Today was pretty fun. I took an airplane out and went flying...by myself here on Maui. The objective of the flight was to gain familiarity with solo operations and to practice maneuvers. In other words, just flying around burning av gas.
Weather was pretty ugly out to the north but nice to the south. My itinerary would include departure from Kahului to the south for maneuvering in 'area alpha' (Kihei) and then back to Kahului for pattern practice. After an uneventful preflight (I can't wait to get my checklist for the 152...waiting to see what I got/didn't get for Christmas to place my order to pilotmall.com), I called up departure and got clearance to the south.
Taxied past a bunch of beautiful jets on the ramp, shuttling rich people to Maui for Christmas no doubt, including a Citation X that was just gorgeous! As I was filling up with fuel and watching the line service guys unroll a red carpet at the bottom of the stairs of a Gulfstream, it dawned on me what a big responsibility taxiing the airplane around the ramp (much less flying it) is, you have to be responsible not to drive the airplane into a $20 million jet.
Fortunately, today was not my day to wreck an airplane, I taxied down to the runup area right on the centerline and then got clearance to cross runway 2 at echo and take taxiway alpha to the end. This was the first time I have launched from the end of runway 2. Out on the centerline, looking down the runway, you can barely even see the end of it..7000' of runway! The airport at Kona has an 11000' runway, big enough to land the space shuttle on! Guess I'll be over there pretty soon, have to remember to touch down long so I don't have to taxi a mile to fuel.
Lights, Camera, Action and liftoff. 165° and 1000' to Kihei and then I just sort of flew around. Practiced ground reference maneuvers and steep turns and after 20 minutes or so realized that I prefer doing that with an observer in the plane to at least talk to me about what I'm doing right or wrong. It was nice just being in the air, alone, listening to Maui Approach/Departure alert everyone to traffic. I flew down to Makena and back and then decided to head back for pattern practice.
Approach put me number 2 behind a 767, touch and go runway 2. The Boeing flew a 200KT long final, I puttered in behind him at full throttle doing 92KTs. Finally got in to the middle marker and pulled carb heat, power and flaps to land beautifully in a gusting 10° crosswind on runway 2. Powered up and rolled for a takeoff into runway 5's pattern.
It was great, in 5 landings on runway 5 I got all kinds of chances to follow ATC's directions and handle radio comms. With the exception of one request to say again (LOUD in the cockpit at full throttle on the takeoff roll) I did great. Landings were pretty good, smooth and on the centerline, and this in gusty light wind and HOT parking lots under final approach. When it's a little later in the day and you fly final over the rental car parking lots, there's usually a lot of turbulent, mixing air right there on the last 1/2 mile final or so. Makes holding a stabilized approach even more fun.
After 5 T&Gs ATC directed me to a full stop for an approaching jet. After braking I requested taxi to parking and was cleared for alpha -> foxtrot to the east ramp.
1.3 PIC
6 landings