Pilot Life: Landing Practice Down at Nephi & Logging 40 Flight Hours

Today, my instructor and I went up and flew down to Nephi Airport so I could practice flying a typical pattern at an uncontrolled airport. After getting dispatched out, I did the pre-flight and topped off the plane's fuel tank for our quick hop down south. My instructor joined me at the airplane, got the engine started up and taxied out to the runway, stop to do run-ups in the run-up area along the way.

Good old N957CT, a.k.a. "Wolf 05." The airplane we took down to Nephi today for some pattern work as well as the very first airplane where I logged my very first flight hour.

Once we got airborne, we headed south. We also contacted Salt Lake City Approach and requested flight-following while we transited through the south practice areas before they eventually lost radar contact with us just a few miles out from Nephi.

A view of the mountains to the east as we made our way down to Nephi. My instructor was in control of the aircraft when I took this quick shot.

We got into the left downwind for Runway 35 at the Nephi Airport and got in six laps in the traffic pattern there, practicing everything from short-field and soft-field takeoffs and landings and even a go-around. Afterwards, we headed back north and got back on the radar scopes with Salt Lake Approach and made our way back to Provo, where we landed and called it a flight. It was good to get practice in, but my instructor hasn't been very reassuring lately...