Leap Day

Only happens every 4 years. Why not do something fun? I decided to head out and do some more practice. Steep turns are looking good. Short and soft field landings are looking good. Just got my endorsement to take the knowledge test.

Flight time: 1.1

Total time: 52.6

Quick Flight

Practiced some short and soft field landigs then some touch and gos. Nothing too exciting but at least I was flying!

Flight time: 0.9

Total time: 51.5

Pinal - Boneyard

Today's cross country is taking us down to Pinal (KMZJ). Its main purpose is to act as a "boneyard" for aircraft. Old airplanes are stored there with the hope that the dry desert climate will prevent any form of corrosion in case the aircraft is pressed into service in the future. Even so, many aircraft which are brought there wind up being scrapped.

On the way back we diverted to Casa Grande. Lots to see at KMZJ!

Flight time: 1.8

Total time: 50.6

Ryan Field in Tucson (KRYN)

For my second flight today, I had planned a cross country to Ryan Field (KRYN). My flight instructor likes this airport for some strange reason... Here's a little history...

The U.S. feared a coastal invasion following the attack on Pearl Harbor, so the Ryan school sought an inland training sight. Arizona's clear blue skies were perfect. On June 13, 1942, ground was broken in a field 13 miles west of Tucson and in three months the desert was transformed into an Army base with paved runways, aprons, hangars, barracks, mess hall, classrooms and recreational facilities.

The PT-22 planes used for training stood up well to heat, wind, and dust storms. They were so rugged they went through the first 7,200 air hours with only one engine failure. Morale was high and contributed to the speedy execution of Ryan's purpose. A full course of flight instruction normally required four months, but at Ryan it was compressed into just nine weeks. At war's end, demand for pilots dropped and Tucson's Ryan School closed in September 1944--two years and 6,000 pilots after it first opened. The State of Arizona and a three year old Tucson Airport Authority executed a 10-year lease for the 906 acre facility in 1951.

To make development opportunities more attractive to tenants, a 99-year lease was drafted and signed in 1954. Today Ryan has its own restaurant, aircraft refueling and service facility, lighted and paved runways, and manned six story control tower. More than 20 tenants--ranging from aircraft maintenance shops to charters and flight instruction facilities, as well as 220 based aircraft--call Ryan home.

In 2005 Ryan recorded over 160,000 general aviation operations.

We flew down to KRYN did a full-stop and taxi back then left. This time I planned for the return trip so I was confidently tracking back to KFFZ when RC told me to divert to Eloy. OK. Start the timer, turn the plane in the general direction of Eloy, get the chart, calculate distance and heading, calculate amount of time it should take to get to Eloy. Fly. Look at the timer. Spot the airport. Approach. Land. Timer was 5 seconds off of my calculated time!

That was fun. Flew back to KFFZ with GPS...

Flight time: 2.1

Total time: 48.8

Deer Valley USA?

I have a friend that keeps a Lear 31 out at Deer Valley airport (KDVT) and decided to fly up to pay him a visit. This is reported to be the busiest general aviation airport in the country. Whether that is urban legend or actual fact, I can't say. I know that they do have two big flight schools there and there are a lot of takeoff and landings...

The other interesting thing about KDVT is that when you tune into their tower frequency, you feel like you have just entered a foreign country. I'll have to say that those controllers must be some of the most patient people on this planet while they actually try to help these student pilots from parts unknown learn the basic ATC operations.

One conclusion I have drawn is while 14 CFR Part 61 already requires pilots to “be able to read, speak, write and understand the English language” it is loosely governed. I'm not opposed to people coming here and learning to fly - apparently it is a cottage industry at KDVT. It worries me that there could be a shadow of doubt in another pilot's understanding of this pilot's location relative to him. Additionally, more than once I have heard the tower instruct a pilot to hold short of the runway for landing traffic to only have that pilot reply as he is rolling into position in thickly accented English, "position and hold..." Immediately you will hear the tower to tell the plane on short final to go around.

Not prejudiced - just concerned that we don't take this regulation too seriously...

Flight time: 1.0

Total time: 45.1

Fly Because I Can

Today I did a little more practice. Same stuff different day. I still love flying and I can't wait to get these maneuvers nailed.

Flight time: 1.1

Total time: 45.7

A Little More Practice

Had some free time over lunch today and decided to work on short and soft field landings with a couple of steep turns thrown in for good measure...

These are the maneuvers that RC says I really need to have nailed for my checkride.

Flight time: 0.6

Total time: 44.6

A Little More Flying

Since my cross country flight this morning, I have been feeling like doing a little more practice on maneuvers and traffic pattern work. Spent another hour flying (solo) working on this stuff.

Flight time: 0.9

Total time: 44.0

Cross Country

For the last few ground sessions, we have been working on flight planning and talking about things like magnetic variation, wind correction angles, fuel burn, weight and balance, center of gravity, calculated airspeeds, pilotage, dead reckoning, etc.

A lot of this activity involves the infamous E6B Flight Computer. Think slide ruler. I know that there are electronic versions of the E6B but it seems like all of the CFIs like the old-school version. Personally I don't think that the manual version is any more difficult than some of the electronic versions that I played with at my FBO's pilot shop.


Anyhow, all of this preparation is for cross country flight. Today I had planned a cross country flight to Sedona (KSEZ). If you have never been to Sedona, I highly recommend it! The landscape is beautiful! The airport is situated on a mesa that is about 500 feet above the town. It looks like you're landing on an island.


The cross country flight plan includes certain landmarks that based on your calculated groundspeed, and heading adjusted for wind and magnetic variance, you should fly over at a calculated time.


A couple of things that I took away from this experience are that 1) Forecasted winds aloft are different than actual winds aloft. 2) Spotting landmarks from say, 9500 feet, is a lot more difficult that one would think. My instructor says that it takes some getting used to... For our first cross country flight, we did relatively well and while I was inclined to "check my work" against the Garmin, RC wouldn't buy it. We ultimately made it to our destination.

Had a great omlette at the Sedona airport. So, how are we going to get home? I guess I never thought about that! RC knew that I hadn't planned the return trip and conceded to allowing me to use GPS to get home. The first cross country was a lot of fun; however, don't plan on a lot of sight seeing if your the one flying the plane...


Flight time: 2.0


Total time: 43.1

Introduction to Instruments

I'm still beaming with excitement from my SOLO flight! Today RC says that we are going to get back to work. On the way out to the plane, I notice he is carrying an obnoxiously large visor... I came to learn that this obnoxiously large visor is affectionately known as a hood. In FAA speak, it's a "view limiting device."

The hood, when worn, limits the pilot's ability to see outside the aircraft. Thus the pilot must fly the plane solely by reference to the instruments. Seems pretty straight forward...

Once we were up in the practice area, he had me put on the hood. Instinctively you want to tilt your head back so that you can see. Not good. For the next hour he had me fly straight and level (plus or minus 400 feet, or so) and perform turns to a particular heading (plus or minus about 40 degrees), climbs and descents.

It's sort of odd that since the beginning of my training, RC would constantly be telling me to "get outside" of the aircraft. Meaning that he wanted me to look at my instruments less and look outside more. Today's simulated instrument flight was counter intuitive to the previous 40 hours of flight training. Hey, I'm just looking for any excuse to NOT fly under the hood.

After what seemed like 3 hours, he told me to take off the hood and head back to the airport. I logged 1 hour of simulated instrument flight and it seemed like a lot more than that. The other interesting thing is that I was physically and mentally exhausted after this flight.

Good times.

Flight time: 1.5

Total time: 40.1

Can We Go Again?

Still high from my first solo. I asked if I could fly some more. By myself. RC said that was cool. He also said that anytime I wanted to solo, check with him before I go. Just to make sure the weather was cool...

So I hopped back in the plane and flew out to the practice area. Didn't really practice any maneuvers - just flew around because I could. What a great day!

Flight time: 0.8

Total time: 38.6

Since beginning my training, I have logged 148 landings.

Surprise! Solo Time!

Today's flight began like every other flight. Off to the practice area. Practice stalls, slow flight, emergency procedures, etc. Finally my instructor wanted to head back for more touch and gos. Fine with me... We did three or four and then went and parked the plane.

Before we got out of the plane, he asked me for my log book and medical certificate so I indulged. He began writing and I was waiting for him because I couldn't get out of the plane since he was sitting by the only door. Finally he said, "Do you want to solo today?" Heck yeah!

He had endorsed my medical and logbook and I was free to fly the plane by myself! He said that he would wait here and he wanted me to do two touch and goes and one full stop landing and then come back. I was shaking from the excitement. The time was now!

Falcon Ground, Archer 4182L at Tango One with Bravo, ready to taxi to the active.

Archer 4182L, Falcon Ground, taxi to runway 4R, verify you have information Bravo.

Taxi to runway 4R, affirmative on information Bravo, Archer 4182L.

Run up. Everything looks good. A little weird with nobody sitting to my right. Back to the task at hand...

Falcon Tower, Archer 4182L is holding short of runway 4R closed traffic.

Archer 82L, Falcon Tower, cleared for takeoff on runway 4R, make left closed traffic for runway 4L, contact tower on 119.7.

Cleared for takeoff on runway 4R. Make left closed traffic for runway 4L, contact tower on 119.7, Archer 82L.

OK, one notch flaps, fuel pump on, mixture full rich, transponder to ALT, landing light ON,full power... Oh man, I'm flying! Alone! Turn left crosswind, switch frequencies.

Falcon Tower, Archer 4182L crosswind for closed traffic on 4L.

Archer 82L, make left traffic for runway 4L, number one cleared touch and go.

Left traffic, number 1 cleared touch and go runway 4L, Archer 82L.

OK 90kts downwind. Runway numbers, one notch flaps. 45 degrees past threshold, turn base, 2nd notch flaps, pitch for 80kts. There's the runway. Turn final. 3rd notch of flaps, pitch for 70 kts. VASI says I'm right on glide slope. Keep it coming (I'm hearing my instructor and he isn't even in the plane)... Keep it coming... there's the numbers, back pressure, squeak! GREASED IT!

Now I'm having fun! I am shouting at the plane now... "That's what I'm talkin' about. I'm flying you now! Who's your daddy? I'm your daddy!' Anyhow, it wasn't one of my better displays of character but who the hell cares!

Archer 82L, Falcon Tower, make left traffic for runway 4L.

Left traffic runway 4L Archer 82L.

Not climbing real fast... Maybe I should take the flaps out. Duh! Checklist stupid! On downwind now.

Archer 82L, Falcon Tower, number 2 behind the Diamond wing up left base.

Archer 82L has the traffic in sight.

Archer 82L, Falcon Tower, number 2 behind Diamond, cleared touch and go, then make left traffic.

Number 2 cleared touch and go and left traffic, Archer 82L.

Same routine... Turn base, flaps, turn final, more flaps. Why isn't he getting off the @##@! runway?

Archer 82L go around!

Archer 82L is going around.

The next landing wasn't as good as the first but it was in the top 10 landings that I have ever made. The third was a floater - who cares? I flew SOLO!!!

I taxied over to where RC was waiting and did the high fives and hand shakes and fists and all of the other barbaric masculine gestures of success in battle. Only thing was that I was wearing a $125.00 shirt and when it came time to cut the back out of my shirt, I suggested the we find a different shirt...

That's cool... One of the best days ever!

Flight time: 2.2

Total time: 37.8

No Touch and Gos

UNCLE! Today we decided to back up and practice steep turns, stalls, ground reference maneuvers, slow flight. Good flight - I think I'm finally getting the feel for the maneuvers.

Flight time: 1.4

Total time: 35.6

More Touch and Gos

Practice makes... ...better. 14 landings today.

Flight time: 1.8

Total time: 34.2