Flight Hours: 1.1
Cumulative Hours: 3.7
Plane: Cessna 172 N-1408F
I had scheduled my first training flight a few days ago, worked on filling out all the paperwork and learning how to pre-flight the airplane. All of this ended up being a big dress rehearsal as the battery was dead on my plane and we couldn't fly it. Since I was flying early in the morning on a work day, there was no way I could pre-flight another plane, fly and get to work in time. So I called it a learning experience and scheduled for another day.
Today, it was my responsibility to fill out all the pre-flight paperwork(weight/balance and flight plan). After that was checked out, Nick sent me out to the plane to complete all the pre-flight checks. Given my dress rehearsal a few days before, this didn't seem like a daunting task. It still ended up taking me 30 minutes to complete it. I sure hope I can speed that part up a little.
After a successful pre-flight, the airplane started and we were off. I taxied us from parking to the run up area and went through all the required checks. After calling for clearance, Nick informed me that the takeoff was all mine(power, steering & lift-off). The takeoff was not the best looking takeoff I've ever seen as I drifted to the left upon take off. There are 4 forces that require the use of rudder to correct during flight. Of these 4 forces, 3 of them have a tendency to pull the plane left and 1 right. What I didn't know was the 1 force that pulls you right goes away as soon as the plane lifts off. Experienced pilots expect this and give a little more right rudder input. Pilots like me don't correct for this and the airplane immediately turns to the left. Got to work on that one.
We climb out to the practice area and work on old skills(4 fundamentals) and introduce medium & steep turns to the equation. A medium turn in a Cessna is defined as a 20-30 degree turn. I picked up on this quickly and was able to make my turns, losing very little altitude and maintaining my speed. Steep turns are 45 degree turns and require quite a bit of attention to do right. The grading standard for the test is to do a 45 degree turn, maintain altitude +/- 100 feet, roll out within 10 degrees of your heading and maintain airspeed +/- 100 feet. My first turn to the left, I nailed all of these items. It was a turn that would pass me for my checkride. My turn to the right go a bit low(-300 feet), but I still hit the speed and heading. We did one more to the right and I hit it. As long as you stay ahead of the plane, steep turns aren't that bad. I called for the weather and Tucson and the winds started to kick up on us. The flight school I'm at doesn't want you flying if the wind is greater than 15 knots. The weather report showed 12 knot winds gusting to 18. Nick was going to have me do the landing but decided against that once we heard the weather. I flew us back to the airport, he landed and I taxied us back parking.
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