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Hornsareus

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Been still going to my PPL lessons since my last post. Been really trying to hammer down on landings and have been doing a touch n go’s at Lockhart. Sucks because New Braunfels isn’t allowing them at the moment because they’re short on Controllers due to COVID is what I was told. So spending more time flying  to Lockhart from New Braunfels to do less landings isn’t the best way to spend money.

Feel I’m getting pretty close to putting it all together. The first time I really wasn’t trusting ground effect and was pulling back too soon in landings. Patterns were generally too high on approach to final. Not fully letting the throttle out either. Sometimes the wheels are jumping off the ground and not sticking. Been fine tuning the last couple days and hoping to put it all together today.

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23 hours ago, Longhornmaniac8 said:

Doing touch and goes at ABIA is usually not that difficult, even in normal times.

Probably a nice view at night though.

[CSB] I did my first night flight the night (CST) that Desert Storm air raids began.  Got to do a touch and go at Hobby with a SWA jet holding short for me.  Easiest landing ever.  That runway was huge and lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree. [/CSB]

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/14/2020 at 4:36 PM, Ths71 said:

 

 

 


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Shit--watching that makes me realize there are a lot of airlines that are just going to retire the 744s in their fleet rather than bringing them back.  Apart from Lufthansa with their 748i, we may have seen the last of the Queen of the Skies in the United States.

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18 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

Shit--watching that makes me realize there are a lot of airlines that are just going to retire the 744s in their fleet rather than bringing them back.  Apart from Lufthansa with their 748i, we may have seen the last of the Queen of the Skies in the United States.

There’s still room for her with the ACMI’s, and UPS is laying their hands on as many 747-8’s as they can.

But in that same vein of thought you’re about to see the 757-767-772 rapidly exit stage left as mainline aircraft. 

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They actually flew close to me as well, as I was on top of the Holocaust Museum parking garage. I videoed the whole thing and only took pics as they were departing.

WWII flyover looks cool.

I was supposed to be leaving for DC today to take Jr. to the Arsenal of Democracy flyover followed by meeting some vets and checking out some museums. Maybe in September...

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Anyone know more about this one? 

Quote

The pilot of a single-engine Cessna 210 died Thursday when the plane crashed in Burleson about a mile south of Fort Worth Spinks Airport, authorities said.

The aircraft burned after its impact about 3:15 p.m. near Stone Road and Abner Lee Drive.

Preliminary information suggested that the pilot was the only person on board, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said.

The pilot, whose gender and age authorities could not determine, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

 

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AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be honoring frontline COVID-19 responders and essential workers with flights over San Antonio and Austin on May 12.

“We are honored to extend our gratitude to Texans in San Antonio and Austin who have been working hard to keep their communities strong,” said Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbirds commander and leader. “We want Texans to look up to see the display of American resolve and know that the American spirit will prevail beyond this difficult time in our nation.”


The San Antonio flyovers will start at 1:20 p.m. and last about 30 minutes. The Austin flyovers will begin at 2:30 p.m. and last about 25

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/air-force-thunderbirds-flying-over-austin-san-antonio/269-ef27e558-a9be-4715-8498-8bad409105b2

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6 hours ago, Updawg said:

AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be honoring frontline COVID-19 responders and essential workers with flights over San Antonio and Austin on May 12.

“We are honored to extend our gratitude to Texans in San Antonio and Austin who have been working hard to keep their communities strong,” said Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbirds commander and leader. “We want Texans to look up to see the display of American resolve and know that the American spirit will prevail beyond this difficult time in our nation.”


The San Antonio flyovers will start at 1:20 p.m. and last about 30 minutes. The Austin flyovers will begin at 2:30 p.m. and last about 25

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/air-force-thunderbirds-flying-over-austin-san-antonio/269-ef27e558-a9be-4715-8498-8bad409105b2

I've failed to find a route, please post if someone finds it.

19 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Sure hope I’m out of the day surgery recovery room and on the way home by 2:30.

Good luck Sir.

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Been struggling with landings. Had my pre solo checkride with another instructor today and she wouldn’t pass me cause of the landings. Both my instructor and her have pointed out that it feels like Im not landing centerline consistently and not controlling the plane on the final stretch to land with the rudders. I’m at about 22.5 hours now and I don’t think I’ve satisfied my instructor once with them, but he agreed to let me go for the check. Pattern work is good, communications are great, just the final 5-10 seconds I feel I’m fucking up. It’s almost like when I pull the throttle out to idle, that I’m giving up on the rudder at that point

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It'll come; stay with it. Honestly the instructor is there to make sure you don't bend metal. It's a "feel" thing that you'll get eventually so don't get discouraged. I haven't had landing since March 18th so I probably couldn't help anyway.

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1 hour ago, StassneyHorn said:

Been struggling with landings. Had my pre solo checkride with another instructor today and she wouldn’t pass me cause of the landings. Both my instructor and her have pointed out that it feels like Im not landing centerline consistently and not controlling the plane on the final stretch to land with the rudders. I’m at about 22.5 hours now and I don’t think I’ve satisfied my instructor once with them, but he agreed to let me go for the check. Pattern work is good, communications are great, just the final 5-10 seconds I feel I’m fucking up. It’s almost like when I pull the throttle out to idle, that I’m giving up on the rudder at that point

Been a while since I was in that state of mind, but some of the best advice I got was when you get on final, pick out your spot to land, fixate on it (when you're not doing an instrument scan) and fly the plane to it.  Also, if you find you have a death grip on the yoke, put a pencil underneath your fingers. 

Also, get after that rudder.  It's the most unnatural control point, especially on the ground, but rock that yaw back and forth to get the nose where you want it.

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1 hour ago, StassneyHorn said:

Been struggling with landings. Had my pre solo checkride with another instructor today and she wouldn’t pass me cause of the landings. Both my instructor and her have pointed out that it feels like Im not landing centerline consistently and not controlling the plane on the final stretch to land with the rudders. I’m at about 22.5 hours now and I don’t think I’ve satisfied my instructor once with them, but he agreed to let me go for the check. Pattern work is good, communications are great, just the final 5-10 seconds I feel I’m fucking up. It’s almost like when I pull the throttle out to idle, that I’m giving up on the rudder at that point

Don't beat yourself up.  There's always going to be something that needs work.  When the normal landings are nails it'll be the crosswinds.  When the crosswinds are easy it'll be the crosswinds in a new airplane.  When that's solid it'll be something else.  Might see if there's a skinnier runway nearby your instructor would be willing to take you to.  Nothing will make you focus on the centerline like a 40 or 50' wide runway where it's the centerline or the grass.  Years ago I used to take students to Taylor or Spicewood for that, if you're near Austin.  Taylor may have been expanded since then, but Spicewood is still crazy skinny.  

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11 hours ago, StassneyHorn said:

Yea I went out a few times to Lockhart what feels like a month ago when we first started those lessons and it was a mini adventure. Gonna hit it hard Tuesday and see what I can get under control

Something else to try: do low approaches. I think students get so fixated on landing they forget how much control they still have. Go out with an instructor and have them work the power so that you're basically doing slow flight down the runway. That way all you have to do is focus on controlling the yoke, and making those corrections to maintain centerline. As you start feeling those control inputs, you'll start building muscle memory. Then when it comes time to actually land, you'll still do the same things.

But you need to create an environment where you're not focused on those last "5-10 seconds." If you know you're not landing, you'll be more inclined to keep flying the plane.

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I had an instructor note my getting sloppy with regard to centerline etc. on my landings and he started betting me a coke based on the outcome of the matter. Just a little skin in the game made me focus all the more, because I didn’t want to buy him the soda. 

And it’s not like we don’t all need a little clean up at times. I had been flying private jets professionally for a number of years when a check pilot and friend mentioned that I had a tendency to line up on the right side of the runway and work my way to centerline as I got close on my visual approaches. He was right. It happens. 

Good luck. Also, remember that nowhere does it say you have to solo by a certain number of hours be it 10, 15, 20 or whatever. I frequently continued with the dual instruction part of the syllabus until both the student and I agreed that they were ready to solo. They kept learning, and we checked that box when it was appropriate, and not on some low total hour goal. 

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Just found out from the son in law (my buddy) that it was IMC and he wasnt rated IFR.  Got spacial disorientation and flew it in to the ground at high speed. 

I think we may be connected IRL. I have been in this plane on several occasions. Very sad all around. Maybe I saw you yesterday at the memorials.
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Went non qualified as of midnight last night. Longest I've gone in almost 30 years without flying. The training center slots appear full of people doing courses from the displacement bids, so I don't know when I'll go up there and do 3 bounces.

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