critical to effective control of the aircraft.
Three "H's" exist to remember: height, heat and humidity.
As altitude increased, air density decreases. Same for temperature and humidity. As any of these increase, air density decreases. This results in decreased performance of the aircraft, because it needs to more through more air particles to maintain lift. i.e. you need to add more throttle the higher you go -- OH, HEY!!! NOW I GET WHY LARI WAS TELLING ME TO ADD MORE THROTTLE WHEN I WANTED TO CLIMB THIS AFTERNOON AND WAS HAVING TROUBLE! A-HA! ! !!! :)
Therefore, also, taking off from the ground on hot days requires a longer take-off roll (what "taxi-ing" is called on the actual runway), and the aircraft will take longer to climb. Hmmmm. Who knew!
3. Straight and level flight
- means direction, altitude and airspeed are constant.
- Still have some trouble with this in practise. I get the theory now, but it is tricky, especially when windy!
4. YAW is caused by...
- slipstream from propeller (yaw to the left) -- I understood this when Lari explained it, but now I've lost it again
- asymetric thrust (ascending)
- torque (plane wants to roll left, inducing yaw; as it turns out, yaw and roll are related)
- gyroscopic precession (not sure, but once can't learn everything in one day!!!)
In the end, we did go up for about an hour. Even did two landings, one of which I partially did, under Korkka the Pilot's guidance, lol!
I am going to try again on Monday, if I don't chicken out. Lots of reading before then... review of all chapters in Flight Manual, and reading exercises 3 and 7.
Also, after Monday, I am out of $. Please, if anyone is reading this who either needs a website, or knows someone who might -- REFER THEM TO ME!!! That is how I am paying for flight lessons! Help! :P
* when reading the POH for the C150, I noticed it said 60-70 kts... I will have to remember to ask about this!
