FRIDAY MAY 5, 2006
I am off to get some practice/test prep work on another beautiful evening. I arrive at the flight school and pick up the keys and clipboard for 2746C. I complete my pre flight, and climb in for the pre start checklist. I am making a mental note of each detail as I follow the flow of my checks.
46C comes to life and we make ready for our taxi to the run up area. Today's plan is to work on my clearing turns before EACH task, execute the task followed by return to straight and level flight. I work on my turns about a point, S turns and steep bank turns with success. I decide to head for home and knock out a few landings since I thought my night landings were a bit flat or fast. I turn south east and pick up Route 30 bypass and follow that east until I see N99 to my 3 o' clock. I announce my position and follow that with a call that I am over flying the field north to south at 2500 to reposition for a 45* entry to downwind r/w 27. Nice and square with the field looking good searching out where I want to start my turn back towards the field. I see one of the water towers I use as a reference when turning in from the MXE VOR. Well, that's about 6 miles out and that's to far so I turn halfway there and report 3 miles on 45* for downwind 27. Altitude steady I proceed with my landing checklist. Fuel both, fuel on (God, lets hope so), mixture full rich, flaps are indeed up, landing and taxi lights on. Checking the pattern as I announce and enter the downwind for 27. I have the habit of speaking out loud as I call out my clear right or left, so much so the Bride calls out clear right when we are driving. On downwind abeam the threshold I throttle back to 1500 rpm, nose up, add 10* flaps, settle and add a touch of nose up trim. Checking my rpm's I check the pattern and give a long look on final for anything that may be coming in un-announced. All clear, I announce and turn base followed by adding a second notch of flaps. Looking good, I double check final by rocking that wing up for a good look then call final as I turn for home. A little float then flat followed by a short roll out to taxi clear. I make 2 more rounds each time a bit more of the picture I want with stall horn moaning away as I touch down.
I taxi in after three landings and put 46C to bed. I am really feeling good and the confidence is there, I am excited about taking the checkride. Excited? I think about the kids on the baseball team and relate........I always say that the really young kids that are hitting well is due to two reasons, 1 - they have some good mechanics and 2, they don't know they should be scared $*#@ less facing 12 yr olds that throw as hard as they do. So you see, I relate, I guess my excitement distracts me from understanding I should be "browning out" as it was so nicely stated on one of the forums.
This week my last night flight then a mock checkride and oral exam prep. THEN IT'S CHECKRIDE TIME !!!!!! I hope to be able to fly to Wilkes-Barre this memorial Day weekend.
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