The weather looked questionable all day today. Although the ceilings were good and no rain or other convective activity was in the area, the wind was a bit unpredictable. It was variable all day, 5-15 knots, and gusting to as much as 20 knots. I made a stop at the airport over lunch to sign some paperwork and ran into Jack. He said he just got back from a lesson, they did a little jaunt over to Menomonie (KLUM), and said they got tossed around quite a bit. So, we'll watch the weather this afternoon and make a judgement later. So, when I arrived, the winds died down just a bit, but was still gusting good to 15-18 knots. He made it my choice, and I really did not want all my training to be just in calm easy winds, so I said let's do it!
Preflight was pretty routine, I got it done in about 15 minutes. I am still pretty slow at it, but I am pretty thorough, I walk around the plane with my own customized checklist, going through each part thoroughly. I got to strain/sample the fuel and check the tanks all by myself this time, so that was nifty. Funny though, as we were going through the interior checks, Jack asked "Did you get the chocks?" Ah crap, that isn't on my checklist, hah! Something to fix on my checklist. So, we dial up weather, listen and I contact ground. Looks like we will be using Runway 22 this time instead, although using the same taxiway, just in the opposite direction. Jack let me control things even more so, which was much more challenging. Since there were strong winds, I needed to counteract the winds with the ailerons, which meant "steering" the yoke, but the plane's steering is being controlled with the pedals. Quite a reprogramming task for my brain, turn the wheel not to turn, and use the pedals to turn. Wow!
So, I did our runup, everything good. Call up tower, "Eau Claire Tower, Cessna 588BR, at the hold runway 22, ready for takeoff!" The crosswind was also a challenge for takeoff, again we counteracted the crosswind with the aileron, and use opposite rudder to keep us centered as the nose starts to lift. I am told this is actually a "slipping" climb, but we don't maintain it for long. After we get out of ground effect, we crab into the wind, which is a coordinated maneuver, and stay on centerline a bit sideways, similar to a crosswind landing.
So, off to the southwest to the practice area. I am starting to get more familiar on how to get there, but still needed Jacks help just a bit. The Chippewa River is just off the approach course for runway 4, and then bends west. We basically stay north of the river up towards Elk Mound. Plenty of fields in case we have an emergency. So, we began with some more ground reference maneuvers, with the wind it was perfect to test my crabbing ability, it needs work. The rectangular course was ok at best. Maintaining my awareness of the wind has improved, but I still don't have the right bank angles to make great on course turns in the wind, but I was getting better. Tried to do turns around a point, I still am not good at that. When I am in a constant turn, I frequently can't keep my altitude or airspeed consistent (or sometimes both). I am still learning what a good turn feels like. I know I am supposed to when I have my wind at my back, make a steeper turn, because the wind will blow me past my target when I turn perpendicular to the wind. When I turn into the wind, its a normal bank. When I am facing into the wind, and then I turn, I have to make a shallower turn since the wind will blow me back onto target. Then onto S-turns, boy this was difficult. I frequently came out of my turn not lined up straight, I am going to require many hours practicing this.
Finally, it was time to head back, Jack had planned for some pattern work. Dial up weather first to get winds. Then radio tower, "Eau Claire Tower, Cessna 588BR, 6 miles southwest, 2000 ft, landing". Tower responds "Make right traffic for runway 22". So, right traffic, that was different! As we entered, the pattern, we started our glide, carb heat, get us to 75 knots, power down to 1500, flaps, pitch down, trim, watch that pitch, not too much, we'll pickup too much speed and tear the flaps off! Make that turn to base, maintain that pitch attitude, use power if we are losing too much altitude. Turn to final, carb heat off, another notch of flaps, watch that attitude. Get her over the numbers, pull that throttle, flare, hold it, hold it, angle that aileron into the wind, hold it, touch down that wheel into wind, set the other wheel down. whew! We did this two more times, but each other time we did left traffic, and each time I did a little more. However, Jack could tell I was tense, he told me to relax a couple times. Landing a plane sure is tough. After the last one, we taxi to parking. Shutdown checklist and power down. Then me and Jack talked in the cockpit for another 10-15 minutes about all of the segments of the pattern, take off, upwind leg, crosswind, downwind, base, and final. At each stage, what do I need to be doing, and thinking about the next two things that will happen next. This is going to be a long journey, I felt myself both grow and backslide a bit today.
And all the concern over the wind, it really wasn't that bad at all, or I am just starting to get used to it and it isn't bothering me as much. So, another 1.4 hours in the log books. My ankle is sore from all the rudder work again. At least I am getting a work out!
No comments:
Post a Comment