New Challenges

I last left you with my incomplete on traffic patterns on my check ride.  Early last week I got the email for the 2nd check ride with a different instructor.  This instructor was a really nice guy from Boston who played forward for the San Diego Gulls, a minor league hockey team from my home town.  After the team folded he moved his family back to Boston.  He still lives in there and commutes to Sanford during the week to instruct students at DCA.  With the travel benefits he gets with Delta he can do this relatively easily.  It still amazes me how pilots can live in one place but be based in a completely different state, sometimes country.  We went through the walk around of the plane and found nothing to be out of place.  I went through all my checklists, and we taxied out to the engine run-up area to go through more checklists.  On the way my instructor asked me what exactly happened on my last check ride that wasn't satisfactory.  When I explained, he said "Okay... so we probably only need to go up, do a lap and go back." Sounds good to me.  

ATC cleared us for take off and as usually I left earth flawlessly and proceeded up to 700 ft while also going through my climbing checklist.  When we just about reached 700 ft ATC asked us to continue the runway heading until reaching the river to then turn into the pattern with right hand turns.  As soon as we were cleared, I had us at 1000 ft. and I turned until I reached the downwind leg.  ATC then cleared us for the option on Niner Right.  I announced we would be doing a normal landing on Niner Right to get that checklist out of the way to which my instructor said good job.  As soon as I abeamed the 27 runway I started my "before landing" checklist.  Throttle down to 50% power, under 120 knots 50% flaps, fuel pump on boost, mixture to 100%.  Cool... so far so good. When Niner Right was about 45 degrees behind me from my right wing tip I turned toward the airport, and under 100 knots put in 100% flaps... road the "balloon" and came around to line up the runway.  I watched the lights on the side of the runway to make sure I was on the right path.  If all 4 lights are red, you are too low.  If they are all white, you are too high.  Two red and two white... you are right on the glide slope.  We were just about to touch her down and I heard "GO AROUND" from my instructor.  I was expecting this.  I pushed the throttle full forward, flipped the lever up for 50% flaps and started to climb again.  I finished off the "Go Around" checklist and proceeded to make another lap in the pattern.  We finished the lap and came in for a landing which of course I needed help with.  He told me I did a good job and we taxied back to the DCA ramp and he signed me off.  It was a good feeling to get that little monkey off my back.  

A day later my permanent instructor was back with me in the simulator.  Cross country navigation and learning to use the E6-B flight computer... which... isn't a computer at all. Its more like a slide ruler.  Here comes my new challenge.  I need to fly the plane without autopilot, with a chart (pilot talk for map) on my lap, while using the flight computer to determine my ground speed, and how long it will take to get from a point I saw on the ground, matching it up with the chart, to my destination airport. As I was doing all this at the same time, it reminded me of the Disney cartoons with Goofy doing the "How To" bits.  Everything Goofy would do whether it was set up a home gym, pitching a tent, or the last most recent one I saw on setting up home entertainment system ended up with him tied up in ropes, wires, cords, and in some impossible pretzel shape that no human or dog should ever or could ever end up in.  Fast forward from being in the sim to now doing this in the plane flying to Melbourne at night when I cant even see most of the reference points on my chart.  I ended up using the entire city of Christmas on my chart and some huge antennas, determining that it took me about 4 minutes to get from one to the other, then measuring out the distance with a ruler to figure out my ground speed.  Then measuring out the distance from the antennas to my destination and determining from the previous information how much time it would take me to get to Melbourne airport.  By the time I got my answer, my chart was mangled and strewn across my lap and up my chin, my E6-B was in two pieces, one on the floor by my feet, the other on the small center console in front of the instrument panel, and me staring at my instructor who was obviously enjoying the comedy taking place live at 3000 feet.  Through the audible laughter I heard him say to put the map away, that we would practice on the ground later.  I attempted to fold my chart up properly which anyone can tell you it takes an engineering degree to fold these things, thus starting the 2nd scene of my new off Broadway show "Live at 3000 ft." The chart ended up unfolded in the back seat as if Cosmo Kramer had thrown it back there to turn around and hope no one saw him.

On to timed turns.  Any plane you are in, a standard rate turn means it takes 2 minutes to do a 360 degree turn.  Which translates to 1 minute for a 180 degree turn and 30 seconds for a 90 degree turn.   For a timed turn the instructor will ask you to turn to a certain heading and its up to you to figure out how long it should take.  As I have mentioned in the past my simple math skills are awful.  To add, subtract, multiply, any two numbers... and I do mean ANY two numbers in my head without a calculator is a near impossible feat.  I just couldn't get the right answer without my instructor helping me out.  Once I had the answer I make the turns pretty well.  Its just the damn math that is holding me up for this one.

For anyone of you out there that I talked to prior to becoming a student pilot and said you don't need math...  Expect a knock on your door soon.  And a bit of advice... Even if you don't see me in the peep hole... Don't open the door.

I will be going to the Kennedy Space Center's Space & Airshow in November.  The Blue Angels will be there!  If anyone else is going and would like to meet up, email me at Nomad@TheModernDayNomad.com.