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Boeing customer upset about 787 delays

Is this how things would be if Hitler had survived the war? Nobody is happy about the 787 being delayed but come on man..... Its nothing to shoot yourself over!

Getting ready to solo

Here it is almost 3 years after I started flying and I was finally told to expect to solo soon. YAY!!!!!

The delay was for reasons out of my control as most of you know but it still seems like a long time coming. When I flew today it was a matter of my CFI saying I want to see slow flight, power on and off stalls and steep turns, other than that I'm just going to sit here while you are in charge.

This didn't sound like much when we were on the ground but as we got in to the flight and added flight following, some extra traffic and a little haze it started to be a little much.

Nothing was different than the last flight really, it was just that it was my plane this time and he was just sitting there smiling at me every time I looked over.

My air work was OK but nothing special, I made a few mistakes and wasn't as crisp as the last time but he didn't complain and I tried to explain why things went how they did so he knew that I understood what I could have done either differently or just plain better.

I feel that any issues with my flying was more due to nerves and the stress I put on myself for wanting to do well. On the way back to the field it got a little more interesting.

My CFI never really tells me what to do but does offer suggestions and a hint if it looks like I'm starting to fall behind with my tasks. Today he just let me do things my way even if I fell behind and would help a little to get me caught back up but it was mostly up to me.

I was cleared for a straight in to RWY 17. I never really liked straight in approaches because I haven't really learned where the key points are. I still need the different legs of the traffic pattern to help settle in to a smooth flow and make sure I'm on speed.

My CFI says "no flaps on this one"...... No problem really but again not only going straight in but now removing the cues associated with adding 10 deg of flaps and looking for 75 was missing.

He wanted me a little high to practice a forward slip to landing but I was high and very fast. A simple reminder to watch my speed was all it took to get back in line again and it was a pretty smooth landing. I think it was my best of the day if you remove the parts before being on short final.

The take off for my next T&G was fine except that I still have an issue with the sight picture in the 172. I am still trying to use the 152's cowling even though the 172's is more rounded and slopes forward. It will take some getting used to still.

The next T&G is pretty normal but I flared a little high and had a bounce.... or two.....

The third and last time around the pattern was an engine out landing that went pretty well, I was in pretty tight and had some altitude to dump. In go the full flaps with a nice forward slip at the end and there we are. The last one had a little bit of a bounce in it but not bad.

I did however land a little long and I missed the call to turn out at RWY 8 so I was helped out by my CFI on that one.

All in all it wasn't a bad day but I bet I won't solo on Friday like I was hoping. We'll see how the pattern work he outlined for me goes and I'll cross my fingers but I'm thinking Monday or next Wednesday might be more realistic.

Fly safe!!!

Time Today: 1.1

Total Time: 22.5

Gotta love N40TP

Well, I've had 3 flights in the Cessna 172 N40TP and I am really enjoying it. I was having some problems with nerves in the 152 and it was really holding me back but the solid feel of the 172 has really gotten me over the hump.

Today I was out working on power on and off stalls when I got caught with my eyes on the panel when they should have been outside. Steve promptly covered the panel with his jacket and told me to try again but this time do it by sound and feel.

I must say that I was in trim and didn't have a problem at all. It was a great feeling!

As we headed back to the airfield, we stayed about 4000 agl and I was told to perform a circling approach for an engine out landing.

I put her in to a standard rate turn at a glide of 65 knots and a 500 fpm decent rate. Each circle worked out to 1000 feet lost and put me right over the numbers on each pass.

I was a little high even with full flaps while on short final until the good old forward slip was used. I think I surprised my CFI with that because I started the slip before he suggested it, he seemed happy.

After a not too bad landing we called it a day. My next flight is in a couple of days and I have been told that I might solo on the next flight after that. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Its been almost 3 years, 2 schools, 2 CFI's and 3 planes with a Iraq deployment and divorce thrown in the middle but the first big milestone is within my grasp.

Time Today: 1.4
Total Time: 21.4

Switching from the C152 to the C172.

The 152 I've been training in has been hard to schedule and I just never seemed to "click" with this one like I did with good old N94939.

Today I was introduced to the 172P, N40TP and fell in love. She's a little rough around the edges but she handles like a dream and has plenty of get up and go.

I will be using her for now and am luck that its still only $89.

That's not much more than the 152 so it won't break the bank too quickly.

Today's lesson:
Airframe transition, Slow flight, Steep turns, Power Off Stalls and T&Gs.

Time Today:
1.7

Total Time:
20.00

Getting Better Again, Phew!

Well, today was my second flight since getting back in the air and today was much better. I wasn't nearly as nervous until we started in to the stall phase of today's plan.

I don't know what happened or when it happened but I became very scared when it comes to stalls or anything that makes it feel like I'm going to fall out of the sky.

I can ride motorcycles fast, jump off rock faces, scuba drive and have been in combat without feeling this nervous.

Today was pretty good though because I had a couple of near perfect power off stall that were completely straight ahead with no surprises.

After that I felt normal again and more relaxed than I had during any time on the previous flights. I'm BAAAACCCCKKKK!!!!! I hope :)

As we returned to the airport after I had one of the smoothest landings that I can ever remember. Today was a good day.

What I did today: Slow flight, steep turns, power off stalls and engine out procedures.

Time Today
1.4

Total Time
18.3

Back in the air again!

Hi everyone!

Today was my first day back in the air sine I returned from Iraq and it was GREAT!

Am I a top notch pilot?

Will I be the next instructor at Top Gun?

Not so much.......

I couldn't remember everything I needed to about the aircraft checkout process from the FBO or even the airport procedures or layout.

Good thing that I had Steve my instructor right there next to me the entire time.

In truth, I was pretty nervous today, I had forgotten how bumpy it can be in a Cessna with a little wind and not the nicest of days this week.

I actually felt pretty off and a little spooked as the plane was being tossed around because it has been so long and I really didn't feel in control of anything.

The Olympia airport (KOLM) is fairly busy and today was no exception, there was a Army Black Hawk, a Luscomb and a Piaggio Avanti to name just a few that I was sharing the pattern with.

Because of the poor weather today I spent some time just flying around getting used to being back in control of an airplane again before returning for a few touch and goes.

I felt a little better by the time we got back to the airport and was starting to have a little more fun again but was still a little nervous.

After a few firm but decent landings I was done for the day.

On my way back to the office I was talking to one of the guys hanging around the FBO and he commented on my landings and compared them to a different student that was also doing a few T&Gs at the same time.

He liked my landings while the other guys were pretty poor as far as he was saying, the best part was that he didn't know I had been out flying yet so he wasn't just being nice.

I'm back in the air so keep your ears open for N856DA and we'll see you out there!