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Runway IncursionA gray and cool day. My last two lessons – my landings have been – well – dreadful. The ideal place to practice – Quonset with a long runway to float over – is fogged in. Fair visibility everywhere – except Providence – and Quonset. We look at the weather all around. We can’t even get out of Providence because of the clouds. The decision – we file IFR to get out and go to North Central where it is clear for the lesson. I will get a chance to fly VFR into IMC under instruction and see what it is like. Today it is warm enough and there will be no icing in the clouds.

We pre-flight the aircraft. I haven’t flown for 8 days. I want GOOD landings today. I use my checklists to get focused. There is a broken layer of cloud 1,000ft above the runway. Just before we start up – my instructor outlines how we will use the North Central approach plate and the missed approach procedure. He sets up the VOR’s and the GPS. He briefs me how to ask for an IFR flight plan with Clearance and what I can expect them to read back.

We start up, get the weather and I call:

“N503SP is a Skyhawk requesting a pop-up IFR departure to North Central with Bravo.”

Even though I have a template on my kneeboard that should help me get it down – I barely get the simple clearance and only manage to read back about half of it – my instructor fills in the gaps on the read back. Then a little unusually for a pop up – according to my instructor – Providence asks us to file a complete Flight Plan. My instructor magic’s a blank Flight Plan form under my nose and I mentally “fill it in” over the radio as I read the details to Clearance. It goes through my mind that declaring 5 hours fuel – for a 10 minute flight seems a bit incongruous – but that is the reality!

We taxi to runway 23 on “Alpha”. Today it includes a hold short at “Mike”. When we get there another plane is sitting on Mike holding short of Alpha waiting for his IFR departure. We sit and look at each other. Two planes land then the other plane is sent on his way and then our turn. “Remember” – says my instructor – “follow the vectors they give you”. I’m on a normal climb out vector – just there will be more vectors. I trim the plane for a hands-off climb and look ahead at the bank of cloud. “Today you are allowed to fly into that” says my instructor – “keep going”. It lasts all of a disappointing 5 seconds or so and we break through. I hardly have time to see if I can deal with flying in the cloud. It is VFR all the way to North Central. Providence knows what has happened – do we want to cancel IFR? We tell them we will stick with it for the practice and they vector us onto the runway at North Central. I like this IFR stuff. It is like being treated as a bit more grown up by the tower! We announce our arrival on a straight in for runway 5 ILS. Other planes are VFR on 5 but as we get the weather it is already suggesting we should be using 23. We land on 5 because others are – it is a slight quartering tail wind landing and I don’t use full flaps to stop me being pushed off. I pull it off and the instructor says “nice”. I’m mildly pleased.

We taxi round checking three windsocks and a flag. It should be runway 23 now. We decide to announce a change of runway while sitting on the ground and hope everyone else will fall in line. The only problem is one of the other instructors has a student up soloing right now. We taxi over to tell him what we are about to do. Another plane in the pattern then announces that HE is changing to runway 23. So all is well. I proceed to practice soft field landings. Greg wants me to fly “just above the runway floats” on the landings. My first is pleasing – I skim touch down and float three times in 2000ft before climbing out and we do it a couple of more times while I dial it all in. My confidence – dented by my last two lessons – is soaring and I get my feet in better tension on the rudder pedals while close to the ground and everything really firms up on the centerline. One more and time for a break.

Out for short fields. A Piper Pacer is practicing tail dragger landings. With no flaps and has to slip like crazy to get down. Fun to watch. After a couple of landings I am beginning to really “sink it in” from on high over the theoretical 50ft tree at the end of the runway. Third time around a plane scoots out underneath us and despite warnings from another plane on the ground and ourselves – he takes off underneath us – just as we are about to land. We execute an emergency go around – clawing into the sky. We jink right of the runway but he is still under us. We swoop left and get clear. We fly around and land. Another school instructor on the ground says there was only about 100ft between us. We do a couple more and then in the thickening haze we fly back to Providence before we have to file IFR.

I feel much better about my flying today! :-)

Red Winged BlackbirdSlightly better today than a dreadful lesson on Friday but not great. But better. I’m a bit stuck on performance soft field landings.

We set off for New Bedford as it would be quiet on Saturday but the orographic cloud was forming in the onshore breeze and the dew point spread was tiny. I had to fly down the VOR and then cross a visual bearing on it with a line from the harbor mouth to find the field. Circled at 3,000ft above the clouds and talked to the tower and though we could make an approach in the clear from over the water to the south – the cloud layer was basically at TPA. Not going to work for practice landings. We blew off and went back to the training area. Newport was clear – though less than optimal due to the nature of Saturday flying there. Still it was quiet when we arrived – so we got in a couple of soft field landings. Then the Newport Helicopter tour got going every 15 mins and the parachute jumper aircraft took off for the first time. We kept making circuits.

Fun couple of approaches as the parachutes were dropping in JUST to the west then as we came around one more time and were climbing out a Cessna 152 crossed in front of us while blathering about entering for Newport on crosswind from Jamestown. He never saw us. We had to genuinely cut around his tail and then we got back in the pattern. After every call he made I made precise spot on radio calls and added (as a broad hint about our whereabouts) “following the arriving traffic”. He was way low in the pattern and I proceeded to fly a perfect pattern behind him. He landed and I was turning final. He announced “clear of the active” when he was still on the end of the runway and I clicked and broadcast clearly “No you are not!” As he cleared I was going to announce “Now you ARE clear” but I got busy landing. I could sense the thumbs up from my instructor. We went in for a break.

A guy and gal were standing looking for a taxi (car on road variety) to go visit the mansions. People were lining up for helicopter tours and parachutes were being packed for the jumpers. My instructor casually engaged “the guy” in conversation – “yes he had just come in from the Hamptons, yeah – a little red Cessna…” My instructor then gently drew him to the side and politely mentioned how to fly a pattern at Newport. “The guy” wasn’t very pleased but didn’t have a leg to stand on. Hopefully the guy got it.

We flew some more patterns. As I banked on one turn to final a Coopers Hawk was hovering over a field about 100ft below me – looking for prey. And if you want to see Red Winged Blackbirds – I can recommend all the bushes around the field at Newport, the grass around the runways and on the runways if they think something is worth looking at – which they do – a lot.

The cold front was pushing down from the north and the warm wet air was still blowing in from the sea. The line of squalls where they met to the north of Providence was building and we were watching because the risk of thunderstorms – forecast as a possibility – was now becoming real. As I climbed out for the eighth time over First Beach the thick hazed moist air visibly turned to small fleeces of cumulus before my eyes – about 200ft below. Cool to watch but there is a lesson about how you can VFR into IMC because the atmosphere changes a hair of percentage point of a degree in temperature. There were still plenty of holes and we were easily still VFR but it was time to head back for Providence.

Critique – nail the soft and short landings and it is Checkride time. I’m a bit stuck on a plateau with them right now – I’ll try flying through that plateau tomorrow.

Steep TurnsOut of Providence on a perfect day and off to the Newport Training Area. After the last lesson – I’d asked to practice steep turns. The plane was climbing out hands off once trimmed out. “Whatever you want” said Greg when we got in the training area. I flew my clearing turns and then two steep turns, clearing turns and two steep turns. 8 steep turns later the instructor called a halt. “They were all to PTS and on two sequences you rolled from one to the other and stayed in PTS – that is a Commercial Maneuver not Private Pilot – you’ve got it – let’s go do some short fields at Newport”.

We dropped into Newport as I worked it to drop in over the mythical tall trees at the end of the runway. Two were OK but not terrific and one was a bit late so I went around. On our last taxi around at Newport we came across a rudder lock lying in the taxiway. I stopped and called UNICOM and they said they would come out and pick it up. More to the point – it had not been there before when we taxied round before. I could see a small twin engine aircraft warming up in the corner. After we took off we called to clarify that the lock was a recent item on the taxiway. UNICOM replied that they had reunited it with the owner. Hopefully before he took off with his other control locks still on!

Then a long slow vector for sequence back to Providence. It was nice but we were beginning to wonder if the controller had forgotten about us as we flew slowly north watching a stream of jets flying south for the runway. We were about to call when the controller announced – “503SP – follow the Boeing 737 passing overhead about now – cleared to land number two with caution for wake turbulence”. We looked up and 500ft above us a 737 drifted over. COOL! We followed him in.

I felt less than stellar for today’s lesson – couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Problem focusing on the task in hand and when I was analyzing it with the instructor prior to flying I said I would NOT fly if I was flying myself today. I WOULD fly if he was along as safety pilot (which he is anyway!). He could expect me to be very procedural and on checklist today.

Out we went to preflight. Two Civil Air Patrol Cessna’s were out looking important and taking up all of the ramp where we normally squeeze in five. I taxied over to the runup ramp so we didn’t blow their neat uniforms out of place. I was being exceptionally diligent to my checklists to help focus and by the time I was runup was pretty much back in the groove. Long taxi down to runway 5. Sierra Alpha was ahead of us and was scooted out in front of a SouthWest 737 on 6 mile final. As I passed the M1 intersection I was asked if I was ready. I just knew the controller was going to offer me an intersection departure in front of the landing jet – so I declined before he offered it and said I would let the jet in first. Another 737 snuck up behind me on the taxiway. The jet landed and cleared the runway. I was cleared to take off and we set off for the Newport Training area.

Then a morning of dodging other training aircraft while demonstrating slow flight, turns in slow flight, under the hood for recovery from unusual attitudes, stalling, practice emergency engine out and fire over the beach with some fun slipping down to make the beach and some steep turns. A distraction asking for which radial we were on while making the slow turn. I asked if Greg was trying to distract me – he told me to decide – so I said he was trying – and then dialed the radial on the VOR while slow flying the circle anyway. It was a practice checkride. Most of the day was to PTS EXCEPT for steep turns – they were close and nearly steep but not quite steep enough. But I knew that – I need more practice at them. Then I was asked to land somewhere. Newport was the obvious, close candidate – but “meat missiles” – aka parachute jumpers were falling out the sky all around Newport so I went to New Bedford. A real nice cross wind landing and in to park and take a break. A tiny kid was at the fence watching planes. We were the only plane doing anything so I announced I was going to park close to the fence so the instructor didn’t freak as I did. The little kid loved it. We went into the FBO for a break. The school guys there started to shop talk with my instructor. We got the weather.

Then out for some landings. But refocusing was going to be hard so I decided we would go back to Providence to do the landings – then if I got tired – it would be easy to stop. Off we went. My instructor kept going “check check” in my ears and I kept telling him I could hear him fine. He couldn’t hear me – his headphones had gone down. He turned on the cockpit speaker – a lousy alternative. We flew on and he clearly said to me – “you have the radios” – like I didn’t anyway – but he was telling me to make sure he knew what was going on. We got vectored for a “1 mile short final please and make best speed – you are number one ahead of a regional jet on 10 mile final”. We normally won’t accept that short a landing clearance and will ask to go around – but Greg was happier with that than carrying on without headphones. I bored on and the regional started getting twitchy with the controller. He reported a Cessna in front of him. The controller soothed him with the fact that I would be exiting the runway as fast as practical and I acknowledged that I “got it”. I got a REAL nice landing and we scooted down the runway to taxiway Charlie. The regional was somewhere right on our tail and must have been within an ace of going around as we got off. We stopped to clean up and took a moment. The regional appeared beside us on the runway as we were cleared to taxi “Charlie, Mike, Bravo to the ramp, cross runway 34. Stay with me”. The regional was cleared “Charlie after the Cessna clears then Mike, Bravo, November to the ramp cross runway 34.” The regional wasn’t familiar with the airport and asked for progressive taxi. I laughed when he got told “Follow the Cessna till you turn left at November – Three Sierra Papa (me) please stop just after you cross November for a moment so the regional can see where to turn left”.

We parked and fiddled with Greg’s headphones, tested them in another aircraft and confirmed it was his headphones had gone bad. Time was up.

I asked how Greg thought my flying had gone as I had felt unsettled before starting. He said it was as good as usual except for the steep turns. Back on Tuesday for more steep turns. I commented that if that was all we did for the whole lesson I would be happy with it. Greg smiled and said he was pretty sure that he would throw up before I ever do. Tuesday – we will see!

If you have read the very first post in this “learning to fly” section you will know that I am part motivated by the health of friends near to me. Six years ago Sharon Mooney and I discovered we became US citizens at almost the same time. Now Sharon finds herself living her life with melanoma.

Sharon bikes and surfs and skis and sails just like she always does. She has recently been honored on the Livestrong web site for getting back on her bike just 6 weeks after major surgery and riding 65 miles in the “Ride of the Roses”.

You can read more on the Livestrong site and if you feel so inspired – you can make a donation to the “In honor of Sharon Mooney” endowment.

Cyril Hall – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Service Number 990275) – was not really a blood relation. In my childhood he was the third husband of my grandmother’s sister. He used to sit in the corner looking all “crusty”, having a cocktail and making a great art out of the smoking that eventually killed him. My grandmother’s sister has recently died and my Uncle was clearing out the house. He came across Cyril’s RAF logbook from the war and had a copy made for me. It was always vaguely thought that Cyril “flew Spitfires” during the war. In fact the logbook shows he did not – but he did fly in the Battle of Britain and was incredibly lucky to survive. He was in the thick of the battle and in far worse circumstances than the immortal “few” fighter pilots. In his case he was a member of a very small subset of the “few”.

The logbook opens with a note that he flew 631¾hours as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner and Nav Radio Specialist (cover for Radar Operator) from May 28th 1940 up till April 1944. From the Record of Service in the back of the logbook plus some Internet research:

Cyril Hall flew in the Battle of Britain with 18 Squadron from May to August 1940 in the staggeringly underarmed, unarmoured and underpowered Blenheim IV. He joined the remains of 18 squadron as it evacuated out of France. He flew with the squadron from 26 May-12 June 1940 from Gatwick and 12 June-8 September 1940 from West Raynham. The squadron was tasked with attacking the German buildup for the invasion of the UK in the Channel Ports, France and the Low Countries. Casualty rates on these missions were routinely 50% losses and often approached 100% losses. He was lucky to survive and was truly one of “the few” of the UK bomber force that survived the Battle of Britain period.

From August to November 1940 he attended No 2 Electrical and Wireless School Yatesbury flying Dominies and training as a “Wireless Operator”. As he already was a W/O – this note was probably cover for Airborne Interception – later known as Radar.

November through December 1940 found him at 23 Squadron again in Blenheims in their role as Night Fighters with early Airborne Interception (Radar). The Blenheims tackled the German bombers through the winter of 1940-41. January to June 1941 he was with No 3 Reserve Squadron in Wick in Scotland. Primarily equipped with Hurricanes flying as night fighters – Cyril flew in Douglas Havoc twin engine “night fighters” equipped with Turbinlite. The Turbinlite was an immensely powerful searchlight carried in the aircraft nose that was used in an attempt to illuminate German bombers for the Hurricances to shoot down. The Havoc itself was unarmed as it was all it could do to carry the searchlight. It was not a very successful method of finding bombers and was replaced as soon as airborne radar was available in night fighters. At this time he would almost certainly have been part of the defences over Scotland trying to stave off the Blitz on the Clyde shipyards.

June to August 1941 saw him at 25 Squadron in Blenheims equipped with airborne radar – he would have been the operator in the back talking the pilot on to the target in the dark of night – though the RAF record of duty suggests they were engaged on convoy protection duty for much of the time. August to October 1941 he was back with No 3 Reserve squadron. I can’t specifically find their task at that time but probably training or training other operators. He spent two weeks in October 1941 with the Canadian 406 Squadron in Beaufighters in the night fighter role. October and November saw him back at No 3 Reserve.

He spent December 1941 with No 29 Squadron who were flying a mixture of Blenheim and Beaufighter night fighters as they converted over to Beaufighters. Then from Dec 1941 to June 1942 he was with No 3 Reserve Squadron again. Then from June to September 1942 he was with 54 Operational Training Unit in Beaufighters but it is not clear if as an instructor or under training. Given his next deployment – probably under training.

Then a whole year from September 1942 to August 1943 with 141 Squadron in Beaufighters. 141 had been equipped with the disastrous Defiant during the Battle of Britain and had been shot to pieces and when Cyril joined it had just been reformed – flying Beaufighter night fighters in Ayr in the defence of Scotland. He joined just after they were moved south to Tangmere which became its new base in June 1942 and Predannack in February 1943. In April 1943 it moved to Wittering, from where it began night intruder operations over German airfields in support of Bomber Command. A horribly dangerous task. British four engine bomber crews would shoot at anything with two engines – assuming it was a German night fighter. It might just as well be a Beaufighter. It was during this period on the 18th March 1943 that Cyril was promoted from Warrant Officer to Pilot Officer on Probation (emergency) and his service number was changed to 146289 in the “officer” series of numbers. (Promulgated – London Gazette 9th July 1943). He left the squadron a month before it got re-equipped with Mosquitos.

In August 1943 he was “rested” and rotated out to 53 then 54 then 52 Operational Training Units till May 1944. He was promoted Pilot Officer (Flying Officer on Probation) on 18th September 1943 (Promulgated – London Gazette 15th October 1943). He would have been instructing and like most of his contemporaries – they considered it more dangerous than actual missions and deadly boring.

To get out the OTU he volunteered as a pilot and from the 12th May to the 8th June he attended No 7 Elementary Flying School – Desford – for a Grading Course. He flew a total of 10.5 hours in a DeHavilland DH 82A Tiger Moth – mainly with a Sergeant Mortimer. It was two lessons a day sometimes three. Spin recovery was actively practiced on lessons 4, 11 and 13 (it is highlighted and underlined in the logbook). He soloed on his 15th lesson on the 8th day for a whole 10 minutes after 7 hours 45 minutes instruction. He actually had 4 lessons that day – including the solo. He passed the Grading Course on 6th June 1944.

Then on October 4th to a “War Course” at No 28 Elementary Flying Training School. October 6th he was flying again in a Tiger Moth. 19th October he was endorsed as knowing how to swing a propeller and he was also endorsed that he understood the petrol, oil, ignition and cooling systems. He flew through October – sometimes solo and the lessons were building on skills, adding emergencies, forced landings and side slipping. There were also plenty of practice spins – again underlined. He was 20 hour stage checked in November and on passing that – started on aerobatics and LOW FLYING (again underlined). By the end of November he had started work on Navigation away from the airfield. He also spent time in the LINK trainer (a mechanical simulator for instrument flying practice). December included more LOW FLYING, aerobatics and cross country trips. By the end of the year in 1944 he had amassed 43 hours of dual instruction, 24 hours solo time, 4 hours of night instruction and an hour solo at night.

In January 1945 he flew for the first week of the month and on the 8th January 1945 he was awarded his wings. 37.25 hours dual instruction, 32.05 hours solo time, 10.15 hours instrument time. Progress was “Average” and Special Faults to be watched was “Nil”. He was confirmed promoted to the rank of Flying Officer.

It looks like he was awarded two weeks leave because he did not report to Secondary Flying Training School No 17 – Cranwell till the end of January where he was introduced to the twin engined Airspeed Oxford. After just 6 days and 5 hours actual flying in the Oxford he demonstrated his cockpit drills to Warrant Officer Fisher and passed his presolo written exam. Then a few minutes later he soloed the Oxford on February 8th. He then carried on Flying 2 -3 times a day in the Oxford often solo till June 25th. He amassed 75.15 hours instruction and 65.30 hours solo in the Oxford and was passed out at “Proficient” on the 27th June 1945. The War in Europe had been over for 6 weeks. The war with Japan was still raging. He spent July at RAF Spitalgate – reason unknown before heading for No 21 Advanced Flying Unit at Wheaton Aston where he flew Oxfords again from August to September. But the tempo was much reduced. Sometimes a week would pass between flights. Then in October 1945 he spent a month at RAF Perton where he only flew 7 times in the month. These were his last flights with the RAF. He passed out from the Advanced Flying Unit course as a “Proficient” pilot and “Proficient” at making Standard Beam Approaches.

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The mission is simple enough. A Cross Country to two DIFFERENT airports, total distance more than 100 miles, one leg at least 50 miles and three landings at a controlled tower. I have three different plans prepared to match the weather. The West plan, the East plan and the North plan. South would be a swim! The problem has been trying to get ANY weather.

Tuesday rained and snowed. Thursday was marginal though later in the day it got better. Today – today was just perfect. Calm or light winds and a high ceiling. The night before I check the winds and I pick the West plan. Providence, Bridgeport, Windham and Providence. 163 miles. Friday morning – I put in the final details of the winds, call the weather at all the airfields I will visit – or might visit and then head to the school.

It is my instructor Greg’s day off – but he has kindly come in – just to allow me to fly today. I’m planning on navigating the “old(er)” way – flying between radio beacons called VOR’s and ignoring GPS direct flying. I want to use the VOR system to get more practice in its use. Greg goes over my plan carefully. He asks questions about one part where I have decided I will pick the second airport whilst in flight after getting the actual weather in the air. We do a final weather and TFR check and I go out to pre-flight the aircraft. Today I’m flying N9905F. She has just been re-engined and the engine is still getting broken in. I’m to run her at 72% power instead of 65% and run her an extra 25 degrees mixture rich. She is running on straight mineral oil to break it in and I take along an extra quart in case I need to top off.

After we have preflighted – we both look at the left main wheel. It doesn’t seem to be sitting quite square. I get under and look at the axle carefully – it seems OK. We rock the plane back and forth to “spring” the undercarriage and make sure she is not just sitting funny from getting her out. We get the mechanic to come look. Brian brings a T-Square and compares both sides. He confirms the wheel is not square on the left. There is not a spare aircraft. Oh boy – this is all I need. After some careful measuring Brian checks the numbers. We ask the question – “Will it fall off?” – “No”. “Is it safe?” – “Yes”. The angle is in tolerance. We joke that I will just have to make right wheel landings but it is decided all is well. I get in and settle down.

I haven’t flown for 6 days. I feel a hair out of sorts and turn to my checklists to focus and center myself. By the time I am turning the key to fire up – I’m back on track. And the engine goes “thunk”. The starter makes no impression on it – it is like everything is stuck at top dead center. A second crank and she fires. I go to the runup pad and get the plane warm while enjoying the luxury of using the empty passenger seat as my chart table. I check the VOR instruments carefully. I get minus 1 and plus 2 errors on them checking against the local VORTAC. I look in the aircraft box at the log sheet. It has been running with the same trend for the last couple of weeks and the 3 degrees difference is within the 4 degrees standard on the ground. All is well. I’m cleared and get the longest taxi down to runway 5 – why does this always happen on my solos? It is the quiet part of the day and I’m cleared, departed and handed off to approach just about as quick as the controllers can reasonably get rid of me!

My flight plan is so on the money today it is not true. I’m two minutes late climbing out – but the rest of the plan runs the same two minutes long. The visual waypoints come up on time. At the Connecticut River – Providence tell me they can’t get me a handoff to New York Center right now and they cut me loose to fly VFR. Try them on 124.7 in a couple of miles is the suggestion. I monitor the weather at Bridgeport and then Bridgeport Traffic and decide to listen to the traffic. It is busy and there seems to be a lot of student traffic. The Bridgeport controller is juggling and one student is not responding to calls. At 15 miles out I warn them I am approaching so they can start to factor me in. The controller is still trying to raise the missing student. The controller stops accepting traffic coming from all over and starts to make us all fly pattern so he can keep it under control. The missing student comes back on the radio and is shepherded home. I report my midfield downwind as requested and get warned about a plane low over Long Island Sound on a 3 mile final. I’m number two after him and I project the runway out across the water and spot him. I follow him in and land. It IS a right crosswind landing and I stay off the left wheel as I land.

I taxi in – park with the engine running for a moment, set up for Windham and ask to go. I follow another Cessna out to the runway. A plane lands, the Cessna goes, two other planes land and the I depart straight out to the NE. I’m headed for the Hartford VOR. It is my airport turning point. North South winds and I turn left for Hartford. East West and it is right for Windham. I try getting the weather at Windham but I am not close enough. I fly on – tracking the VOR. I can hear aircraft on the CTAF at Windham and they are using runway 27. That works for me. Looking left I can see Hartford standing out and I can pick out the airport and the abandoned GE airport to the NE. Looking right and ahead the haze is obscuring Windham. I’m quite close, almost on top of the Hartford VOR before I get the weather at Windham. It confirms Windham is good and I can hear two helicopter and a Civil Air Patrol aircraft working runway 27. I fly on to Windham and join the pattern. Someone else calls to use runway 9. I call and tell him the rest of us are using 27. We don’t want to meet in the middle flying in opposite directions! He breaks off and announces he is going elsewhere.

I land. It is about 5 knots fast, a little floating and long but there is plenty of runway left. I pull off and taxi round. Though 9905F is not supposed to be used for a lot of landing during her engine break in – one more will not be of great harm – I’d like to get this runway right. The Civil Air Patrol and I are going to be taking turns in the pattern. Just before I go – something makes me run the engine up and do a mag check. She runs horribly rough on the left – so I lean her out and run the engine up for 30 seconds. Another check and the plugs are clear. I take the runway, and fly a pattern. My second landing is nice and tight and I set up and take off and depart for Providence.

The flight back is an interminable, light, choppy hassle. The plane won’t fly level from one moment to the next. I’m constantly having to trim and adjust and getting the Providence Weather down is a scrawl. I call Approach and get cleared onto a left base for runway 23. I write it down. That’s a hassle – a long way around the airport. The opposite of 5 which was on the weather. I get handed off to Tower. I announce I’ll be setting up for 23. No – say Tower – we are on 5. I mention the other controller gave me 23 but I am fine with 5 – it is the logical and easier route from where I am. A moment later I hear the original controller on the radio talking to another aircraft. He is joking that he is retiring in November because he is no longer up to the job!. A good straightforward landing in about minimum distance. I’m straight off at Taxiway Tango. I don’t think I’ve ever managed that short a landing on runway 5 ever. Of course it makes for a long taxi back.

In to the school. I call and close my flight plan. Then I call for my security escort in to the school. As I put the plane to bed I stick the fuel tanks. Predicted fuel burn – 20 galls – Actual 21. Hey. I’m getting better at this! And the left wheel – seems quite straight after all.

Switched Thu lesson to Wed because tomorrow’s forecast looks terrible. Today a quiet morning (wind wise). Flying wise however:

We do a simulated engine failure on takeoff on Providence’s long runway. Tower got all twitchy when we ask for a long enough time slot on the runway to start a takeoff and then abort it with a simulated engine failure. They let in a jet on long final rather than scoot us out ahead of it and then tell us the runway is all ours “at OUR discretion”. I start a normal take off. Now it doesn’t matter that I know this is going to happen – when the instructor pulls the power at 150ft the plane lurches and it is all happening REALLY fast. I point down. I do simulate switches off but miss the fuel cut off. A small gust throws us in a right crab and I’m stamping on the rudder at touch down to square her. It is a flaps up landing and fast and I stand on the brakes per the book and then pull hard back for aerodynamic braking. A little scrappy. “We lived” says the instructor.

Then we go off for real – to the driveway in the woods 15 miles away known as Richmond Airport. 30ft wide by 2000ft and change long. The visibility is perfect. I use the GPS and track the VOR and it still doesn’t appear between the trees till I am on top of it at 3,000ft a half mile out. I tell Providence we are there and they release us. I call an entry to the pattern and fly a full upwind, cross, down, base and final to get a good look. The strip is so small I keep having to check the altimeter to be sure I am not high in the pattern. Slight right cross wind. Irrelevant once you are down in the trees. My first one is a big pattern – plenty of time and I get her down without intervention. I forget to raise the flaps the instant she lands to get weight on the wheels so the brakes work better – but it was so short field that half the runway is left. I taxi back along the runway (no taxiways). Then we have to sit because another plane joins the pattern. This could screw up the day. But it is a local coming home – he waltzes in over the trees and lands and taxis to park. Shortfield out – for very real – there is a ridge of trees at the end of the runway. My second one I fly a huge pattern to give myself lots of time. I get her in – again without the instructor. “Tighten it up” he says “Really sink her in from high” so I do. It is “amusing” – this is a tough one for the instructor. I’m supposed to sink her in at flaps 30 and 57 knots and I’m more like 60 a lot of the time so a bit hot and flat. But if I slow to 57 then the instructor gets understandably nervous I might slow to 55 or slower and he is breathing down my neck a little. Fast means flat and there is that very real tree under the right wingtip. “Go left a bit then come back” – this all in the last 500ft to the runway and about 60ft up. I’m supposed to sink in over the tree – not have to fly around it. But I get the third one. We Vx climb out and I’m better on centerline as I do this time. I fly a pattern.

Very early on the fourth final I know I am high and fast and will land long on the runway. I call the go around but the instructor says – “no keep sinking so you see it”. So I do sink her hard in – practicing for the 57 knot sink. I am midfield and ask – “Now can I go around?” as I do. The fifth one – I don’t even get close and on the climb out we are out of time – we head back to Providence. It is hard to pick a spot on the freeway called runway 34 but I put her somewhere near centerline.

It is all about the speed control……

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