- Date: 2021-04-13
- Time: 18:00
- Expense: $249.60
- Ground Instruction: $0.00
- Rate: $56.00
- Time: 0.0
- Flight Instruction: $84.00
- Rate: $56.00
- Time: 1.5
- Plane Rental: $165.60
- Rate: $138.00
- Time: 1.2
- Tax: $14.45
- Ground Instruction: $0.00
- Aircraft:
- Category: Airplane
- Classification: Single Engine Land
- Make: Piper
- Model: Warrior PA-28-161
- Serial: 28-8016338
- Identification: N8222F
- Hobbs:
- In: 5895.50
- Out: 5896.70
- Tach:
- In: 2081.50
- Out: 2082.50
- Points of Departure and Arrival:
- From: KJEF
- To: KJEF
- Weather:
- Official:
- METAR:
KJEF 132253Z 31008KT 270V330 10SM CLR 17/M02 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP198 T01721017 KJEF 132353Z 31007KT 10SM SCT100 16/M01 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP201 T01611011 10178 20156 53003
- METAR:
- Observed:
- Wind: 0kt from 301
- Clouds: Scattered at 100,000'
- Precipitation: 0.0
- Temperature: 63
- Humidity: 28
- Dew Point: 29
- Pressure: 30.15
- Visibility: 10sm
- Official:
- Covered:
- Compass Headings
- Slow Flight
- Power on Stalls
- Power off Stalls
- Landing Demonstration
*Flight Lesson 2 is in the books! This evening, I put 1.2 hours on the Hobbs of another plane - another 1980 Piper Cherokee Warrior II (N8222F).
My CFI (John) had just come in off of another student flight, so I offered to go handle the pre-flight myself. This was the third time I had been through the checklist, and it seems like I struggled more this time than any - but not because it was the first unattended checklist like you would think. I was just struggling to work my way down the list for some reason or another.
Once John came out to meet me, I told him what I was struggling with and he suggested using the checklist (at least for the exterior portion) in a "check, then verify" mode. For me, I really think it will work better that way - it's a more natural flow around the aircraft, checking as you encounter each section; whereas the checklist is less logical with it's order. I'll get it right next time.
I ran through the pre-start, post-start and pre-taxi checklists.
I don't have any issues to report here. We requested clearance (John ran the radio), and proceed ed to taxi from GA Parking to Runway 30's Run-up area, via taxiway A1 and A, crossing Runway 27 along the way. We didn't have to stop at the Runway Hold, because Jeff Ground gave us clearance all the way through.
Everything was straight forward here. We pulled off to the run-up area and ran through the Pre-takeoff checklists. Once we decided everything was good, we requested takeoff clearance and pulled up to the runway hold line. Once approved, we pulled onto the runway, lined things up and applied power.
Note: I still struggle with being a bit too timid with power adjustments. I have to really focus on moving the levers with a bit of authority. Johns recommends a count of three from idle to full.
As we started rolling down the runway, the airspeed indicator started climbing toward rotation speed (60kt).
Note: I noticed that I wasn't having to focus quite as much on pedal manipulation this time. I was remembering to counter the left-turning tendencies with right rudder and everything! Once hit 60kt, I applied a bit of back pressure and we began our ascent into the traffic pattern, at a rate for a 500' per minute - trimming for around 80kt. At pattern altitude (1600'), we turned away from the airport toward the west.
The first thing that John had me practice was following compass headings. It seems simple enough - and I already had a handle on standard-rate turns, so I wasn't expecting much difficulty here - and to be honest, it wasn't that bad at all.
Monitoring all of the different instruments while banking and pitching - all the while trying not to fall out of the sky seems like a bit much at times - but I knew I had the safety of an actual pilot in the seat next to me. Maybe that was the wrong way to think, but it worked for me. This time, anyway.
Next was the slow flight. John demonstrated this, then let me do it a few times. He had previously described the controls during slow flight as being "mushy" - which was an accurate description of the feel.
The procedure was decently simple:
- I reduced the power to around 1500RPM
- I pitched up to maintain altitude and reduce the airspeed drop to VFE (103kt)
- I extended the flaps to 10°, to 25° then to 40° at about a one second interval
- As this happened the airplane naturally began to pitch down to maintain airspeed - so I had to counter by applying increasingly backward pressure on the yoke
- Our airspeed reduced to around 55kts
- I increased the power to 2000RPM
- John had me try to maintain straight and level flight
- He then adjusted the heading bug by about 90° to the west and had me align
Note: I found myself focusing on the instruments again instead of using the glare shield as an reference
- After I rolled out on the correct heading (-ish), he set the heading bug 90° to the east
- This further demonstrated the left-turning tendencies - I had to increase aileron control pressure to counter it
- I leveled the plane out and trimmed accordingly
The recovery was simple: increase power to full, retracting flaps as you go. The only "gotcha" was that as you retracted the flaps, the plane tried to pitch up to match trim.
Next up on our agenda was practicing the dreaded stall.
You always hear horror stories associated with stalls - and I'm sure that they are absolutely terrifying when you're not at altitude and have a veteran pilot at your side. It seems really strange to use the word "fun" for a technical maneuver - but that's the word I'm going to use. I knew that John wouldn't let me kill us.
The Power Off Stall is meant to emulate a stall during landing. This could happen if your pitch attitude was too extreme during your flare.
Note: Of the two stalls we practiced today, this is the most critical
Keep in mind that these procedures are really just "setting up" for the stall - you're faking it.
- Reduce power to 1500RPM
- Decrease airspeed to VFE (103kt) and extend flaps
- Let the airspeed reduce to 65kt
Note: You don't want to descend more than 100'
- Decrease power to idle
- Pitch the nose up and hold until stall indicator
Again, the recovery is very simple: both hands forward. Increase power and pitch the nose down simultaneously, retracting flaps to 25° immediately, with 10° and 0° following as airspeed increases.
The Power Off Stall is meant to emulate a stall during takeoff. This could happen if your pitch attitude was too extreme during your climb.
Again, we're setting up the scenario with the following steps.
- Reduce power to 1200RPM
- Slow to 55kt by maintaining altitude
- Increase power to full and pitch up to cause the stall
Recover by increasing power and pitching the nose down.
After I ran through slow flight a few times and several of each type of stall, we headed back toward the airport.
John took this time to show me how N8222F's digital instruments worked. The Directional Gyro and Attitude Indicator had been replaced with a consolidated unit made by Garmin.
Note: Surprisingly, I didn't like this Garmin unit. Being a technical person, I generally love anything with an LCD and a couple of buttons - but this appears to be the exception.
I was looking to the traditional turn coordinator to ensure that my turn was "pretty", but John was referencing the indicator that the Garmin had integrated to the top of the attitude indicator (easier for him to see from the right seat, I'm sure). The digital unit was maybe a little quicker to update, so it felt like I was behind.
I'll probably get more comfortable with these as I spend time with them.
It was around this time that we discovered that the instrument lights were mostly non-functional in N8222F. Part of the preflight requires that you ensure that these lights are functional - but depending on how bright it is when you check that, it's hard to see if they are all actually lit. In this case, the right side of the panel was lighting (the side I checked earlier), but the middle and left sides were not.
Anyway, he set a heading bug to the runway heading and off we went. He was having to remind me to continue descending, because my natural posture is a slight climb, evidently. As the airport came into view, he started giving me instruction on how to line the plane up with the middle of the runway while managing the flaps and descent. I guided the plane to the runway, then he took the controls for the touchdown.
Note: John's advice was while I'm on the approach to the runway, aim the plane at the numbers. Once I'm over the numbers, I should adjust my gaze to mid-length of the runway.
I definitely need some practice.
John said he was pleased with my performance today, but I thought I could have done better - particularly with maintaining my heading during the stalls. There is a lot going on at once and some of it doesn't come naturally. Sure, flying the plane seems kind of instinctive - and I think the recoveries probably would too - but there is so much to remember and not much time to process it.
Another frustration: I messed up ForeFlight again.
After messing up on my last flight (I didn't know I had to engage the track logging manually), I took special care to manually start the log after my preflight inspection. Perfect!
Nope - the automatic start/stop setting that I was relying on last time bit me again this time.
It detected the taxi and was working as expected all the way to the run-up area, where it detected a long stop and decided that the flight was over - after about only 30 seconds. So...I don't have a cool flight track to show you from ForeFlight - and FlightAware didn't catch it either...so I'm even worse off today than I was for Lesson 1.
INSERT REALLY SAD FACE HERE
So - the takeaways:
- Study the procedures
- This should help make the "unnatural" actions second nature
- Learn how to use ForeFlight
- I don't even want to talk about this one