These actually weren't as hard as I thought they would be for my first try but the wind was only at about 4knots so I shouldn't pat myself on the back too much just yet.
We started with the rectangle and even though I was being blow from side to side, most of the time I was able to keep a pretty good track while turning to the left. Going to the right was a little harder but I started getting it after a couple of laps.
The "S" turn was a little harder because I lost sight of the road we were using and decreased my bank a little too much to make it on every pass.
The turn around a point wasn't too bad but I only did it in a left turn so I can't say too much about my skill on that one. I just held a constant 45 degree bank and had it locked in nice and tight.
After that we did a couple of power on and off stalls with out a problem and then in to a steep turn to the left with a whip back to a turn to the right. I actually like doing those.
My problems started on the way back to the airfield..........
I called inbound at my normal marker but nobody was home....I try again and nobody answers but now I'm getting a little close to the departure end of the runway so I make a turn away from the field and contact ground to wake up the tower. Stay with me, this is where it started to become fun.
I was in a Cessna 152 and there was a 172 also requesting touch and go clearance from the tower. After the tower started paying attention to us they mistook the 172 for my 152 and cleared me for the # 1 slot. This forced the 172 to go long on the downwind over an active military range!!! I was a little flustered trying to keep up with the radio and the pattern work so I got a little wide on down wind, a little fast in to the base leg and a little high at final.
GO AROUND TIME!!
I worked it out and passed on that landing but was still a little off balance and had a hard time keeping my speed where it belonged. Once again I came in to base a little fast and on to final a little high but this time I made it work out. One the next pass I got a little tighter on the speed and hit the reference points pretty well. I extended the downwind leg a little because I was too high but this gave me a chance to get the plane set up for a proper speed in the final. I was pretty happy with this one even though I chopped the power a little sooner than I should have.
The last attempt looked pretty good as well until my instructor pulled the power as I crossed the 180 point and asked what I was going to do now.
I went with a 10-15 degree bank and no flaps until I knew I could make the runway, set 10 degrees made for 70 knots to counter the wind, hit 20 degrees about a quarter mile out, 30 degrees just before the fence and landed just long of the numbers. I asked the instructor how much was me and how much was him....he said it was all me on the landing and that he just helped keep me from over banking. I think he was pulling my leg but I'll take it.
Before my next flight I need to catch up on the ground lessons a little so I hit the presolo test on about my 9th flight.
Wish me luck!
Total time 6.8 hrs as of 10 May 07
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