Sunday, January 22, 2006

Lost My Supervised Solo Tag Today :)

Another typical early start this Sunday morning. Maggie, our Italian Mastif follows me out to the truck for her morning "ritual" to be followed up with those special peanut butter cookie dog treats. It's pretty bad when she goes to the closet and sits. I should train so easy .

Weather reports from PTW and 40N are noting winds 320-340 at 5 kts. visibility exceeding 10 miles. It's going to be a nice day today. I pick up the keys and clip board then head to 2746C for a preflight. Pre flight complete with no squawks, I decide to saddle up for T&G's today. Bill stated that he will be on the radio if he is needed and he will be watching. OK, off I go to the run up area and complete the required checks. One last check for fuel, trim, mixture and flaps and I announce 2746C departing r/w 27 brandywine. As 46C growls she rolls out to the runway almost as eager to get airborne as me. Full power and right rudder we are rolling and get into the air rather quickly with a slight course change for noise abatement. All five rounds of T&G's go really well in the pattern. I hit one very good landing with stall horn, gentle chirps with the mains and an easy roll out to exit on to the taxiway.

The other landings were good but I seemed to fight the speed today. One landing the winds shifted and hit me with a tailwind, and I felt like I was getting pushed past my landing point. I decided a go around was in order so I announced my intentions while going full power and removing a notch of flaps. Once clear of any obstructions I took out the last notch of flaps and resumed a normal upwind departure. Overall not a bad day, it felt good, I had fun and I felt like I was getting better with my perception of my position and corrections needed.

I'm back at TAS for ground school tomorrow night and then flying again Thursday. I will also take some time Friday afternoon to do a few laps around the track to work on that spped thing on final. I'm getting closer everyday and the excitement is really mounting.....I am going to be flying this year on my own, what a great new world!!!

No comments: