Woohoo!
Lesson #2 today and it was a good one. Fletch let me take a couple of pretty big bites to chew on. That was sort of frustrating after my first lesson; going through several days of processing what we'd covered, and we hadn't really done anything yet. Today was much different...
We had 15kt Kona (SW) winds at the airport, and were using RWY 02 instead of the usual 20. Here at Maui we get basically 3 kinds of wind: Tradewinds (NW to NE) about 320 days a year, Kona winds (SW to SE) a few days of the year and no wind rarely but occasionally. Since we were using RWY 02, we only had to taxi a few hundred yards to the takeoff point.
I was able to do my preflight do and check lists and aircraft walk-around pretty quick after my orientation last week. Got the engine started and ran down to get some gas, Fletch let me taxi to the pumps, I'm getting used to the differential braking steering used on the Aerobat.
ATIS reported wind at 060 at 15kts, slightly cross to RWY 02 so we got clearance to taxi, were basically there already so requested takeoff clearance, which was granted from taxiway K immediately. Fletch let me handle the takeoff completely. Power to full, slight right rudder correction for left turn tendencies, airspeed to 55 then rotate. Pitch for 75kts and climb to 1000'. Tower acknowledged squawk and directed us to a heading of 065 for the Kihei practice area, great!
I still have the airplane and we fly over to Kihei. Our lesson today is on slow flight. As we approached Kihei I reduced power to 2000rpm and began to slow the airplane. Inside the white arc I deploy flaps, 10 degrees at a time, managing the buoyancy with each increase in flaps. At full flaps, 2000rpm, we're straight and level and maintaining about 55-60kts. At this point we were right under a long cumulus cloud and getting rolled all over the place in each thermal feeding the cloud. As slow as we were, I wanted to throw the thing in a turn and pull back on the yoke and see if we could thermal the Aerobat to cloudbase (I think you could with big enough a thermal), but decided to stick with my lesson ;)
The airplane flies slow great! I was surprised at how easy it was, having read other student's difficulties with slow flight maneuvers. Using power settings I was able to maintain altitude at 1500' and 50-55kt airspeed. We flew some 10 degree turns, which required just a little more power to hold altitude. Piece of cake.
Fletch told me I was doing much better than he had his first time at slow flight.
We practiced some climbs and descents, flying with reverse input. Pitch down a little to keep from getting too slow, apply power, begin to climb. Climb a few hundred feet and level off with a slight pitch up and reduction in power. Descents are the same, pitch back to manage airspeed, power back to just a little over idle and descend a few hundred feet. Level off by applying more power and pitching forward a little.
Reverse input: pull back to go down (slow), pitch forward to climb (fast).
GREAT! That was fun!
Next we did a few power off stalls, OMG...this was FUN!! We climbed to about 2000' and got slow. Then Fletch has me cut power to idle and hold altitude with pitch. The prop is so slow I can see it spinning in front of us and I've got the yoke in my chest, stall horn blaring. Finally the nose wags left and I apply right rudder to keep us straight, then it breaks. The nose drops, I apply full power and as we gain airspeed pitch for level.
My first one I lost 90 degrees of heading, not anticipating the yaw motion. But after we practiced a few, I got more comfortable with the rudder and was able to fully stall the airplane and recover without losing more than a 5 degree heading deviation.
Again, Fletch applauded my first efforts at power off stalls.
Fletch demonstrated a power on stall and THAT was pretty fun. All that torque caused us to way drop the left wing (my side of the airplane) as it broke, giving me a great view of the ocean and the horizon behind us as we gained airspeed.
Fletch was very pleased with my progress and said that since I was grasping everything so well, we'd keep going. He let me fly some steep turns. I was glad to be back at cruising speed and flew straight and level, 80kt cruise down the coast toward Makena. 45 degree left bank and enough left rudder to kick the ball back between the white lines and hold. Little opposite aileron and back pressure to counter the progressive bank and keep our altitude. Keep going through 360 degrees. Roll out. Perfect. I kept the altitude within 100' of my assigned altitude and rolled out on my heading precisely.
As we started a steep 360 to the right, Fletch told me this one is always harder. He was right, I was all over the place! Too much right aileron, we're at 60 degree bank, back it off...oops, too much, rolling through 180 degrees at 30 degree bank and I lost 200'. More bank, back pressure, too much..I gain 200'. Roll out on heading...not at all what I wanted.
We practiced those a few more times and I can see that right steep turns are going to take some practice, but I'll be able to nail them eventually.
That was enough for one day. Airplane back in a slow configuration: 2000rpm, 70kt cruise and back toward the airport. Fletch let me talk to the controllers a little as we flew back toward the pattern. This was my first pattern!! I got clearance to enter pattern for 45 degree left downwind and remember having a hard time visualizing the turns. Everything was backwards! Once established on my downwind at 800' I got it. Tower alerted us of traffic, which I saw as we flew past the tower. I slowed down, dropped 10 degrees of flaps and powered up to maintain 800'.
I brought in more flaps as we turned onto base and it was at this point that I realized I was still flying the plane and the Fletch was going to let me land the airplane! Base to final at 500', 30 degrees of flaps, adjusting power to maintain GS on the PAPI. Wind is coming off the houses on the beach and tossing us back and forth. I just kept the wings level, airspeed at 65-70kts and power for a -500fpm descent. Crossed the threshold, still flying the plane. I was so focussed on rounding out low that I forgot to throttle back. Fletch reminded me to set power to idle, as I did the left wheel touched and bounced a little. As we settled back in I pulled back just a touch and we gently touched down. Braked a little and turned off at taxiway K.
Fantastic lesson.
1 hour in the logbook with one takeoff, one landing.
Posted by johnpeace at November 25, 2003 01:16 PM