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.
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.
posted by Big Country at 1:47 PM
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