Well guys, (and girls?) Today I went at it again, doing 9 Dual practice landings to a full stop, with critiques after each one, during taxi back. I controlled everything today, including communications. Yeah, I flubbed a few of those too ! "This is five zero Bravo, ah.... we're getting ready to take off on Uh..... oh yeah, runway fourteen" ( next attempt, after some coaching...) "Monmouth traffic, this is five zero Bravo, departing rwy one four, Monmouth" Like a pro!! I was reporting take offs, turns, final, clear rwy, Allowing others to go in the opposite direction, before me, on the taxiway, communicating with almost everyone..... Well, it seemed like it anyhow......! Take off's were great! Staying right on airspeed, and over the rwy. Making my X-wind turn @ 700 ft., my down-wind turn at 1000 ft. staying right on course..... (except once, when I got slightly too far away from the runway) But even then, I banked toward the runway, and recovered the "faux pas". As most of you know, I've been having slight issues with landings in a crosswind. Today, the wind was Straight down my preferred rwy, at 5 Kts., swinging about 10 degrees to the right. That's as close to dead calm, as we're going to get! Landing Scorecard: (AKA Instructors comments) [Not necessarily the order in which they occurred] 4- "excellent's" 2- "Very goods" 2- "slightly squirrely" after T/d but passable. 1- "Kind'a hard touchdown" and I "Balooned," but recovered to an "ehh? I guess it's OK" So .... The first, and third attempt was with the Instr, giving me free reign, to make whatever decisions I wanted. (unless I was getting into trouble) The biggest goof I made was to not watch the airspeed while lining up on the rwy, for the next to last attempt. I got a little slow before I knew it the sink rate was getting the best of me. Applying full power changed that to a slightly long, ground effect. I learned alot today! Although, it was alot like being thrown into the pool, to learn to swim. All in all, I was glad to have been able to have this opportunity. I'm getting better with each attempt at it. Now for the best part!!! So I was really feeling great, that I accomplished so much progress today. Spent two solid hours, just doing pattern work. I was thrilled with myself, after having had so much trouble for the last few tomes out. I need to square up my ground maneuvers just a bit on base to final. We worked on that too. It was a question of not knowing where the rwy was, after the bank started. I was banking steeper so I wouldn't overshoot, and ended up under shooting it. Just a confidence issue though, and I think He's shown me the way around that hurdle. We'll see next time. Can't wait for the Flt School's picnic..... There's a "Spot landing" contest scheduled!! I practiced a few today too.... Picked a spot.. called it out, ( 1500 ft rwy marker), and set the plane down within 2 feet of center of the mark. That, was on my first try!! I came pretty close for the next few tries too! (With the exception of that long ground effect run.....) Don't want to brag about it ( too much) though..... Beginner's luck, was all it was.... Charlie .
Congratulations, Charlie. And remember: One good landing is skill. Two good landings back-to-back is luck. Three in a row is prevarication!
OK... Regarding that "Spot landing" contest" to be held 6/25/06 I need some of you "old Pro's" to give me some hints on how to win that.... I know about: * coming in with 20 deg of flap, and if a tad too high, to drop in the final 10 deg..... *getting that stabilized flight, before final, air speed sets glide rate... What else?? I'll be competing (for fun and token prizes) with instructors, prior students, and anyone else that wants to try.... First place sure would be nice.....
Thanks, Boffin218! Do you know what four, and five are?? .............................................. NINE! Skyraider AKA Charlie
THERE IS NO BETTER FEELING THAN A WELL EXECUTED PRECISION LANDING!!. Thanks for the reminder. Now I'm gonna try that 2 foot thing at my school on Saturday!! CONGRATS ON YOUR SUCCESS!! MY355
Thank You, I'm going to have at it, again tomorrow! By Jove! How many did you make, with "that 2 foot thing" ? I'm sure ya did at least half a dozen......... FLAWLESSLY...! Charlie
Well....had at it, but got nowhere.... Grounded, due to Xwind, @ 19 knot , gusting to 32.... But I took the pre-Solo written test instead, 4 pages long, 10 questions/page....and................... I ACED it. ....ho-hum.. But, RATZ! I so much wanted to practice those 'Precision Landings' again though, before the Picnic rolls around.... Will just have to go, and do some flying during the evenings after work... Oh well, that gives me more time to contemplate...... the design of my ripped shirt-tail. Most of the ones hanging on the wall of the Flt. School, are done hastily, with "Magic-Marker". I now have time, to do a "Work of ART" !!! Hmmm, ...... Oil.... Acrylics, .......Water Color.... or mebbe Gauche?? .....could have one Bronzed, but I think that'd be a bit much..... SO MANY CHOICES...... Skyraider (aka Charlie) .
Here's something that was taught to me when I was learning crosswind landings that helped me tremendously, it may help you out too... Crab until you pull the power to start flaring. There's no reason to slip anywhere on final, the wind is going to get gusty and change a little bit at the ground anyway, so no use correcting for it beforehand. Besides, when you start carrying passengers, they're going to think you're crazy when you're sideslipping for 30 seconds before landing. Transition to a side-slip when you pull the power to start flaring. Then, do whatever it takes on the rudder pedals to keep it parallel with the centerline. Dance on those things. Use your bank angle to keep it over the centerline. If you're doing this right, you're going to be changing your control inputs pretty frequently as your airspeed slows, especially in gusty conditions, but the key thing is this: rudder to stay parallel, bank to stay centered. Once that connection is made in your brain, x-winds become no factor. (Naturally during this you're doing your normal flare stuff with the elevator, holding the airplane just off the runway until it settles in... stall horn... *chirp* *chirp* greased it!) Hope this helps... if not, just forget I said anything. -- Plasticpi P.S. Everyone wish me luck, CFI check-ride on Wednesday!
Thats about as good a description as I have heard especially the "dance on the rudders" as per gusts will nessesitate. (Bank for center and rudder for parrellel.) Sounds like your ready to be the next Kings School Video extroudinaire!! I have a feeling you'll ace the CFI checkride. MY355
Yeah, I thought I would too... I aced the oral in record time, but the flight didn't go quite as well. Took off, taught him slow flight, taught him a chandelle... and my chandelle ended up faster than it's supposed to. (By the subjective standards that are a chandelle. "Ending just above stall speed..." What is "just above?") The thing that really burns me up about it is that I knew it was going to be fast at the end, I knew why, and I told him before it happened. I know the maneuver. I showed I know the maneuver. He still failed me. But, oh well. It's only money. 2 degrees of pitch was the difference between a pink slip and a white one.
plasticipi: My understanding is that failing your first CPI checkride is almost part of the tradition. My son is about to take his, having passed the written some time ago. He has been told, by several CFII's that there is a good chance that he will not pass the first time. He's unwilling to accept that, preferring to obsess over it before he does it. And, you're right, it's only money.
I was somewhat the same way. I've never failed a check-ride or even come close as far as I can tell. I'm sure it depends on the examiner, but it sure seemed like mine was just crouched over there staring at the airspeed and altitude waiting for it to eek out of the limits so that he could go "fail! fail! haha!" So, I was extremely disappointed when mine ended on the second maneuver. Let your son know that it is absulutely possible, even if he has a great flight, that he may fail that checkride (if it's with the FAA anyway.) I think they are trying to prove a point, although I'm not quite sure what that point is.
That's why they call it a practical exam - The beginning of the process is to be able to perform the maneuver accurately - it should be second nature and flawless. It's nice that you can predict a close approximation of the maneuver, but your students need to be confident that you are presenting the required maneuver accurately. As you gain experience in training, you will become aware of the common problems associated with student's learning various maneuvers, and will be able to accelerate their learning process though advanced instruction techniques, but let's not lose sight of the fundamentals. The CFI practical exam is the last hurdle to the ultimate grant of authority and confidence that the FAA can bestow on a pilot. Sure advanced ratings and type rating may be more technically challenging, but you will have the ability to take someone who has ZERO experience in an aircraft, and then turn them loose in a totally foreign environment in a totally novel machine, solely in YOUR discretion. That's a big responsibility. Sometimes it's not just the 2 decrees of pitch that the examiner is concerned about. My point is not to take this as a personal failure - it should be a learning experience - and not just about money - put the emotional aspect out of this - and all your flying - you'll do better and be safer. Good luck on the retest -
Thank you... The more I think about it, the more I realize that I just wasn't ready for the flight. I only had 8 hours in make and model, 6 from the right seat (not counting instrument time for the CFII, not much different than the left seat, just harder on the neck.) I'm back on the schedule to get ramped up for the retake, and I'm not going to do it unless I'm absolutely proficient in all of the maneuvers. I was kinda shooting in the dark on the last one. Live and learn...
Gotta love that attitude! Roy, You're a great one for putting things in perspective! Keep up the good work! Charlie
