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sessionthree

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Sep 13, 2011
Messages
12
Location
KINT, North Carolina
Display Name
Display name:
Clayton
Hi all!

I just thought I would post with a quick introduction since I'm new here.

I got my private pilot's license back in 2002 when I lived in NW Arkansas and flew about 3 times during the first month after that. However, I graduated grad school immediately after that and moved around a few times in the next few years after that and never kept current with my flying.

I have now lived in North Carolina for about 7.5 years, and I decided about a month ago that I need to get back into flying. There happens to be a guy I work with that works part time for a local flight school, so he is helping me become current again (effectively making it a multiple session flight review.) I'm really enjoying it, and I'm so glad I decided to get back on the saddle.

I flew a Cessna 172R (and occasionally 172N) back when I was flying in Arkansas. I am now flying a Piper PA-28-180 (Archer 1).

I'm glad I found these forums, and I can already tell I'm going to learn a lot from reading the posts here. I also hope that one day I'll be able to contribute as well.

-Clayton
 
Hey, that's great that you are flying again and Welcome to POA.
 
Welcome to POA. Flying is awesome. You will love this website. I've only had two flights so far as a private pilot but they were fun.
 
nddons said:
Welcome, Clayton!

I earned my PPL in Monroe, NC. If you are looking for variety in aircraft to rent, you may wish to look at this club: http://www.flycarolina.com/acrental/fleet.asp

Their closest airport to Greensboro is Concord. Not too convenient, but not too far as to be out of the question.
Click to expand...

Wow, thanks for the heads up. They are a little too far for me (I live north of the Piedmont Triad area making it even a little further), but they look like a really nice club with a lot of options.

-Clayton
 
Welcome Clayton! You can contribute anytime you want, there are no currency requirements here!
 
sessionthree said:
Hi all!

I just thought I would post with a quick introduction since I'm new here.

I got my private pilot's license back in 2002 when I lived in NW Arkansas and flew about 3 times during the first month after that. However, I graduated grad school immediately after that and moved around a few times in the next few years after that and never kept current with my flying.

I have now lived in North Carolina for about 7.5 years, and I decided about a month ago that I need to get back into flying. There happens to be a guy I work with that works part time for a local flight school, so he is helping me become current again (effectively making it a multiple session flight review.) I'm really enjoying it, and I'm so glad I decided to get back on the saddle.

I flew a Cessna 172R (and occasionally 172N) back when I was flying in Arkansas. I am now flying a Piper PA-28-180 (Archer 1).

I'm glad I found these forums, and I can already tell I'm going to learn a lot from reading the posts here. I also hope that one day I'll be able to contribute as well.

-Clayton
Click to expand...

Welcome,,,,,,, with a big caution:

every thing you read here is some bodies opinion.

This page hold the world internet record for the greatest amount of thread drift in the shortest possible post count.
 
Welcome,

I'm not too far from you, home is Raleigh but I fly out of KTTA
 
Thanks for the welcome, all.

I'm now at 4 hours (three times up) since trying to get back up to speed over the last few weeks. It seems like each time up, I do worse than the time before. (Landings today were pretty crappy, but I blame it on the low level turbulence we had around here!) Luckily, the CFI that is working with me is being patient with me.

These are a few problems I'm having right now...

1) Trouble with consistent landings. Of the 9 landings I've done since flying again, probably 2 of them were "good". The other 7 were the kind that would have been worthy of an apology to passengers had they had been with me. :) "Sorry about that, hope you didn't bump your head too hard." Ok, they haven't been THAT bad, but still...

2) Radio fright. When I earned my PPL in 2002, I flew out of a class D airspace and only flew to class C a couple of times. KGSO which I am flying out of now is a class C and has been a little intimidating for me radio wise. I don't really know why. I know how I should be talking to them and what to expect theory wise, but I seem to get radio fright just at the moment that I need to call them up. Ugh.. it actually embarrasses me since my flight instructor when I was earning my PPL used to talk about how professional I sounded on the radio. It's definitely not one of my strong suits anymore. I guess it'll take more time to get back into the groove.

3) Tensing up. This one is probably contributing to the first two. I guess it's to be expected after not being in the cockpit for so long, but I just don't feel as comfortable as I use to and it's making me tense up a bit. The CFI that is re-aquainting me with flying says that my flying is actually very good for being gone so long when it comes to maneuvers and pattern work, etc. But I think that tenseness is really hampering my ability to gracefully land like I remember doing by the time I received my PPL.

I'm only at 4 hours of flying since getting back into it. This is effectively my flight review that I'm getting and I've read that about 1 hour of review for every year of not flying was a good rule of thumb. Since I didn't fly for 9 years, I'm not even half way into that "review" process, so maybe things will shape up a little better after a few more times up. Either way, I know that my CFI will not sign me off until he knows I'm completely comfortable again (and neither would I want him, too.)

Another issue is that this is just something else for me to fork money out for (I have a couple of other hobbies that have been expensive for me, but not as much as flying fortunately.) Overall, though, I'm really glad to be getting back in it.

Sorry for rambling. Those were just a few thoughts after a somewhat discouraging flight today. I need the next one to go better. :)
 
Buck up, old boy. The first time you take a real trip again, you'll remember why you love it so much.

Welcome to Pilots of America - Aviation's Front Porch!
 
SCCutler said:
Buck up, old boy. The first time you take a real trip again, you'll remember why you love it so much.

Welcome to Pilots of America - Aviation's Front Porch!
Click to expand...

Oh, don't get me wrong. I am definitely loving it! Just ask my wife and coworkers.. it's all I talked about back then, and it's all I've been talking about lately!
 
Clayton, it sounds to me as if you have your head screwed on straight. It's been a while since you've flown, and it'll take a few hours yet before you're comfortable again. But you knew that! :) Doesn't sound as if you'd have killed everyone in any of your landings, and the plane would probably have been reusable, so they were great landings!
 
sessionthree said:
1) Trouble with consistent landings. Of the 9 landings I've done since flying again, probably 2 of them were "good". The other 7 were the kind that would have been worthy of an apology to passengers had they had been with me. :) "Sorry about that, hope you didn't bump your head too hard." Ok, they haven't been THAT bad, but still...
Click to expand...
2 out if 9 is a pretty good ratio. As long as the airplane is reusable.

One of these days I probably ought to learn how to make decent landings.
 
Welcome back! Lots of us a "re-treads"... I was gone from flying for 8 years. Life happens. :)
 
I apologize for bumping an old thread, but...

7.9 hours after being away for 9 years, I'm now completed signed off to fly on my own again! The past few times up, everything just seemed effortless. (I ended up switching to KINT as my home airport and renting from a different flight school due to some logistical issues, but it all worked out in the end.)

My plan is to continue VFR flying for fun for a few months and get started on my IFR rating after the new year. I'm pumped up and ready to go!

-Clayton
 
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