January 6 training

061715Z

Weather Conditions: Wind calm,

look at this report for KASH:

Sky conditions overcast layer at 7000
Temperature 37.9 F (3.3 C)
Dew Point 19.0 F (-7.2 C)
Relative Humidity 46%
Pressure (altimeter) 30.17 in. Hg (1021 hPa)
ob KASH 060351Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC055 03/M07 A3017 RMK AO2 T00331072 SLP220

I really need to get my own headset. My instructor has been kind enough to lend me his older David Clark, these are very expensive so I am grateful to be able to borrow one (they cost more than the flight lesson!!) Even the used ones on ebay are $$, probably best to buy one near the end of the school year, maybe some pilots will be getting new ones or quitting and selling theirs...

This headset had great speakers, and noise reduction, but my microphone was so weak it could hardly pick up my voice, not cool when you are trying to get the attention of the person in the control tower.


Nashua Tower, Skyhawk 19833 ready for takeoff runway 32 westbound

Skyhawk 19833, Nashua Tower runway 32 clear for takoff westbound approved, traffic in from brookline left downwind is a Cessna,

cleared for takeoff 833




My instructor frequently gives me lots of important pieces of information throughout the lesson:

noise abatement is in effect for this particular airport (**Important to check on this for other airports**)

so we climb to 1000 before making any turns

I took my first left turn since my last lesson 9 months ago. With a baby on the way life changes very quickly. I probably won't take another lesson for a while but that will just give me a chance to catch up on all the extra reading, calculations, exam questions, rules of thumb, and practice touch and goes on MS flight simulator. I think of it as time I can really use to my advantage and study up on what I learned in my last lesson and prepare for what I want to practice next.

btw, next lesson I want to practice climbing and descending turns...

Remember to keep the proper picture in mind!! The "Picture" my instructor keeps talking about is very important in learning to fly properly (with you head actually looking outside the windows)

(keep the proper "picture" in mind, this helps you control the airplane)

on takeoff, keep in center of runway, feel and balance using balanced rudder pressure from one foot and the other (don't stomp on them or you'll make you back seat passenger sick)

Anticipate left turn tendency!

on takoff, head for the tree tops (or just above them - at full rpm - as long as they are far away!)

2400 RPM for the older Skyhawk is cruise speed, at this speed 4 fingers of horizon above the dash board is level (not descending or climbing)

in the beginning don't exceed about 15 degree bank angle - otherwise you need to compensate with lots of back pressure, make it a bit more complex. Slow turns are nice at this point in my training, Id rather leave steep turns for later in my lessons anyway.

the three A's (I forgot the last 'a') Anticipate what she (the plane) is going to do, Action, take action, and I forgot the third A, I'll need to get this on the next training. I don't like taking notes while training because it prevents me for giving my full attention to the instructor. I take notes after, but sometimes forget some items (hopefully not the important items).

One important rule - do them in this order --> aviate, navigate, communicate (a distant third)

aviate - fly the plane, look out of the window, identify any traffic far away, keep flight coordinated

navigate - look out the window, identify where you are and where you are heading and for how long

communicate, establish radio communications when expected, tell who you are calling, who you are, where are you, what are your intentions

I like how my instructor combines lessons on flight principals along with navigation etc, on this lesson we again discussed Lake Potanapo, Silver Lake, Mt Wachusset off to the SW, Fitchburg, FT Devan and their relationship to Nashua Airport. I should elaborate with some detailed analysis:

It is very important in navigation to identify the most visible items and know their relation to each other and the airport you are looking for.

The yellow line above is approx 5NM from Nashua Airport, that means you need to establish 2 way communications before entering their airspace, else you could have trouble on your hands. Failure to establish 2 way communications is a violation of FAA regulations.

More to come on Part II of this lesson. Its a good one.

Preview: