Saturday, August 10, 2013

Another Solo

With my commercial flying taking me through Bozeman again, yesterday I had the chance to to some more flying.  The weather was looking good, and I thought I might be able to fly over to the home base, pick up the kids and take them for some sightseeing flying before heading back.

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.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Oshkosh! (Part Deux)

I don't know how often I will be able to make a trip to Oshkosh.  I don't know how people manage to go every year, especially those who fly in from across the country.  It's not just a week of vacation, it's all the planning, planning, and more planning that goes into the trip...plus the risk of bad weather.  I also don't know whether or when another family member will be able to make the journey with me, as my son was able to do this time around.

My first trip in 2011 was quite the eye-opener.  As a non-homebuilder, there's a vast airport full of things I simply can't get to, not that they aren't interesting.  For example, I didn't spend much time in the workshops or forums on vintage aircraft - even as a pilot there's only so much you can do.  So I was a bit cautious of how many days a non-pilot would be able to stand. 

But a 10 year old knows no such limitations.  Everything was interesting...well, almost.  Forums were out.  He sat through one that I wanted to attend and that was it.  We were there a total of four days, and his favorite parts by far were the daily (and one night) airshows, Jetman, the warbird reenactment of Pearl Harbor, and of course, the premier of Disney's Planes.

Unlike some past years, the weather was perfect for the entire time we were there, with only one blustery afternoon that eventually turned still and clear for the night airshow.  I always enjoy watching the aerobatics and didn't even miss the military jets that didn't make it this year due to the federal budget cuts.  Last time, I got to hear Chuck Yeager and Burt Rutan speak.  But this time, though he didn't do a presentation, I got to shake hands and get Bob Hoover's autograph.  That's a highlight for any pilot.