In Case you are joining this blog for the first time, you can read more bout it in previous posts. One main purpose is to follow our progress towards the various missions we are preparing to do. Currently we are preparing for The Fix St. Croix mission of pet population control in October. Please check out my other blog at AbbeyAnimal.blogspot.com for more information on this mission.
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| Daniel |
Here it is June of 2012 and time for my BFR (biannual flight review). For those of you who do not fly, this is a "tune up" that every pilot is required by the FAA to do every 24 months. This review is a great chance to get together with a Certified Flight Instructor and have them review your piloting skills. It helps check your ability to fly the plane controlled in tricky configurations. These configurations occur when setting up to land and when taking off. These areas of operation are well practiced in the pilot population… so, while they are the most demanding of the areas of operation, they are also the most familiar to pilots. After all, its really important to have a safe take off to start your flight and a safe landing after having a beautiful (or any) flight.
To accomplish my BFR I had to find a flight instructor… not very hard to do at an airport. That's when I met Daniel Williams. He is a young energetic instructor out at Eads Flight School at Hampton Roads Executive Airport (named after Mr. Eads a legend at the airfield). Tom Stevens (who helps keep me flying) taught him to fly so I know I can trust him. After introductions we headed out to the Cherokee Six to get started. After the pre-flight check of the plane, we were taking off and heading to the practice area for some slow flight and steep turns. This type of flying is not normal but is always a lot of fun for me. I suspect that if you were not comfortable with flying, one might not enjoy the slightly odd attitudes that the plane is put in (but I find it quit exhilarating). We practiced some slow flight at 3000 feet (where recovery is easy) and experienced the "buffeting" of the lift when the plane is about to stall. This is called a "power-off stall". It is very important to get this sensation so you can correct the plane if you feel this while flying at 200 feet (not as much time to recover). The next maneuver we practiced was a "power-on stall"… you guessed it, this is a maneuver that simulates take off conditions. This type of stall is a little more exciting as you slow the plane down to take off speeds and put full throttle on while pulling the yoke back until you stall. This can take some time and the nose of the plane is usually very high. It feels like you are going to fall over backwards. The buffeting started and I was able to recover quickly (without loosing altitude). OK now we moved on to the next airport to practice the soft and short field landings (that's a story for another time). Then it was back to Hampton Roads for a simulated power outage landing and then some ground schooling. We discussed the effects of Lift and Drag and all the different types of Air Space. All in all I feel more confident in my piloting skills thanks to Daniel's instructions. Ok, am good to go for another 2 years!
Well have had some delicious coffee this morning and even though it's Saturday I am off to work at the Hospital. Lots of my furry friends need to be seen! Pray for our projects and thanks for your support. Bye for now, Robin.
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