Weather, Solos, and Mexico

I just got weathered out for the second time this week. We are going to Mexico on Saturday for 10 days, so it will likely be another 2 weeks before I can fly. I wonder what that will do to my landing consistency. Maybe it will help. Who knows. I told my CFI that my skills were marginal and couldn't take a lot of erosion. He said not to worrry, that he would "whip you back into shape quickly."

A friend asked about "scheduling a solo." From what I have read, they normally don't schedule it. You go up with the CFI for a bit and then he tells you to land. Upon landing he asks for the logbook and signs you off to solo. He then asks you to take off, stay in the pattern, and do 2 or 3 touch and goes on your own. From that point on, you are allowed to solo within the parameters that he establishes.

At the end of the solo, they often cut your shirttail off. I have seen them hanging on the wall at the club--signed and dated. I don't have that many shirts, so I may pass on that. I have read two explanations for the tradition.

The first is that in the old days the instructor rode in the back and the student in front. With no intercom and an open cockpit, the instructor would tug on the shirttail of the student to get his attention. At solo, you don't need the tail anymore.

The other explanation is that pilots wore scarves to protect their necks and faces in open cockpits. They also used them to wipe their goggles. The old planes used to puke oil that, along with other crap, mucked up the goggles. Students, however, weren't allowed to wear scarves and had to wipe the goggles with their shirttails. Cutting it off after solo was symbolic of being able to wear the scarf of the pilot from that point forward.

I like the second explanation best. Off to Mexico. It's 80 to 85 there in the day. 65 to 70 at night. I think I will do just fine! Going to a place I have been before, so I know it's great.

Wow.. Great link

This pretty well sums it up. It was made by a guy that posts a lot to the forum of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Hit the link (Windows or Real) for the January 26 post.
http://160knots.com/videos.htm

Weather Goes to Hell Quickly

We took off today in marginal weather, made one loop around the pattern in Boise and landed. From the time we agreed to give it a shot and started the pre-flight, the wind shifted 180 degrees, the visibility dropped markedly, and it started to snow. I am glad I wasn't heading out for a cross country.

Still Working

More landings. Still working on it.

Need More Work

There LLLLAAANNndings and LLaaNNddIinnGGss and and LANDings and Landings. Tonight I had at least one of each. At least I didn't have any LANDINGS!!!!!. Still getting the hang of it. It was a beautiful day... clear as a bell. Watched the sun shine off the Boise Front as it went down. A great birthday all in all. Off to Mexico in 2 weeks where it's warm and sunny. I am not a "natural" at this, but it's something I can learn to do.

The S Word

At the end of the day's flying, my CFI handed me a pre-solo test to complete before too long. I asked how long I had to complete it and he said, "Don't worry about it for Thursday, but get it completed." Scary!

Steering

A good and faithful reader (one of millions, I am sure) asked about steering on the ground. The Cessna 172 has a nose wheel steering system using a bungee cord system of some kind. It operates via the rudder pedals. Step on left pedal, turn left. It's not completely effective however, so the pilot supplements it with differential braking. Each of the main wheels has a disc brake. They are operated by stepping on the top of the rudder pedal. By pushing the top of the pedal you active the disc brake on that side. Push them both at once... stop straight. Push one or the other and you can make sharp turns if you have the power set right. Any time the pilot pushes the rudder pedals, the rudder also moves. Prior to take-off, the pilot puts his heels on the floor to avoid accidentally hitting the top of the rudder pedal and applying one of the brakes. On take-off as the air speed increases, the rudder begins to aid in steering down the runway, and the nose wheel bungee system becomes less effective. At take-off speed, the weight comes off the nose wheel and the rudder is solely responsible for controlling yaw. On landing, the pilot can hit the tops of both pedals (gently so the wheels don't lock and "flat the tire").

Great Day

We had to cancel on Monday because of weather. Was snowing and 1/2-mile visibility at the airport. 15 minutes after I canceled, I was driving home in the sunshine. I guess if it's changing that fast, it's not smart to fly anyway.

Today, for the first time, I felt like I had a clue from start to finish. Not perfect by any means, but at least I felt like a pilot. My CFI was complimentary, too. I have me a long way in the last couple of weeks and it feels good.

Lots of studying to do. The federal regs, read raw, are a bit on the circuitous side. All in all.. a happy camper today.

12.0

12.0 logged hours. And we had a great session today. The "most productive yet." I got in 2 more unassisted landings and came close on 3 others. Very cool indeed. At my CFI's urging I relaxed and enjoyed. Flying again next week Monday and Wednesday, although work may cut into Wednesday. The snow on the mountains is amazing in the sunset!