I’m now in the phase where all my flights are about pattern work, radio work, and landings and take-offs. The short summary of the last three lessons goes like this:
Flight 10: engine runs rough, making the 3 touch and goes a little slow and climb out a bit challenging. On the 4th attempt at the runway I call it quits and decide that this engine just won’t work today. Just a half hour of flying this time around.
Flight 11: more touch and goes. Getting a bit better at judging where the runway is, when to start down, etc. Still not so good on flares at landing, and the steering on takeoff is a bit scary. Get almost an hour in this time.
Flight 12: instructor decides to throw a curve ball: we fly from Palo Alto to San Jose, talking to Moffett in between, and then do touch and goes next to 737s. The radio work is frantic and I really get lost. And the pattern is higher, the runway longer and wider, so I don’t have a good idea of where I am. Oh, and on top of all of this its raining and visibility is crud.
Again, the instructor says I’m getting better but I feel like someone beat me with a bat when I get out of the airplane. I hope the goodness kicks in here after a few more flights, as right now its all very taxing.