Flight Journal: flight 05 - part 1

[beaky]

C-150H
TEB
Local
2.0 dual

Ceiling 15,000 scattered; wind 080 at 06; temp 20F

"T/o proc., 4 fund., airspeed transitions, slow flight, Hudson Scenic, Good Luck guy!"

This flight was scheduled for 0800, but I soon receive my first real lesson in why people say "Time to spare? Travel by air!"
The 150 has been sitting idle for a few days, on the ramp and in the cold, and she refuses to start... even after a good baking with the gas pre-heater. It only takes a few attempts to run the battery down almost completely.
A., the owner of the school, arrives on the scene, and there is much discussion as to what should be done. My thought is that we should try to hand-prop it, but I keep silent, leaving it to the experts.

A decision is made to try one of the 172s instead, but that plane's engine will not turn over, either. A. is certain we're not acting quickly enough after removing the pre-heater and getting it out of the way, and E. feels that point is moot, as we've flooded the engine now, anyway...
It's now getting late, and it's getting colder. I open my mouth to ask them to call me (at home) when they finally get a plane started when M., another instructor, strolls up and offers to hand-prop the 172. The idea receives unanimous approval.
Bravely, M. stands before that aluminum scimitar, pulling it through repeatedly... but it is for naught; she won't start.
I remember suddenly that it's now the scheduled time for my ground school lesson, so we all adjourn to the classroom.

Unbelievable, I grouse as I sit listening to a lecture on the basic priciples of flight (most of which I'm already familiar with)... do I really want to keep giving these guys my money?
After the class, A. stops me on my way out the door.
"You know", he muses, "you could probably use a car to boost the battery on the 150- it's a 12-volt... do you have a car?"

As I carefully guide my latest jalopy, a junky old AMC Eagle, onto the ramp, wheezing and creaking past pristine Bonanzas and Learjets, I think to myself:
It's probably for the best that you haven't complained yet; this way, when this idea, too, fails to work, you'll be in a better position to-

Too late. I'm waved off just as M. performs a textbook hand-start of the 150, which has now been touched a little by the sun's rays.

As I ease my car back out into the parking lot, I decide this school is worth keeping for the entertainment value, if nothing else.

By the time I return to the plane, A. is sitting in the left seat by himself, letting the engine idle. The plane's parking brake handle has gone wherever lost socks and pencils go, so I have to sort of dive in feet first as A. scoots over, then quickly step on the brakes, because she will roll a little, even with the engine idling.

As A. clambers out the right door, I call to him:
"Is E. coming ?"

Somehow I'd thought of the possibility that A. might not know I am not supposed to be going up solo. He hesitates a moment, then nods.
"Yeah... I'll go get him. just hold the plane right here."

So I do. Mustn't shut it down; it's just getting warmed up. I simply sit quietly with the engine buzzing along at idle, happy to be enjoying such cold, crisp air with its gasoline.
I decide to tune in the ATIS, and realize I don't know how.
A couple of jets depart. Neat. This is fun, starting my lesson alone with the engine running...
But it's taking too long. Where is he? I wonder. Are they really supposed to leave a student alone with a live airplane like this? I imagine the ruckus I would cause if I decided to just taxi to the runway and take off...
I'm not sure how to raise the tower on the radio, so I belay that notion and do the runup instead- that much I know how to do.
S minute later, it's done; everything's good. Now it seems they've forgotten about me. Let's see... how do I shut this thing down...?
E. suddenly returns, and tells me to do the runup again. Then Ground clears us to taxi down 24 to hold short of 01 on Kilo. There's a jet in front of us, and we wait as it departs. More delays... and the meter is running... but it's okay; I'm going to fly today after all.


There's a slight crosswind today,especially using Rwy 01, which is good, as I've just learned about crosswind takeoffs, and I'm eager to try it.
On the centerline....full power... E. is on the rudder pedals as we roll, and I have the yoke all the way to the right until we pick up speed, then gradually bring it back towards the center. As we rotate, it seems to me that the nose is too high, so I ease off the back pressure just a little-
"I got it!", E. says, suddenly grabbing the yoke. I realize that the plane had been just fine the way it was, and when I'd eased up she dropped her nose rather abruptly. E. explains as much, then hands it back to me for the climbout. I'm a little shaken, but he reassures me by explaining it's a very common error and no big deal.

We head north towards the practice area, puttering along at 1500 feet. I work on just holding course and altitude for awhile. The sky is gray and the high overcast dims the sunlight so that the wintry landscape below is as gray and dull-looking as the sky.
After another review of the four fundamentals, E. introduces me to slow flight, or minimum Controllable airspeed.


Next: part 2