To set the scene, I’m deploying 1 Apr for 100 days or so.  I just came back from 10 days of training, shots, and paperwork, missed a day of work [...]]]> Today was going to be a simple review of the basics with my CFI but as is sometimes the case, turned into more of an adventure.

To set the scene, I’m deploying 1 Apr for 100 days or so.  I just came back from 10 days of training, shots, and paperwork, missed a day of work due to sickness (a cold on top of whatever side effects come from 7 vaccines for 10 or 11 diseases).  I really want to finish up my private pilot certificate before I go.  I figure I’d knock the rust off with CFI Mike, particularly power on stalls (which I can do fine but am not comfortable doing them by myself), turns around a point and s-turns.

I was the first to fly to plane today, surprising given the beautiful weather today.  The only issue I had to plan around was the lack of fuel at Tipton.  The fuel pump is broken and out of service until Tuesday.  I figured correctly that we’d stop by Lee Airport (ANP – Annapolis) for some gas on the way back.

According to standard operating procedure at the Ft Meade Flying Activity (aka the flying club), planes are refueled post-flight, before they’re tied down.  Checking fuel levels is therefore as simple as peeking in each fuel tank and ensuring they’re topped off.  Today I learned the use of the FuelHawk…sure, not a big deal but anytime I learn something new I’m happy.

We had 35 gallons usable (46 gallons usable is full) so there was plenty of fuel to get us where we needed to go.  Refueling the aircraft wasn’t required but since I’d never been to Lee it was a good opportunity to get me signed off on another airport, just in case Tipton’s runway closed while I was out flying.  It was also the courteous thing to do.

I knew another club aircraft would be out in the practice area I usually use and as we arrived on station we quickly picked him up.  Going to the opposite end of the area I got to work, steep turns first.  My first ones weren’t that great, gaining or losing nearly 100 feet.  During one turn to the left I spotted the other aircraft headed under us, going back to Tipton.  That was a surprise and caused me to end that turn early.  He was well below us…but geez, you’d think with all the airspace he’d pick a better route out of the practice area. 

Distractions aside I finally nailed my steep turns, stalls, slow flight…the stuff I’ve been working on for months.  Sadly, the winds were too light to practice what I really wanted to review, the turns around a point and S-turns.  I did some hood time and unusual attitudes, followed by a successful simulated engine-out emergency to cap the practice.

Off to Lee for fuel…

That street looks a lot closer from the air!

Tipton is nice because we just have trees around the runway.  No gas stations, busy streets, junior high sports fields.  Landing just over a busy street seems to me like shooting a free throw with fans waving balloons in the background…somewhat distracting.  The approach to Lee’s runway 30 is like that.  The satellite image shows plenty of space, but coming in at an angle the road looks right on top of the runway.

I landed just fine, and Mike has me taxi around for takeoff so I can do another landing before we refuel.  I’m game – I like visiting different airports though it’s mentally taxing.  Another landing and we taxi to the fuel pumps, pulling up at 1715.  The pumps closed at 1700.  No fuel for us.

This is an unexpected and ironic development…Lee is where CFI Mike hangars his Maule, and while I was preflighting the aircraft before we left FME, Mike ran to Wal-Mart to get a new watch.

On the bright side, it means a trip to another airport…this time across the bay to Bay Bridge Airport (W29).  I’ve wanted to fly in there for a while – the runway abuts the bay.  While Mike files new flight plans (we’re now leaving the ADIZ) I pull out my Airport/Facility Directory (AFD) to read up on our destination.

Enter downwind for Rwy 29 over water twr south of fld.

Hmm, I wonder what that means.

It’s even less clear to me as I see the tower in question, a couple of miles away from the field.  That’s a hell of a base leg if the downwind is that far.  Sure enough, that’s how it goes…you can see where I came over the bay and flew an odd-shaped box during my descent to pattern altitude.

We can hear other traffic but they’re not really clear.  Mike queries them but gets no response so I fly on my long base leg to runway 29.  As I’m getting ready to turn final another voice comes on asking if we’re setting up for 29.  Why yes, yes we are.  Voice informs us that there are solo students in the pattern for runway 11 and we should probably conform to the general traffic flow (those are my words, not his.  I don’t remember exactly what he said…I was busy looking for other students in the rapidly diminishing light).

W29's runway 11

Since the runway at W29 is not nearly large enough to accommodatestudents landing from both ends simultaneously, we joined the procession,  headed out over the water and turned over the Bay Bridge (hence the name of the airport).  While Google Earth shows me diving under the water (or perhaps flying under the bridge) I was too high when I turned final.  Mike helpfully pointed this out to me to which I replied, “I know, there’s water down there!”  I’m not the first pilot to have that feeling – you’ll see where the bay was filled in ahead of the runway to encourage pilots to touch down somewhere in the first third of the runway.  I wasn’t too bad off – a slip and I was down where I needed to be.  Landing, refueling, and back home to FME. 

In the dark.

I like night flying…I had my spiffy new flashlight around my neck and I was all set to do some pattern work in the dark.  No dice.  Mike was hungry and I was out later than I’d told my wife, so a single night landing (my 10th!) was all I logged.

Two new airports, funky traffic patterns, landing over the water…all things that took me out of my comfort zone (which admittedly is probably pretty narrow at this point in my flying career).  That’s good, though, and while I was tired (it was my longest flight to date) I was pretty pleased too.

I talked to Mike about the road ahead and he doesn’t see any reason why I can’t complete my certificate by 1 April.  I do best with a deadline (despite what my college transcript might indicate).  Now it’s time to step it up and finish this off…along with everything else I’ve got on my plate.

It should be interesting…

P.S.  Here’s a tip about refueling.  Though I only put $78 worth of fuel in the plane I see that the pump put a $500 hold on my checking account.  Not thinking I pulled the card for our main checking account out of my wallet instead of the the card for my flying account or our credit card.  Now I know why the display on the pump said I could get up to 133 gallons…oops!

Google Earth track

Total time: 43.4
PIC: 6.6
Cross country (dual): 4.2
Night: 2.5
Simulated instrument: 1.2
Landings: 135
Night landings: 10
Airports landed at: 54J-dirt, ANP, CGE, ESN, FME, HGR, LNS, VPS, W29
Number of airports landed at: 9

I took a plane out for a spin (not literally) a couple of times last week…and that’s about it.  No great insights though they were both learning experiences.  I was tinkering [...]]]>

The only picture I took on Wednesday because it was so bumpy - 60% dash and cowling, with a little frozen reservoir thrown in.

I took a plane out for a spin (not literally) a couple of times last week…and that’s about it.  No great insights though they were both learning experiences.  I was tinkering with some video I shot but it got to be more work than it was worth so I’ll just throw down a few words for continuity’s sake and be done. 

Wednesday I went out to the practice area I favor (inland – the one over the bay tends to be more crowded because it’s easier to get to from several airports) to do some air work.  The wind was gusty (up to 15 knots at the surface) and I was getting knocked around pretty good.  I had a flight early in my training where CFI Mike said it was too bumpy to get any training done, yet we still went out (and accomplished little but flying out and back) - Wednesday was like that.  I did steep turns and slow flight but I wasn’t comfortable doing stalls (even power off), and when I descended to practice S-turns and turns around a point it got even bumpier, so I just headed home.

Back at FME I did 3 landings and they were reasonable landings for a student in gusty winds.  I made the midfield turn off each time which is one benchmark I have for a decent landing.  It wasn’t a super-productive flight but just going out and returning on a rough day like that was useful.

Friday was a perfect day.  Clear skies with calm winds, though they were forecast to pick up later in the morning.  Traffic into BWI was passing overhead, separated from me by an invisible shelf at 1,500 feet.  Seeing a Southwest 737 fly overhead was a good reminder to stay on my side of the shelf.

My air work was ok, not great.  I need more practice with S-turns and turns around a point and I’m still not comfortable with power on stalls by myself (power off stalls, not a problem).  I’m getting more comfortable going up by myself too.  My landing (just one), not so good, though it was still better than the ones I did my first time out solo (my yardstick for bad landings). 

The winds had picked up some while I was out in the area and we had a direct crosswind from the south at 4 knots.  Heck, that’s a piece of cake – no worries there.  My first go at the runway I was high and a little wide.  I thought about trying to salvage the landing but I didn’t want to pile more on my plate so I went around.

Trip two around the pattern was better until I turned to final.  My altitude was good but I was really wide.  I got the airplane lined up and made my descent to the runway.  Recovering from a poor ground track must have distracted me because I carried way too much speed into the landing.  This was evident by my long float, and even with wheels down I was still moving at a good clip.  Gentle touches on the brake resulted in a couple of squeals from the tires – one even started to grab a bit.  Roll outs are not supposed to be the exciting part of the flight.

I thought about going up again for more landings but decided against it – I was hungry, thirsty, and unimpressed with my landing.  My wife asked if I was “spooked” by the landing and honestly, I wasn’t.  I just wasn’t in the mood to tax myself.

At the fuel pump I thought about my pattern and landing and realized why I was so far off the centerline of the runway.  The winds were only 4 kts at the surface but from the direction where the trees are closest to the anemometer.  Further upwind is a hill.  Clearly the wind above the trees was a bit higher than 4 knots.  I was a little mad at myself for not thinking about it ahead of time and compensating appropriately.  I consider that to be the main lesson of the day.

As for my speed, I spoke to CFI Mike after I landed.  He said pilots tend to keep their speed higher when there’s a crosswind and even he has to fight that urge.  That may have been part of it but I still think the surprise of seeing how far off I was threw me off my game a bit.  I was too busy fretting about cross-controlling during my correction to watch the speed closely, other than checking to see if I was too slow.

Total time: 41.0
PIC: 6.6
Cross country (dual): 4.2
Night: 2.0
Simulated instrument: 1.0
Landings: 131
Night landings: 9
Airports landed at: 54J-dirt, CGE, ESN, FME, HGR, LNS, VPS
Number of airports landed at: 7