My quest for my license

I got home at 1:30am so I wasn't going to post this last night, but I almost did all the night flying in one night! We did 3 landings at KBQR, the first was a go-around I came in too high, then we went to Akron (9G3) where the crosswind was just too much, only 8kts from 310 at the surface (at KBUF) but off the ground it was 25kts. Weird thing about night flying, it's so smooth obviously there is no thermals but it's deceiving.

So we went to KBUF, at one point while waiting for Buffalo tower to call our base turn we were doing 123kts over the ground with an IAS of 93kts, this was on downwind for runway 32, after we turned final (4 miles out! Traffic) we managed 55kts over the ground on approach before I slowed down to land. Oh yeah, all this while the UPS A300 was waiting to take off on 32. All other traffic was using 5? I don't get it. We landed on 5 the first time, the crosswind was ridiculous until just above the ground.

Then we went and did the Niagara Falls scenic tour to give Buffalo some space to land a bunch of arrivals. Even in the middle of the night that place gets busy, must be all the Canadians :) The hardest part about night flying for me, finding the airports! You can see KBUF from 30 miles away in day, at night its just a dark spot in a sea of lights, you can't see the runway lights until you're lined up on it. Finding the smaller airports is a bit easier, which is completely opposite what I thought.

Oh yeah, if your wondering if I bounced the first landing? I didn't, I bounced the 3rd one, but I announced it as I was doing it! "Ahh crap, gonna bounce" while trying to flare way too late



Total time: 38.2hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - 9G3 - KBUF - KBQR
Total time with instructor: 3:30
Billed instructor time: 3:00
Hobbs time 2.4hrs
Tach time 1.7hrs
Fuel used 12.8g
 
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Been following your progress for months. Very inspirational. Love the videos. Thanks for sharing.
 
Today, 2 more hours in the book, 6 hours in a little over 24. Soft field takeoffs and landings at Geneseo, D52. almost 5000' long and quite wide, but with trees at one end makes it a little shorter, but it's still plenty long, and I needed it too because I floated the first two landings badly, got the 3rd one down, did a couple go-arounds too. This airport has a 1400' AGL traffic pattern and that really messed with my timing.

Soft field takeoffs are another story, they are difficult, and I need more practice at those. I only did 3 but I can't seem to keep it in ground effect. We'll work on that next week. I have some video I'll post later, no cockpit audio as I mounted the camera up front.

Total time: 40.2hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - D52 - BQR
Total time with instructor: 3:00
Billed instructor time: 2:00
Hobbs time 2.0hrs
Tach time 1.5hrs
Fuel used 11g
 
eMKay said:
The hardest part about night flying for me, finding the airports! You can see KBUF from 30 miles away in day, at night its just a dark spot in a sea of lights,
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Yep, and that's what you look for in a city airport. Also keep your eyes moving and you'll probably catch the beacon.
 
Henning said:
Yep, and that's what you look for in a city airport. Also keep your eyes moving and you'll probably catch the beacon.
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+1 - I've found about 50/50 the "where's the black hole" vs the airport beacon when searching.

If it's pilot controlled lighting and it's working, that's the easiest. Seven clicks and the giant black hole lights up like a Christmas tree, and you've probably just cost the taxpayers of the little municipality $10 in electrical fees. ;)

Also a tip... turn 'em down to low after you find it. Those bastards are BRIGHT on final, since they're designed for low-visibility operations. ;)
 
Sadly KBUF is not pilot controlled, I took a tower tour (awesome! BTW, do it at your local class C if you can) and they have a big knob that can vary the brightness from super dim (the usual) to light up the sky. I bet if I asked them, they would crank it up for a minute.
 
denverpilot said:
If it's pilot controlled lighting and it's working, that's the easiest. Seven clicks and the giant black hole lights up like a Christmas tree, and you've probably just cost the taxpayers of the little municipality $10 in electrical fees. ;)

Also a tip... turn 'em down to low after you find it. Those bastards are BRIGHT on final, since they're designed for low-visibility operations. ;)
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I have never seen an airport with REIL, but I understand they really make the airport "pop" when searching for it at night. Can anyone confirm or deny this based on personal experience?

I would imagine once the airport has been spotted, it would be important to shut them off via PCL. Strobes flashing in your face as you cross the threshhold would probably be a real distraction!
 
Erice said:
I have never seen an airport with REIL, but I understand they really make the airport "pop" when searching for it at night. Can anyone confirm or deny this based on personal experience?
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Bright white strobes? Yeah, they help.

I love it when MSN is on PCL at night. After 7 clicks, it's pretty hard to miss the beacon, three big runways (one of which with centerline lights), 11 taxiways, six PAPI's, three sets of MALSR's with RAIL's, and a pair of REIL's... It lights up like a christmas tree AND the fourth of july. ;)
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Bright white strobes? Yeah, they help.

I love it when MSN is on PCL at night. After 7 clicks, it's pretty hard to miss the beacon, three big runways (one of which with centerline lights), 11 taxiways, six PAPI's, three sets of MALSR's with RAIL's, and a pair of REIL's... It lights up like a christmas tree AND the fourth of july. ;)
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Ha! Try an old SAC base with PCL. 12,000 feet of HIRL lighting up on command! Did that at Oscoda, MI. :)
 
denverpilot said:
+1 - I've found about 50/50 the "where's the black hole" vs the airport beacon when searching.

If it's pilot controlled lighting and it's working, that's the easiest. Seven clicks and the giant black hole lights up like a Christmas tree, and you've probably just cost the taxpayers of the little municipality $10 in electrical fees. ;)

Also a tip... turn 'em down to low after you find it. Those bastards are BRIGHT on final, since they're designed for low-visibility operations. ;)
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My instructor showed me "pilot lighting" on our first night cross country. When we flew back home, he asked me if I could see an airport which was on the way there. When I said "no, I don't see anything" he told me "I got the plane" and then asked me to click my PTT several times. Napa lit up like a Christmas tree and it was so cool. If I ever have passengers on a night flight, I think I will have them do this when we get to our destination airport . . . or better yet, I can pretend to know witchcraft and make them believe I did it all by myself with my mind's powers.
 
Erice said:
I have never seen an airport with REIL, but I understand they really make the airport "pop" when searching for it at night. Can anyone confirm or deny this based on personal experience?

I would imagine once the airport has been spotted, it would be important to shut them off via PCL. Strobes flashing in your face as you cross the threshhold would probably be a real distraction!
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Do you really mean REIL, which is just two strobes on the corners of the end of the runway, or are you thinking of complete approach lighting with approach lights and a "rabbit" leading to the runway?

The former are helpful but not really all that bright or distracting. KAPA has them and often they're on -- even during the day (not pilot-controlled unless you count asking the dude in the tower to throw the switch), and not distracting at all.

The KBJC approach lighting plus "rabbit" are freaking dazzling when cranked to full-tilt-disco-boogie mode when landing 29R at night.

So making the airport "pop" requires more than just Runway End Identifier Lights, but REIL mixed with even low intensity runway lighting will make an airport appear out of nothing...

A bigger approach lighting system with high-intensity setting will make you go, "wow" if they were down to low setting or turn off on a timer at night.

Another stupid pilot trick... Turn 'em on when way out still, just screwing around to see the airport, fly on in, do a pattern, line up on final, timer runs out. Runway disappears.

Ha. Ask me how I know. ;-) Scare the **** out of you for a brief moment.

"What the hell?!"

"Oh...!" (click, click, click, click, click, click, click...)

"Good G-d that's bright!" (click, click, click... stall horn, squeak...)

;-)
 
denverpilot said:
Do you really mean REIL, which is just two strobes on the corners of the end of the runway, or are you thinking of complete approach lighting with approach lights and a "rabbit" leading to the runway?

The former are helpful but not really all that bright or distracting. KAPA has them and often they're on -- even during the day (not pilot-controlled unless you count asking the dude in the tower to throw the switch), and not distracting at all.

The KBJC approach lighting plus "rabbit" are freaking dazzling when cranked to full-tilt-disco-boogie mode when landing 29R at night.

So making the airport "pop" requires more than just Runway End Identifier Lights, but REIL mixed with even low intensity runway lighting will make an airport appear out of nothing...

A bigger approach lighting system with high-intensity setting will make you go, "wow" if they were down to low setting or turn off on a timer at night.

Another stupid pilot trick... Turn 'em on when way out still, just screwing around to see the airport, fly on in, do a pattern, line up on final, timer runs out. Runway disappears.

Ha. Ask me how I know. ;-) Scare the **** out of you for a brief moment.

"What the hell?!"

"Oh...!" (click, click, click, click, click, click, click...)

"Good G-d that's bright!" (click, click, click... stall horn, squeak...)

;-)
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I did all my night stuff with no landing light (fun) but at least the runway lights worked. Alas, my landing light did NOT WORK and we went anyways. Good times.
 
(This was last night, 10pm-12am) checking boxes, night cross country done, BQR - JHW (Jamestown) - BUF - BQR. No wind, hot and muggy but of course it's quite pleasant between 4500 and 5500 feet (4500 there, 5500 back). And we got to see the moon rise from 5500 feet, awesome. So night flying requirements are done (for other students, it's not actually required, but it is if you want to fly at night) almost 2 hours of required cross country are done. Jamestown airport is much easier to find than KBUF, that's for sure, I had it 12 miles out, and had to turn the lights down on final :)

On the way back I did another stop and go at KBUF, was about to fly directly over my house when we were told to make a right circle to let a CRJ land. Ended up flying right over downtown Buffalo which is also cool.

Total time: 42.1hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - JHW - BUF - BQR
Total time with instructor: 3:00
Billed instructor time: 2:00
Hobbs time 1.9hrs
Tach time 1.5hrs
Fuel used 11.11g
 
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Ok, now I'm in the home stretch, all the requirements are done except solo X-country, we actually started x-country training weeks ago just on shorter flights so my instructor told me he's really comfortable with where I'm at there. Today we went up and reviewed all the basic maneuvers, we did slow flight, stalls (which I'm much better at now), steep turns, S-turns, turns around a point, soft and short field takeoffs and landings, the only thing that still needs work is the soft field takeoffs. Next week I'm soloing for 2 flights to practice all the maneuvers and then going up with another instructor and we are doing a mock checkride, week after that solo x-country flights. My CFI may go with me on one more x-country, but he thinks maybe not, feels I'm ready to just do it.

Total time: 43.7hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - 9G5 - BQR
Total time with instructor: 3:00
Billed instructor time: 2:15
Hobbs time 1.6hrs
Tach time 1.2hrs
Fuel used 9.5g
 
denverpilot said:
...
"Good G-d that's bright!" (click, click, click... stall horn, squeak...)
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KESN seems to have only one setting, and it's dazzling. Should have worn sunglasses...
 
Today and tomorrow I'm soloing, doing review and on Wednesday I have a mock checkride with a different instructor, today the weather only allowed for pattern work so that's what I did, flew until I got tired of the bumps and gusts, and noticed some rapidly building clouds to the west, got in some good x-wind landings too. Today is a day where the wind can go from straight down the runway, to x-wind, and back again all on final :) Plus my home airport the winds like to toss you around on final unless they are straight down the runway, so good practice, tomorrow I hope to go do some maneuvers, hopefully a much longer flight than today. By the time I got home it was raining and more thunder. First rain we've had in over a month.

Total time: 44.7hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - BQR
Total time with instructor: :00
Billed instructor time: :00
Hobbs time 1.0hrs
Tach time .6hrs
Fuel used 3.87g
 
eMKay said:
Today and tomorrow I'm soloing, doing review and on Wednesday I have a mock checkride with a different instructor, today the weather only allowed for pattern work so that's what I did, flew until I got tired of the bumps and gusts, and noticed some rapidly building clouds to the west, got in some good x-wind landings too. Today is a day where the wind can go from straight down the runway, to x-wind, and back again all on final :) Plus my home airport the winds like to toss you around on final unless they are straight down the runway, so good practice, tomorrow I hope to go do some maneuvers, hopefully a much longer flight than today. By the time I got home it was raining and more thunder. First rain we've had in over a month.

Total time: 44.7hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - BQR
Total time with instructor: :00
Billed instructor time: :00
Hobbs time 1.0hrs
Tach time .6hrs
Fuel used 3.87g
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Did you use the items from the other thread as a guideline?
 
Better weather today, so I did what was outlined in this post http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showpost.php?p=742232&postcount=132 which worked out very well, did all that plus power off stalls and some extra steep turns, switched the pattern practice to S turns, with a 25 mile commute, and an extra full stop, taxi back landing in 1.2hrs. I climbed a little higher than 4000ft though, 5000msl. I think I got everything down to standards anyway, always room for improvement, stalls are much easier with the proper amount of rudder.

I was really proud of my emergency descent, and it really hammered home just how much difference a couple thousand feet make. I had time to look over the emergency checklist, select my field, check out the scenery, count the horses in another field, count the hay rolls in another, laugh at the Alabamans in a Bonanza who wanted to do a Niagara Falls tour but didn't know the procedure, the frequencies, and couldn't seem to understand Buffalo Approach. Must have been a language barrier :lol: Is it bad form to shout "RIGHT PATTERN! 3500 FEET! 122.05, ZERO FIVE, NO NOT POINT FIVE, POINT ZERO FIVE! Jeebus. Anyway it was good. Mock checkride tomorrow.

Total time: 45.9hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - BQR
Total time with instructor: :00
Billed instructor time: :00
Hobbs time 1.2hrs
Tach time .9hrs
Fuel used 6.9g
 
eMKay said:
Better weather today, so I did what was outlined in this post http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showpost.php?p=742232&postcount=132 which worked out very well, did all that plus power off stalls and some extra steep turns, switched the pattern practice to S turns, with a 25 mile commute, and an extra full stop, taxi back landing in 1.2hrs. I climbed a little higher than 4000ft though, 5000msl. I think I got everything down to standards anyway, always room for improvement, stalls are much easier with the proper amount of rudder.

I was really proud of my emergency descent, and it really hammered home just how much difference a couple thousand feet make. I had time to look over the emergency checklist, select my field, check out the scenery, count the horses in another field, count the hay rolls in another, laugh at the Alabamans in a Bonanza who wanted to do a Niagara Falls tour but didn't know the procedure, the frequencies, and couldn't seem to understand Buffalo Approach. Must have been a language barrier :lol: Is it bad form to shout "RIGHT PATTERN! 3500 FEET! 122.05, ZERO FIVE, NO NOT POINT FIVE, POINT ZERO FIVE! Jeebus. Anyway it was good. Mock checkride tomorrow.

Total time: 45.9hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - BQR
Total time with instructor: :00
Billed instructor time: :00
Hobbs time 1.2hrs
Tach time .9hrs
Fuel used 6.9g
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Thanks for posting this. I need 1.2 hours (solo) and I could do something similar, though I still haven't decided if I want to do stalls alone and emergency landings down to a field, or if that is even allowed. I will do them one day I'm sure, or hire a CFI to do them with me.

Kimberly
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Thanks for posting this. I need 1.2 hours (solo) and I could do something similar, though I still haven't decided if I want to do stalls alone and emergency landings down to a field, or if that is even allowed. I will do them one day I'm sure, or hire a CFI to do them with me.

Kimberly
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Stalls alone, ask your CFI, I did a few more with him before I was comfortable doing them on my own. I didn't do an emergency landing in a field of course, just a descent to about 800agl, which of course is allowed.
 
Today was mock checkride #1, with a different instructor, and what a crazy 1.6 hours it was, packing everything into that time was a little overwhelming. It was very cool to fly with someone different and see a different teaching style though, although I don't think I could handle it on each flight. He gives much more detail than my CFI, felt like too much but that might just be because we had a lot to cover.

Basically what we did was all the maneuvers that would be done on a checkride, he explains what the examiner wants to see, and tells me what areas I need to improve. He said all the basics were there, I just need to polish and smooth everything out. Which we will do on future mock checkrides with my CFI, so that it's routine and I know what to expect.

Total time: 47.5hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - GVQ - BQR
Total time with instructor: 2:45
Billed instructor time: 2:00
Hobbs time 1.6hrs
Tach time 1.2hrs
Fuel used 9.7g
 
OK! Now on to the fun stuff, first 1.8 of solo cross country in the bank, KBQR to KELZ. Beautiful day, of course the clouds were a little lower than forecast so I could not get up to my planned cruising altitude of 5500, highest I could go was 4000 on the way there and 4500 on the way back. They were lifting quickly. I actually had to duck down to 3500 over Rushford lake (which was about 1300 AGL) I had plenty of room to go left or right around the lower clouds but also had room to go under, I was being very conservative and probably could have stuck to my altitude but was playing it safe.

After departing KBQR I was a little nervous about being handed off to Cleveland center expecting a very busy frequency but instead found a very calm, bored sounding controller and not much traffic, a lot less busy than Buffalo Approach. Just jets going around way above me. On the way back the same controller must have thrown out the printout Buffalo Approach would have sent him because he had a lot of trouble with my callsign, which is a mouthfull "Cessna niner six seven niner hotel" say that 10 times fast, or maybe he couldn't hear me well.

Anyway this is way more fun than pattern work, 2 more x-country flights left then checkride prep! I also got to claim the airport for "operation: fly"

Total time: 49.3hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - ELZ - BQR
Total time with instructor: :15
Billed instructor time: :15
Hobbs time 1.8hrs
Tach time 1.4hrs
Fuel used 10.8g
 
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Reached the 50 hour mark! Short flight today just to get some tower practice before my last solo cross country flights, then a weight and balance ground lesson. I did 3 stop and goes at IAG, tomorrow I do the long solo x-country, I have 1.8 hours now, I'm going to try and do all the rest tomorrow, KBQR-KPEO-KIAG for 3 full stop landings at a towered airport and maybe eat lunch, then a scenic Falls tour (done it before, easy) then back to KBQR, I might be able to do it.

Total time: 50.3hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - IAG - BQR
Total time with instructor: 2:15
Billed instructor time: 2:00
Hobbs time 1.0hrs
Tach time .8hrs
Fuel used 5.6g
 
All major requirements done, only thing left is an additional 1.7hrs foggle time, and we can do that during checkride practice. I flew the route I outlined yesterday, along with some sightseeing and extra landings at BQR, I really need the extra practice at my home airport, it is the airport I've done the most landings at but it's also the trickiest one, if the winds are anything above 8kts, doesn't matter what direction, it's hard. It can be smooth as glass until you get to tree height, then you get tossed around.

Anyway the trip went perfectly, 5500 feet ABOVE a few clouds on the way out, first time I've done that, but the cover thickened up and I had to fly 4000 on down to 3500 on the way back.

The Finger Lakes, beautiful
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Total time: 53.5hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - PEO - IAG - BQR
Total time with instructor: :15
Billed instructor time: :15
Hobbs time 3.2hrs
Tach time 2.5hrs
Fuel used 17.84g
 
Thanks for the photos, and keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to flying up to KITH some day after I get my ticket.
 
Today was more foggle time and unusual attitudes, that part was fun, pretty easy, reduce power, straighten the wings, then level off when diving, add power, straighten the wings, level off when climbing. We also practiced short and soft fields, I finally got the soft field takeoff right. Everything else is getting more natural. I'm going to be taking the written test next week

Total time: 55.3hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - GVQ - BQR
Total time with instructor: 2:30
Billed instructor time: 2:00
Hobbs time 1.8hrs
Tach time 1.4hrs
Fuel used 10.7g
 
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I really like your stats at the bottom of each post (hours etc). I subscribe to this thread and enjoy watching you progress, you seem really into flying! I hope it all comes together for you and that you get your certificate without a hitch.

Kimberly
 
Today was unique, the club needed to pick up one of the Archers that got a significant avionics upgrade from Jamestown, it got a 430, autopilot, new vor and glideslope, and new secondary radio. I was left seat in the 172, with my instructor right seat, and the club president in the back seat, and he's a husky one, so after the weight and balance calculations we were at 2299.62 LBS, 2300lb gross weight! The plane sure handles differently at full gross, I joked that it felt like I was hauling livestock.

The weather was really iffy too, thunderstorms popping up along the route but otherwise very smooth. Buffalo Approach kept us updated on the cell locations the entire trip, as we were 20 miles from Jamestown I can't see more than 5 miles in front of me, Buffalo, Weatherbug, and Foreflight showed a cell over JHW that was not moving fast enough (3g was working great there) so while my instructor and the club prez were chatting about what to do (keep heading toward JHW and turn back if we can't maintain VFR, or just land at Dunkirk and wait it out) I clicked the mike, told Buffalo we were diverting, and that we had the airport in sight, began the descent, and greased the landing. I wasn't flying into that. It turns out that's exactly what my instructor (he also happens to be the vice prez) wanted to do but wasn't going to say anything, he wanted me to make the decision on my own. So we landed, taxied back, waited about 5 minutes, and took off again. It was clear at Jamestown by the time we landed.

Then I got to fly the Archer back, we got to play with the autopilot and the 430 (way cool!) and I greased my first Archer landing (2 greased landings in a row? first time for that too). A very fun day, and a good lesson too.

Total time: 57.2hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - DKK - JHW - BQR
Total time with instructor: 3:00
Billed instructor time: 2:00
Hobbs time 1.1hrs (C172) .8hrs (PA-28-181)
Tach time not sure in the 172, .65 in the Archer
Fuel used 1.1g(was the fuel I paid for)
 
Some pics, since with an autopilot I had time to take some! This is now out best equipped plane, please forgive the 70's color scheme, I think this plane had a TT of something crazy like 700hrs when bought, it's like new inside. The club bought it from the original owner last year.
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Look ma, no hands!
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On the way home, more buildups
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Is it odd that THIS is my dream lottery winning plane? A Caravan? I don't need to fly fast, and this can carry most things I can think of anywhere :)
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Another cool plane at Jamestown
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The Cessna is down with a bad alternator so yesterdays flight was cancelled, today we took the 140 up to KIAG and I took my written, and the buzz about it being much harder now is right. I took a bunch of practice tests and scored between 82 and 90, and that was with baseball on, making food, getting an insulation estimate and a roofing estimate. In the actual test room with the real test, 72. I've never scored less than an 85 on any test i've actually studied for in my life. Now I have to review what I got wrong, a lot of questions I've never seen before and not a lot on things I expected.

Total time: 58.2hrs
Aircraft: 1971 Piper Cherokee 140
Route: BQR - IAG - BQR
Total time with instructor: 4:00
Billed instructor time: 2:30
Hobbs time 1.0
Tach time .6
Fuel used 5.2
 
So, did studying with the usual practice tests help at all?
 
Jeanie said:
So, did studying with the usual practice tests help at all?
Click to expand...

Yes and no. If I had studied more I would have gotten some of the iffy questions right and passed with a larger margin. But there were a lot of questions I've never seen before, and in the past what I've heard, is if you had a good study guide, you would have seen every question. But that's not the case any more.

It's a combination of my overconfidence and the newer test. I'm a book learner so if I read it, I usually remember it and I take tests very well. So I went in confident I knew the material better than I really do. I mean I know it enough to "pass" the FAA's test but I'm not satisfied with that at all.
 
Well damn, it's about time right? It's been almost a full month since my last real training flight, I flew with the club to pick up the Archer and once more in the 140 to take my written but since August 16th since I did any maneuvers in the Cessna, and it shows! Today we did most of a checkride, so steep urns, ground ref maneuvers, foggles, unusual attitudes, and the landings. All my flying was fine but my stomach was not! Flying is really something you must do often if you are like me and have a weak stomach. Had to cut it short. We are back up tomorrow and Friday, and as long as we get all the foggle time done (need another hour) Friday my instructor will call the DPE and schedule my checkride, possibly next Saturday.

Oh, I had the most awesome short field landing ever, my CFI just said "Wow".

Total time: 59.5hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - BQR
Total time with instructor: 2:00
Billed instructor time: 1:30
Hobbs time 1.3hrs
Tach time 1.0hrs
Fuel used 7.4g _____________
 
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eMKay said:
Well damn, it's about time right? It's been almost a full month since my last real training flight, I flew with the club to pick up the Archer and once more in the 140 to take my written but since August 16th since I did any maneuvers in the Cessna, and it shows! Today we did most of a checkride, so steep urns, ground ref maneuvers, foggles, unusual attitudes, and the landings. All my flying was fine but my stomach was not! Flying is really something you must do often if you are like me and have a weak stomach. Had to cut it short. We are back up tomorrow and Friday, and as long as we get all the foggle time done (need another hour) Friday my instructor will call the DPE and schedule my checkride, possibly next Saturday.

Total time: 59.5hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - BQR
Total time with instructor: 2:00
Billed instructor time: 1:30
Hobbs time 1.3hrs
Tach time 1.0hrs
Fuel used 7.4g _____________
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Congratulations, and keep us posted. So cool to see a lot of pilots going for their checkride. It was fun to watch your lessons and read about your journey. Hoping you will keep posting after you are a pilot. My first two flights were both more amazing than I'd ever thought they could be - mostly because of that "new pilot" feeling.
 
Just came across this thread...excellent videos and great writing style! I see you are flying out of Lancaster. I found myself in the area last year, after arriving on a late-night commercial flight into BUF. Didn't feel like driving 4 hours home after being crammed in a CRJ all day, so I spent the night in Buffalo. Having nowhere I needed to be the next morning, I called up Bob Miller and asked if I could stop by and check out his operation at BQR. He said sure. At that time, I had about 15 hours of instruction, and still wasn't sure if I wanted to go PP or sport pilot.

So I met up with one of his guys and we took an hour flight in their LSA (which was before they got the 162). Flew around, over Darien Lake, did some landings. It was a blast...and I still remember those winds there descending through the treeline!

I ended up doing finishing my PP closer to home, but BQR did seem like a nice little airport.

Hope you keep us updated on your progress.
 
Similar flight to yesterday, except my stomach didn't complain at all, and we added a couple nasty crosswind landings. Also during the foggle work he added VOR tracking, radio communication, and programming the GPS. Basically we spent the entire time we were away from the pattern under foggles. Just need .4 more and I'll get that tomorrow, then the checkride gets scheduled, he says everything else is fine. I'll have a crosswind video and some foggle video too, and some where my CFI made me close my eyes and did some crazy maneuvers (a lot of crazy maneuvers, he just does it for fun!)

Total time: 60.9hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - BQR
Total time with instructor: 2:00
Billed instructor time: 1:30
Hobbs time 1.4hrs
Tach time 1.1hrs
Fuel used 7.9g
 
More practice, foggle time done, CFI is working on scheduling the checkride. I have 2 flights scheduled next week just to work on short and soft field landings. Checkride time all depends on the DPE's availability right now, he's in the middle of 777 training. Hopefully next Saturday.

Here is the video I promised yesterday

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150279939326486

Total time: 62.4hrs
Aircraft: 1976 Cessna 172M
Route: BQR - BQR
Total time with instructor: 2:00
Billed instructor time: 1:30
Hobbs time 1.5hrs
Tach time 1.0hrs
Fuel used 8.5g
 
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