Commercial Training & Time-Building - The Slow Version

……(1.7 tach) .5 hours free

Well, it has been two weeks since I have flown and I figured I would have some more rust to knock off.

The plan for the day was to complete the BFR/IPC/Club checkout so I can finally be released to fly the clubs a/c on my own. Well not all of them but at least the 172’s. Anyhow…….

We filed IFR to KANE with a stop along the way for a full VOR-A approach into KMIC. We depart KFCM and off we go. I was a little worried today as it has been very hot (Mn standards) for the past week; 90+. Today was no exception. It was again above 90 and I figured I would be in for a bumpy ride. Much to my surprise and my delight it was very smooth other than my own PIT (pilot induced turbulence).

We do the full approach to KMIC and then depart for the VOR9 into KANE. The setup for this is rather quick as the airports are very close, but the good thing is both approaches are based off of the same nav-aid. Outstanding, one less thing to tune and identify. The VOR9 goes well and circle-to-land on 18 for some touch and go pattern work. This is where it starts to go a little sour. Takeoff’s, great. Pattern work, great. X/W landings not so great. Did 7 ldgs and 5 were o.k., 1 was close to going around, and the 2nd to last really sucked.

It’s coming back to the cross-controlled thing again. I have seen both methods for x/w landings and can’t really decide which is better, if any. I know the way my current CFI is demanding them so that is how I am attempting to get them done. I know the concept but I am still having trouble getting used to dipping one wing then counter-acting with opposite rudder to keep the nose aligned with the centerline.

The pattern work is done and we depart VFR back to KFCM, or so I thought. CFI asks me if I’d like to go back to KMIC for the GPS-A followed by the ILS10R back into KFCM. Seeing as how my instrument work was going great and coming together nicely and the fact that some of landings sucked, I figured I would tell him sure, let’s do them. I had to at least have one success today.

The GPS was really uneventful as these fancy machines really make it nice and easy. Next up the ILS10R, full stop. As luck would have the winds were fairly light and the airport was landing 18. I thought we would get another Circle-to-Land but with the night x/w they gave us straight in on 10R. Sweet, all the way down to mins we go. 200 ft agl and bam, the foggles go up and time to land. I flared slightly high but leveled it off and then greased in the landing. It was very nice to end on such a good note after the not so great patter work.

So in closing, my BFR (FR for those that need to be correct all the time) is complete. Also my IPC is complete; another great feeling. Word of advice, never let your currency expire. The extra effort required to regain it is not fun, for me at least. I am still not fully cut loose to fly on my own in the club planes because of the x/w ldg debacle, but my CFI has suggested and I agreed that one trip with another instructor may be able to break the impasse I appear to have reached. My current instructor said the instrument work was great, the VFR stuff was great; he just doesn’t feel sure about the x/w ldgs. So in the very near future I am going up with another instructor to knock out the x/w mess and if all goes well he will sign me off and away I will go. Free at last. Then it’s time to do a few x/c flights with the kids, Richard, my wife, and anyone else who would like to do so.

Got to go, time to get back to work.

Until next time!!!!