For every pilot, it’s crucial to deal with any system failure promptly. Recognizing failures and taking corrective action can be vital, especially in bad weather.
Today’s lesson was about flying without some instruments, a technique called “partial panel.” In practice, the instructors covered some instruments, and I had to perform the usual maneuvers, including stalls, steep turns, turns to a given heading, climbing/descending to a given altitude, and recovery from unusual attitudes.
The weather today was fantastic. It was slightly turbulent below 2000 ft but calm and pleasant above. Flying in those conditions was much easier than yesterday. By the way, the temperature was even below zero in sunny Florida last night. During the daytime, the weather is warm enough for wearing a T-shirt. However, the locals do not seem to share my opinion.
The Cessna 172 requires higher yoke forces for a smooth landing, much more than the Cessna 150. Steep turns also require higher control input. It’s much better to do it consciously now; my piloting was smoother today. The basic landing principle is the same: pull and wait, pull and wait… I love flying that airplane.
Today, I passed the first stage check and scored 88%. Although I am not very satisfied with the result, it is above the pass mark. Tomorrow, I will take the second stage check. I believe I am ready, and it does not make sense to postpone it.
Leave a Reply