Passion for Learning

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty2gI0mMfgU

Aircraft: C172
Registration: C-GBRI
Dual Time: 0.7 Total: 52.8
PIC Time: 0.0 Total: 21.5

METAR CYND 121600Z 32012G26KT 15SM FEW048 01/M11 A3026 RMK CU2
SLP251= 

Yesterday Rica and I went out to the club for a 2 hour flight just to go and do some circuits as well as get some sightseeing in.   Upon our arrival it was discovered that some aircraft were unavailable but ours was still online and ready to go.  I, however was not as much.  I noticed a lesson was about to get cancelled and since I knew I had a booking today as well as having flown with David just on Friday I gave up our spot to allow the student to go.  That was my boy scout duty but as I always say, no good deed goes unpunished!  

This morning we arrived to the club to find the winds almost directly across the runway at 10G15.  Since my last adventure in the x-winds I was not excited about this flight but didn’t want to can it simply due to some gustiness.  I hung around the club for as long as I dared then Louis basically called my bluff.  ”Are you going flying or not?”  I took the hobbs board and Rica and I went thru the pre flight of QQV.  All systems checked out and it was during the taxi to 27 that I could REALLY feel the wind.

 

The take off run went something like this.  Power, green, airspeed, alive.  40, 50, why are we sliding so far to the left??!!! chop power, brakes!  I managed to turn off at Taxiway Bravo and returned to the club.  Spanked by the winds yet again.  I hung my head low as I parked the aircraft.  Others were flying but it was not a good day by my judgement. I returned to the club and Louis offered that I could go up for a dual with Steven in BRI if I liked.  I could not get in my mind why the aircraft would slide laterally and how to check that slide.  I knew if anyone could teach me, it would be Steven.  

We left and returned to find the winds now gusting to 25 KT!!  This was directly across the runway with very little headwind component.   I was glad to have the instructor on board.  

We took off to remain in the circuit.  The takeoff is quite interesting as you have to establish a very decent crab close to the ground all the while the winds are tossing and lifting, then turning and descending al in the same moments. I sloppily managed to get us on downwind for the strip while pointing the nose significantly to the North.  So much so that while flying downwind, the runway was always at my rear 45.  I chopped the power and began my first of 5 approaches.  

As I came down final there was a huge updraft that kept fighting my desire to descend.  The airspeed got up to 80 at times as I rode the bucking winds down to the numbers.  I had to use full flaps on top of the killer slip just to make it down to the numbers.  The runway was aligned but as we neared the tarmac, everything went wonky and I put in full throttle for my first go around.   I neglected the flaps and Steven, ever the gentlemen managed to milk off the first notch then the second by the time I got my cpu cycles back in a row for attempt number 2.  

We were tossing and turning but I managed to get the aircraft aligned and down on a fairly steep approach this time limiting myself to 20 degrees of flap.  As we came over top the runway I just held that upwind wing down right thru the flare and landed.   It was exhilarating but somehow “too easy” for me at that moment.  The sadistic side of me said, “Take advantage of the instructor on board Mike”.  So we taxied over to try again.  

This take off was smooth with that same rotor effect on the tail.  Once I established the wing down for the x-wind I needed to add more right rudder.  Steven called it but soon we were again flying around the pattern.  It was like total chaos, the plane swerving this way and that.  I kept it upright but could definitely feel the sweat building under my jacket.   The sun-visor kept falling down and I kept whacking it back out of the way.   I brought the aircraft back around for a landing that I could see would never happen.  I turned in too early and with that wicked updraft it was a no brainer.  ”Bravo Romeo India, going around”.   So we went around again. This time I turned in late and managed to slip the aircraft to the runway.  We were centered and landing if not a little fast.  As I brought in the flare everything was going great then a major gust picked us up about 40 feet, I added some power, considered “re-landing” but decided to go full and ”Bravo Romeo India, going around”.  I said it with disgust.  I was mad now because I wanted this aircraft DOWN!  

I flew around the pattern again, took a breath and decided that it was not a huge deal.  We’d get there eventually and since Steven didn’t lunge for the controls even once, he’s got faith in me!  Rica claimed from the back that she was comfy so I got back on my game.  

I passed the field by a further amount than every other time and as I turned base I put down 20 flaps instead of the usual 10.  Turning onto final put us South of the centerline so I turned to get back on track.  Now here we were, on final, speed high about 75, nose down significantly and the entire aircraft was just hanging there like a helicopter.  It simply did not want to descend.  I held this in, not wanting to give up so soon.  Once we passed that bubble of updraft we soon were rocketing to the runway in the space shuttle attitude.  I could see this was coming back together.  Full left rudder and wing down for the slip.  I brought the aircraft over the fence, began the flare and allowed for a little bit of weathervaning.   Soon we were down and stopped, with nothing broken including my ego.  

As we taxied in, we watched a taildragger equipped with skis make the landing.  It was like poetry in motion.

 So I have now done two full landings, over the max demonstrated x-wind and although they were not gorgeous, they were certainly safe.   I am not as fearful of the x-wind but certainly are giving them healthy respect.  This 0.7 was one of the most challenging to date.  I’m certainly using my license to learn!