19.Mayr.2017
Flight 12
1.6 flight hours
2.0 instructor hours

What we did today:

• Engine out on takeoff. Before every flight I have to describe the abort plan. What do you do if the engine goes out on the runway, right after takeoff when you're over the runway, below 1000 feet, and above 1000 feet. So we're zipping down the runway, rotate at 50 knots, boom...Rick pulls power. Settle the plane back onto the runway and hit the brakes. We didn't actually stop since there were planes ready to takeoff behind us. but big fun.
• Engine out while in the pattern. 2300', downwind leg, boom...Rick pulls the throttle. Actually this is pretty straightforward since you typically have sufficient glide to get to the runway. I went out too far and failed to manage my glide speed correctly so we'd have crashed into the runway lights. I feel more confident about handling this case next time he plays with my power.
• Takeoffs/landings. 13 more today. Rick let me do 7 alone. I think we're getting close to solo day.
• Manage spacing in the pattern including aborting a landing when there's a plane on the runway. In a typical 'go around' you add power and just head down the runway, gain altitude and leave. If there's a plane on the runway, you have no way to see it if you fly down the runway and the plane might stop or it could execute a touch and go and fly up into your belly...bad for everyone. So the drill is to add power, turn right then left so you're gaining altitude next to the runway and can see the other plane.
• Did I mention touch and go's?

What worked today:

• One landing I did was spot on! Whoo whoo.
• Getting better at the round out but still too high.
• Ever so slightly better at not choking the stick and using gentle motions. Less roller coasting down the runway when landing so that's good but lots of room for improvement.
• Rick confirmed that I'm to a point where, on most landings, I would get onto the ground and not break the plane.

What dinna woik:

• 6 of the landings I did got me on the ground but weren't very pretty.
• Rick had to save the last landing of the day. I was all over the place.
• STILL having trouble figuring out landing pitch. Turns out the Skycatcher sits at a 3 degree pitch when it's flat on the ground so what looks like 'nose wheel up' is actually 'all 3 wheels on the ground' and NOT the way you want to land.
• I'm coming in too high and too fast on landings. Way better than too low and too slow but annoying none the less. 

What I need to work on:

• Tiny stick moves when landing.
• Get closer to the ground before doing the round out.
• Get the freaking nose wheel UP before hitting the ground.

Prep for next session:

• Review and redo the pre-solo test.
• Review landing procedures and try and visualize a clean landing
• Mentally get ready for solo. I'm pretty sure it'll happen in the next two or three flights.