Flight Journal: flight 40
Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:00 pmFlight 40
06-02-96
1985 C-172P
TEB-N07-TEB
1.5 dual (0.2 hood)
4 landings
High scattered cirrus; warm; unlimited vis; wind 180-190/11
"Short & soft to/lnd, normal TP"
I feel well-prepared today- even did a little chair-flying this week. I've got the P-model numbers down cold, and I've been studying the area road map in order to really sharpen up my pattern at Lincoln Park. I'm planning to double-check my landmarks today, to see if they're usable.
C. tells me we will definitely do some simulated soft-field landings today (awright!).
The wind will help: it's blowing straight down 19, and steadily. But we get cleared for 24, because the jets are using 19.
But I don't mind. Safety first, and all that... in fact, as I arrived today I saw a Lear on final seem to skim the highway before clearing the fence to land on 19, followed immediately by a Skyhawk landing on 24! They got too close near the intersection, and the Cessna had to go around. Somebody screwed up there, and had it not been for the great difference in speed, tragedy may have struck.
Whatever my faults as a pilot, lack of wariness is not one of them. I never take the active without looking first.
Soon we're off, at Vx, holding the centerline pretty well.
"Okay, it's all you", says C., settling back. "Take me to Lincoln Park."
I've decided to head on 320 instead of 330... C. frets and insists that I'll wander into Caldwell's Class D on that heading. But I know the wind will shove me northeast just enough. I'm correct, and soon I'm making a proper arrival into the pattern at N07. My new landmark, a small oblong lake which points to N07's midfield from the east, works perfectly. I manage to remember each notch of flaps in the pattern, and I feel relaxed, focused and upbeat. The intercom is working as it should, and the radios in general are doing fine. No annoying distractions today.
First landing (short field): a bit hot coming off base, good directional control, no bounce.
First takeoff(short again): good, but drifting right slightly.
Second landing (short): mucch better overall, with good pattern despite increasing traffic.
Second takeoff (soft firld): Really very easy, except airspeed buildup surprises me in ground effect and I get a bit behind 6FR, letting her balloon early.
Third landing (soft): This is a tricky one, as a little blast of power should be added just as the mains touch... I get a little screwed-up and almost touch down at an angle that would pop the mains right off the airplane.
Not good.
Third takeoff and landing: C. takes over to demonstrate. He's pretty good, but he doesn't do a whole lot better than I did maintaining the centerline, and he ignores my suggestion that following Comly Road instead of Pompton turnpike will keep him spaced properly on downwind.
But I am impressed with his use of pitch and throttle... his landing is very goo, just the right amount of power to allow the 172 to settle gently onto the imagined soft surface.
Fourth takeoff (soft): Got to watch the airspeed still, but I am now tracking the extended centerline like a pro.
It's rent week, and my time is running out, so from there we head back to Teterboro.
C. asks me if I can see the Alpine Tower, over 20 miles away- I think I can, but then it's gone. But everything wiothin 10 miles is easy, including some very low traffic crossing our path ahead.
I feel I've got the reins firmly in hand now... airspeed and altitude are steady. It feels like "the old days" again, back when i first began to get the feel of flying.
Approach to TEBis typical of a sunday afternoon: traffic is not heavcy, although Tower still expects quick and precise execution of their directions.
I'm first told to vector south to allow a Falcon to pass me for 19, but there's time enough, as it turns out, to give me a straight-in for that same runway ("SixFoxRomeo, keepyourspeedupplease...").
I keep it a bit hot as I jink around the ABC tower and begin my let-down over the condos. I always like coming in to land on TEB's big, wide runways out in this huge open space, but as I flare this time, I am, again, too high...the proportions have fooled me again, after a lesson in the pattern at tiny N07.
To make matters worse, I've decided to make this one a soft-field landing, and my blast of power is too much.
But somehow I keep her straight and touch down where I can easily brake and turn off on Charlie. Not bad.
Today's Things To Remember:
Get more comfortable with the throttle, and keep it loose when you're going to change it soon, and tight when you will be holding that setting for a while.
For example: on takeoff, you'll have your hand on the whip in case you need to abort, so the friction wheel should be looser. Once Vy is established, tighten it a little to help keep it at full power. Trimmed for cruise, loosen it up if needed to set the power, then tighten it again.
As you approach a field to land, loosen it enough to easily change to a new cruise setting.
In the pattern, it's loosen, change, trim, tighten, etc.
As you turn base, it should be tightened a little... you need to move it easily, but it must not slip now...WHEN THE THROTTLE SLIPS, IT OFTEN MOVES FORWARD, INCREASING RPM!!! THIS IS NOT GOOD IN THE PATTERN!!
PS: N07 pattern landmarks for runway 19 are now:
-Takeoff: notch in treeline, then keep quarry just below left wing.
-Crosswind: go around the lake, head for water tower in distance.
-Downwind: parallel comly Rd., but stay just right of it and head for spot to the left of Woodland Lake.
-Base: with Woodland Lake abeam right, turn towards golf course on hill.
-final: make turn above small townhouse circle.
Next: flight 41: Hood time without a hood
06-02-96
1985 C-172P
TEB-N07-TEB
1.5 dual (0.2 hood)
4 landings
High scattered cirrus; warm; unlimited vis; wind 180-190/11
"Short & soft to/lnd, normal TP"
I feel well-prepared today- even did a little chair-flying this week. I've got the P-model numbers down cold, and I've been studying the area road map in order to really sharpen up my pattern at Lincoln Park. I'm planning to double-check my landmarks today, to see if they're usable.
C. tells me we will definitely do some simulated soft-field landings today (awright!).
The wind will help: it's blowing straight down 19, and steadily. But we get cleared for 24, because the jets are using 19.
But I don't mind. Safety first, and all that... in fact, as I arrived today I saw a Lear on final seem to skim the highway before clearing the fence to land on 19, followed immediately by a Skyhawk landing on 24! They got too close near the intersection, and the Cessna had to go around. Somebody screwed up there, and had it not been for the great difference in speed, tragedy may have struck.
Whatever my faults as a pilot, lack of wariness is not one of them. I never take the active without looking first.
Soon we're off, at Vx, holding the centerline pretty well.
"Okay, it's all you", says C., settling back. "Take me to Lincoln Park."
I've decided to head on 320 instead of 330... C. frets and insists that I'll wander into Caldwell's Class D on that heading. But I know the wind will shove me northeast just enough. I'm correct, and soon I'm making a proper arrival into the pattern at N07. My new landmark, a small oblong lake which points to N07's midfield from the east, works perfectly. I manage to remember each notch of flaps in the pattern, and I feel relaxed, focused and upbeat. The intercom is working as it should, and the radios in general are doing fine. No annoying distractions today.
First landing (short field): a bit hot coming off base, good directional control, no bounce.
First takeoff(short again): good, but drifting right slightly.
Second landing (short): mucch better overall, with good pattern despite increasing traffic.
Second takeoff (soft firld): Really very easy, except airspeed buildup surprises me in ground effect and I get a bit behind 6FR, letting her balloon early.
Third landing (soft): This is a tricky one, as a little blast of power should be added just as the mains touch... I get a little screwed-up and almost touch down at an angle that would pop the mains right off the airplane.
Not good.
Third takeoff and landing: C. takes over to demonstrate. He's pretty good, but he doesn't do a whole lot better than I did maintaining the centerline, and he ignores my suggestion that following Comly Road instead of Pompton turnpike will keep him spaced properly on downwind.
But I am impressed with his use of pitch and throttle... his landing is very goo, just the right amount of power to allow the 172 to settle gently onto the imagined soft surface.
Fourth takeoff (soft): Got to watch the airspeed still, but I am now tracking the extended centerline like a pro.
It's rent week, and my time is running out, so from there we head back to Teterboro.
C. asks me if I can see the Alpine Tower, over 20 miles away- I think I can, but then it's gone. But everything wiothin 10 miles is easy, including some very low traffic crossing our path ahead.
I feel I've got the reins firmly in hand now... airspeed and altitude are steady. It feels like "the old days" again, back when i first began to get the feel of flying.
Approach to TEBis typical of a sunday afternoon: traffic is not heavcy, although Tower still expects quick and precise execution of their directions.
I'm first told to vector south to allow a Falcon to pass me for 19, but there's time enough, as it turns out, to give me a straight-in for that same runway ("SixFoxRomeo, keepyourspeedupplease...").
I keep it a bit hot as I jink around the ABC tower and begin my let-down over the condos. I always like coming in to land on TEB's big, wide runways out in this huge open space, but as I flare this time, I am, again, too high...the proportions have fooled me again, after a lesson in the pattern at tiny N07.
To make matters worse, I've decided to make this one a soft-field landing, and my blast of power is too much.
But somehow I keep her straight and touch down where I can easily brake and turn off on Charlie. Not bad.
Today's Things To Remember:
Get more comfortable with the throttle, and keep it loose when you're going to change it soon, and tight when you will be holding that setting for a while.
For example: on takeoff, you'll have your hand on the whip in case you need to abort, so the friction wheel should be looser. Once Vy is established, tighten it a little to help keep it at full power. Trimmed for cruise, loosen it up if needed to set the power, then tighten it again.
As you approach a field to land, loosen it enough to easily change to a new cruise setting.
In the pattern, it's loosen, change, trim, tighten, etc.
As you turn base, it should be tightened a little... you need to move it easily, but it must not slip now...WHEN THE THROTTLE SLIPS, IT OFTEN MOVES FORWARD, INCREASING RPM!!! THIS IS NOT GOOD IN THE PATTERN!!
PS: N07 pattern landmarks for runway 19 are now:
-Takeoff: notch in treeline, then keep quarry just below left wing.
-Crosswind: go around the lake, head for water tower in distance.
-Downwind: parallel comly Rd., but stay just right of it and head for spot to the left of Woodland Lake.
-Base: with Woodland Lake abeam right, turn towards golf course on hill.
-final: make turn above small townhouse circle.
Next: flight 41: Hood time without a hood