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6/22/04 I Can Do Lazy Eights in the Trinidad, Finally! - I wasn't going to quit tonight until I managed to do an entire lazy eight correctly in the Trinidad. Something just wasn't working, all this time. I just couldn't get it. Tonight I experimented a little and finally realized what I was doing wrong. I had been trying to rush the maneuver and not letting the plane do enough of the work itself. It felt awesome to do a series of lazy eights and have the numbers come out right! I was so relieved. I finally made it over a difficult learning plateau. This was the last big hurdle in the way of my commercial checkride. Next I will practice solo a little more to make sure I still have the touch.
6/25/04 Short Flight, Two Sunsets, and Night Currency - Tonight didn't go quite right but I made the best of it. I had to bring the first Trinidad back immediately after takeoff when I got an indication of high oil pressure. Things seemed okay but I thought I'd play it safe. That was a quick 0.4 hours, mostly spent on the ground! I thought of calling it a night, but found someone to help me get the other Trinidad out. By the time I took off in the second Trinidad, the sun was setting. The sun went just below the horizon as I rolled down the runway. Then, after I got to 4,500 feet, I saw it set again! You can literally watch the sun set twice in one night this way. I did a few maneuvers but darkness set in fast, so I returned to the airport. I still didn't feel like I accomplished much. I decided to wait until an hour after sunset and then get night current. I hadn't been night current in a long time. I had never flown the Trinidad in total darkness, either. But it wasn't difficult, and I did three good takeoffs and landings. Total logged tonight: 1.6 hours.
6/28/04 Quick Trinidad Flight - The weather was nice this evening. I went flying in the Trinidad again. On the way to where I practiced a couple maneuvers, I caught a glimpse of the Grand Excursion celebration in Dubuque. I logged 0.8 hours.
6/29/04 Confident About Maneuvers - Okay, no more solo practice, I've decided. Tonight I decided I can do a good job with the commercial maneuvers without needing a lot of luck. I practiced lazy eights and eights on pylons, which are the only two things I tended to have trouble with before. I also did some steep turns and challeneged myself to do a short-field landing. |
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