Recently Started Flight Training!

brettp2004

New member
I was suppose to solo again today but the plane wouldn't start! Got my stage 2 written test knocked out though and a little ground training.
 

brettp2004

New member
Flight #13. I was yet again suppose to solo but we only had about an hour and half to get it done. And we waited for about 30 minutes on a fuel truck. So instead we just flew the pattern for about 45 minutes at LIT. It was still pretty fun, we did some simulated soft field take off/ landings and a low approach. We also had to do some fancy pattern work to accommodate the ATC. Even got kudos from the tower on a very short final due to inboard traffic. To bad I didn't get to solo on lucky flight 13! Shooting for Monday on the solo now.
 

brettp2004

New member
Flight 14. Still haven't soloed!! All of the katanas were broke, so I got my wish and took up a Cessna 172. I really wanted to fly a Cessna just for comparison to the katana. It was very different, but much more comfortable. The seat is more comfortable, the cockpit is cooler, and it was strangely more comfortable having a yoke instead of a stick. Since it was only my first time flying it, I didn't feel as comfortable flying even though I was physically more comfortable. I also didn't want to get to comfortable flying it because I still have a lot of hours in the katana. We flew to Carlisle again and did a few touch and goes and came back. Nothing too exciting as far as the flight goes but it was a different experience. Another huge difference is the site picture, less horizon above the cowl and, it's a high wing! It was really strange being able to look out and see the ground, however it made it hard to keep track of the runway in the pattern because you can't see much while in a bank. Even though it wasn't a solo, it was still a great flight. I'll be seeing more of the Cessna when it comes time for my instrument rating.
 

ExperimentalRC

Senior Member
Flight 14. Still haven't soloed!! All of the katanas were broke, so I got my wish and took up a Cessna 172. I really wanted to fly a Cessna just for comparison to the katana. It was very different, but much more comfortable. The seat is more comfortable, the cockpit is cooler, and it was strangely more comfortable having a yoke instead of a stick. Since it was only my first time flying it, I didn't feel as comfortable flying even though I was physically more comfortable. I also didn't want to get to comfortable flying it because I still have a lot of hours in the katana. We flew to Carlisle again and did a few touch and goes and came back. Nothing too exciting as far as the flight goes but it was a different experience. Another huge difference is the site picture, less horizon above the cowl and, it's a high wing! It was really strange being able to look out and see the ground, however it made it hard to keep track of the runway in the pattern because you can't see much while in a bank. Even though it wasn't a solo, it was still a great flight. I'll be seeing more of the Cessna when it comes time for my instrument rating.
Now you're making me feel spoiled because all of my training with be in either a Cessna 172 or 152
 

brettp2004

New member
Flight #15. Finally got to solo!! I'm pretty excited about it. Almost couldn't get the plane started, but it finally started up and we flew to Carlisle. Did one touch and go and then stopped to let my instructor out. Once we got all my logbook endorsements signed, I taxied back out and took off. I was little nervous not having that training wheel but I did two touch and goes and a full stop without breaking anything! The winds were kind of gusty and on the second landing it almost blew me off the runway. I'm still trying to find that sweet spot in the rudder. I feel like I can't give it enough right rudder to stay on the center line but then all of sudden it's too much and wants to run off the runway on the right. Did a full stop on the third landing and picked my instructor back up and flew back. We also did a simulated engine failure on the way out to Carlisle. I'm beginning to get all the procedures memorized and only have to look at the checklist for verification. Once we got back I got my shirt tail cut off as is tradition. The tradition goes back to WW1 when the instructor would sit behind the student and since there was no communication and an open canopy, talking was pretty much impossible. Instead, the instructor would hold on to the students shirt tail like reigns on a horse. They would pull the direction they wanted the student to go. Once the student soloed, he no longer needed his shirt tail. Pretty neat tradition and the instructor generally signs the shirt tail and gives it back to the student. Apparently, I was the first of my instructors students to solo. Pictures to follow.
 

brettp2004

New member
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brettp2004

New member
Flight #16. I've been out of town for a week and got to fly again today. The weather wasn't very good so we just stayed in the pattern at Little Rock. The winds were gusting up to 18knts and were shifting around which made for good crosswind practice. We landed on every runway and did every traffic pattern possible. Last time we did that I was extremely confused and didn't know which runway was which. This time I was very comfortable and ready for any wrench the ATC threw at me. We also practiced short field, and soft field take off/ landings.
 

brettp2004

New member
Flights 17 & 18. I flew twice today, but it was already a good day before I even got into the plane. I walked outside and there were three F18s parked right in front of our planes. They looked huge compared to the Cessnas and Katanas.

The first flight was to two new airports I haven't been to. Saline county and pine bluff. We did a few landings at each of those and did a practice check ride. My next flight should be my stage 1 check ride which is where I'll fly with a different instructor who will evaluate me on different maneuvers like slow flight, stalls and the different landings. After that we flew back and my family met me at the airport for lunch.

The second flight was also to a new airport, Hot Springs. It was pretty busy so we only did one landing and then flew out to lake Ouachita. It was riddled with boats so we had to stay 500ft over the water, but it was still a great flight. We cruised around the lake for a good while and then headed back. It was also one of the first flights with plenty of clouds to dodge, which was fun.

Can anyone tell me how to keep these picture from showing upside down? I tried turning them on my ipad and then posting them but that didn't work either...
 

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I usually lock the orientation for in-flight because the camera can get confused easily. Do they look correct on the device before you upload them? If so you might need to transfer them to a computer and rotate them.
 

brettp2004

New member
Flight 19 today. I've been on vacation so I haven't flown in a couple of weeks, but it's like riding a bike. I didn't feel as if I had forgotten anything. I had my stage check flight today with a different instructor which went smooth. Just did a few maneuvers and a few landings. I'm hoping to be done with my private cert. in less than a month. Time is running out for the school I'm going through.
 

Rc high flyer

New member
Realy cool love to hear more I want to be a commercial pilot and I am looking at a school named atp looks like a good program to me
 

brettp2004

New member
Flight #20 today. Really fun flight to Petit Jean statepark. We did a few landings there and then followed the Arkansas river back towards little rock. That's probably my favorite thing to do, fly about 40feet off the water and follow the river, banking with the bends in the river. Eventually we'd come to a bridge or dam, so we'd climb up a few hundred feet and come back down once we were past the bridge. I could definitely see myself as a bush pilot somewhere. Anyway, only about 14 flights left and my next two are solos. On one hand I'm looking forward to being done with my private cert. because it eats up a lot of my off time that I don't really have much off, but on the other hand I'm going to miss not having to pay for a plane to use!
 

brettp2004

New member
Flight 21 yesterday. It was supposed to be a solo but my instructor wanted to work on a few things to help prepare for my check ride. So after waiting for 45 minutes for gas, we stayed local and worked on slow flight, stalls, and short field landings. It was still fun though. I'm hoping to be done by the end of August.
 

brettp2004

New member
Flight #22 today. We flew from Little Rock to Searcy Municipal and then to Bald Knob (yes, that's the name of the town). We've been practicing short field take off and landings, and the runway at Bald Knob is pretty short, about 1800ft with fairly tall trees at both ends. I was able to land and stop on the runway, though the landing was a little rough. Taking off of a hot, high density altitude day from a short runway with trees at the end was interesting but we managed to clear them without much problem. We also practiced slow flight and stalls again. Next two flights will be solos, I'm definitely not any where near as nervous about these as I was my first solo.