Scheduled Time: 8:00AM - 10:00AM
Actual Hours Ground: 3.6
Actual Hours Flight: 1.6
Total Hours Flight: 17.6
Today was my first day as a FlightSafety Academy student. My assignment before this flight was to complete an eight page written exam covering the Piper Arrow III. I was unable to complete everything ahead of time, so I had to spend 20 minutes of ground instruction time filling in the holes. Then I checked the logbooks and weather - the FSI way. The ATIS was reporting winds at a heading of 080 at 16 knots, gusting to 24 knots. This is something I'd never fly in back in Seattle. But I'm not in Seattle now, and this is Commercial training. A professional pilot needs to be able to handle these conditions, so it was off to the flightline.
Actual Hours Ground: 3.6
Actual Hours Flight: 1.6
Total Hours Flight: 17.6
Today was my first day as a FlightSafety Academy student. My assignment before this flight was to complete an eight page written exam covering the Piper Arrow III. I was unable to complete everything ahead of time, so I had to spend 20 minutes of ground instruction time filling in the holes. Then I checked the logbooks and weather - the FSI way. The ATIS was reporting winds at a heading of 080 at 16 knots, gusting to 24 knots. This is something I'd never fly in back in Seattle. But I'm not in Seattle now, and this is Commercial training. A professional pilot needs to be able to handle these conditions, so it was off to the flightline.
We departed straight out runway 11R and continued east to the coast. Then we headed up the coast to training area Alpha South while climbing to 3,500 feet. First we did steep turns, then moved into stalls. This all went well, especially considering my lack of time in the Arrow.
My instructor then gave me the choice of either more manuevers, or landings, so I chose landings. We dialed up Sebastion automated weather and spiraled down to 1,000 feet. Craig demonstrated the first landing, then handed the control back to me. I landed once straight into the wind, then two more times with a 40 degree crosswind. On the last pattern, we did a 180 degree turn to final, which had me first thinking we were too high and moments later thinking we wouldn't make the runway. We did, but not with much wiggle room.
The final objective was to get back to Vero Beach. We flew west for a few miles, then turned south along I-95. At highway 60, we turned east and picked up Vero ATIS. Calling the tower, I was cleared for a right base approach to runway 11R. This landing was just a difficult as the others, as I was bounced around like a leaf in the breeze.
Day one now in the history books, I'm looking forward to one more flight, then my checkride. Then, in two weeks, the beginning of CFI ground school.
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