Up in the air, junior birdman

Date: 21.Jul.2017
Flight Number: 23
Flight Hours: 2.0
Solo Hours: 1.1
Instructor Hours: 2.6
Landings: 10
Solo Landings: 3

What we did today:

Pattern work to get my landings back (did OK)
Emergency go around (fake plane on the runway). I had to check with Rick to make sure there wasn't a plane on the runway...Wed was such a suck day I figured I'd screwed up again (didn't yeah)
Solo work in the practice area. I just did steep turns and slow flight today.
Solo landings

What went well:

Got to fly solo in the practice area! Felt good to not totally suck.
Learned that 'clearing turns' are useful. As I was setting up for a steep turn, I looked down and saw a Chinook CH 47 down low and slowly gaining altitude! We'd have probably missed if I'd just done the steep turn but... I tried to hale them on the radio to see where they were going but no joy.
First steep turn was within private pilot tolerances (50'), second within sport pilot (100'). In the first turn I crossed my own wake so that was good.
Landings were more lined up but I'm still not seeing 'straight' down the runway. More practice.
Patterns were much better today. On downwind I always tend to drift to the left. I watch the header bug (which is set to the runway I'm landing on) at dead bottom but there's no alignment mark on the bottom of the display. Rick suggested I fly the 'reverse' heading for the runway...ding ding ding! If I'm landing on runway 05, I keep the plane heading toward 230 which does line up with a mark on the display. Track logs show me doing a much more rectangular pattern today.
Speeds in the pattern. I didn't get too slow today. 70 knots after abeam the numbers, 65 on base, 60-65 on final and never got close to too slow.

What didn't go so well:

Landings were so-so. Still side loading too much. I bounced one landing but managed to keep it together and land it.
Altitude in the practice area. I was planning to fly at 3500' but was all over the place, mostly high.

What I need to work on:

See 'not too well' list
Starting to focus on memorizing plane systems and emergency procedures. After I complete my solo cross-country (next week or the week after most likely), I'm actually done with the required pre-check ride requirements so I have to get the paperwork stuff squared away.

Prep for next flight:

Review my cross-country plan and verify I have the initial information correct. Complete one dummy 'final course' setup based on actual wind conditions so I'm comfortable doing the final planning.
Try chair flying a XC with all my junk to see if I can find a way to keep all the paper in place and easy to access. I feel like I need a roll-top desk to manage all the maps, plans, paper, and flight computer. Can't WAIT to get through the training and check-ride so I can just use my iPad and ForeFlight.