Lesson 22- 4. 9.12 practice, practice, and more practice

"Practice is the best of all instructors"

 Publilius Syrus

Shane and I worked on perfecting my take-offs and landings for lesson 22.  The take-offs and landings have been and will continue to be the main focus right now.  I had a couple landings where I ballooned a bit.  I think the best way to explain this would be through a video I found.  Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ShIi_WXCMM

I ended up being pretty frustrated after these landings but we figured out I did this when I came into land a bit high.  I was able to turn it around and finish on a nice safe landing.  There isn't much else new on the training front, but it is getting harder to find time for the lessons.  The weather is nice and busy season is upon us.  Bring on the craziness!

Lesson 21- 4.3.12 Emergency procedures

              "You haven't seen a tree until you've seen its shadow from the sky." -- Amelia Earhart


My last lesson was a week ago today.  I'm a little late getting this post completed but life has got in the way a bit.  I try my very hardest to blog shortly after the lesson so I remember details, but it doesn't always work that way.  It's funny pre-mommy phase I probably could've remembered every last detail of the lesson, but after pregnancy and now parenting my memory is shot.  Yes, mommy brain is a real condition.  


Here's what I remember.  I got to the airport and we briefed in Shane's office.  The plan was to keep working on the take-offs and landings.  I know if you read the blog you know we've been devoting a lot of time to them.  I don't totally suck at them it just requires lots of time and practice to become safely proficient at them.  Hmm, safely proficient, it sounds like I'm writing a manual for the FAA.  We headed to the airplane and I started the checklists.  Once that was complete, I started to head towards three four because that is where we'd be taking off from.  We got to the turn around and I finished the before take-off checklist, and we were ready to go.  I had a nice take-off and was excited about that.  The take-off has been my achilles heel, but I'm really starting to get proficient at it. I maneuvered through the pattern without any problems.  Soon it was time to land and I had a good landing (good for a pre-solo student not Shane good).  We all have to start somewhere, right?  We did a touch and go and were back up in the air.


The advantage to having your husband teaching you how to fly is that he knows how and when to introduce a somewhat nerve wracking skill.  After I turned to enter the pattern Shane said he was going to simulate engine failure, and he was going to show me how to maneuver the airplane to the ground.  I was a bit apprehensive but knew that I was with a very safe and skilled pilot.  Shane modeled how to get the airplane to the ground and I was glad once we touched down on the runway.  We did another touch and go and I thought we'd resume our take-offs and landings. I figured Shane would just model landing the plane and that would be the end of it.  I was wrong.  As soon as we were in the pattern he told me it was my turn.  I did have a bit of a panic moment but he pushed me, and before I knew it I was flying it.  When I was flying it didn't feel much different than normal.  It did require more strength to turn and maneuver the plane.  I guess the best way to describe it would be to say it felt kind of stiff.  We came in high over the runway but had the whole length of the runway to get down.  I actually land quite well when we come in high on regular landings.  I have no idea why.  It probably has to do with me doing the opposite of what "normal" students do.  I guess in reality it's probably a good thing that I know how to compensate if I come in high.  Anyways, the landing was pretty uneventful and I safely got us on the ground.  We went around the pattern one more time and did a standard landing before calling it quits for the night.


I left the lesson feeling good about how I was progressing.  My take-offs are coming together and my landings getting better.  I'm also thankful that Shane introduced the emergency procedure in the way that he did.  He knew very well if he told me in briefing like he does with most students I would've fixated on it.  It most likely would've impacted my performance during the lesson.  The way he introduced it didn't give me time to think I just had to act.  Oddly enough, I just came across some reasons why women don't stick with flying and one of those reasons was introducing stalls to early in training.  Shane and I were talking about it last night and he told me he introduced them later with me.  He normally introduces them around the third lesson and he waited until the sixth lesson with me.  The man's a genius!  Ok, so I'm partial.  If you'd like to check some interesting information about women and flying go to http://www.teachingwomentofly.com/default.htm.  

Lesson 20- 3.30.12 Cat and Mouse

"Flying is not about whether the pilot is a man or a woman. It is about the results of the actions imposed by the pilot and the responses returned by the aircraft. The aircraft does not know or understand gender. It only knows the difference in a true pilot, and one who was perhaps not meant to fly."

— Captain Jennifer Kaye, Air National Guard, 2000

Friday's weather was different.  It wasn't raining but it sure felt and looked like it could.  I made it to the airport at six and the sun was starting to peek out a bit.  It was exciting to be able to fly a sky that would be smooth as glass .  Refining take-offs and landings was the plan for this lesson.  An area I needed to work on was keeping my hand on the throttle.  Shane says I really should keep my hand on it when flying in the pattern.  I've developed a tendency to take my hand off of the throttle once we're in the air. This may not seem like a big deal but if I do the throttle can slip back.  If the throttle slips it could mean a potential for a reduction in power.  Once my hand is off I rarely remember to put it back on.  This has created another bad habit which is grabbing Shane's leg when I land.  I think it'd be pretty embarrasing to fly with another instructor and give their leg a squeeze.  Plus, the fact that it's a bad habit and poor form means I need to break myself of it sooner than later. 

A beautiful evening meant that there would be traffic.  I'm finally adjusting to it a little better than I was.  The other airplane flying around the pattern was another instructor and his female student.  If you remember from one of my previous posts you know that women only make up for six percent of pilots.  It was totally cool that the only two planes flying around Pella (a town of about 10,000) and both of the students were females.  It was unique just like our little town; Pella prides itself on being unique.  Yes, sometimes this little dutch community smack dab in the middle of the US can be pretty cutting edge. I thought I it was lame in high school but now realize what a true gem it is.  If you'd like to know more about our quaint community go to http://www.cityofpella.com/ or http://www.pellachamber.org/.

The other plane was finished with their pre-flight and checklist work well ahead of us, and they started on their pattern work.  Once we were finished with ours we waited for our turn and prepared to take-off.  My first take-off I gave it the power in the right amount of time and I was headed straight down the runway.  I was pumped!  I got a little eager and started to pull back a little early, and we hadn't quite reached the speed needed to take-off.  I ended up flaring and our speed got to slow.  In order to correct for this we relaxed the back pressure and added power.  Grrr, I was mad at myself but didn't have time to dwell on it.  On top of all the pattern work I needed to do we had to be in constant communication with the other airplane flying the pattern.  Radio communication is important when dealing with traffic, but it's just as important to keep them in your sight.  We worked our way through the pattern and prepared for our first landing.  I didn't do so well with keeping my hand on the throttle during this first go around, but luckily we were doing multiple landings.  As we approached the runway we were a bit high but were able to fix this by adding full flaps.  The landing wasn't a greaser but it was safe.

I barely had time to take enjoy my landing because Shane said we'd be doing a touch and go.  I felt like we were chasing the other airplane and vice versa, but it was fun.  The other airplane was preparing to land so I had to take-off right away again.  I turned the carb heat off, put the flaps up, added full power, waited until my speed reached 55 knots, and then started to pull back.  The take-off was good and I was making progress.  I remember commenting to Shane that it might've been my best take-off ever.  I remembered to keep my hand on the throttle for the rest of the lesson except when I had to itch my nose.  Hooray for small victories!  A landing and some pattern work later and we were ready to land yet again.  I was all lined up, descending nicely, and pretty sure I was  going to grease this landing.  I was just about ready to put the airplane on the ground when Shane saw a deer.  The deer was on the edge of the grass just by the runway, so Shane made the call to do a go around.  At this point I was a bit shaken and had him take over.  We got back in the air and I took over flying again.  We did two or three more landings and then called it a night.

I really felt like I progressed during this lesson.  I broke my bad habit and was able to keep my hand on the throttle.  My take-offs are really progressing, and working the rudder pedal is starting to come together for me.  The landings are coming along and I'm getting a "feel" for when I need to put the airplane on the ground.  I now have 18.2 hours in my logbook, and as my time builds so does my confidence.  It was a good lesson and a good night.

Family and Flying- link to an inspirational story

I'm going to link you to a really neat story.  It is an inspiration for any woman wanting to spend time up in the clouds.  http://youflygirl.blogspot.com/2012/03/first-and-only-female-pilot-in.html

Lesson 19- 2.25.12 Puffy Clouds & Bumpy Skies

"It's always better to be down on the ground wishing you were up in the air than up in the air wishing you were down on the ground."   - ANON

Sunday was yet another gorgeous day.  I'm still pinching myself that we're have temps in the 70s during March.  While the weather looked perfect looks can be deceiving.  Take-offs and landings were the plan for Sunday; we never did leave the pattern.  After all of the pre-flighting and checklists were complete we started our taxi to three four.  We were about half way to the end of the runway when I told Shane something felt off.  I had my flying shoes on yet I was still struggling with that rudder pressure.  We went to the end of the runway, went through our checklist, and prepared to take-off.  Once I was ready to roll I added full power, but couldn't keep the airplane rolling straight down the runway.  I pulled the power back, stopped the airplane, and got frustrated.  Shane patiently listened and then we prepared to try again.  I gave it full power while really working to keep the airplane straight.  Once we were up in the air I told Shane that the issue had to be something related to the rudder.  Shane reached around and found my seat wasn't all the way up.  Yipee, for an easy fix!  As soon as he was able to get my seat up it was a night and day difference in rudder control.

During the flying we experienced some very choppy turbulence.  Shane explained the reason for the turbulence was a transition from a patch of warm air to a patch of cool air.  The turbulence felt like  jumping in an elevator as it goes down.   The turbulence was kind of exhilarating in a wacky sort of way.  The unstable air made for some interesting landings as well.  The warm air would force the airplane back up so we compensated by putting a higher degree of flaps on.  The normal landings that we've done previously have required thirty degrees of flaps, but the landings during this lesson required forty degrees of flaps.  The first couple landings I attempted I turned for final a little too early. And when combined with the warm air we didn't descend at an optimal rate.  There was an easy fix and we turned for final a little later.

The landings were more demanding than some of the previous ones I've done, but I learned more.  I had a first hand experience in how weather conditions can effect flying, and the proper procedures needed to correct for them.  I also learned the importance of check and double check before leaving the ground.  I think I'll tell Shane that seat placement should be on the check list between doors/windows locked and seat belt fastened.

Lesson 18-2.24.12 Fashion Faux Pas for Flying

After a long and I mean long week in Wichita we finally got home and settled.  We got back Friday around five and then it was laundry, laundry, and more laundry.  I also had to clean the house and prep for some senior pics I was taking the next morning.  After a whirlwind Saturday for both Shane and I we decided to add a little flying to the mix.  He texted me around five and I headed straight out to the airport.  My attire was the last thing I was thinking about when I left the house.  I guess I was more concerned about how flying would go after having a week off.

Shane and I briefed once I got out to the airport.  He told me we were going to go to 2,000 ft level off, descend to 1,700 feet, and then enter the pattern to practice take-offs and landings.  We went through the procedure for entering/flying the pattern as well as landing.  We headed outside and preflighted the airplane emphasis on Shane preflighting.  Once the preflight was complete we jumped in the plane, and I got working on going through the checklist.  Checklist's are in place for the safety of both the pilot and airplane.  The checklist is just the procedure in list form and the four basics are take-off, flight, before landing, and after landing.  To learn more about the history of the aviation checklist go to http://www.atchistory.org/History/checklst.htm

I finished the checklists, taxied to the runway, worked through the before take-off checklist, and we were ready to go.  I turned myself around, lined up on the runway, and gave the airplane full power in a timely manner (I use to string the full power task out too long), and started to give it the right rudder needed to keep the airplane straight.  I pushed with all my strength but was really struggling to give the rudder pedal the power I needed, and then it hit me.  I knew exactly why I was struggling, enter exhibit A (my adorable but not functional shoes).

Gasp, aren't they BEAUTIFUL?  I love these shoes for a number of reasons, but they didn't work so well when I needed to give the rudder pedal all I had.  I think the problem is that they are far to narrow. I needed a wider shoe that distributes the force on the pedal more evenly.  Wow, I feel like I'm teaching a science lesson.

I shared my theory with Shane right away, and after another take-off he agreed.  We did a total of four take-offs and landings, but those darn take-offs were a bit of a struggle.  I guess this lesson was just another challenge for me, a challenge to find beautiful but functional pair of flying shoes.  On a side note there used to be a pilot that rented Shane's airplanes, and when he'd come in he'd say "I've got my pilot's license and my flying shoes."  It always made me chuckle when Shane would say that he'd been out, but now I TOTALLY understand the importance of a good pair of flying shoes.

Lesson 16- 2.15.12 Take off, land, and repeat.

"Repetition is the mother of learning." 

- Latin Proverb

I'm typing and reflecting in a hotel in the heart of aviation country, Wichita.  Wherever you look you see names that are rich in aviation history, Cessna, Beechcraft, and Boeing to name a few.  Everywhere we've been there are professional pilots sporting the gear of the aircraft they fly, my husband included.  I'm saying pilots but lets face it 99% are men.  I've only seen one female I'd surmise to say was a pilot.  Why aren't their more female pilots?  Women have overcome so many odds to break into male dominated fields, but I don't think aviation is one of those. I know we have female fighter pilots, astronauts, airline pilots, and flight instructors but they are few. Here is a statistic from WAI (Women in Aviation) of 600,000 active pilots in the US only six percent are female and only three percent have their Airline Transport Pilot ratings.  Hmm, well this doesn't really have anything to do with last week's lesson, but it's been swirling around in my head.  If you'd like more information about women in aviation visit http://www.wai.org/. 

 Shane and I hit the flying pretty hard last week.  We flew Monday, Tuesday, took a break Wednesday, and decided to have another lesson on Thursday.  After finally getting a handle on how to maintain my altitude Shane decided it was time to refine the take-offs and landings.  My first few take-offs went pretty well and I started to gain some confidence.  The pattern flying and procedures I felt I knew pretty well, and my landings were progressing.  

The weather was perfect that night which was a bonus. Perfect weather also meant that there were other people out flying.  After a couple of times around the pattern we came in to land, and I saw one of Shane's other airplanes getting ready to taxi out.  Shane had planned for us to do a touch and go after we landed.  A touch and go is when the pilot lands the airplane, slows down a bit, and then proceeds to give the airplane full power and takes off.  I'm sure my landing was less than perfect but it was safe and we were on the ground.  We start rolling down the runway and I got totally distracted by the other airplane that was waiting for us.  The reason I became distracted was because I was convinced my take-off would be on display.  I didn't want anyone watching especially if I was going to mess up.  Well, because I was distracted I did mess up.  I became so obsessed with who was watching me that I started to give it power,  pulled up prematurely, and forgot to give it the rest of the power.  Everything I knew I had to do was forgotten and I totally botched the take off.  Shane calmly reminded me to add the rest of the power, and we completed the take-off.  I'm sure we went zinging all over the place in our ascent, because after being so flustered I'm sure I forgot to use the right rudder.  I'll have to ask Shane if he remembers.    

Shane was great about the whole thing.  He also knew that I would be far harder on myself than he ever could be.  Plus, the whole hover craft thing done the runway was pretty embarrassing.  Honestly, if I was Shane I would've said "Ok, that's enough!  Let's call it a night. "  He must be a glutton for punishment because we entered the pattern and prepared to land again.  This time we landed and did a full stop.  I got turned around and lined myself up on the runway.  I'm kind of a perfectionist when it comes to lining myself up. Shane bless his heart tried to get me to favor the right side to compensate during the take-off, but that went south.  Shane had me stop the airplane.  I lined up for the second time and prepared to take-off.  I was still flustered from the previous take-off and the aborted taxi, and ended up needing a reminder about adding FULL power.  Good grief this was getting ridiculous.  Shane being the great instructor he is didn't let me end on one of my failures.  We did about four more take-offs and landings before calling it a night.    

That lesson was our longest lesson ever.  We flew 1.3 hours, and I would guess we did eight or nine take-offs/landings.  Shane said that some say that an hour of take-offs and landings can be like the equivalent to working an eight hour day.  I didn't notice it that night but I sure did the next day.  I was exhausted and probably would've slept until noon if I could've.  Even though I had my share of goof ups during that lesson I had some triumphs too.  I've really got a good grasp on the procedure for flying in the pattern and landing.  I've said it before my landings are better than my take-offs and that was evident on Thursday.  I realize I'm the most backward private pilot student there ever was, but I'm making gains. I look forward to seeing what the next month brings.