spiderweb
Final Approach
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2005
- Messages
- 9,488
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Display name:
Ben
Went out today to work on TPW.
I hadn't gotten enough sleep; and I probably should have grounded myself right then. I felt "hazy." I countered that by doing a very careful and slow preflight.
But then, having flown for 11 years, on takeoff I suddenly felt as nervous as my first solo. Something inside suddenly nagged at me, asking, "Can you do this?" It was hard to focus. I tried to talk myself through the numbers, flap settings, etc., but I did not do that well keeping on the numbers.
My first landing was flat and bad, but nothing broken. I was having trouble judging height above runway, and I was over-correcting. I forced myself to go up again, though.
Second landing featured a lousy approach. But over the runway, I was on speed, at least. Then I got a major updraft for some reason. So now I'm floating 15 feet above the runway and running out of airspeed. I add some power and lower the nose. The actual landing was very soft, but I still had trouble judging height above runway.
Before the third, I sat in the cockpit and went through the whole thing, mentally. This time the pattern and landing was much better. I still had that bubble of air, and a subsequent float, but the overall pattern and landing was much more professional.
Then my headset's ANR died, so I decided to call it quits.
An THEN, when trying to lock the door, the key broke!
What's next? Is a bird going to crap on my bald spot or something?
I don't fly as much as I used to, but this flight was just a couple of weeks after an excellent IFR flight with my instructor, with a couple of very sweet landings.
What are your thoughts and recommendations?
Do you think my trouble with judging height above runway was exacerbated by the updraft or my "hazy" mental state, or both, or something else? Why was I over-correcting? I've been flying for almost 11 years, and generally don't have a problem with this.
I'm giving my post one star, because I know the jerk who is doing that is going to do that, anyway, and I'll just be the first this time, OK?
I hadn't gotten enough sleep; and I probably should have grounded myself right then. I felt "hazy." I countered that by doing a very careful and slow preflight.
But then, having flown for 11 years, on takeoff I suddenly felt as nervous as my first solo. Something inside suddenly nagged at me, asking, "Can you do this?" It was hard to focus. I tried to talk myself through the numbers, flap settings, etc., but I did not do that well keeping on the numbers.
My first landing was flat and bad, but nothing broken. I was having trouble judging height above runway, and I was over-correcting. I forced myself to go up again, though.
Second landing featured a lousy approach. But over the runway, I was on speed, at least. Then I got a major updraft for some reason. So now I'm floating 15 feet above the runway and running out of airspeed. I add some power and lower the nose. The actual landing was very soft, but I still had trouble judging height above runway.
Before the third, I sat in the cockpit and went through the whole thing, mentally. This time the pattern and landing was much better. I still had that bubble of air, and a subsequent float, but the overall pattern and landing was much more professional.
Then my headset's ANR died, so I decided to call it quits.
An THEN, when trying to lock the door, the key broke!
What's next? Is a bird going to crap on my bald spot or something?
I don't fly as much as I used to, but this flight was just a couple of weeks after an excellent IFR flight with my instructor, with a couple of very sweet landings.
What are your thoughts and recommendations?
Do you think my trouble with judging height above runway was exacerbated by the updraft or my "hazy" mental state, or both, or something else? Why was I over-correcting? I've been flying for almost 11 years, and generally don't have a problem with this.
I'm giving my post one star, because I know the jerk who is doing that is going to do that, anyway, and I'll just be the first this time, OK?
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