Load's PPL Progress

[LoadMasterC141]

So if anyone is interested, I think I will keep an account of my PPL progress here in my Career Changer home.........

To catch up, I had 37.5 hours until this last Sunday, most of which is from 1992. I flew about 12 hours last summer and then stopped to pay off debt so I could afford to "Career Change". Last Sunday, I began my endeavor towards PPL again. Flew 2.4, Soloing after the first 1.4. I felt good and my landings were solid.

The plan was to fly an hour each night this week solo to work on my maneuvers and such, but weather got in the way until tonight.

I went with an instructor different than mine tonight; an older gentleman that was a RIO on the F-4 back in 'nam. Great time! We flew out to the practice area and did some steep turns and basic navigation, and then quickly back to the pattern; I had mentioned before the flight that I really wanted to get confident in crosswind landings. With a 6-7KT 70 degree crosswind, I managed to do pretty good and felt like it started to click. We did short and soft field landings and of course, the instructor favorite, engine failure, which was actually my best landing.

Then I went up and did about .4 solo, yielding to an Apache from nearby Ft. Hood during some pattern work. He said he would expedite, but I lioved telling him, "Sir, you have the big guns on your ride, do whatever you need". hehe.

Broke the 40 Hr TT with tonight and I am feeling much more confident with my crosswind landings, and flying in general. Plan to fly solo for an hour or so tomorrow night, and then off to Kentucky for the weekend for business. Rejoining with my regular instructor to begin navigation and cross country training next week.

I have been studying religiously for my written and plan to watch all the Sporty's DVDs I have coming (Thanks fellow JC'er Raskolnikov), then a review of my index cards, the test prep book, and off to Austin for the written.....prolly in 2 weeks. I reallkyw ant to ace the written and be an expert in all things PPL, like it should be.

[LoadMasterC141]

Did 2.0 Solo last night. Went out to the practice area for about an hour and worked on maneuvers. Feel good with Steep Turns and Turns around a point. Kinda wasted a bit of time just flying around, feeling comfortable flying on my own.

Return to airfield and did 7 TnG's. 10kt wind 20 degrees off the nose. Landings are pretty much perfect. Did some short field and nailed those too.

In KY for the weekend, eager to get back and fly more!

43.2TT

[frog_flyer]

Good deal, keep it comin'! You'll never get sick of greasing landings!




Don't give in to those Army woosies!!

[SmitteyB]

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

I have been studying religiously for my written and plan to watch all the Sporty's DVDs I have coming (Thanks fellow JC'er Raskolnikov), then a review of my index cards, the test prep book, and off to Austin for the written.....prolly in 2 weeks.

Thank god you've got Rob Reider on your side. Not to mention ole' Dick Collins!

[Captain_Bob]

Git 'R Done LM!!!

Bob

[LoadMasterC141]

I flew a dual cross-country two weekends ago. Temple(TPL) to Llano(AQO) to Austin(AUS) and back. We stopped in Llano, a small town in the heart of the Texas Hill country, for lunch.
Landed and old boy came up in a golf cart and said "Y'all wanna go to town?".
He handed us some keys to an old beat up cop car; we were off to Coopers BBQ, quite possibly the best in Texas!
On to Austin. I enjoyed the towered airport experience and did well with Comms and expediting to get out of a SWA "Shamu" 737's way.

I was supposed to do the route solo the next day, but the weather deteriorated. All last week was crap and I got no flying in. Then the airshow at Temple this weekend thwarted any flying as well.

Finally got out last night to do my Dual Night Cross Country. What a rush flying at night is! Flew from TPL to College Station(CLL) up to Waco (ACT) and back. Landing at night is a little unnerving at first; depth perception makes you think you are always high. I still greased my landings at CLL. Up to WACO and the weather had dropped some clouds in and the wind was whipping 22 G29. We did one crosswind landing. I got it on the ground....no bounces...nuff said. The next ones were me solo with wind right in my face. Greasers! Then we flew home and did some simulated instrument failure landings for the finale.

If the weather will get better this weekend, I have my solo XC planned Saturday, a Dual XC Sunday, and possibly another Solo XC later that day.
I am booked for a few hours after work each night to fly solo and practice my maneuvers.

I am stuck waiting for my new TX drivers license to arrive before I can take the written, but have it tentatively planned for 2 weeks from now.

51.2TT

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by frog_flyer

Good deal, keep it comin'! You'll never get sick of greasing landings!




Don't give in to those Army woosies!!

What's a "woosie?"



And good job loadmaster... keep it up.

[killbilly]

[LoadMasterC141]

Have flown a few hours each night after work the last few days.
I think I am "practiced out" on my landings. Had one last night where you would not have known we touched down! hehe.

Need to spend more time in the practice area working on maneuvers. My steep turns are within PTS limits. I believe my Power off stalls and slow flight are there too. Need to do more power on (Keep stalling hard right), and ground reference maneuvers.

TT 56.0

[PGT]

Keep it coming!

I'm at 5.3TT now, waiting to solo, so your posts are really helping me.

[LoadMasterC141]

I flew my SOLO XC finally on Saturday. What an awesome experience! 2.4 Solo XC---2.6 to go. Was going to do Temple-Stephenville-Waco-Temple Sunday, but the weather failed me again.

Before the weather set in, I went up with my instructor and he evaluated my maneuvers...all of them. I need to work on S-Turns, otherwise he thought they were all pretty solid.

Just need to get my Solo XC time to 5, 2 more hours under the hood, and take the written and I can schedule my checkride! I won't be flying much during the week this time so I can study after work. I'll finish up the flying portion this weekend.

TT 60.3

[killbilly]

Good for you, man. Keep it comin'!

[Raskolnikov]

Way to go! You're almost there!

[LoadMasterC141]

Yet another reason I dislike our current leader of the country. This is like his 20th vacation this year. Weekend flying is pretty much out

[Naluryder]

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

Yet another reason I dislike our current leader of the country. This is like his 20th vacation this year. Weekend flying is pretty much out

So you mean you can't even coordinate with ATC to go up? That would be a big bummer for me. I plan to head down to Burnet memorial weekend? I hope he not in town? BTW a C141 was my first flight experience as a child. We flew from Guam to Hickam. The flt crew served us a luch box meal with a coke. I got a glimpse of the cockpit. I think that was when I fell in love with airplanes? and the second leg of the MAC flt from Hickam to Edwards I got off the plane then threw up ? go figure? jet lag maybe...LOL..

Nalu

[LoadMasterC141]

Well there is a TFR procedure....File Flight Plan..call Ft.Hood Clnc Del. The rules are strict though:
No Loitering.
Must fly AWAY from the TFR.
No Flight Training.

We have one plane in Florida this weekend, and the other is known to have an intermittent trandsponder from time to time. That would jus FREAK ATC out. So all training was cancelled for the weekend. Sux.

Hopefully the weather behaves this week....doesn't look like it will though. I am planning to fly 2 hours hood tomorrow at 1700 after numbnuts leaves. Then Tuesday I am doing a solo XC after work. That will fulfill my requirements for the PPL. I am waiting for my new license to come so I can take the written...should be tomorrow. I have consistently been getting 95-98 on practice writtens. Only 1 100 so far. Keep missing one or two dangit.

[sdfcvoh]

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

Yet another reason I dislike our current leader of the country. This is like his 20th vacation this year. Weekend flying is pretty much out

[Flyboy 4]

Its good to hear about others working in the PPL. I do my first cross country this Wednesday morn. I enjoyed working up the flight plan. After my solo I have felt like my best day in aviation is the next day I fly.

Good luck to you.

[frog_flyer]

Good work. Let me know when you're doing your long XC and I may fly out to SEP or ACT and meet up with you.

[LoadMasterC141]

Long XC is set for this Saturday, weather permitting. I am taking my written in the morning and then the XC is scheduled for 3PM.

[LoadMasterC141]

The bad weather continues to thwart my attempts to remain on schedule!

I did manage to get the written out of the way this weekend though. I was really trying for a 100, and ended up getting a 98. Actually selected the wrong answer to a question I knew, and missed that I had done so when reviewing! dangit. Oh well...cannot cry over a 98 though.

Just need 2.6 Solo XC and 1.0 Hood and I have met all the requirements. My instructor is going to schedule my checkride as soon as he gets back on Tuesday!

[Captain_Bob]

Originally Posted by LoadMasterC141

I was really trying for a 100, and ended up getting a 98.

Ummm... you suck...

Congrats on getting the test out of the way! I'd seriously think about taking advantage of the downtime due to weather and start studying for the Instrument/II... or if you want a quick and easy one to study for... do the FOI... that one takes literally 3-5 hours of solid study and your ready to take the test.

Bob

[LoadMasterC141]

Whats FOI?

[Captain_Bob]

Fundamentals Of Instructing...

[LoadMasterC141]

Before I do that, and even though I did well on the written, I need to study the FAr/AIM better. My checkride has been scheduled for the 23rd of June. I got a gouge from previous PPL students for this examiner and he is really big on the FAR on his oral; tries to cover anything the written did not basically. Once my PPL is out of the way, I plan to study the IFR stuff hard core while building some hours as a PPL. Have family and friends coming in July.....All willing to pay their part to do some travelling around TX in a plane. Hopefully that will save me some moolah on my plan as well.