Unfortunately, they got a taste of what it means to be a VFR private pilot, as a line of thunderstorms popped up just as I arrived to KBZN, and though they weren't moving quickly, they threatened to cut off my return trip in a few hours.
With only a couple of hours before the rain came in and without much in the way of a flight plan for the local area, I stuck to doing some pattern work, touch and go's, and even some ground reference just to keep things interesting. Indeed, it's been over four years since I last flew truly solo in any plane, with not even a passenger to keep me company, and just over five years since I did so in the Diamond. Since I wasn't asked to do any S-turns on my checkride, it's been over five years since I last performed that maneuver as well.
After the first trip around the pattern, which required a go-around due to a fast approach and a bad updraft from the winds, the rest of my approaches were decent. With such a light load without a co-pilot, I had to keep the power way back all the way from downwind to final, and a few soaring hawks near the field showed just how much the winds were trying to keep me in the air. I don't know how significant it was that I was the only plane in the pattern on this otherwise fine Friday.
Despite the time since my last S-turn, I was able to pull off a few good ones. It also seemed that I have probably absorbed a lot of subconscious adjustment, since I remember having to think through each part of the turn, considering the wind and bank angle. This time, it seemed that the turns just worked out even though I didn't have to put in much effort. Granted, these aren't overly difficult maneuvers, but my mental load seems much reduced now.
Then, before heading back in to avoid the rain, I tried a steep turn just for the heck of it. It's the closest I'll get to aerobatics in this plane, and remains a good check of multi-tasking ability. It's a challenge to maintain altitude in the Diamond, but this one worked out very well, especially considering the turbulence. Then, just as I was feeling pretty good about everything, the tower controller gave me an odd routing that required a long deviation to enter a right downwind. I thought maybe he didn't know exactly where I was (even though he has a radar scope) and said "It will be more of a right base from where I am." "Negative," he responded. "Set up for a right downwind."
"So, I should maneuver to the east and come back around?" "Affirmative."
He sounded annoyed that I was questioning his direction, but it was good that I was able to clarify rather than wander around the sky, especially since the reason for the direction was to avoid other traffic. Then, since I was in an odd location in a different direction than normal, I lost track of the field and had to make an extra turn, but I finally got it all sorted out and lined up behind the commuter airline I was to follow for landing.
Since the storms were still holding off, I went for another touch and go, but then the surface winds started to become a crosswind and hold the windsock out. One more would do it. A nice crosswind landing capped off this little review, and the rain started to fall just as I shut down the engine.
