Cross-Country Fun vs. Practice

Deelee

Deelee

Pattern Altitude
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Deelee
Hi PoA - question for the group from a newly certificated private pilot - I have flown a couple of really fun, amazing cross country flights in the three weeks since passing my practical. I spend a lot of time a.) thinking about how fun these flights were (one for breakfast in Cambridge, MD and the other for lunch at Ocean City MD), b.) planning the next flight or c.) thinking about areas I need to improve - specifically landing.

Here's my conflict - I love the feeling of flying cross country from my home field to somewhere new for a quick meal or to sightsee a bit then back home. For some reason, the feeling of taking off, going 70 or 100 nm landing in a new place is exciting and amazing to me. But... I know I need to work on my landing technique. Seems as though my pattern work and speeds in the pattern have become a bit sloppy resulting in some safe, yet not great landings. So I know I need some time in the pattern to get back to normal.

Let's say I have five hours or so this Saturday morning. Should I a.) plan a quick trip somewhere new to get breakfast or b.) grind it out and fly the traffic pattern to put some polish on what I feel is a weak area (not unsafe, just not perfect as it could be).

I think I answered my own question here, but wanted to see if any of you every go through this conflict of wanting to fly somewhere for fun vs. needing to practice and staying close to home just practicing.

Thanks for your thoughts.
 
I've been in the same boat, flying a lot of cross country time. I just always try to end my flight back home with two or three touch n goes to stay sharp.
 
Ryanb said:
Why not fly the cross-country and then do a little pattern work at your destination? Do whatever you feel will give you the greatest benefit.
Click to expand...

that's what i normally do. i try to work in several T&Gs at my home field and sometimes at my destination depending on this and that.
 
Not sure why I never thought to do that! Just to a few t&gs either at home or at destination.... yeah. Damn. Must be late and I'm overthinking things! Thanks, y'all. Now.... over to the fun places to fly section to figure out where to go for breakfast within 50-60 nm of Manassas VA....
 
And to keep your pilotage and navigation skills sharp, plan to do your t-n-g's at a different airport every time. Your goal should be real proficiency at planning the flight, picking a runway, and landing at unfamiliar airports. If the "out" airport doesn't have a cafe, stop at the usual burger haunt on the way home.

-Skip
 
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Y'all are great! I'm going to plan a short hop somewhere for breakfast, then do pattern work there. Great thought of doing this at an unfamiliar airport! Makes it more realistic and keeps up the nav skills.... and is more fun than just going in a circle at my home field!
 
When I was putting hours on my first plane, an AA-1A, I would usually grab a friend, open a sectional (now that would be a virtual sectional on a tablet), and pick an airport to fly to that was within 200 nm. Pretty much every flyable weekend. The only rule was we couldn't go to a place we had been before, and we usually required there to be an on-airport diner involved at the destination or at a convenient stop on the way back. Landings at "out" airports were always more challenging than the ones at home, as you don't know all the visual reference cheats, so it's good training. Fly and enjoy. It is always amazing how far you can go in a day even in a slow FLIB.
 
I'm not that far ahead of you. The XC's are the reward for all the training...going someplace new and different. I would definitely keep up the cross countries. If its been a few weeks since the last flight I will usually do a couple takeoffs and landings first at the home base. If something just isn't going right you can always stay back and work on that instead. You just kinda know when you are dialed back in again.

I'll often start with a short field takeoff and then pattern back for a short or soft field landing. Then I will do the second takeoff as a soft field and if the previous landing was good I might just start into the cross country. Doing those for me gets me a bit more prepared if the destination airport might have a short runway or an obstacle. And those speciality take offs get you thinking even more if there is a crosswind.

I usually don't do much pattern work at a cross country destination. I figure the more takeoffs and landings I do there, there higher the chance of a tire blowing or something away from the home base. I'd rather have that happen back at home. I know I can't control it but just my silly reasoning.

You might find yourself having time to fly but no destination. On those days do some airplane performance stuff. You know how to handle an engine out. This time simulate it but also look at your descent rate. Try it into wind. Try some power off 180's. Check your actual takeoff distances. Find a runway with a big slope. Try a climb up to 10K and then practice a spiraling down. Get above a few and/or scattered. Get FF if you haven't. Try a Bravo transition if you haven't. Its fall now, get in some night flying. Take up some passengers. Try out a fly-in.
 
Don't practice...just go do things and go places with your plane. That is how you gain experience and confidence in a wide variety of situations.

Flying circles in the pattern is boring IMO. Go do a cross country and go land and go at several airports along your route.

Pick your next 100nm XC trip and land at every airport between you and the destination.
 
Can I suggest that you take your plane to a flying training area and do some air work. Touches and go’s and pattern work are all well and good but it is the other skills that are NB. When did you last do a steep turn, stalls, timed turns, precautionary searches, engine out drills etc

I try to do a session of air work every month at least - you’ll lose skills if you don’t.
 
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Deelee said:
Here's my conflict - I love the feeling of flying cross country from my home field to somewhere new for a quick meal or to sightsee a bit then back home. For some reason, the feeling of taking off, going 70 or 100 nm landing in a new place is exciting and amazing to me. But... I know I need to work on my landing technique. Seems as though my pattern work and speeds in the pattern have become a bit sloppy resulting in some safe, yet not great landings. So I know I need some time in the pattern to get back to normal.
Click to expand...

Fully understand the feeling and as I get used to the 182, which really only varies from the 172 at the terminal sections of landing and I'm not happy with my results yet. I mix it up as others have suggested. Launch from Gaithersburg MD and head to Martinsburg WV for a warmup on a 10K runway then off to smaller airports, often Franklin Co PA or York AP then an ILS or RNAV into Frederick then back to Gaithersburg. It's usually a 1.5 or so and that's about right to go to my favorite brewpub afterwards.

I've also launched and hit Martinsburg early before the tower is active (and the C-17's!) to get 3-4 landings in with 10K of concrete it lets you try different techniques.
 
I agree that you should land at every airport you can. I sat around doing T&Gs but only
Improved after stretching myself with mountainous patterns and grass and different sight pictures. The pattern makes your landing and I’ve found the different setups improved my landings far more than staying at the home drome.
 
Also, you may be obsessing over little crap. I was over reacting to a simple float or a bump. Relax, fly a correct approach and look down the runway.

I actually found it better to do full stop landings. I would get off the active, clean up (flaps, not my shorts) and think through the entire sequence. It worked better for me.
 
What Sheperd said. Make a little airstrip safari. Find three or four nearby airports, do a landing at each. When I first got my PPI I put up a sectional map on a bulletin board and put pins in each new airport I landed.
 
Deelee said:
Hi PoA - question for the group from a newly certificated private pilot - I have flown a couple of really fun, amazing cross country flights in the three weeks since passing my practical. I spend a lot of time a.) thinking about how fun these flights were (one for breakfast in Cambridge, MD and the other for lunch at Ocean City MD), b.) planning the next flight or c.) thinking about areas I need to improve - specifically landing.

Here's my conflict - I love the feeling of flying cross country from my home field to somewhere new for a quick meal or to sightsee a bit then back home. For some reason, the feeling of taking off, going 70 or 100 nm landing in a new place is exciting and amazing to me. But... I know I need to work on my landing technique. Seems as though my pattern work and speeds in the pattern have become a bit sloppy resulting in some safe, yet not great landings. So I know I need some time in the pattern to get back to normal.

Let's say I have five hours or so this Saturday morning. Should I a.) plan a quick trip somewhere new to get breakfast or b.) grind it out and fly the traffic pattern to put some polish on what I feel is a weak area (not unsafe, just not perfect as it could be).

I think I answered my own question here, but wanted to see if any of you every go through this conflict of wanting to fly somewhere for fun vs. needing to practice and staying close to home just practicing.

Thanks for your thoughts.
Click to expand...

Go places with short narrow runways or sod.
 
Guys thanks. I'm going to do another xc and take ya'lls advice. And the comment about obsessing over little crap may be true... Last time I landed off-centerline at OXB and didn't handle the xwind as well as I should have. But it was still on the mains and on the runway... Landing back home for some reason I bounced - not like bounce, porpoise, prop strike bounce, but still bounced it. And that was off the 4 mile final tower gave me!! I should have been super-stabalized by then and I thought I would.

Actually for some reason when tower gives me a long final, I have more of a problem with it. Probably since I don't do straight-ins at other airports. It gives me too much time to tinker with things I think.. Anyway, I think I'll do the xc and maybe go to JGG to grab a real early lunch at Charly's. Thanks again for all the great advice.
 
You've got a lot of great advice... and a great attitude, too. Besides adding some extra landings at each airport, there's no reason you can't incorporate some airwork enroute, too, assuming you're not under ATC direction or that you've you've requested/notified them you'll be doing some maneuvering, and you do some clearing turns and check for traffic no matter what. Obviously, doing unexpected things in congested areas is a bad idea. I always do some Dutch rolls (at least, that's what my CFI calls them, but I'm not sure that terminology is correct) whenever I fly just to continue improving my rudder and aileron feel... basically, keeping your nose pointed straight ahead while wagging your wings... you can do that anytime.
 
As others have said, land at plenty of airports. But here's an idea: you can go on your XC trip and ONLY do a full stop if you think the landing was perfect. You probably will think something was off or you could have improved one aspect or another. In this case go around or do a TnG and do it again until you're satisfied. Then go eat your breakfast at the airport restaurant and head home doing the same thing at home.

I LOVE to go fly to different places and that's what I primarily do, but I also intentionally include some flights just for "training" something specific. It's still a mission and gives your flight a purpose, it's just different from a XC.
 
So, same boat. I prefer the cross country excitement as well. But, I know that flying is a journey-man's trade, meaning, it takes a HUGE amount of experience and then some to be major league proficient. I do cross countries with flying pals, and, I spend my alone time "practicing". When I get to the airport on my "practice" days, I take a look at the sock and I psych myself up for a "Course"...for example "a good crosswind practice day", or, "a no wind day, I can work on keeping more throttle in on landings"... etc... so, I basically adjust my course level with the conditions of the day. Effectively turning practice into a goal/game.
 
Of course, the other thing to think about is right now the wx is good and the day long, so it is good to fly to lots of distant destinations. Soon the wx will be foul and the days short, and distant destinations will be harder to reach. Perhaps then will be the time for runway safaris and working on landings.
 
Deelee said:
Y'all are great! I'm going to plan a short hop somewhere for breakfast, then do pattern work there. Great thought of doing this at an unfamiliar airport! Makes it more realistic and keeps up the nav skills.... and is more fun than just going in a circle at my home field!
Click to expand...

I'm in a similar boat. In my case, I'm trying to reconcile IFR training XC flights and also enjoy sight seeing and going places.

What this thread made me realize is that I should do more of one the most fun flights I've done: hop on the C172 and flew to 3 different local airports, land, taxi back fly to the next. It mixed sight seeing with FF, new airports, uncontrolled fields, controlled fields, not to mention the planning.
 
Once X-country's become 'been there done that' you'll be yearning for that cool morning at your local field, just you and the airplane sliding around the pattern

Stick & Rudder stuff
 
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