As of this posting, we are little under 24-hours from when I'll be at the flight school pre-flighting 653KB to fly up to KRHP, God willing and after many prayers (and so far a lot of anxiety attacks) I'll be coming back as a licensed pilot.
Yesterday, I went up with another flight instructor (as mine was sick.) We were going to do a complete mock-checkride but weather decided to have it's own say in it. When I was preflighting the plane, I was looking to the SW towards Paulding and it was very dark, plus I was losing visibility also. I went to talk to the instructor about it, and he told me to get a standard weather briefing. By the time I was done it was drizzling and when I got back into the flight school it started to pour. So we waited it out for about 30 minutes when the rain moved out, but there was another system with low clouds behind. We decided to do some pattern work. Winds were at about 280 @ 3. We did a short field takeoff, with no issues. Short field landing, landed right before the numbers! Right on mark, but didn't do the normal breaking due to wet runway. Did a rolling 10 degree flaps take off. Next was a short field landing and took Bravo 3 off. When we were taxi'ing to the runway we got an advisory from ATC: winds shifted from 270 to 090 and is now gusting to 15 with sustained at 8. Well, that came out of nowhere.
To add to the shift of the winds, the clouds started to collapse on us. We couldn't even get to our breakaway altitude before we were in the clouds, so we did a right turn instead of left (as it would of taken us into the clouds) and had them chase us back to the runway. Another soft field landing with a crosswind nailed! I pray to God that I can nail those landings like that tomorrow, they were right one the dime! I was impressed with myself actually.
The one thing I still need work on is my ground reference maneuvers. I'm very concerned about those and think that will be what gets me busted.
Right now, weather is a bit of a concern. It looks like we will have IFR conditions for a portion of the day. If need-be, the flight instructor will fly up there, and hopefully by the time the Oral portion is completed the weather would have been broken.
Right now, the forecast is this:
KRYY – Showers before 11AM. High 68. Winds Northeast @ 5.
KRHP – Showers before Noon, otherwise cloudy. Highs 67. Winds East @ 5-10.
Oral doesn't start until 1PM.
In my earlier blog I mentioned how I wanted the winds. Well, winds out of the east means using runway 8. I've never done an approach on 8 before, but I'm trying to figure out how to enter it as it's a right traffic pattern, but it's in a valley. Do we overfly the airport's runway, and then enter at the 45? I'll talk to the instructor about this tomorrow.
Below is a map of the area. Red is the approach onto Runway 26. Blue is one route you can do to land on Runway 8. Yellow is the other route. After looking at it, it looks like Blue route may be the best, but that's a lot dropping of altitude and sharp turns to enter at the 45 angle. Will still talk to the instructor about it tomorrow. I really think I'm over thinking this.
Well, I have actually finished reading the Oral Prep book for the 4th time, so I'm done with it. Going to look over my cross-country and weight-and-balance, make sure that is done, pack my flight bag, and have a restful evening. No studying after 530PM. I need rest, both physical and mental.
Will report on what happens when I get back. In the mean time... Happy Flying!
Final Countdown Playlist
Well, like playing a sport; before the big game you want to pump yourself up. Many people do it by listening to their favorite song(s) or artist. So, here is my playlist for tomorrow in order of pumping-up-ness (1 getting you ready - 7 getting the blood pumping hard) :
- Exodus – Apollo 100
- Come On Eileen – Dixie's Midnight Runners
- Classical Wind – Apollo 100
- Our House - Madness
- Beetoven9 – Apollo 100
- Maniac – Michael Sembello
- Rhapsody In Rock – Apollo 100
Rhapsody In Rock; I listen a lot usually before flying, but I think tomorrow I'll need an extra boost. By the way, if you know who Apollo 100 is, you get 20 Extra Cool Points. Also, I should note: I don't like the song "The Final Countdown," but do like the 80s film "Final Countdown" though.
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