Forever student pilot

NOLA Pilot

NOLA Pilot

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Oct 13, 2016
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NOLA Pilot
I started my flight training on 8/29/13 at 43 years old. I found POA soon after and have been reading since. I figured I would join when I was a "real pilot", but that is taking way to long. I joined so I could share some stories. I do have plenty.

I have been in some crazy situations and would like to talk about my very first time I soled.

I started out with 4000 ceiling broken with light wind from the north. I figured I was within limits and was itching to get in the air. Everything was normal until I was holding short of taxi bravo waiting for a jet to pass. Once the jet passes, my headset sqeeled and started to feed back. Did a few adjustments and figured I was good to go because everything start working normal. On takeoff it start to get some light noise and was still able to hear and talk. Took off from 36R and turned toward the east. The practise area was about 8 miles to the east. After I heard "frequency change approved" I unpluged the mic and pluged it back in. It was clear now and I was still climbing. At 2000' I could see small clouds to the east so I turned SE and was now in the practice area. Could see small misty cliads all over. I was trying to turn back with staying clear of them. As I turned to the north and started to head back I could see I bigger cloud. I was down to 1700' and flew straight into the cloud. " first time ever beeing in a cloud". I looked out the side window and then straight to the gauges. In that split secound I started to bank and was sligjtly nose down. I was on the edge of the cloud and turnd toward the west. I came out of the cloud and was headed right toward the airport. I was about to the VFR checkpoint and decided to call in. Nothing. Called again. Again nothing. I tried 4 times and head to turn back before getting into tiward airspace. On the wsy back at 1500' and dudging cliuds I was trying to see what was wrong. I could tell that it was not transmitting because it was not lighting up. This is where I started to get rattled. Now I am trying to remember 7500,7600,7700. The clouds where getting thick and I couldn't stay clear by now. I remembered my bag in the back seat and reached for my portable radio. I was flying by the gaudes by now and was doing a big circle trying to stay out of bravo airspace, delta airspace and clear of the lake. I like to stay within gliding distance to shore. As I was reaching for my bag I felt a cord. Shouldn't be a cord back there so I pulled and found a headset someone had left in the backseat. So I changed headsets as flying in a circle in and out of clouds at 1500'. As soon as I plugged in the new headset I called the tower and told them "inbound for full stop". As I got close the couds cleared up and I greased the landing. After shuting down I started to do the books and when I logged the time, it was .8 hr. That was my shortest flight and it was crazy. Was not the most scared I have been in the plane, but is a strong 2nd. I called my CFI and told him the story and he said "what did you do wrong" I replied "taking off in the first place"
 
Thanks for sharing the story, most pilots have a set of personal minimums around weather, op type, medical condition, sleep, etc... In mine I have a personal minimum for the degree of schinaniganry headed to the hold short line.

Sure 1 or 2 things may come up, fouled plug needs to be cleaned, broken headset, etc.. but a lot of these types of events in a row causes a lot of distraction and can throw you off your game by working around issue after issue. These workarounds may also impact the reliability of the op, like using a tablet you're not familiar with or quickly replanning your flight because you forgot your navlog. As a student, the safety margin you have is thinner than most. I think you've come to the same conclusion so good on you.
 
I learned alot that day. Most of all trust your gut. I had a flight scheduled fir 3:30 that day and was watching the weather. The clouds where getting lower each time. Then after the headset failed again on takeoff, I should have entered the pattern and landed.
 
Thanks for posting this. Live and learn.
 
NOLA Pilot said:
As I turned to the north and started to head back I could see I bigger cloud. I was down to 1700' and flew straight into the cloud.
Click to expand...
Why? Was there a malfunction that rendered you unable to turn or descend to miss it? Those planes can do more than a standard rate turn, you know. Being below 1700 AGL or turning to go around some crap weather is certainly not the end of the world.

One of the toughest things to remember sometimes (especially as a student pilot) is that you're the pilot, you're not just along for the ride. You can and should and must maneuver that thing in all three dimensions and you don't ever want to be "behind" the airplane wondering what just happened or how you got to be in the situation you're in.

Taking off may have been a wrong decision for you in hindsight. Don't beat yourself up over it, but go over the whole flight and try to think of things you could have done better. I still do that after (and often during) each flight. The guys with more time than me, and that means pretty much every pilot I know, says they do the same.
 
I did not want to go any lower because there are antennas in the practise area that are 1500" tall.
 
NOLA Pilot said:
I started my flight training on 8/29/13 at 43 years old. I found POA soon after and have been reading since. I figured I would join when I was a "real pilot", but that is taking way to long. I joined so I could share some stories. I do have plenty.

I have been in some crazy situations and would like to talk about my very first time I soled.

I started out with 4000 ceiling broken with light wind from the north. I figured I was within limits and was itching to get in the air. Everything was normal until I was holding short of taxi bravo waiting for a jet to pass. Once the jet passes, my headset sqeeled and started to feed back. Did a few adjustments and figured I was good to go because everything start working normal. On takeoff it start to get some light noise and was still able to hear and talk. Took off from 36R and turned toward the east. The practise area was about 8 miles to the east. After I heard "frequency change approved" I unpluged the mic and pluged it back in. It was clear now and I was still climbing. At 2000' I could see small clouds to the east so I turned SE and was now in the practice area. Could see small misty cliads all over. I was trying to turn back with staying clear of them. As I turned to the north and started to head back I could see I bigger cloud. I was down to 1700' and flew straight into the cloud. " first time ever beeing in a cloud". I looked out the side window and then straight to the gauges. In that split secound I started to bank and was sligjtly nose down. I was on the edge of the cloud and turnd toward the west. I came out of the cloud and was headed right toward the airport. I was about to the VFR checkpoint and decided to call in. Nothing. Called again. Again nothing. I tried 4 times and head to turn back before getting into tiward airspace. On the wsy back at 1500' and dudging cliuds I was trying to see what was wrong. I could tell that it was not transmitting because it was not lighting up. This is where I started to get rattled. Now I am trying to remember 7500,7600,7700. The clouds where getting thick and I couldn't stay clear by now. I remembered my bag in the back seat and reached for my portable radio. I was flying by the gaudes by now and was doing a big circle trying to stay out of bravo airspace, delta airspace and clear of the lake. I like to stay within gliding distance to shore. As I was reaching for my bag I felt a cord. Shouldn't be a cord back there so I pulled and found a headset someone had left in the backseat. So I changed headsets as flying in a circle in and out of clouds at 1500'. As soon as I plugged in the new headset I called the tower and told them "inbound for full stop". As I got close the couds cleared up and I greased the landing. After shuting down I started to do the books and when I logged the time, it was .8 hr. That was my shortest flight and it was crazy. Was not the most scared I have been in the plane, but is a strong 2nd. I called my CFI and told him the story and he said "what did you do wrong" I replied "taking off in the first place"
Click to expand...
Your thread title has me curious, so how many hours are you up to now? Or what obstacles do you have left before the check ride? I was on the 2 year plan myself.
 
Thank you for sharing your story.

It was well written and I suspect as a CFI I experienced more trepidation than you did.

I am glad you didn’t hit anyone or lose control when you flew into a cloud.

I feel there are a lot of good reasons for cloud clearances.

A 1,700 foot ceiling with a 1,500 foot deck because of antennas would make maintaining cloud clearance difficult.

I feel there is value is staying five hundred feet above fifteen hundred foot antenna towers.

I also feel there is value in reviewing lost communication procedures.

It took me a while to learn that the weather over the departure airport is not the same all over the world.

Good luck with your flying.

I continue to learn from every flight.
 
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Davecat said:
An easy way to remember this: 75 taken alive, 76 technical glitch, 77 going to heaven.
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I knew it, it just got overwhelming at that point.
I like your way to remember better.
 
Vance Breese said:
Thank you for sharing your story.

It was well written and I suspect as a CFI I experienced more trepidation than you did.

I am glad you didn’t hit anyone or lose control when you flew into a cloud.

I feel there are a lot of good reasons for cloud clearances.

A 1,700 foot ceiling with a 1,500 foot deck because of antennas would make maintaining cloud clearance difficult.

I feel there is value is staying five hundred feet above fifteen hundred foot antennas towers .

I also feel there is value in reviewing lost communication procedures.

It took me a while to learn that the weather over the departure airport is not the same all over the world.

Good luck with your flying.

I continue to learn from every flight.
Click to expand...

I don't like being that low in that area either. I did have a gps and kept my eye on the towers on the screen. I learned alot on that flight. Furtunitly for me my first CFI let me get some bad habits. I was allways behind the plane and playing catchup. That is why I was not scared. I slipped the plane in almost every time until I met my last CFI.
 
exncsurfer said:
Your thread title has me curious, so how many hours are you up to now? Or what obstacles do you have left before the check ride? I was on the 2 year plan myself.
Click to expand...
I have a total 56.6 hours
208 day landings
12 night landings
3 night hours
2.1 simulated instrument
.9 training devise
5.1 cross country

Has been over a year since I took a lesson.

Life gets in the way sometimes.
I have bees a student way to long and I am finally restructuring my life to make finishing up possible.
 
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