CFI-A Lesson 6 (Part 1)

Today's lesson had a mind boggling number of items to cover. The ground briefs included Lazy Eights, Wake Turbulence, and Low-Level Wind Shear Avoidance. The flight lesson included reviewing Short and Soft Field Takeoffs and introducing/demonstrating Steep Turns, Chandelles, Lazy Eights, Cross Control Stalls, Trim Stalls, Accelerated Stalls, Secondary Stalls, Steep Spirals, Eights on Pylons, and No Flap Landings. Before the lesson, I had my doubts that we could cover so many maneuvers in only two hours.

The ground briefs went well, although I need to work on understanding Lazy Eights even better. For instance, what happens if you pitch too steeply in the first segment? Or, the student consistently ends the manuever too high/low. I need to be able to relate cause and effect better so I can help the student understand the root of the problem.

On the ramp, I checked the maintenance Hobbs meter and according to the log, the plane was due for its 50 hour progressive check. I told my instructor, who then went back inside to see what was up. I continued preparing for flight. When he came back, he told me that the plane had just been put back on the line after maintenance, but the log was not up-to-date yet.

At this point, I made a command decision and said that we would not be attempting to do everything on the list during this flight. I'd rather spend more time on each of the maneuvers to get them right and to learn what mistakes a student might make. He agreed with my plan and off we went.

In the air, I talked my 'student' through a Soft Field Takeoff. He did everything right until we reached climb speed. He should have pitched up to cause the plane to climb at 79 knots, but instead he pitched too much and began losing airspeed. I immediately told him he pitched too high and he corrected the pitch and all was fine. Apparently, this is a common mistake that new students make.

When we reached the practice area, I demonstrated Steep Turns and Chandelles. I didn't do so well. I was well below commercial PTS standards. Then I demonstrated Lazy Eights and talked my 'student' through. Once again, mine were quite sloppy.

By this time, we had thirty minutes left before the plane was due back, so I asked my 'student' to fly us back to the airport. While he flew, I got the latest weather and verified my location. Outside the Vero Beach airspace, I called to report inbound and got no answer. I waited a while and someone else reported in to the east of the airport. Again, no answer. Finally, an obviously strung out and overstressed controller came on and told everyone to standby because there was too many airplanes. That was odd, because there were only two or three in the air that he had to deal with. As we waited, I must have done 6 or more circles to the left. I was beginning to feel like a NASCAR driver, so I started doing circles to the right instead. The controller finally started getting his act together and asked for location reports. My instructor again reported over the outlet malls. In the mean time, another plane to the north of us was allowed into the airspace. We entered the airspace and noticed the other plane approaching us a few hundred feet above our altitude. The controller eventually noticed, too, and told us to turn 20 degrees to the right. We did as we were told, but the controller never gave us a pattern entry, so we just kept going south east. After crossing the extended centerline of the runway, I was beginning to think we were going to Fort Pearce instead of Vero Beach. The controller came back to us and asked if we were heading for the runway yet. My instructor said, "We are now" as I turned back to the north east.

I really felt embarassed for the controller. My instructor says he's been here for years, but still gets overstressed too easily. I wonder why the FAA doesn't move him to another tower.

Looking back on this lesson, I'm starting to get the feeling that the purpose of the lessons is to make future instructors concentrate on time management and NOT on instruction. I know that sounds very odd, but it sure seems that way to me. If all goes well, I will finish this lesson easily on Monday.