Pilot Life: Once More in the Pattern

Today was a very long day. It's currently finals week so that means the Spring semester is coming to a close. After this clusterf**k of a semester and all the crap I've had to put up with regarding flight training. I'll be glad to get this semester over with and finish out my flight training for a private pilots license. Only then, I can finally move forward from this patience-straining experience. So while I'm still in flight training for a private pilot license, I took the ground course for the Instrument rating this semester. That meant, I had to take the Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA) written test, which I did this morning. Needless to say, I passed (thankfully and miraculously!)! After I got done taking one of the hardest FAA tests out there, I went up flying with my instructor for a short flight, which was a good way to "celebrate" or rather let off some steam. My solo cross-country flight is around the corner and it's been a week since I last flew (mainly due to weather). In order to keep up the proficiency and keep the lapse rate of days under control, a quick flight in the pattern was in order! Plus, it was a good enough excuse to squeeze in some extra landing practice.

My instructor made the attempt to get a plane scheduled for an earlier time slot, which he succeeded in doing so. Once we got scheduled, I wasted no time in getting dispatched out and getting through the pre-flight check. My instructor joined me at the airplane and we hopped in and went through the normal start-up checks and procedures before turning on the engine and picked up our taxi clearance. As always, we stopped at the run-up area and checked the systems. After run-ups were complete, I continued the taxi out to the runway. Holding short of Provo's Runway 13, I called up the tower to pick up our takeoff clearance. We had to wait for a little bit due to a UVU DA-42 Twin Star waiting to take off in front of us and then some other air traffic coming in for a landing or a touch and go. We did eventually receive our takeoff clearance and I taxied out onto Runway 13 and lined up on center line. Once lined up, I crossed-checked runway heading with my compass and instruments and then immediately advanced the throttle and we began takeoff roll.

N220NH, "Wolf 03," the DA-20-C1 Katana my instructor and I took up for a few quick circuits in the pattern.

I verified that airspeed was increasing and once the plane reached appropriate takeoff speeds, I eased back on the stick and we got off the ground. I flew us on runway heading until we got past the departure end of Runway 13. At 500 feet above the airport elevation, I retracted my flaps which were set for takeoff configuration and then began a right crosswind leg of the turn into the pattern. I kept climbing up to pattern altitude, which was 1,000 feet above the airport elevation. We then got established on the downwind leg parallel with the runway. The controller tower instructed us to report in midfield on the downwind leg, which we did. From here on out, it was all redundancy as my instructor had me shoot and log five total approaches and landings.

On each circuit, I powered back the throttle and then lowered the flaps as necessary and descended. It was the standard VFR approach as I made my right base turn towards final approach for the same runway we just departed on. The primary focus of this flight was to help me polish up my landing skills via application of smooth control inputs, something I was struggling with during recurrent training since getting back into constant flying a month ago. On each final approach, I attempted to make small corrections as necessary and maintained the glide slope during the descent. As I brought the plane close to the ground, I pulled the power all the way back and flared over the runway until the wheels kissed the ground. Once the plane was back on the ground, I realigned back onto center line, raised the flaps for takeoff and throttled forward until airspeed reached takeoff speed; that's when I eased back on the stick and got airborne again. From there, it was a repeat performance in the pattern!

On the fifth approach, my instructor had me get ready for a soft-field landing. On short final, he suddenly called for a go-around; I gunned the throttles full forward and retracted the flaps and climbed away back up to pattern altitude. We also notified the tower that we were going around while we were at it. In the end, we got in six circuits in the pattern with a total of five landings. On the full-stop landing, my instructor once again had me do a soft-field landing. On touchdown, I kept the nose wheel off the ground as long as possible until we slowed down enough where it contacted the ground. We cleared the runway and taxied back to the ramp. My instructor felt that my landings improved vastly on this flight; compared to last week's flight, the landings were okay but today saw massive improvement so I felt pretty good about it.

Next up, a long-awaited solo cross-country flight, which should've been done earlier this year but didn't! It is what it is; I can only move forward from here.

Gallery Update: Chasing a Fairchild-Dornier 328JET in Provo

This morning, I noticed on FlightAware.com that a Key Lime Air Dornier 328JET was en route to Provo. So I made my way to the airport and my favorite dike road spotting location in order to catch it. In the end, I got one of the best angles I could ask for in photographing one of these rare jets since I last saw one about a year ago! In addition to the 328JET, I got a great shot of a Learjet 60 that arrived soon after. Here's the link:

Provo (PVU) 31

Preview:

Key Lime Air (d/b/a Denver Air Connection) Fairchild-Dornier 328-300 328JET (N259DS) on short final for 13 as LYM563 from Denver-Centennial. Later scheduled to continue on to Central Nebraska Regional in Grand Island, Nebraska. 

This 328JET was first delivered in 2002 to the now-defunct Atlantic Coast Airlines as N500FJ doing business as Delta Connection. It was then briefly transferred to the now-defunct Independence Air in 2004 when Atlantic Coast Airlines re-branded. The airframe was then re-registered in 2005 as D-BEOL and flew privately in Germany. In 2006, it was re-registered as N328PA and operated for Private Air Charters. In 2010, it was re-registered in Mexico as XC-LLS and flew for Procuraduría General de la República. In 2010, this 328JET was re-registered as N901SJ and flew for Comtran International. Key Lime Air acquired the airframe in 2015 and re-registered it to the current N-number. 

I gotta say, I love this angle and I really love this green livery! Not only that, but I finally got a good shot of a 328JET close-up while airborne! And this isn't a loud jet either; I was quite surprised as to how quiet this jet was!

Learjet 60 (N269JH) on short final for 13, arriving from Washington-Dulles. 

Pilot Life: More Pattern Work/Earning My Endorsement

After not being able to fly this past Monday due to aircraft availability (which was a first for me here!), I went up with my flight instructor for another round of circuits (geez, I'm starting to sound British!) in the pattern to polish up my landings and get that endorsement! Needless to say, I finally got that endorsement I needed from my instructor after today's flight to allow me to go on a solo cross-country flight in the near future!

N958CT "Wolf 14," the plane I took up with my instructor today.

After pre-flight, my instructor and I hopped in, got the engine started, picked up taxi clearance, and taxied over to the run-up area. After verifying engine systems were good, we continued the taxi over the runway, where we got takeoff clearance and I got us airborne.

From there, it was a standard set of circuits in the pattern, practicing all the landing techniques and employing certain techniques I was taught as necessary and when my instructor called for them. I logged a total of seven landings on this flight. Following the seventh landing, we cleared the runway and taxied back to the UVU ramp to call it good. Satisfied, my instructor said he felt comfortable enough to endorse me to go solo. And I am happy to finally get to this point, even if it took me a month!

I've a got a busy weekend ahead with family matters (namely, a wedding!), so I probably won't be able to fly again this week after today. So, I'm hoping to go on my long-awaited solo cross-country flights some time next week! For now, I revel in today's success!

Pilot Life: Polishing Up My Landings at the Nest

I'm trying to renew and earn myself an endorsement from my flight instructor so I could go fly some solo cross-country flights. My only area of weakness are my landing techniques. Even though I've been flying consistently all this month, certain flight conditions (mainly weather and winds) have presented me with more challenging landing situations, and that's a whole another set of things I'm trying to get reacquainted with and get used to. I will be honest: I'm starting to feel a little frustrated with myself with regards to what I'm perceiving as a lack of progress. I feel like I should know these things but for some reason, they're just not clicking with me during the actual flying. With the semester quickly coming to a close, it really is crunch time to get everything I need to get done safely and within a reasonable amount of time.

We flew in N221NH ("Wolf 04") again to practice pattern work in Provo. Most of the school's DA-20 fleet is offline and down for inspections, leaving only a limited number of aircraft available. 

After doing the pre-flight and meeting with my instructor, we hopped in and got ready to get some air. We got airborne and got in seven laps in the traffic pattern, practicing everything I've been taught previously including some crosswind landings. We got in just under an hour of flight time today.

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...

Pilot Life: Cross Country to Richfield (Again!)

Today, I logged a long flight by doing a cross-country with my instructor down to Richfield and back. Before heading to the airport, I spent this morning writing up the flight plan. As soon as I arrived at the airport, I met with my flight instructor and then got dispatched out and conducted the pre-flight checks. After the pre-flight was done, I had the plane fueled and cleaned while my instructor and I went back inside to file the flight plan with the flight service station. While my instructor did his own weather briefing, I called the flight service station via telephone and filed the flight plan I wrote up (my first time doing so!). After providing the briefer the pertinent information for the flight, I requested the standard weather briefing for the flight path we would be flying. After receiving the latest and most relevant information with regards to weather and winds aloft, I went back out to the airplane and waited for my flight instructor to join me.

N958CT, "Wolf 14," the Katana my instructor and I flew today's cross-country flight on.

We hopped in, got the engine started, received taxi clearance, did our run-ups, got cleared for takeoff and we got airborne. We opened up the flight plan with Flight Service in Cedar City and we were on our way. The route we took was the same as the last cross-country training flight to Richfield I did with my previous instructor. On the way down and back up throughout the flight, my instructor quizzed me and had me think of certain scenarios on a flight like this, which I honestly wasn't prepared for because I was trying to demonstrate that I am capable of operating on my own once endorsed. And frankly, this has become somewhat of a norm with my new instructor and I feel that we don't really see eye-to-eye considering all the frustration and waiting I've had to put up with so far this year...

Upon arrival into Richfield, it was a standard left traffic pattern entry for Runway 19 with a touch-and-go and we were on our back to Provo, where we would eventually land and call it a flight. I must admit, I'm not feeling much confidence right now and I don't my new instructor is helping much. I certainly hope this isn't a sign of worse things to come.

Pilot Life: A Flight Towards Improvement

I went flying again with my instructor today to continue recurrent training. And today's flight was satisfying for two reasons: First, I got to fly three days this week, as it should be. And second, today's flight saw a lot of improvement on my part and things are starting to feel natural again. At the same time however, I'm being careful so I don't get overconfident.

N879CT, "Wolf 08," the plane my instructor and I took up today. And before you ask, no there wasn't any snow on the ground; I took this picture earlier this year during the dead of winter season!

As usual, I got pre-flight done, my instructor joined me at the airplane, got the engine started up, taxied, did run-ups, taxied some more, and get airborne. Once we got to the practice area we got to work. My instructor had me do stalls, slow flight, emergency procedures, and ground reference maneuvers. Overall, he felt that I did pretty well and he says today was a significant improvement, so I felt that I got a little confidence back. I've still got a bit to go but I think I finally say that I'm making progress again!