03/04/06 N65642 Flight 1.3TT
Wednesday, May 24th, 2006Today’s flight did not get started on a good note.  I had the plane reserved from 10:30-12:30 but the ppl-student before me had taken the plane on a solo XC to KILL and got a late start, therefore had a late return at 11:15. We were waiting when he got done.Â
Anyhow, I pre-flighted while he was unloading and by 11:25 we were off and running. The purpose of the flight was a C172 checkout at the new place where I was renting and beginning my Commercial training.
We took off West and went through the motions of slow flight, stalls, steep turns, climbs, and descents and then an instrument approach as well. It took a lot to get the stall to break but eventually I got it and break it did. As for the power-on stall, I could not get it to break and Richard took the controls to give it a shot. It still took a bit but after a little, it broke hard.
Now it was back to the field for some TO/LDG work. The first landing went real well considering I had not landed a plane in 5 months. Next it was time for a soft field take off. It went o.k. but these have never been my favorite. The plane wanted to jump off of the ground and I really had to push forward to keep the plane in ground effect until I got up enough speed. Then came the soft field, or what was supposed to be a soft field landing. We would have got stuck in the mud for sure. Now it was a short field pattern and that went o.k. Then it was a regular pattern for the last trip and then Richard called for a short approach…..Guess what…..I was about to lose my engine…..My speed started out too fast but when I made my base turn I angled it out a bit and got my speed back to where it should be.  Once I had that, I turned final and got lined up. I added some flaps when I had the field made and like that, I was done with the flight.
First flight in 5 months, but all things considered it went well.
Until next time !!!!
