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Debrief 20090801

The first post of a newly rated Private pilot single engine land! I passed! Real good day. Niel broke 1000 hours today too! I was in the room when he calculated it out! Cheers to us both! Two milestones in one day.
Today was also my two year anniversary with my lovely girlfriend Kendra!
Anyway, the oral part was grueling, the flying part wasn't bad. If anyone reading this wants to get rated, I have advice. KNOW YOUR SYSTEMS, METARS, WEATHER, AIRSPACE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU CAN POSSIBLY KNOW INCLUDING WHERE TO FIND THE INFO IF YOU DON'T KNOW!!!!
I gave my first skyride today! To my best friend and neighbor who's been like a brother to me. We went up for almost an our. 0.9 hrs. The plane now has 2.1 hours left before the 100 hour inspection which it goes for tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be done by monday. That's what the guy working on it plans to do...but we can't help if something's broken...but then again the plane works just as good as she ever did...however I did find a yellow moth which I mistook as a dandelion in the stall horn!
So ends this blog, but so begins another!!!!!
My last post will be the link for my new blog...look fast!

OVER AND OUT

Preflight 20090801

This flight is particularly important. I know I have not kept up very well, but this is due to my computer's breakdown. The last time we talked, we talked of Memorial Day and it's less than breathtaking flyover. The weather has been on my @$$ since April (When we thought I was going to take my checkride) This has been moved. Tomorrow is the big day. I'm pretty sure I know everything I got to know.
No special VFR in Bravo airspace, visibility is 3statute miles, cloud clearance: 1,000 feet above, 500 feet below, and 2,000 feet horizontally. 152 Rule
Regular visibility and cloud clearance minimums for Delta and Charlie airspace are 3 SM and the 152 rule.
Special VFR in Delta turns minimums into 1 SM visibility
Class E airspace is from ceiling of G to 14,500 feet. Less than 10,000' minimums are 3 SM and 152 rule. At or above 10,000' is 5 SM, 1,000' feet below, 1,000' above, 1SM horizontally.
Class G airspace is 1SM visibility and clear of clouds.
Generally speaking:
Delta extends from surface to 2500'
Bravo from surface to 10,000'
Charlie from surface to 6,000'
In class Delta, Bravo, Charlie, must have clearance prior to entry, Mode C transponder with altitude reporting capability, and two way radio.

Anyway, now that some of that is put into my memory, I wonder how much of it I'll forget by tomorrow. I hope none. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. New airport, new people to meet. I'm a little nervous about the radio at this time because I have not talked to ATC in awhile unfortunately. All well. I'm just going to go do it. And damn it I will. Wish me luck
Over and out.

Debrief

Last week I went on several flights that I never updated on here. Only one was worth mentioning. Memorial I went up. I was the lead with a group of a people taking part in a fly over. I did not partake in the actual flyover, however I climbed to 3500 feet and watched from there as the other three airplanes flew low at 2000 feet MSL over Towanda. Unfortunately someone's ELT went off and they were unable to do it. After a particularly hard landing (you'd have thought I was landing on the deck of a carrier with how hard it hit), I parked the plane and put her away. On the flight line was three Piper aircraft. Thought I was at the factory. That's when I found out about the ELT. Glad it wasn't mine. See you in the skies next time. Over and out.

Preflight 20090530

Mission: I have no clue. More Private Pilot Prep.
I may or may not be solo.
Today's mission could be just about anything

Mission Status: Incomplete

TOP GUN DAY

Today is 20090513 aka TOP GUN APPRECIATION DAY. http://www.topgunday.com/

Pay your tribute to this great movie by making a call sign for yourself use as many lines from the movie as possible. Dress in your best flight suit wear your most urbane aviators and if you can, get up in the air and take off into the Danger Zone.

Preflight 20090426

Preflight 20090426

Mission:
1) Practical Test Prep

Mission Status: INCOMPLETE

Debrief 20090419

This is not only the debrief for the day. I'll get the salt lake pics up eventually. So last week (monday) I went up. Another solo X-country, from N27-ITH-N23. It was over 150 nautical miles. I did two full stop landings at ITH and a crosswind landing over at Sidney. I really needed to relieve myself so I shut her down at Sidney for a little while and went to the bathroom. I mozied around a bit. It's a nice airport. I thought it was kind of dumpy at first but all in all it's not too bad. The right traffic still messes with me sometimes. There's a black airplane there. It's a jet and it looks like the Vampire. Jerry says he's never seen it anywhere else. He says it's never moved. That makes me sad cause that jet looks like it belongs up in the air. I bet that plane is like a homesick angel. If I could, I'd fly it. In fact, I may inquire about it before I go off to college in August.
Earlier in the week (saturday) the weather was not in the right conditions for this XC so Jerry and I went up and worked on PTS prep, and 720 degree turns about a point.

Debrief 20090419
At first look this morning the clouds seemed to just hang over but as the day wore the clouds dissipated or else moved somewhere else. I didn't think I at first I'd be able to go, but as it turns out, everywhere but BGM was clear (which I knew) but just before I went, we checked BGM again, and all was clear. Everything was peachy dandy so I went to preflight. Jerry signed me off and I fueled up the baby, of which I've come to a conclusion about her.
The 152, may be underpowered, but is a beautiful airplane. It's small, compact, and although it's a high-wing (low wings tend to look cooler) it looks sleek. My only gripe about the airplane; she's underpowered. When I get the money, I'm going to own one, and I'm going to give her the power she deserves.
So I took off and picked up my heading while I climbed to 3500 feet. I flew to the BGM VOR. I called them and ended up doing a touch-n-go on runway 10. They handed me off to Elmira and they followed me until Ithaca to which I was left alone to fly by D'ed Reckoning to get myself to Fingerlakes Regional Airport. It is beautiful country up that way. That's as far north as I've gone during my Xcountries. Normally I stop at ITH, but on the sectional, I saw that it was near the north end of the lake and I've been wanting to fly up it, so that's why I decided to make my XC for there. I'm glad I did, it was every bit as beautiful as I thought it would be. I landed at 0G7 then took off again and headed to ITH via the VOR. I flew overhead and picked up a heading to take me home following the ITH VOR. Everything went extremely well today. Just enough turbulence to keep things interesting, I talked smoothly on the radio, didn't wreck the airplane, landings went great, takeoffs were great, winds cooperated. Everything just went great. 2.4 hours later I was back at my home airport. And I didn't even have to use the restroom midtrip! Haha in all seriousness I almost hit a bird. It flew right underneath me, it was kind of creepy, cause not more than five seconds later, I was flying parallel a big hawk. It was cool. Very good day, now begins Practical Flight Test Prep! Woo! Almost there.

Mission: COMPLETE

Oops

Yeah, I haven't really kept up with this have I? Well let me go through my preflight for today then I'll take you through debrief of 20090412 and today later.

Preflight 20090419
Mission: Fly to BGM via BGM VOR CFB & pilotage
Touch-n-Go pick up heading to 0G7; Finger Lakes Regional
Full Stop- Track ITH VOR to ITH
Return to N27 via pilotage & ITH VOR

Mission Status: COMPLETE

Back, but haven't flown yet

I got back the 30th of March and couldn't wait till the weekend when I would do my cross country to ITH then to N23 then back. Unfortunately, it was almost clear of clouds but windy. It wasn't the wind so much, but rather the gusts. The gusts were high while the steady winds were comparatively low. So I was grounded. I'll just wait until monday. Hopefully it's nice monday. Sunday is out cause it's Easter. Friday is out cause it's Good Friday. Saturday I'm pretty sure is going to be nasty. So monday is my only option. By George, it's snowing up here! WTF?

Gone for the weekend, but flying is still on!

I'm heading out for salt lake city today to visit a college. The guy who set me up for a tour of the place, is going to take me up in a Piper Archer. He told me I'd be able to log the flight time, so that will be nice to add to my repertiore as well as a new plane! Also, I get to take a ride in the simulator so that will be neat. I've never been in a real simulator before. I'll have pictures for when I get back, over and out.

Update Mission 20090322

Due to weather, I was unable to make my junket to KITH to KN23 and back to KN27. I went up and got some local solo time in. Of course it was quite busy by the time I ended up getting the plane fueled up with gas. A Canard Long EZ came in when I was departing the pattern, along with a 172 and what looked like a Vans. I went out and did some slow flight, stalls, and turns. Thinking about it now, I should've done a couple 720degree turns about a point. There was enough wind but I didn't think of it. I did a maneuver Niel told me about. Start in slow flight, pull up like you're flaring for landing, and before you stall, you add power. Just enough to keep you at altitude. It worked well. Then I did some turns. Straight and level and steep turns. The steep turn today was nasty. By nasty I mean, good. I barely gained or lost any altitude and it went quick compared to every other turn. The first time I actually had to counter the G's by flexing my abdominal muscles...or lack thereof...but it worked. I came back down and did four landings. The first three were shortfield approaches and the last one was a slip. I'm working at the "walking the plane to the ground," but it's proving slippery as a leech. I'll get it. I know it.

Mission: COMPLETE

Private Pilot Exam

Normally, I don't sweat exams. Exams like the SAT, ACT, and most any school multiple choice exam. There are, however, exams I do in fact take seriously. The ASVAB, and any written test for aviation, e.g. the Private Pilot Written Exam. I took my ASVAB and scored a fairly well 85 out of 99. Reason I take that exam seriously is because that exam can decide the rest of your life if the armed forces be what you want in life as it is for mine.
As for the second, the private pilot written. This test is so utterly important because after all the time and money you've put in to your dream of being a pilot, failing sucks. It sucks because you failed, it sucks because you've wasted 100 dollars of hard earned cash only to find out that, until 30 days are up, you do not have a satisfactory amount of aeronautical knowledge to become a pilot. I never really faired to well on multiple choice tests. I just barely passed this one. I recieved a 70, the passing grade. Lucky. I'd rather have someone asking me stuff like it was an interview. But really there is no point in having two oral exams. All well. I passed. Peace out.