17.May.2017
Flight 11
1.8 flight hours2.4 instructor hours

What we did today:

• Radio work
• Take off
• Land
• Repeat 14 times
• Forward slip (demo) 
• Pattern work
• Airplane avoidance - Gilmer is an uncontrolled airport. You can take off from any runway, land on any runway, no tower, no mandate to use the radio, total freedom. There is a convention that aircraft follow a specific pattern when landing so everyone knows were to look for others. It prevents crashes. Most people use the radio. I'm taking off and about 1000' above the ground pitched 15 degrees up. You can't see anything in front of you so periodically you pitch to level and look around. All good. I look out my window and there's a plane 500' below me. He'd just crossed in front of me. No radio, way below pattern altitude, pretty much breaking every rule in the book. He went around, then came back and landed. Methinks someone at the airport is going to have a discussion with the pilot.

What worked today:

• Radio wasn't horrible. The basic pattern is 'who you want to talk to - who you are - what you're going to do'. PSo fer 'zample: 'Gainesville traffic - Skycatcher 70252 - turning left base runway 23'. Pretty simple. Unless you're turning, trying to slow down, watch for traffic...Leave off any clause in the sentence and the remainder is nonsense. 'Skycatcher 70252 - turning left base'. No clue what airport I'm at (multiple airports share the same comm frequency), no clue which runway I'm on base, and just for good measure, I was actually on my crosswind leg not base...<grrrr> I got better the more I did it.
• Landings were OK and bad. I got 2 of my own but needed some help today. There was a bit of a cross wind and I kept having trouble getting the plane lined up. When you land and aren't pointed straight down the runway, it gets real exciting, real quick.
• Lots of traffic today, besides the silent plane. There were usually 3 or 4 planes doing touch and go's at the same time. I'm learning to find and see other aircraft (which ain't easy since they are tiny and blend into the background).

What dinna woik:

• Another 'nothing horrible' day. Landings were just not clicking in. I think if I'd been alone I would have lived and not broken the plane.

What I need to work on:

• STILL trying to kill the stick. I did a bit better today trying to keep a loose hand during landings. It helped a bit so just keep on trying.
• Pitch on landing. The whole 'round out, drop, flare' process has me either making a big attitude adjustment when a tiny one is needed or a small one when a big one is required.  Just gonna take practice.

Prep for next session:

• I think I'm getting close to solo which means cross country isn't far behind. Time to review maps, emergency procedures, and the pre-solo test material.