Progress Check

Posted on June 13, 2007 | Filed Under Flying 

If anyone actually does read my website, and if you don’t like reading about learning to fly (cue Foo Fighters) then the next few posts will be even more boring than the previous ones.

Today was probably the most stressful so far in my goal of being a pilot. And lessons like this one and the previous one sometimes make me second-guess the endeavor altogether. But, as hard as I can be on myself the payoff is more than worth it. I know it is because for one day about a year ago I had the privilege to actually pilot an aircraft alone for six takeoffs and landings

Background for the story

Today I went for what they call a Progress Check in the Cessna Pilot program. This should be pretty simple. It just means you fly with a different CFI for a lesson. And during said lesson you go over the basic private pilot maneuvers: slow flight, power-on/power-off stalls, steep turns, ground-reference maneuvers, emergency procedures, take-offs, and landings.

Since I’ve restarted training my regular CFI has covered all of these things. But: I felt like we covered them very quickly, and I had about one or two shots at practicing most of these. We obviously had several take-offs and landings, but I would’ve liked more practice. On top of that I hadn’t flown for eleven (ELEVEN!) days due to scheduling conflicts in setting up the progress check.

Lesson Time

I met the CFI at the FBO, and he seemed very nice–but very old. This guy’s probably forgotten more than I’ll ever know about flying. I was a bit nervous. I felt like I was about to take a theoretical physics test in front of Einstein. We chatted briefly, and he said he’d meet me at the plane. I preflighted the plane as normal, and he came out and asked a few questions. A couple of which (come on, Mark, you know what the static port is for) I brainfarted on, which was only mildly embarrassing in comparison to future goofs.

Immediate comment upon starting to taxi: “You need to do a brake check. Does your regular CFI not do that?” Uh-oh. I just got my CFI in trouble. Now I get a lecture on brakes in Cessnas as we taxi.

We were flying the crappiest Cessna 152 at the school. It flys like a damned brick with wings. Ninety degree temps and nearly full fuel doesn’t make things easier. Thank the FSM for 6000-foot runways. Anyway, I turn 090 to the practice area.

“Put these on.” Foggles. Well, I hope the old man looks for traffic. So we fly about 10-15 miles east with me in simulated instrument mode. This is the only thing I felt I did well. At least until we leveled out. Then I was scolded about how I brought the power out too early when I came level.

“Alright, how about some slow flight.” Good. I can do slow flight. It’s just flying slowly while maintaining altitude. I think I do okay. “Okay, recover, and now do that again except keep your heading.” Damn. Second time around I did do well.

“Let’s do a departure stall.” I’m worried about these since I sort of brain-froze in the previous lesson with these. Reduce power, pitch for 55 knots, gradual adding power to maintain altitude–STALL! Woohoo! I maneuver for what I think was a beautiful recovery. “Don’t let the plane’s nose drop so much.” I told him I didn’t want a secondary stall by immediately pitching up. “Oh, I don’t think you can get a 152 in a secondary stall.”

Now, here’s where I really did have fun. And I think was well worth the price of admission. Time for some power-off stalls. Carb heat, reduce power, pitch up (trying to stay coordinated)–STALL–recovered quickly. “Aren’t you supposed to get those flaps up for a recovery?” Damn. “<grumble> You kids need to see how these stalls are important. Pretend you’re going from base to final and stall the plane.” He demonstrates, and, although my brain is mildly scrambled, I believe this is where we went into a spin. YEEEHAW! Lots of postive G’s–that’s the most ****ing fun I’ve ever had in a plane. Now he wants me to do another power-off stall except make it a turning stall. That went well, but he still wants to get me in a spin and recover. YEEEHAW!!!! Now that’s the most fun I’ve had in a plane.

“Do a 360 steep turn of 45 degrees to the left.” I thought I was doing okay with this until he said, “You’re only at 30 degrees of bank.” Now, I love steep turns, but I think our artificial horizon was a bit off. From looking at the cowl I believe we were actually doing 60 degree banks after he forced it over some more. Anyway, I rolled out exactly on heading and within 50 feet of starting altitude. “That was okay, but do it again and maintain 45 degrees.” Second time I did well. “Now do the same thing to the right.” I lost a bit of altitude here–maybe 150 feet. :(

“Do an S-turn over this highway.” Two minor comments, but no major embarrassments here.

“Find a tree and let’s do some turns around a point.” I find a tree all alone in a field, and I attempt to go into orbit. I knew I was sucking: too close, bad correction for wind, and the guy wasn’t paying attention. I did a complete circle, and he demonstrated one with me.

“Let’s head back to the airport.” <Sigh> It’s nearly over. There’s a few planes already in the pattern, and the tower has us enter midfield for 18. I didn’t realize it, but the wind had changed to 060 @ 8 kts. I overshot the turn to final, but I did okay until the flare. It was off, but wasn’t bad overall. Full power, turn crosswind. Tower: “5372B can you make a tight pattern to get a King Air in behind you.” CFI: “Wilco” Great! Now I’ve gotta do a tight approach with a tailwind, and I’m having a bad day. CFI: “Let me do this one.”

This is the only time ever in an airplane death flickered through my grey matter. The CFI slipped the plane in very, very low over some nearby warehouses, gently sat it down on the runway, “Your airplane”. Damn. I may have left skidmarks there, but they weren’t on the runway. :) Me: “Sir, that was a very nice landing.”

Another overshot turn to final for what he ended up having me do as a go-around. One more landing to full stop. I overshoot 18 again, flare too early with too much speed, and bounce. Damn. The CFI has to recover that ugly mess, and we get down okay. He gives a few more pointers on what I did wrong here.

Now all I have to do is taxi, park, and shutdown. I’ve done it dozens of times (electrical off, mixture lean, increase throttle to kill the engine). I had already mentally relaxed, and I ended up turning off the electrical then just killing the engine with the ignition key. That’s bad. It takes me a second to realize what I’d done. The CFI quickly fixes the mistake.

CFI: “You could’ve made the engine explode.”
Me: Sighed, shook head.
CFI: Laughing. “You did a fine job today.”

Total Flight Time: 1.2

Cumulative Flight Time: 23.3 hours

Summary

After talking with my normal CFI he seemed like he was okay with my performance. And the old man was complimentary afterwards. And, all-in-all it was a great learning experience. I definitely learned a great deal in 1.2 hours, and I probably need more of those types of flights. The ego takes the hardest hit when you experience stuff like this, though.

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