Flight 10 - 2.3 hours of challenges!

I've probably written this before, but tonight seemed like most challenging lesson yet (and I thought last week was challenging!). Today we did 2.3 hours of flying, with a few new challenges including wearing the IFR visor for a while (more later), and some new landing challenges: power off with flaps, and flaps up. To fill out the rest, we did some basic VFR navigation, steep turns, power on and off stalls, go arounds, standard landings etc.

IFR "Instrument Flying Rules" - using instuments only

Just for fun Patti got me to try flying the plane wearing this. The Visor covers your eyes such that you can't see outside, but you can see the instruments and controls in the cockpit, hence why it's called Instrument flying. The experience was at first uncomfortable and challenging, you can fell the aircraft, and you can see some gauges with numbers, and from that you have to keep the plane level, turn to headings, and change altitude and speed. It went well though, I managed to keep us at 3500ft, 90knots, with a heading of 190, then we changed heading a few times.

From KPAO to California's Highway 1

We headed out to the coastal practice area, a sunny Wednesday evening presented us with the usual scenic distractions. After some clearing turns it was time to practice steep turns.









Stalls and steep turns

A few tips for steep turns:

• Use trim and aim for a hands off steep turn
• Add extra throttle to compensate for the reduced lift
• Use rudder for co-ordinated turns
• If losing height, add power or level out slightly
• If gaining height reduce power or turn steeper
• First 1/2 of turn the plane is 'settling' and may need changes in controls
• Entry is probably easier if applied quickly, turn first then pull back on elevator

Stalls:

The GPS tracks are not very accurate at this point, probably due to the lack of satellite visibility through the window when changing plane attitude. Practiced power on and power off stalls.


Some more pattern work....

This time with flaps up landing, no power, and no power flaps down.