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2021-07-19.md

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Information

  • Date: 2021-07-19
  • Time: 13:00
  • Expense: $222.84
    • Ground Instruction: $16.80
      • Rate: $56.00
      • Time: 0.3
    • Flight Instruction: $56.00
      • Rate: $56.00
      • Time: 1.0
    • Plane Rental: $138.00
      • Rate: $138.00
      • Time: 1.0
    • Tax: $12.04
  • Aircraft:
    • Category: Airplane
    • Classification: Single Engine Land
    • Make: Piper
    • Model: Cherokee Warrior II
    • Serial: 28-8016338
    • Identification: N8222F
    • Hobbs:
      • Start: 6101.1
      • Stop: 6102.1
    • Tach:
      • Start: 2255.0
      • Stop: 2255.9
  • Points of Departure and Arrival:
    • From: KJEF
    • To: KJEF
  • Weather:
    • Official:
      • METAR: 
         KJEF 191753Z 08006KT 10SM FEW042 SCT075 SCT100 28/19 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP191 6//// T02830194 10283 20206
 KJEF 191853Z VRB03KT 10SM SCT039 29/19 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP186 T02890189
 KJEF 191953Z VRB04KT 10SM FEW042 SCT048 SCT070 29/19 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP180 T02940194
  • Covered:
    • Normal Landings

Lesson Review

Today was not great.

My CFI started the lesson by saying "You know what to do. I'm just going to keep quiet unless something goes wrong." That's a really good hint that a solo is imminent. You would think that after hearing that, my mind would have gone to the procedures and checklists - but no...my brain immediately said, "Dang, I like this shirt."

Landing

I was feeling good, thinking I was going to prove to my CFI that I was a pilot and anyone who thought otherwise could stand idly by and watch as I soared into the heavens.

Okay, lets be realistic - this is a Piper Warrior...we aren't going to be soaring anywhere. "Buzzing about" is a better way to phrase that, perhaps.

Anyway, my pattern work is pretty solid, so there isn't much to say there...but the last little bit of the circuit - that's where it all counts.
In the 1 hour we were in motion, we went around the pattern 8 times...and only one of those landings was anywhere near acceptable.
Other than everything, I'm not sure what went wrong. I bounced a couple, over-flaired a couple and just plain ruined the rest.

Last Thoughts

For whatever reason, I'm a numbers guy. I've never been good at mathematics, so I'm not sure why I like them so much...but a metric just speaks to me.
Today's metrics are telling me a story - and it's one that I don't want to hear:

Maybe I'm not meant to be a pilot.

Saying that absolutely breaks my heart. I thought for sure this was going to be that one really cool thing that I would know how to do.
I know, I know - landing is supposed to be the trickiest part of flying...but with 26.3 hours and 149 landings logged, I should be able to make a smooth touchdown occasionally - and that just isn't happening.

I've read article after article and watched an endless number of videos - and they all wave their pom-poms around and say things like "Never give up!" and "You can do it, tiger!" in that annoyingly optimistic tone.
I know that if you do a thing enough times, there is a decent chance that you'll start getting good at it - but generally the afore mentioned things don't cost $200/hr and put multiple people's lives at risk. I need to start weighing the costs and benefits here.

All of that whining aside, I have another lesson planned for tomorrow. Hopefully I'll reverse my entire attitude and things will start clicking.

Recap Data