Monday, October 19, 2009

Night Current Again


Finally night current once again...

It was a beautiful night and I decided it was time to get night current. I want to attend a FAAST seminar in Millville NJ on Wednesday evening and Mary and I decided we would get there early and have dinner. The only catch was I needed to be night current in order to have her travel home with me. So tonight she helped me uncover and get the plane ready for me to get in the air.

I needed to order fuel and Dassault Falcon didn't have enough linemen working so they asked if I could taxi over, well that doesn't work for me. I called Aeroways and they came right out. I had to pay more per gallon but my pre-flight flow was my typical routine. I climbed in while Mary sat in the SUV with both dogs. I taxied out with the current ATIS info and completed my run up at the runway one and fox 1 hold short.

I launched into the night and climbed out at seven hundred feet a minute turning crosswind at six hundred feet and climbing to pattern altitude now on down wind. I had the pattern to myself as I reported midfield down wind, as instructed by the tower. Landing one and taxi back uneventful, landing two I try a no flap landing, I was coming in a bit hot but a nice touch down. I made this one a T&G and as I went to full throttle my headset clip unplugged and caught on the yoke. I was drifting left of center and accelerating, more right rudder, yanked the headset plugs clean out with my right hand and continued to fly the plane. Hand back on the throttle, climb out to six hundred or so and turn cross wind. I reached down keeping eyes out and do the hunt and peck for the headset plugs. Ok I have them in hand and decided to turn on my red light head band and make the connections. Time for a left turn to 190 degrees and I'm on the left down wind for runway one, ready to report midfield. Wilmington tower clears me to land runway one as I pull the power back and add in the first notch of flaps. I'm keeping this one real tight. Second notch, left turn on base and roll into final. Speed looks great, runway made and adding the last notch of flaps. Over the numbers holding it off, only a slight stall horn and mains touch down with the nose wheel immediately following. A slow and steady taxi back after a 180 on the runway and right turn off on taxiway delta. I have one to go, I want to make this a good one to end the night. I launch once again turning out for my crosswind and with tight spacing make my down wind turn. I'm at 1100 feet listening to additional traffic joing the pattern also working on night currency. A young lady in a Piper enters from the south and she is number two to land while I extend my down wind leg as instructed. We pass by each other and the tower has yet to call my base so I announce 08Romeo turning left base runway one. I got a thank you.

I followed the Piper in and slowed way down so she could clear the runway. The tower asked if I could slow down and give the other aircraft time to clear. Hello....I'm on it...I was slowing to maybe 80knts and started S turns.....a first for the Sundowner (asked to slow down). I watched the Piper clear after having some trouble finding taxiway delta but I eventually copied my cleared to land from the tower. I was over the fence trying to maintain 70 knots and touched down just past the numbers. I was also directed to make a 180 and taxi back to delta. I stayed on with the tower and taxied back to the Hercules hangar ramp. Mary helped me tie down and get 08Romeo covered. I'm once again current and we're ready for Wednesday night and the FAAST Seminar at Big Sky Aviation (at KMIV). It should be a fun night out for dinner with friends.

FAR Sec. 61.57 - Recent flight experience: Pilot in command.

(a) General experience. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, no person may act as a pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers or of an aircraft certificated for more than one pilot flight crewmember unless that person has made at least three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days, and --
(i) The person acted as the sole manipulator of the flight controls; and
(ii) The required takeoffs and landings were performed in an aircraft of the same category, class, and type (if a type rating is required), and, if the aircraft to be flown is an airplane with a tailwheel, the takeoffs and landings must have been made to a full stop in an airplane with a tailwheel.
(2) For the purpose of meeting the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, a person may act as a pilot in command of an aircraft under day VFR or day IFR, provided no persons or property are carried on board the aircraft, other than those necessary for the conduct of the flight.
(3) The takeoffs and landings required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section may be accomplished in a flight simulator or flight training device that is --
(i) Approved by the Administrator for landings; and
(ii) Used in accordance with an approved course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142 of this chapter.
(b) Night takeoff and landing experience. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, unless within the preceding 90 days that person has made at least three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, and --
(i) That person acted as sole manipulator of the flight controls; and
(ii) The required takeoffs and landings were performed in an aircraft of the same category, class, and type (if a type rating is required).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Gary

Well done on your selection of aircraft. Tell us a little about your specs - i.e. cruise TAS, fuel burn, payload, etc.