July 14 - 17 -- Earnest Preparations!
I have the opportunity to commit two full weeks to reviewing the FTM exercises and preparing for my PPL flight test, which as of writing this has been scheduled for Thursday, July 18, 2013! I am doing so primarily with Kevin, a long-time instructor at Island Air.
Below is where I chronicle the second part of that two-week adventure...
Sunday, July 14
After a "break" from flying (I biked to church with my kids this morning; they had slept over last night), I flew again this afternoon with Kevin. I was tired. I was hot. I was discouraged. But... he said it was the best he'd seen me fly so far! :)))) The stalls and slow flight came together; forced was decent, too. Diversion was average at best, and precautionary, I had no idea -- he pulled an "electrical failure, and throttle stuck at 2000RPM" on me, and it didn't occur to me to lean mixure to ICO just before landing in order to slow down. ;-P
Airspace and nav getting marginally better.
Outlook much improved, due to Kevin covering up pretty much ALL the instruments, lol! I had to look outside, and... guess what? IT WORKS!!!
Plan for tomorrow is practise solo in the am, then work on mock nav log in the pm and ground brief with Tatiana. Back to Kevin Tuesday afternoon and Wed all day. And then... FLIGHT TEST!!! (Oh, wx, pleeeeeze cooperate!!!)
Monday, July 15, 16, 17
Coming Soon...
Update July 19 -
Haha, the last few days were such a blur of flying, studying, and HEAT (30 + temps all week), that I can't even remember anymore what was what. I do know there was some good flying in there, as well as a grilling by a new instructor whose expertise I solicited to help me prep for the ground portion ... also flew twice in one day, once with Tatiana and another time with Kevin, went to bed at night and woke up in the mornings chanting ER procedures -- and then, suddenly, it was TEST TIME!!!
Below is where I chronicle the second part of that two-week adventure...
Sunday, July 14
After a "break" from flying (I biked to church with my kids this morning; they had slept over last night), I flew again this afternoon with Kevin. I was tired. I was hot. I was discouraged. But... he said it was the best he'd seen me fly so far! :)))) The stalls and slow flight came together; forced was decent, too. Diversion was average at best, and precautionary, I had no idea -- he pulled an "electrical failure, and throttle stuck at 2000RPM" on me, and it didn't occur to me to lean mixure to ICO just before landing in order to slow down. ;-P
Airspace and nav getting marginally better.
Outlook much improved, due to Kevin covering up pretty much ALL the instruments, lol! I had to look outside, and... guess what? IT WORKS!!!
Plan for tomorrow is practise solo in the am, then work on mock nav log in the pm and ground brief with Tatiana. Back to Kevin Tuesday afternoon and Wed all day. And then... FLIGHT TEST!!! (Oh, wx, pleeeeeze cooperate!!!)
Monday, July 15, 16, 17
Coming Soon...
Update July 19 -
Haha, the last few days were such a blur of flying, studying, and HEAT (30 + temps all week), that I can't even remember anymore what was what. I do know there was some good flying in there, as well as a grilling by a new instructor whose expertise I solicited to help me prep for the ground portion ... also flew twice in one day, once with Tatiana and another time with Kevin, went to bed at night and woke up in the mornings chanting ER procedures -- and then, suddenly, it was TEST TIME!!!