Flying: Milestone soon?

[cjsmith]

My coworker wandered over after his lesson and sat with me in my plane waiting for my instructor. We chatted about the differences between the Cessna 152s he flies and the Warriors I fly. When Benjamin showed up, we invited my coworker to fly along in the back seat (difference number one, four seats, heh) and he joined us.

Livermore today. Winds nice and straight down the runway. Made every landing (no go-arounds) but none of them were picture-perfect. I bet I am being too critical. After the lesson Benjamin said every one of them was safe, and while I could name things I wanted to improve, he just basically wasn't worried. He thinks my skills are "way higher" than I need to be able to go fly on my own.

Tomorrow we'll do the instrument work needed for my flying club's aircraft checkout, and we'll discuss my personal minimums (the weather beyond which I choose not to fly).

I might be almost done with this phase. Might be. If so... some practice on my own, maybe a ride or two for friends or a $100 hamburger, and then I'll start to think about working on tailwheels!

Comments

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Livermore, eh. Over the what-are-those-mountains-called-along-the-east-bay? Speaking of winds, and since I never dealt with that around here, how is the orographic lifting over those hills? Is it enough to affect control?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

We call those "the hills". ;-) I'm sure they have an official name, but I don't know what it is.

Depends how strong the winds are. Usually not very strong, at least at 1000+ feet over the hilltops (going over Sunol Pass between the east bay and Livermore), but if it's windy enough, a light aircraft will definitely notice.

[ericainohio.livejournal.com]

You know, I was out driving yesterday with Gabriel, and he pointed out all the small airplanes in the sky not far from our house. I told him that's because there's a little airport where only small planes can land. And I thought to myself, "Wow - maybe someday CJ can come and land there. It only 10 miles from my house!" :-D

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Winds there are probably (usually) not as bad as Altamont Pass?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Altamont is good at funneling it, for a reason I don't fully understand looking at the topo. (Airports on the "wind goes downhill" side of those hills are famous for smooth, steady crosswinds whenever you want them.) But Sunol Pass (between Hayward and Livermore) is not very far from Altamont Pass (between Livermore and the big central valley) so they're sharing the same local weather patterns!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That would be awesome! And then I'd *require* the opportunity to sit Gabriel in the airplane and point at all the nifty buttons (or even take him flying if his mom said it was okay)! :-)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Microscale winds are a PITA to figure out sometimes. Theory: The Pacific inflow/sea breeze hits the hills around Sunol, is lifted a bit except where it goes through Sunol, and turbulent eddies form on the leeward side, but they aren't very intense due to the relatively short height of those hills. Then the winds, including faster ones further aloft, hit the higher ridge around Altamont, and smaller turbulent eddies form giving better downslope winds because the air can "slide down" (subside) the leeward side better.

Or I could be talking out of my ass here. :-)