Flying: A Short Fun Practice Flight

Beautiful day today, but it was rather bumpy and gusty once airborne. A few clouds just above 3500 made 3000 all sorts of bumpy.

Runway 27R was closed today for FAA inspection of the work they had done on it, so had fun doing a taxi around to 27L.

With the wind gusting 16-20 out of 310-330 I decided to give KVLL a try rather than Flint since when 27 side is in use the examiner tends to do the exam with VLL as a destination.

So I got VFR flight following and headed to Troy,

Troy pattern was rather busy today with quite a few pleanes there, but everyone was paying attention and communicating, so it worked out well.  Of course while doing so I needed to avoid some traffic taking off so I stayed a tad high above the glideslope,  and then had to drop down quick before starting the circle.

Did the circle and stayed above minimums which was good, didn't overshoot the 100 foot maximum either which was pretty darn nice too.  Was pretty high on final due to the recommended late descent but I believe I could have landed if I wanted to, even with the rather unpleasant gusty situation and all that, but went missed and headed back to Pontiac.

Then for the Localizer BC 27L.  Got vectored in, all established and had to break off the approach due to a Citation jet overtaking me without any effort on their part. So, broke off and was vectored to fly out 360 degrees and got turned back in to 180 degrees to reestablish.  Heavy wind from 330 at that point made that turn a pain.

But got back in, established perfectly on the localizer and flew the approach using the NAV2 VOR with reverse sensing and did the procedures, and was nice and lined up with gusting winds.  Still I managed just about one of my best landings ever.

Then off at Juliet, crossed the closed 27R and parked the plane.

Not a bad way to end it.

Overall I felt some improvement.  I want to get the altitude a bit more under control, but at least it's getting closer to acceptable and within that 100 foot range.

Friday I'm trying to find a safety sucker pilot willing to tag along and if its good I might return to DCT to do the pre-pre-checkride ride ride.  We will see.

That's 1.0 solo, 2 practice non-logged approaches, and 1 excellent landing. Not bad for a lunchtime practice flight.

Flying VFR Approach Practice On A Beautiful Day

Headed to the airport today to do some solo approach practice.  No safety pilot so no foggles and no actually logging the approaches or instrument time, but I was going to go out and practice the approaches anyways solo.  Aiming for perfection the whole time.

It was beautiful out. 

Good preflight, got flight following to Flint and got some practice in. Really working on locking in the altitude and headings.

As usual radio work and procedures were good and I believe I did everything properly.  Controllers were at the top of their games calling out traffic and there was quite a bit about.  They had me climb to 3,500 and another plane descend to 2,500 as we were apparently going to be head on as I was doing an approach.  I do appreciate the controller's noise abatement efforts.

I did a really excellent ILS 9 approach, with an excellent procedure turn, my best one there in weeks, really got right lined up and a great approach following the instruments and I'd say darn near perfect.  I do think I'd pass that one.

VOR 18 to 9 I still have issues with (not to mention the controller's vectors were off a tad but he then corrected which made it fun) not busting the minimums at circling but touching it and then trying not to ascend over 100 feet. Damn close, but still needs work, but I would have had the landing.

Then back to Pontiac for the RNAV 9R.  Detroit Approach had me keep my speed up so I couldn't do the standard final approach fix landing configuration setup as I was too fast for flap extension.  Then it was going well and then of course, Pontiac Tower wanted me to sidestep to 9L which I did for a nice landing.  Was a little high from the FAF forward, and I tend to be consistent doing that, so I need to fix that.  Still needs work for doing a sdtep-down non-LPV guidance approach there which is likely what the examiner will pull on the test by making it partial panel if the wind is going on the 9 side.

Nice landing, off the runway right by the hangar row, so told to taxi and just monitor ground and I did so and parked, put the plane away, washed off the bugs, and was done.

I think I will cancel next week's lessons and do this again.  

No point paying for an instructor and flight sdchool rates until I'm actually ready for the pre-pre check-ride-ride, then the pre-check-ride-ride and finally the actual check-ride. 

No, this will never end so might as well fly back and enjoy it.

That's 1.4, 1.4 solo time, no simulated instrument time, 3 non-logged approaches, and 1 good landing.