Slight change of plans...

[beaky]

Well, yesterday got a call from the flight school; seems that since it's been over two years since my last flight (where did the time go?!) and about 5 since my last real BFR, I would need to do some extra ground review before flying. No big, I told them; I'll leave it to the CFI's discretion, etc.  I've been studying some, but after 1.5 hrs of grilling today with a fair but uncompromising CFI, I realize I need to do more...
One key problem was that my initial training was not acronym-heavy. Why, i don't know. But this guy loves acronyms, and I'll give him credit: they're useful mnemonic tools. It's all fine and good to say you know this or that list, but it's hard to begin describing it sometimes.
He got me good with a few of those, and a few very arcane tidbits... stuff I've forgotten as I couldn't see any practical use for that knowledge, I guess.
Here's a sample acronym:
What does "T.O.M.A.T.O. F.L.A.M.E.S." stand for?
And here's a sample airspace question:
What class is airspace above FL600? (that's right, 60,000 feet).

He also got me on some very Day-One stuff, like what marking on a VFR chart indicates fuel and services available at an uncontrolled airport. Anybody remember without looking? When more active, I always checked the AFD first, on those rare occasions when i knew I'd have to refuel. But his point was valid: what if? What if you needed fuel or repairs, and didn't have an AFD, or hadn't checked first?
Anyway, we're doing another ground session tomorrow... he warned me that he's a real stickler for weather knowledge. Great... METAR interpretation; ugh. I've been in denial about that ever since they changed the whole thing, just after I'd learned the old abbreviations...
Also have to bone up on my C172 system and performance stuff, but that is still pretty fresh in my mind. so I'm not too worried.

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get to fly, but the weather is just ghastly right now anyway... even if we don't go up 'till next weekend, that might be best.
And I don't mind being grilled like this; it's always good for pilots to have their knowledge challenged. It's amazing how dusty and disorganized those mental files have gotten since I (very handily) passed my written and oral exams several years ago!

[flyboy 28]

What class is airspace above FL600? (that's right, 60,000 feet).

Just in case you wanna push your 172 into the ionisphere. Gotcha.

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get to fly, but the weather is just ghastly right now anyway...

What, the engine dosen't like 103

[beefhole]

Tachometer
Oil pressure
Manifold pressure
Airspeed indicator
Temperature gauge
Oil temperature

Fuel gauge
Lights
Altimeter
Magnetic compass
ELT
Seatbelts

Class G above FL600.

Ahh yeah, I still got it (I know youve probably already looked it up, I'm just demonstrating my mad skillz )

Ugh, weather... I'm fine at reading METARs (being 16, I'm typing"OMG i no its like STFU hes such a n00b its like WTF??!?!" on AIM every night ), but it's the actual weather theory and knowledge that I suck at-I slept through Mr. Plumly's 8th grade science, when we learned all about weather (honestly, can you blame me?  I had him first period every single day and I sat in the back).

Well Rotty, sorry you didn't fly, but it's probably best you refresh yourslf anyway.  I'm sure you'll be back in the air soon

[beaky]

Good job, beef...but you're wrong about the above-60,000 airspace: it's Class Echo (Class G is only up to 700-1200 AGL, regardless of MSL, and there ain't no terrain on the planet above 60,000 feet MSL).
Yes, i'm studying; i was interrupted and had to check email, so i'm taking a break...what is up w/the shift key...?grrr...anyway, was just looking at a sample METAR; it's sort of coming back. I've always relied on TIBS and surface-weather graphics charts, but I guess it's good to know how to interpret the text, just in case. The charts I know well; that should be the easy part of tomorrow's quiz.
That acronym is good, but it's odd in that it includes items for water and air-cooled engines. Confusing. My common-sense approach has always been to make sure all the gauges and instruments look normal before takeoff. And I don't have much interest in flying with such a minimal list, to be honest.  For example: for night VFR, you don't need panel lights. Really. You need a "spare electrical landing light", in other words: a flashlight, but who would want to use a flashlight bright enough for landing as an in-cabin light for looking at instruments or reading charts, etc.? And even in day VMC, the artificial horizon and DG are very handy items.
Then there's the fuel gauge one: Right. I learned long ago to ignore those things in most aircraft. If I don't see the fuel in the tanks, know my rate of consumption, and how long it'll take me to go from A to B with 45 mins. reserve day or night, I'm not flying. Unless it's a cork-and-wire job like a Cub's: that I can trust!
Good ol' FAA...
But of course, a lot of this stuff is practical and important. I really need to start picking up the FAR/AIM instead of a book or magazine from now on... I've slacked off due to feeling less and less like a pilot the last coupla years.

[beaky]

[quote]


What, the engine dosen't like 103

[beaky]

PS, beef- regarding weather theory: it's not that complicated, and the best way to learn is by observing. It's less important to know about adiabatic lapse rate than it is to know: is it gonna rain? Are those clouds going to get lower, or higher?  

[Hagar]

Ah well, good luck. I'm sure this is all important stuff. I'm also sure that you'll cope with it. Things have changed so much since my day. The basics never change but it all seems so much more complicated now. Think I made the right decision, not to take up this flying lark again after such a long break. I'm quite happy doing my flying with both feet on terra firma these days. The odd pleasure trip is still welcome.

[beefhole]

Sorry, mistyped that class G-meant to say E.  I know my airpsace well, was just space cadeting there (honestly I did-I have the diagram right in front of me)

You've reminded me of the day I did short/soft field takeoffs and landings.  After doing a diversion to AVP (Allentown), my CFI instructed me to find my way to Butter Valley (7N8 I believe), which I did.  As we tuned to the CTAF, another plane announced their takeoff.  I told them we'd be coming around, but Matti told me to wait a second-he wanted to see if they actually got off the ground (density altitude that day was around 3,000' ).

Well, she did, so I brought us around on a wide, lazy base to final-and then frickin went white as a sheet when I saw the runway.  It was about as wide as your average sidewalk, 2,400', pavement that qualified as soft field, and to boot, it majorly dipped-it looked like a rollercoaster.

I'm a good stick, so I got it in no problems, but I knew it would be taking off that would be a problem.  The way the runway dipped, it was sure to throw you airborne before you were ready to do so.  I just gave it full throttle and got ready to pitch down immediately.

What ensued was me getting airborne WAY too early, and frantically trying to push down on the yoke to maintain airpseed, until my instructor finally realised that somehow I had forgotten to reset the trim (I could've SWORN I'd done it).  Even after I was able to get us level, it was a good 10 seconds before we had enough airspeed to climb.

Moral of the story-I have no idea how they do it in Aspen.  This was only at density alt 3,000, Aspen is 11,000MSL.

btw thanks for the tip Rotty

[beaky]

OK, a little breather between study-time and bedtime...
Beefhole, that is quite the story. Never landed at Butter Valley; it's on my list now.
  I'm pretty good at remembering to re-trim (wait- there's a preflight  acronym that covers that- oh, screw it, I'll use the checklist!), but I've forgotten to retract flaps more than once. Good thing it's nearly impossible to go past the top of the white arc while climbing in a Cessna with flaps hanging out...
As for Aspen: never been there, but according to my AFD, the only airport in Aspen is ASE; elevation a mere 7820 MSL, and the runway is over 7000 feet long. Bet even you could handle that!!

[beaky]

Ah well, good luck. I'm sure this is all important stuff. I'm also sure that you'll cope with it. Things have changed so much since my day. The basics never change but it all seems so much more complicated now. Think I made the right decision, not to take up this flying lark again after such a long break. I'm quite happy doing my flying with both feet on terra firma these days. The odd pleasure trip is still welcome.

Gotta follow that little voice... mine is still bugging me to resume flying. Seems it expects me to get as far as my CFI cert. at least, so I'll have something interesting  to do for a little extra money in my old age (if I keep it up, I just might make it before age 70 or thereabouts  ;D)
So it's merrily back into the lion's den I go, knowing damn well that it'll get me back into the habit of studying, etc. The pressure to deliver on the BFR and the reward of that first solo flight will do the trick, I think.  Tomorrow's oral will involve navigation, aircraft systems, and weather; the first two are pretty well-planted in my brain, and the third I'll be brushing up on every spare minute I have tomorrow.
And I know after this CFI flies with me, he'll be satisfied  despite such sins as not knowing the classification of airspace above FL 600 or how to find an airport on the chart with fuel when one should know that before departing... I'm a pretty good stick, I think, and on my last flight, after another long hiatus of about 1 1/2 years, I surprised even myself with my ability to keep 'er right-side-up and find my way home for a decent landing.

[TacitBlue]

I didn't get airborn either... Damned weather. It rained for the first time in a month on saturday. I haven't flown in a month. Coincidence? I think I've angered the weather gods, and caused a drought.

Anyway- I'm sure you can handle it Rotty and you'll be back up in the air in no time.

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Don't forget the other "F" for FFLAMES... Floatation gear for any flight beyond glide distance from land.

[beaky]

Don't forget the other "F" for FFLAMES... Floatation gear for any flight beyond glide distance from land.

Oh, nice- I'll have to remind the CFI about that. Of course, he'll just say: "Well, you're not going to be flying a 172 beyond glide distance to land, are you?"
To which I'll have to reply: "True...at FL 600, I might be able to cross Lake Superior and still be able to glide to shore...."  ;)

[Nexus]

FL600 is the minimum altitude to meet drift down requirements in the event of an engine failure over the Himalayas  ;D

And yes, those accronyms are a pain, and quite frankly only really useful in theory. If you're a pilot and starts mumbeling accronyms in the air, you should be ashamed.  :-/

Real Women Have Rubber Boobs
Tv Makes Dumb Child

Only thing I remembered from ground school.  ::)

[RitterKreuz]

my BFR goes like this... first question i always ask as i thumb through the last several pages of their log book...

"What type of flying do you do most? local sight seeing? (fairweather touch and go guy) business trips? etc?"

the rest of the BFR depends on that answer.

on the ground i cover...
AIRSPACE
Class A B C D E G and special use
Cloud Clearance and Vis requirments
Communications and equipment requirments
Where you can and cannot go basically
no real sense on going into what goes on at FL600 so far as im concerned, this guy owns a 172 if he is at FL600 the air space classification is the least of his concerns!!!

Regulations

FAA addresses and phone numbers how to find that data etc
Preventive maintenance for aircraft owners (what can you do or can you not do to your plane?)
some part 61 - most of part 91 i cover by asking questions and putting the guy into scenarios - KNOW HOW TO USE THE MANUAL!!!
part 830 NTSB

few other little things and pending no rust we move onto the flight portion.

Is it practical for me to do turns around a point or S-turns? NO besides i dont want to "re-teach" those any more than the guy wants to have to do them. so ground reference maneuvers are out given the exception of the pattern work. I'll always do...

1. Slow flight
2. Steep turns
3. Power on and off stalls
4. Spin discussion unless the want to actually do one
5. Engine out procedure
6. Slips
7. Short and soft landings and takeoffs
8. VOR tracking and pilotage to an airport not too far away (maybe 30 - 40 miles)

When someone comes on monday wanting to schedule a BFR i generally give them a list of the things i just mentioned a "gouge" so to speak and tell them to come see me Thursday afternoon. so i think thats pretty fair... right? lol