Date: 27.Jul.2017
Flight Number:28
Flight Hours: 1.3
Solo Hours: 0
Instructor Hours: 1.7
Landings: 6
Solo Landings: 0

What we did today:

• Start practice for checkride
• Steep turns
• Slow flight
• Descent in slow flight
• Power of stall
• Power on stall
• Emergency power out landing
• Tailwind landings (wheeeee)

What went well:

• Steep turns, spec is 200 feet, I maintained 155 per my KML
• Slow flight
• Descent in slow flight
• Power on stall
• Emergency power out landing - interestingly the power was pulled when we were near a bunch of clouds. If it had been a real emergency, I'd have gone for a grass strip that was just under us and screw the Class E cloud restrictions. As it was, I had to do a bit of maneuvering to skip around clouds to get lined up on a grass field
• Tailwind landings were fast but I managed to get slowed down for landing. Need a bit more work to make them better
• Pattern is almost a rectangle. Still swinging right on take-off but not so far and the rest is much better.

What didn't go so well:

• Power off stall - I dropped the nose below the horizon by quite a bit.
• We had to switch from doing touch and goes from runway 23 to runway 5 (180 turn) and I had to be coached through the process...had to go out, up, cross over at 500' above pattern, and teardrop back into 5. I think if I'd been on m own, I'd have just flown out 15 miles, thought about it, and come in on a regular 45. Still struggling with the whole pattern entry from <random> spot thing.

What I need to work on:

• FAA and Oral test prep. Good lord there is a lot of stuff to know...and I only have a bit over a month to get it down.

Prep for next flight:

• Reviewed track log. Know I need to tighten up my steep turns so I'm well inside the requirement (Rick teaches to 100' Private Pilot standard).