Brrrrr......it was a bit nip out this morning as I packed the truck for the flight lesson. After playing with Maggie (10 month old Italian Mastiff) I gave her some treats and walked back out to the ML which was nice and toasty.
I started my preflight early and was ready when my CFI walked out to the plane. Today Brian went along since Bill was off for the weekend. I'm jealous, he was most likely off flying and I hope it was for pleasure not business. Ok time to saddle up. I comment about the pitot tube cover missing and the slight leak/buildup on the steering dampner is fixed. Brian says the bird just came out of its 100 hour inspection. I know I read somewhere about not being the first to fly after that but Ahhhhh......just my mind playing tricks.
Taxi time to the run up location and all is completed. We decide to sit tight at the run up location to let the oil temp climb a bit before taking off. At 8 am it's just us and the 150 so we hold position and chat about my prior lessons and where I'm at with my regular CFI (Bill). OK, well into the green, oil temp good so time to roll. With a quick call, "Brandywine traffic Cessna 2746C departing 27, Brandywine", we're off. Brain directs me to fly the pattern and land once then we will simulate engine out for some practice/reviews. There is a Cessna 150 in the pattern with us today so I am mindful of both our positions. First round not to shabby, I really have the hang of that flair, just need to slow down a bit from 70 knts. Round two and on the downwind leg the CFI pulls back all the power and says there ya go, now what? Well I'm at pattern ALT (1500') I immediately trim to maintain 65 knts, check my position to the runway. No flaps, glancing at airspeed, head on swivel, position to runway looking good, I call out my base as I make my turn and continue right around to final while checking to make sure I don't get center punched by someone on final that didn't see me or hear me. With no wind today I have it made! Looking good, I dump in some flaps and follow the centerline. Just as I am about to touch down my CFI calls for a go round. FULL power, control the nose, don't let er' come up and stall. I take out a notch of flaps, maintain best climb speed, positive climb and take out second notch of flaps. Climbing strong now I take out last 10* of flaps and position myself for noise abatement. Well that was fun! Off for three more rounds with a couple of emergency procedures thrown in.
Today on roll out after landing that "new" steering dampener gave me a scare. On one of my full stop landings (which had nice flairs) I was rolling out and as I applied light brakes it started to shimmy shake like crazy!!! Holy crap batman it wants to pull the yoke out of my hands. Applying brakes and struggling to control I come to a stop well beyond my last turn out. I quickly call out my back taxi knowing there is traffic in the pattern and clear when beyond the taxiway hold short. Brain says one more and that will be it and he will have that dampener checked out. I taxi back with no problems and fall in behind a twin heading to the run up area. Traffic picking up now, two helicopters the 150, the twin and one other aircraft taking off. One more go round for a final full stop with the shimmy again adding a pucker factor. Man that ain't right....I taxi back to my tie down location and secure the aircraft. Needless to say that will get a SQUAWK in INK ASAP! I'm back at it Tuesday morning for control surface failures and then I am cleared to SOLO!!!!!!!!!!!
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