I know, it's been awhile...

It's been a while since I last posted, but I haven't had much to say. After my last flight, I changed jobs (same employer, different job). My first day was spent getting set up, my second on traveling for my first business trip in the new job. I got to spend a few days in Honolulu. Unfortunately, I was unable to take my lovely wife on this trip due ot the short notice. Maybe next time.
I took a United Express (E120) from KSAN to KLAX. During boarding, none of the other passengers were capable of sitting in their correctly assigned seat, and argued with the FA when she tried to get everyone in their assigned seat. Once we had everyone on board, the crew had to move everyone as far forward as possible due to an out of limits aft CG. Yet again, many of the passengers had to complain about moving. I guess they don't understand that CG kills. We left KSAN late, and I barely made my connection in KLAX. Once on the United flight to Honolulu, I tuned in Channel 9 and got to listen in on the flight crew. The flight to PHNL was a little bumpy, but uneventful. The crew made a nice approach into 8L, then it was on the ground. The flight home, Hawaiian, was pretty vanilla.
Once I got home and got the laundry done, my darling wife let me go flying again. My former instructor, C, got hired as a freight dog, so I have a new instructor to do my wrapup and polish for my check ride. D and I went up on Sunday to practice my weakness, landings. Regular, short, soft, soft, soft, soft, soft, pattern after pattern. It was good because he was able to point out my two biggest problems, a poor sight picture and a high flare. We worked on those, and my landings improved considerably. My last landing at KSDM went well, then we flew to home base. I made an EXCELLENT soft field landing at home base. I came in so soft that, when D asked if we were on the ground, I honestly couldn't tell (we were). Now, if I can just keep up that standard. We are going back up on Thursday for some more practice and some IR time, then a final stage check on Saturday morning before my check ride.

Sunday-1.7hrs
Total-37.0hrs
Landings=Takeoffs

Another Beautiful Day in SoCal

So, being an East Coast southern boy, living in California drives me nuts. However, it does have a few advantages. The almost-always-good-enough-to-fly weather in SoCal has to be one of them. Today was smooth, stable air, high ceilings, light winds, and great visibility. What more can you ask for? With my lovely wife's okay, I was able to make it up today for some more solo practice to get ready for my check ride.
I departed home base on time, with probably the best soft field takeoff I have made to date. Left the pattern and went out to the practice area. Knocked out slow flights, stalls, steep turns, and ground reference maneuevers with PTS results on all. Comfortable with maneuvers, I headed over to KSEE for some landing practice. I asked for 27R, but they gave me 27L. Unfortunately, 27L is a little too short for me to do touch and go's, so I had to do a full stop with a slight crosswind. Good results, taxied back, had to wait five minutes to get a takeoff clearance. Took off, asked for 27R again, and they gave me 27L. Another full stop (short field landing), taxi back, 5 minute wait, then takeoff clearance. I departed the pattern to the south heading for KSDM, where I hoped the pattern would be less crowded and I could do touch and go's. Once at KSDM, I was cleared for the option 26R (nice and long), so I did a regular landing, regular takeoff, soft field landing, short field takeoff, then a short field landing. While I was downwind/base for the short field landing, a jet took off. Wary of wake turbulence in my little 172, I made the short field a full stop before the jet's rotation, taxied back while the wake dissipated, then made a nice soft field takeoff. One more lap with a short approach/engine out landing, then I departed the pattern heading back to home base. High approach into a no flap/forward slip landing, then called it a day.
Given how nice the weather was today, I was surprised at how little traffic there was. Although KSEE was a bit crowded, KSDM had unusually light traffic, and I only saw one other plane in the practice area. For all of you that decided to stay home while I got some good flying in, many thanks.

Today - 2.2 hrs, 7 landings
Total - 35.3 hrs
Landings=Takeoffs, all is right with the world.

Great day for flying

Another sunny day here in SoCal, so C and I headed off for a little practice. Departed the pattern and went straight under the foggles. Flew some SIM IFR for a little while as we headed over to KSEE. We entered the pattern at KSEE and worked short field landings, soft field landings, and engine out landings. My landings are "safe" but sloppy right now.
After landings, we went to the practice area and did stalls, slow flight, and steep turns under the foggles, then visual steep turns. Since steep turns is my worst maneuver, this is definitely something I wanted to practice. As it turns out, all of the steep turns I did today went pretty well.
After maneuvers, we headed back to home base, where I did a forward slip to landing. All in all, a good day to practice maneuvers and get the feel after ignoring them for several weeks doing cross country.
Tomorrow, it's solo practice. I'll do one set of each maneuver, then spend a few hours in the pattern working on my landings.
C has decided to go ahead and schedule my end of course stage check with the Chief Flight Instructor, and my PPL Check Ride with the DPE. I have to go out of town for a business trip, so it looks like I will stage check the last weekend in March and check ride the first weekend in April. All I have left to do is keep polishing my maneuvers and get the hours in the log.
Today - 1.6hrs, 0.5hrs SIM IR, 8 landings
Total - 33.1 hrs

The weather is here...

Just checked the weather, and it looks like a beautiful day to go flying in SoCal. I should be heading out to the practice area to do maneuvers, then to SDM to practice landings. It's time to polish up those maneuevers for the check ride.
I do love it when the FA says OTLK...VFR.