Glider Solo

I have been a little behind on posting about my glider progress. Well, today was a good day. We had a scattered layer at 1,100 followed by a overcast layer at 5,000. Not much room for really doing anything, but still good for training. first flight out, we took at 2,000 foot tow and did some turning and accelerated stalls. After we got back on the ground, we decided that we weern't going to be able to do any spiral dives or spins, due to no lift and the clouds. We took off on another tow, at 800 feet, the tow plane started rocking his wings very aggresivly. My instructor asked me what that meant, and I told him that it meant something was wrong. "OK, what do you do? "Get off the tow" I replied, so we pulled the line and flew an abbreviated pattern with another beutiful landing. While I was prepping for the next flight, The instructor was securing the seat cushions and harness. He just told me to go up and have a little fun. I took a 1,000 foot tow and just did a pattern flight, then hooked up to go again. I took it up to 2,000 and just could not find any lift at all, so came back and landed. I found myself in an interesting position on my second landing that I didn't much care for. I turned to base a little late and low. I usually like to be using the spoilers as needed to adjust my sink rate, but I wasn't using them at all until I was assured of the runway. Lesson learned, stay close, stay high. First solo, done.

Llano, TX

Well, some of the Purpleboard members had decided for a meet up in Llano for lunch at Cooper's BBQ. The plan was to fly down to Stephenville and pick up a guy that was going to ride with me into Llano for lunch. I was planning on getting to Stephenville at 10:30 am and just take my time getting to Llano. To do this, it required a 8:30 departure. I arrived at the airport at 7:45 and discovered the school locked up tighter than a drum. A little while later, the owner showed up and we got to pulling planes out. (For some reason, mine is always buried at the back) Preflight and checked the tanks. WAY to low to make the flight. We grabbed the fuel truck and discovered that it was out of fuel, too. After waiting until a little after 9:00 the fuel truck from the FBO showed up and filled me up. It was nearly 10:00 before I got up. Cruised into Stephenville and had a very nice flight in. Grabbed my passenger, and departed for Llano. We met the other guys at Llano and headed in for some of the best damn BBQ on earth. After lunch, we went back to the airport and sat around talking and waiting for the liquids that had been consumed to run their course. Filled up the planes and departed Llano to Stephenville and had some bumps going back, but nothing bad. I stayed around Stephenville for a while waiting for the temps to drop a little bit and kill off some of the convective turbulence. After departing for Lubbock, I got my first experience with haze. There were times the ground was hardly visible. Now I see how inadvertent entry into IFR happens so often and easily. After getting home, I was glad to see Lubbock airport and be home. I put in a lot of time today, met some new people, made some new friends, and had some real good flying.

Tailwheel Endorsement

Got hooked up for some training in a Super Decathlon today. I showed up at the airstrip at about 9:00am for preflight and briefing. The goal was to just get some time in and start working on the endorsement. The crosswind wasn't going to be any big deal to get, today. The winds were 25G29 050 and the runway was runway 8. The instructor walked me through control positions for taxi, and how if it starts to get away from you, just stop and start over before it gets real bad. After taxing out, and getting on the runway, we took off. Decathlons climb really, really good!! We went to go play around for a few minutes so I could get used to the controls and the response. It doesn't take much to get that thing to change direction! After that, we went back and got down to business. First up was three points. That really was a piece of cake, even with the wind. (Just don't get lazy on the rudder after touchdown, ask me how I know) We made about a dozen landings, then stopped for fuel, and lunch. After lunch, the fun with wheel landings started. It took about five landings before it came together. Something about pushing forward on that stick when the mains touch just takes some getting used to. After I started nailing them, the instructor was telling me what landing he wanted when we would be on short final just to see if I could make the split second decisions and reconfigure quickly. I had a blast today dragging my tail, and walked out with my logbook endorsed!

Tulsa, OK

Friday, April, 18 was supposed to be the day of the Texas Purple Pilot's fly-in at Llano, TX. Well, Llano was scrubbed due to weather. The flight school owner called to find out if I was interested in ferrying a plane to Tulsa, Oklahoma for an engine overhaul. Sure! I don't see a problem with this. Pro rata share with me getting all the PIC time! Well, the system that hit Llano did an about face and was moving to Tulsa. I wouldn't be able to beat it there, so I decided to stay home and we figured for another day. Well, Monday was dead at work so I decided to take off Tuesday and head out. Another guy at the school volunteered to fly a chase plane for me so I isn't have to deal with the TSA boneheads on a commercial flight home. So, fast forward to Tuesday about 0745. Seth shows up at the airport with his friend, Rick. Seth realized that he wasn't current and goes to get his three landings out of the way while I preflight my bird. I get my flight plan filed and head out for Tulsa. The flight was beautiful with a 7500 foot cruise. Not a single cloud, and unrestricted visibility. Shortly after passing over Hobart, I start to feel the urge for relief. I GOTTA PEE!!! I hold onto it as long as I can. Radio traffic is terrible with all the MOAs in Oklahoma. The urge is getting worse. I'm starting to get a yellow tint, teeth are trying to float away. I look out the window and see a little back country strip. I called center and told them that I was going to descend to land and would report back. When I get cleared to descend, I just pulled the throttle and dove like a mad man. After hitting the runway, I was killing the engine and just coasted off the runway. Great thing about being a man, the world is your urinal. I was in and out in about ten minutes. the only disadvantage was that the place was only at 1000 feet. Now I have to climb 6500 feet to get back to my cruise altitude. I made it back up, and it cost me about twenty minutes on my schedule.

Altus was a real treat. A flight of C5 were departing as I came over and I got a front row swat to that. OF course, you can't find your camera when something like that is happening. I'm amazed at how something that big can fly. But, it proves that you can get a rock to fly if you have enough engine.

After flying over OKC and enjoying the flight I was turned over to Tulsa Riverside approach. You wanna talk about a Hornet's nest? It turns out that there are three flight schools and they seems that they all hit the air at the same time. I was coming in with about fifteen other planes in the pattern doing touch and goes. It just looked like a huge conga line of Cessna 150s. They had to vector me a little for spacing, but got me worked in for a straight in. It was funny, though to hear the controller to tell a couple of 150s to keep their speed up due to the closure rate of a 172. While I was coming in, they told me to expedite an exit as soon as practical for landing traffic behind me. To hell with the VASI, I pulled the throttle, and touched down on the numbers, making the first exit with a ton of room to spare. After I got to the FBO, A cherry King Air 90 pulled up next to me on the ramp. (Man, I want one) While we were waiting on the guys to come out and get the airplane, we got all the free entertainment we could stand watching the crash and dashes from the students. (I know we were all there, once, but it is still good to watch)

We grabbed a courtesy car from one of the FBOs and took the counter girls advise for lunch. It was just a little hole in the wall restaurant called Big Daddy's Barbecue. It was some good chow, and reasonably priced.

After we got back to the airport, we had to figure weight and balance for three of us in the Archer. We could only take on 25 gallons of fuel total and would have to stop for more along the way. I figured Hobart as a fuel stop, as it was about halfway and they were advertising three dollar fuel. Alright, get our fuel, preflight, and get going.

Well, I thought we would get going, until we got over to the runup area that looked more like a carrier deck in full swing. We pulled in and did a quick run up and announced ready. We got cleared number three. After getting in position on the runway, we were told to hold for landing traffic. So, here we sit, waiting. We finally got cleared and took off. Poor plane, she was a max gross, and climbing like a wounded duck at about three hundred feet a minute. We were aiming for an altitude 8,500, but she would not get there and we had to settle for 6,500. We dealt with a little bit of bumps on the way to Hobart and took on more fuel to get home. At Hobart, I let Seth take over and just rode shotgun for the remainder of the ride. After getting home, the tiredness hit me and I couldn't wait to get home for a cold one and a nap. All in all, we put 8.6 on the Hobbs, and had a great day

Gliders

Took my intro ride today. Thanks to Tony for the hook up. It was a good time and am looking forward to getting my rating. The club is a little ways away from me, but it was well worth the drive. the very first thing I noticed, is that glider pilots thrive on the other that powered pilots despise. Another thing I noticed, those things are small!! Flight started out the a 2,000 foot aero tow. We just flew in the area of the airport and kept catching thermals around there and got 4,000 feet above the ground. Stayed aloft a little over two hours and called it a day. Everybody is right, if you want to learn what your feet are for, fly a glider.

First Passengers

Today was going to be an exiting day. I was going to take up my first passengers! I went and retrieved my brother and his son to go to Amarillo for lunch. Checked the weather, and there was a cloud layer over Amarillo. So much for that idea. We just decided to stay around Lubbock and go sightseeing. I got to the airport, and my plane had bald tires on the mains. I told the mechanic and said that he would check into it. Sure enough, the plane was slated for tires, he just hadn't done it, yet. He said to give him about thirty minutes, and she would be ready. We went to go grab a bite to eat and came back a little later. The plane was on the flight line and ready to go. We loaded up after preflight and attempted to start the thing. No luck. The battery made about one good effort and that was all she wrote. I went and got the owner and told him that she was dead in the water. He rounded up a ground power unit, and we finally got her lit. Everything from there was a non event. We headed out to the Southeast practice are and just went sightseeing for a while. After we got back, and I was on final approach, we caught a thermal right over the runway and got pushed back into the air a good deal. Just kept the nose down and made a good, notice I said good, not great landing that was just a little long, and a touch flat. Other than that, it was a good flight, and I rather enjoyed the day.

First Passengers