I love the calm after the storm.For the moment, the atmosphere has shed all of its fury. Calm wind, low humidity, sunshine, and only a few puffy stratus clouds at 6,000+ feet. Today we're going to continue work with slow flight, power-on and power-off stalls, and a whole lotta takeoffs and landings at Bult Field.
We're taking N172NT today. Preflight uneventful. Construction continues on the field, and the closures are significant. When I called up the ATIS today, I made a list of the taxiway and runway closures due to construction: "Runway 31R/13L closed. Runway 31L/13R closed. Taxiway F closed between Y and P. Taxiway K closed between 31C and Y. Taxiway F2 closed. Taxiway F3 closed." We still need to taxi all the way around the tower apron just to be able to get to taxiway K and make our way over to runway 4L.
Good takeoff, climbout and right turn to 180. Becoming better at pegging my altitude and trimming for level flight, although I still occasionally have trouble holding the altitude. Every time I think I'm trimmed for level flight, I start to pay attention to something else in the aircraft, and within seconds, I've lost almost 100 feet. Tom has said that I play with the trim wheel too much, and I seem to be using it to fly the airplane. I am constantly wrestling with this. Tom tells me that the best way to hold level flight is to point the plane to the attitude for level flight, then trim off the control wheel pressure, and let go. I just can't seem to find the trim wheel setting that works; at least not on a consistent basis. And little cross winds that bank the wings make me afraid to let go of the wheel altogether. I guess that for now, my ability to hold level flight still feels like it takes too much effort.
Continued practicing slow flight and power-on/power-off stalls. I'm getting better at holding my heading during slow flight, although I have difficulty keeping my attitude steady. I am also improving my stall recoveries, although I instinctively try to recover before the stalls fully develop. I suppose it's good that my reflexes work to prevent the stalls, but since the examiner is going to want me to recover from full stalls, I have to let the stall develop, and then recover as soon as it happens. Still a work in progress.
Before long, Bult Field is in sight. Today, we begin landing practice. First, Tom instructed me to fly over the field at 2,300 feet and look at each end of the runway for the windsocks. I transmitted on the CTAF, 123.00: "Bult Traffic, Cessna 172NT, four miles to the south, we're going to overfly the field at 2,300, Bult."
Looked down at the threshold of 27, and I could see the windsock indicating winds directly from the west.
"Okay," Tom directed, "we're going to fly out to the southwest for a little bit, until we can turn to enter the downwind leg at a 45 degree angle. That's where other pilots are expecting planes to enter the pattern."
We turned to the southwest and I began to descend, scanning the sky for traffic. The CTAF crackles to life every now and then, but they are destined for other nearby fields who also use 123.0 to declare intentions. No one is inbound for Bult; at least, no one has called in.
"We've descended far enough. Turn right 180 degrees and head back to the runway."
Began the turn; still having trouble holding desired altitude. I dipped below 1,800, then added some throttle and climbed back up to 1,800 again. Held what I thought was a good attitude for 1,800 feet, and then I looked down and saw that I was sinking again! A little bit of nose-up trim, and pulled back on the control wheel slightly. The runway is looming ahead quickly.
"Turn to the right, parallel to the runway," Tom commands. "Throttle back to 2,000 RPMs."
I make the turn, pull the throttle back. I look to the left and try to stay parallel to the runway. Suddenly, Tom says, "Don't descend in the pattern."
I look down, and I've descended to 1,700 feet again. I forgot to adjust the trim when I pulled the throttle back to 2,000. The plane continues to take me by surprise.
Passing abeam the runway threshold, Tom says, "Pull the throttle back to 1,600. Add 10 degrees of flaps. Trim for 70 knots."
Trying to follow directions, but I keep pitching the nose down too far, descending too fast, and pushing the airspeed too high.
"Turn left 90 degrees for base. Pull back. You want 70 knots."
Everything is happening so fast. I pull back, and concentrate on keeping the airspeed. Then I look up, and see the runway coming up. I start to think about when to turn.
"Don't add any more flaps. We're too low. 70 knots!"
I look down at the airspeed indicator, and see that I am getting up to 80 knots again. I know that I have to control the airspeed with the pitch of the airplane, and that I am pushing the nose down too far. But I'm overwhelmed. How far should I pull back? What if I pull back too far?
"Extend the runway centerline towards us. You want to line up right on the center. Turn left now."
I bank the wings, too shallow, and overshoot the runway centerline.
"You're too far to the right of the runway. Bank the wings. Turn the control wheel to the left. We're too low. Push in the throttle a little. Pull back."
So much to do!
Within seconds, I'm to the left of the centerline. Tom tells me to bank the wings to the right.
"The centerline of the runway should look like it's hitting you in the nose. The centerline should be straight up and down."
Trying to hold it. Turning the control wheel all over the place.
"Pull out the throttle."
I hesitate. It's not like I don't trust Tom... I'm just overwhelmed by the whole experience. And some part my brain says, "Don't do that! You'll crash."
"Pull out the throttle. All the way," Tom commands.
I pull the throttle out to idle. The nose pitches downward, and the runway is getting close.
"Full flaps," Tom orders.
Flaps all the way down. The nose pitches down even more, and the runway is coming up at us very quickly. Tom's right hand hovers over his control wheel, ready to take control at any moment.
"This is good," Tom comments. "Hold this attitude."
But, I thought, the runway is coming up so fast!
Within 20 feet of the runway now, and we're pitched down straight at it. I feel like we're going to crash into it. I instinctively pull back on the control wheel; too much, and too soon.
"Don't pull back!" chides Tom. "Let the plane..."
No time to talk. We balloon in the air, 15 feet over the runway. Too high and too slow!
"I'm going to help you with this," Tom says. I know what that means, I smile.
Tom pushes forward slightly, bringing the runway even closer. He pulls back the control wheel to flare, but I am slow to follow him.
"Right rudder. Right rudder!" Tom commands. My right foot freezes in place. I felt panicked, and I couldn't move. I confess; I didn't push down on that foot pedal.
The wheels touch down with the nose of the plane pointing to the left of the centerline. Instantly, my body lurches to the right as a side load is placed on the landing gear. The nose gear comes down, and Tom pushes down the right rudder to help us get back on the centerline.
"Apply brakes," Tom says. I do so, and the plane begins to slow down as the centerline comes back to us. I see a taxiway approaching, but we are too fast to make it.
"Go to the next taxiway. Slow down."
Finally, we slow down enough to turn left at the next taxiway. I breathe a sigh of relief. Tom breathes a sigh of frustration... Well, maybe not frustration. I guess it was the sigh of a man who has a lot of work to do.
"Use the control wheel to line up with the runway centerline, and use the rudder to point the plane straight down the runway. You landed with the nose pointed to the left, which put a side load on the landing gear. You also need to descend at a steady airspeed of 70 knots. You were up to 80 knots a couple times, which brought us down too low. Don't chase the airplane. Make it do what you want it to do."
We rolled completely clear of the runway, and I turned to the left.
"After landing checklist," requested Tom. "Carb heat in, flaps up. Report on the radio that you are clear of the runway."
Followed directions. Transmitted on the CTAF, "Bult Traffic, Cessna 172NT clear of runway 27, Bult."
"Remember, too," warned Tom, "Fly the airplane first, talk on the radio second. You should only talk on the radio during straight flight. Don't talk on the radio in the turns."
We taxied to the threshold of runway 27. Tom asked me to stop before turning to face the runway completely.
"You want to stop at a 45 degree angle to the runway hold short line. This way, you can see any goofballs that are coming in for final without calling on the radio first."
I laughed. "What kind of a yahoo is going to approach the airport without calling?"
"It happens all the time!" chucked Tom. "Calling on the radio isn't required. It's a courtesy. And you're going to see that not all pilots are as courteous as they should be."
"Just like driving on the highway," I responded.
"Yup. There are bad pilots just like there are bad drivers."
We get ready to go around again. Performed Lights, Camera, Action. This is simply a quick flow check to catch any irregularities before taking off again:
"Lights" - Make sure that the beacon is on and that any necessary lights are working.
"Camera" - Make sure the transponder is on, and squawking the correct code.
"Action" - Beginning with the trim wheel, I make sure that all of the instruments and other settings are correct for takeoff. Takeoff trim; fuel mixture from both tanks; flaps up; mixture rich; throttle to 1,000; carb heat in; circuit breakers on, amp gauge centered; oil pressure in the green; fuel sufficient; suction gauge in the green; heading indicator correct; altimeter set; ADF set to wind direction.
Performed all of the checks. Everything looks good.
"Now, scan the approach area to make sure that no one is coming," Tom reminds me.
I scan the skies above. "Lookin' out for Goofballs and Yahoos," I reply.
Tom laughs. Sometimes I'm funny.
Performed 8 more takeoffs and landings at Bult. Just when I started to control my altitude better, I started having problems with the airspeed. It seemed that I turned to final too soon every single time. Tom was constantly reminding me to pull back on the control wheel because I was descending to the runway too quickly. I repeatedly rolled out left of the centerline, and had to bank to the right to chase it. And although I started becoming more comfortable with flaring, I repeatedly failed to apply enough right rudder pressure to aim the plane parallel with the runway.
"Okay, it's almost time to head back. Let's taxi to the fuel area. You need to learn how to fill up the tanks so you'll be prepared for your cross country flights."
We taxied to the ramp, and pulled up alongside a large AVGAS 100LL tank. The tank accepted credit cards and cash. Tom used his company credit, and I bought a much needed Pepsi from a vending machine on the field.
Before filling up, Tom showed me how to ground the airplane using a cable that connects to the tank and dissipates any static electricity that might cause a spark during fillup. And with the exception of the enormous length of the hose, the gas nozzle was very similar to any nozzle I have ever used to fill up the gas tank in my car. Tom brought out a ladder, and I climbed up to get at the fuel tanks in the top of each wing. I asked Tom to take a quick picture of me as I prepared to fill up the left tank (shown above). My first fill-up; another personal aviation milestone.
Took off from Bult, headed in to Midway; the rest of the lesson was uneventful. I overflew the field for runway 4L, stayed too high for too long in the pattern, and had some trouble pitching down for the runway on final. Touched down about 500 feet further back than Tom wanted me to, and still put it down to the left of the centerline with some minor side load on the landing gear. This whole landing thing is going to take some getting used to.
Next lesson, we're going to continue with many, many landings. Practice makes perfect.
- Airman Eric
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