Sometimes You Shouldn't Push Your Luck

Here in North Texas we are having the rainiest June in history. As I write this, we are just .5 inches shy of breaking a record that has stood since the 1920's. At the rate we have been getting rain, we will break this by tomorrow and still have Saturday to increase the record. So why in the world would I want to go flying in weather like this? I'm not quite sure but as I sat at my desk, encoding video on one computer and watching the radar on the other (doesn't everyone have several computers at their disposal?), I was looking for a slight relief from the rain when I spotted a hole in the action. I called Richard and asked if his radar showed the same thing I was seeing and he said that we should give it a try. So I made some changes to the time I had reserved (no one else wanted to even try to fly today) and set off to the airport.

When we got there, we made our pilgrimage to the lock box and went to get the key for N737TY and it had a grounded tag on it again. My luck with this airplane is not going well. So I run back up to the FBO, look up the squawks and find out that the flaps are stuck but it is flyable. Seeing what the weather is doing, I opt for another airplane seeing as I may be tested harder than I am ready to be tested without flaps. So I change to N733NB since it is wide open most of the day. To be a good club member, I make sure that I change the reservation on the website to reflect our shift in game plan. Unfortunately, 3NB is a lot heavier, had more horsepower, burns more fuel, sinks faster in the turn to base and final and still has that strong fuel smell during descents.

I'm surprised when I find that the weather is cooperating fairly well but I see rain all around us. Richard brought along his tablet that has a moving map GPS, approach plates for every airport in the US, current sectionals, a very expensive solitaire game and near real time NEXRAD radar service. The GPS antenna and the XM antenna (for the NEXRAD) all talk to the tablet via bluetooth. It's really pretty cool. So here I go, buzzing around the fine folks of Fairview (that's a joke unto itself) while Richard keeps track of weather. Of course it is still pattern work for me because of a "stubborn" streak, according to Richard, so we never get more than a mile and a half from the airport. You would think that even in that close proximity to the airport you could get on the ground pretty quick and avoid any potentially difficult weather.

So we are watching some rain coming up from the south and it looks like it is growing in size and strength. It starts closing in on us and while it is just a rain shower (not a thunderstorm) it is dumping a lot of rain quickly, bringing visibility down to under VFR minimums. We just outrun it and get on the ground when Richard keys up the mic and tells the tower that we are going to make one more lap around because it doesn't look "too bad". He is the instructor, who has a LOT of experience, my neighbor and the PIC. No time like now to test the student. By the time we get airborne and I make my left turn at 1,000 feet it's really raining hard and I'm being blown pretty hard to the north. I quickly turn for my downwind leg, get my clearance for the option (No option for me, It's down to stay until this blows over.) and I start setting up to land. I start my base early because of the wind still blowing me and I have to keep power in longer than usual, once again because of the headwind. I can barely see the runway but I can see the numbers and the stripes at the end of the runway so I know I can line up with the stripes for my correct angle. By the time I get to flare height, I can see the centerline so it isn't too scary.

We get down without too much of an incident and taxi to the ramp to wait it out. While we are there waiting, we both realize the we have just landed with special VFR, even though the phrase was never spoken by us or the tower. My heart rate finally started to come down. It only took about 15 minutes before the storm blew over, we did our preflight, taxied back out, did our run-up and were cleared for more abuse by the weather. All in all I got a lot done today even though I am still having problems using my ailerons for drift control and my rudder for runway alignment. My last landing was the best of the day so we stopped there. After today, I think that Richard has some reservations about soloing me (I do too).

As an added bonus, since it was so slow, I asked the tower what the possibilities were of getting a tour of their facilities. I was told to just go up and knock on the door. So I spent the next hour in the tower talking to the fine people who are always watching out for us as we travel at high speeds and keep us safe. A great afternoon even with the trying conditions. Maybe we can do it again tomorrow? With our current weather situation, it is very possible.

Total flying this time - 1.3 hours
Total hours - 8.2

Twice In One Week

I actually got to go flying twice this week, once on Wednesday and once on Friday. Both days were challenging. We got a late start on Wednesday because Richard was helping a new member with an airplane. Friday was a little different. I had N737TY reserved from 10 AM - 12 PM. When I got to the lock box the keys for 7TY had a grounded tag on it. I found out that it had a vacuum problem from a repair that accidentally knocked off the vacuum hoses attached to the vacuum gauge. Of course the gauge won't work but it also affects the instruments attached to the vacuum system. Art was there working on it when I got there and he thought it might not take too long so I should be able to fly today. I know he felt like a fish in a bowl with me there looking at him while he worked on it.

True to his word, he got it finished in about 30 minutes so while he was playing under the dash, I did an extended pre-flight. I spent my time checking everything, even admiring the new tires on the plane. I got my headset put in and took a picture of everything all in it's place.

We got to do more pattern work and I am really getting the hang of landings. I really did a lot better and even felt better (not so nervous or having a death grip on the yoke). All in all, I did 13 more touch and gos. Richard thinks that I may be ready to solo very soon. I really hope his confidence is better than mine. I still need to get better on my radio work but it is even getting better. In my last post I was complaining about needing a change of scenery. Well, I think I'll be getting that done pretty soon.

Below is a picture of 7TY after it is repaired. Funny, it looks just like the one from before it was repaired.

Richard closing Art's trunk so we don't blow the lid through the window when we start the engine.

Total flying this time - 1.0 hours.
Total hours - 6.9

Back in the Saddle

It has been over a month since I have been able to fly. I can't tell you how much I have been looking forward to doing some flying. It seems like I am spending more time landing than flying these days. I finally had a day with very calm wind. Only 4 knots from the south (actually 140 degrees) and it felt good. I am getting my approaches down and staying centered during the landings. This was the most relaxed I have ever been. I remember the first time I did a bunch of touch and gos, I was exhausted after I got finished. My left arm was tired and sore, my legs felt like I had run a marathon and I must have sweated a gallon. Now I am trimming the airplane better and I'm not having to muscle it so much. When you hear the phrase back pressure, I never dreamed that I would have to pull so hard during a landing. Trimming the plane during the approach helps out more than you can ever realize.

Things were going well until Richard decided to have me do slips instead of using flaps. The idea is to use a lot of right rudder and then use left aileron to offset the rudder. It causes a lot of drag and will get the plane down pretty quick without increasing airspeed, much like the flaps do. I personally think that using flaps is a much smoother way of landing because you aren't constantly fighting the opposing forces, then trying to transition into a "normal" approach for landing. Maybe after I "master" the slips and get a lot more comfortable landing in higher crosswinds, I may change my feelings.

We got a late start so I didn't get to do much flying. Plus, after we were air born, we had to go help one of the other club planes that had a radio problem. We were only on the ground about 10 minutes but we had to preflight all over, do our runup, talk to the tower, yada yada yada... The good part of this is that I am going up again on Friday morning. Richard said something to the effect of flying to Lake Texoma for lunch one day so I am going to suggest it to him. I love the flying but the scenery is getting old at McKinney, (In my best Rodney Dangerfield voice) no offense.

Total flying this time - 1.0 hours.
Total Hours - 5.9