Sunday, April 27, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
9th Class - The Beast
I was restless the entire day because I was really looking forward to getting up into the sky. It has been a week since I last flew. Today I got booked onto Cherokee 2902S ("02 Sierra"). It is a 180 horsepower plane. As expected, I would be flying the traffic pattern to redeem myself from past humiliation and improve my landings. But redeem myself I could not. Compared to 777VP, 02 Sierra was a beast. It climbed incredibly fast and I had less time to react. I barely had a Crosswind leg. It was Upwind then flying in an arc into Downwind....
Monday, April 21, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Bear Talk
I am slowly but surely morphing into a crustacean. A good sign. According to my doctor whom I visited last night under my make-shift burqa. He prescribed me some bazooka anti-viral medicine to squelch the virus's war path, albeit with a $231 price tag for 30 pills.
Talking to Santa Monica Ground is easy. The difficulty starts when I am up in the air and need to communicate with Air Traffic Control ("ATC"). Thus far, Chris has handled all the bear talk. I call it bear talk because it is often incomprehensible. To me at least. The voices sound artificially deep and the conversation riddled with code. I just listen in with my mouth ajar looking all confused. Whenever ATC barks out to look out for nearby traffic I always whip my head about, usually in the wrong direction, and squint hard. I can barely track down the moving airplane much less identify its make. Malibu, Katana, etc...they all look like zooming bugs in the air.
I spent today reading Rod's Radio Communications chapter, hoping to put together a list of common phrases I would use. Radio talk or avspeak takes practice like anything esle. However, Rod's chapter focused mostly on radio operations and not the actual phrases themselves. I need to just listen in and considered purchasing a Very High Frequency ("VHF") radio. However, I found out that VHF transmissions are "line of sight." To receive live air traffic talk I cannot have any building obstructing the transmission between my radio and the tower. I thus settled for listening via liveatc.net but the only Class D airport in the area that broadcasts its transmissions online is El Monte Airport (KEMT). Well, something was better than nothing. So Buh Bye Mariah! Hello El Monte ATC!
Talking to Santa Monica Ground is easy. The difficulty starts when I am up in the air and need to communicate with Air Traffic Control ("ATC"). Thus far, Chris has handled all the bear talk. I call it bear talk because it is often incomprehensible. To me at least. The voices sound artificially deep and the conversation riddled with code. I just listen in with my mouth ajar looking all confused. Whenever ATC barks out to look out for nearby traffic I always whip my head about, usually in the wrong direction, and squint hard. I can barely track down the moving airplane much less identify its make. Malibu, Katana, etc...they all look like zooming bugs in the air.
I spent today reading Rod's Radio Communications chapter, hoping to put together a list of common phrases I would use. Radio talk or avspeak takes practice like anything esle. However, Rod's chapter focused mostly on radio operations and not the actual phrases themselves. I need to just listen in and considered purchasing a Very High Frequency ("VHF") radio. However, I found out that VHF transmissions are "line of sight." To receive live air traffic talk I cannot have any building obstructing the transmission between my radio and the tower. I thus settled for listening via liveatc.net but the only Class D airport in the area that broadcasts its transmissions online is El Monte Airport (KEMT). Well, something was better than nothing. So Buh Bye Mariah! Hello El Monte ATC!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Chicken Pox
I have chicken pox. Unbelievable. What makes this worse was I actually was on a date when the Galapagos islands started blossoming across my forehead, unbeknownst to me. Unbelievable. Considering how I am one big mobile blister I guess this will render me unable to fly for at least two weeks. Wah!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
6th Class - Tightening It Up
Today's weather was confusing. It wasn't one of those perky sunny days where you'd rush out to go flying. Neither was it one of those lazy cloudy days where you'd curl up in bed and just read. It was one of those hazy loony bin days where you actually have to contemplate on what to do.
I arrived at Proteus armed with new information. I never foresaw the day when reading about Engines and Electrical Equipment would make me feel better. But it did. I felt so beaten down by the last couple of classes that I actually gravitated towards technical reading to revive my battered self-confidence.
Today Chris and I spent almost two hours practicing the traffic pattern. The airport was extremely busy as it was the weekend and the Young American Eagles organization were taking kids up for rides along the Pacific Palisades. I had to hold short at the runway quite a bit waiting my turn before take off or fly two to four miles further on the Downwind leg before I could turn into Base.
I ran through the pattern five times but only landed technically four times. One of the landings I had to take off again because I could not land the plane. I cringe just in recalling the details. I somehow bounced the main gear off the tarmac and the momentum launched the plane back up in the air with its nose still pointed up. Chris added power and we took off again. I redeemed myself in my final landing where I handled everything including the rudder. Until now Chris had worked the rudders during the landings. I almost landed the plane all by myself except for the trailing edge of Chris's right pinkie resting on the yoke. Almost.
Aside from the landings, I think I got better with each round of practice. My climbs and descents are better although my turns are still overly dramatic. Procedure wise I think I feel more comfortable with each leg of the pattern. My bear talk with Santa Monica Ground (Note: Not Air) is coming along too. At the end of the day, I felt better and am looking forward to the next class.
Flight Time: 1 hr 48 mins
I arrived at Proteus armed with new information. I never foresaw the day when reading about Engines and Electrical Equipment would make me feel better. But it did. I felt so beaten down by the last couple of classes that I actually gravitated towards technical reading to revive my battered self-confidence.
Today Chris and I spent almost two hours practicing the traffic pattern. The airport was extremely busy as it was the weekend and the Young American Eagles organization were taking kids up for rides along the Pacific Palisades. I had to hold short at the runway quite a bit waiting my turn before take off or fly two to four miles further on the Downwind leg before I could turn into Base.
I ran through the pattern five times but only landed technically four times. One of the landings I had to take off again because I could not land the plane. I cringe just in recalling the details. I somehow bounced the main gear off the tarmac and the momentum launched the plane back up in the air with its nose still pointed up. Chris added power and we took off again. I redeemed myself in my final landing where I handled everything including the rudder. Until now Chris had worked the rudders during the landings. I almost landed the plane all by myself except for the trailing edge of Chris's right pinkie resting on the yoke. Almost.
Aside from the landings, I think I got better with each round of practice. My climbs and descents are better although my turns are still overly dramatic. Procedure wise I think I feel more comfortable with each leg of the pattern. My bear talk with Santa Monica Ground (Note: Not Air) is coming along too. At the end of the day, I felt better and am looking forward to the next class.
Flight Time: 1 hr 48 mins
Thursday, April 3, 2008
5th Class - The Dementors
It was late Thursday afternoon and the sky looked a bit cloudy. We practiced the pattern once at SMO before hiking up to Simi Valley to steer clear of the clouds. I botched that landing as I came in way too high. The PAPI was screaming white on all four! Chris took over and yawed the plane to the right to create drag. This slowed down the plane and allowed it time to descend onto the runway. We did a touch and go and headed towards the shoreline.
We traveled up the Malibu coast and then flew over the mountains. It was an incredibly beautiful view and like a calming additive, it melted away the day's stress. This is worth it. My brain cells did not die in vain from all this flying drama. Chris snapped me out of my reverie by reminding me to look out for nearby traffic.
At Simi Valley, we played pretend with highway 118 because it sat straight as a ruler, mimicking a runway. Although we never landed and flew at an minimum altitude of 1400 MSL. We practiced the pattern a few times before heading back to Santa Monica. As we approached, Santa Monica was blanketed by a thick layer of clouds. Despite the stunning view created by the setting sun with its golden fingers splayed across the sky, the fact remained that we needed to fly through the clouds to get down. Gone is the notion that clouds are these cuddly forms that Care Bears live in. Clouds are now threatening characters and must be avoided when flying VFR. Chris took over and flew IFR after getting cleared by ATC. When we dipped into the clouds I stopped breathing. There was zero visibility and I could feel the cloud wisps lick at our windows and swirl around the plane. It felt a tad eerie as it was also getting dark. I looked over at Chris and he sat there cool as a cucumber. No biggie. I was ready for a Dementor to jump out at me anytime and if you have no idea what A Dementor is shame on you!
After almost a minute, we finally emerged from the underbelly of the clouds and I saw the city lights flicker below me. Phew! The cloud ceiling hovered around 1200 feet and was descending quickly. We approached SMO and there was not much traffic. We landed and I cannot honestly remember how it went. Must be the usual with Chris's paws running the yoke, throttle and rudder. Sigh! I must improve my landings!
Flight Time: 1 hr 30 mins
We traveled up the Malibu coast and then flew over the mountains. It was an incredibly beautiful view and like a calming additive, it melted away the day's stress. This is worth it. My brain cells did not die in vain from all this flying drama. Chris snapped me out of my reverie by reminding me to look out for nearby traffic.
At Simi Valley, we played pretend with highway 118 because it sat straight as a ruler, mimicking a runway. Although we never landed and flew at an minimum altitude of 1400 MSL. We practiced the pattern a few times before heading back to Santa Monica. As we approached, Santa Monica was blanketed by a thick layer of clouds. Despite the stunning view created by the setting sun with its golden fingers splayed across the sky, the fact remained that we needed to fly through the clouds to get down. Gone is the notion that clouds are these cuddly forms that Care Bears live in. Clouds are now threatening characters and must be avoided when flying VFR. Chris took over and flew IFR after getting cleared by ATC. When we dipped into the clouds I stopped breathing. There was zero visibility and I could feel the cloud wisps lick at our windows and swirl around the plane. It felt a tad eerie as it was also getting dark. I looked over at Chris and he sat there cool as a cucumber. No biggie. I was ready for a Dementor to jump out at me anytime and if you have no idea what A Dementor is shame on you!
After almost a minute, we finally emerged from the underbelly of the clouds and I saw the city lights flicker below me. Phew! The cloud ceiling hovered around 1200 feet and was descending quickly. We approached SMO and there was not much traffic. We landed and I cannot honestly remember how it went. Must be the usual with Chris's paws running the yoke, throttle and rudder. Sigh! I must improve my landings!
Flight Time: 1 hr 30 mins
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