Cessna 172
 

Another student had the airplane before me. He spent the hour doing landing practice. I can't wait until I'm able to do this.

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Touch and go's, right on the center line. Nice looking job.

I don't know about you but took me a while to get this. We used to call the landing pattern third, second and first base. Seems like it took me forever before I could make that final turn to first base and line up on the runway correctly. I'd end up at least a wings length off the center line. Then one day it just clicked and I hit the white line with the nose gear. It was like a light bulb went off "so that's how it's done."

Best of luck to you, again I'm jealous.

I expect it'll be a month or so before I'm alone in an airplane. I think I understand the base leg to approach, but we'll see when I get my shot at it. Still working on turns, climbs, and descents, but today I he had me flying mostly by the instruments.

Oh... here's one more, a Cherokee... I think.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/2411970876/" title="Cherokee by .: sandman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2335/2411970876_60e538b47c.jpg" width="500" height="316" alt="Cherokee" /></a>

So do you guys call the pattern first, second and third base? Not sure I heard or read that anywhere else. But I took lessons at Kelso Field, about 50 due north of PDX. Students would squawk out "I've got third base" or "I'm taking first base."

My main instructor was a guy named Carl. My absolute first lesson we talked about exactly what we we're going to do for about 15-20 mins. Went out to the plane, did our walk around and checked for oil, water in the fuel etc... Hopped in and taxied out to the end of the runway, stopped, turned into the wind, rev'ed up the engine to burn the carbon off the plugs for a bit and headed on to the runway. I heard him say something on the radio, I couldn't tell you what, then he said "well step on the top of the rudders and push the the throttle open a bit." When the RPM got up he said "alright, let off the brakes and focus on the end of the runway." I did to, never took my eyes off the end of the runway. Moments later in the headset I hear "And rotate. Umm, rotate... ah, ya got pull back on the yoke a little. So I pulled back a little and the plane smoothly left the ground. I looked down at the altimeter and saw we were at 5 maybe 6 hundred feet. I looked over at Carl and he was sitting calmly with his arms folded. I thought "Holy crap! I'm flying this plane!"

One of the best days I ever had. To say the least I was hooked.

We typically say things like, "on the downwind," "turning to base," "turning for approach," "on final," etc.

I figured this was a Kelso thing. When I did my cross countries I never heard anyone else use these expressions.

That Cherokee looks a lot like the Piper Arrow (yes, also a Cherokee) I used to lease. For some reason I found low wings easier to fly. Last time I landed a 150 I porpoised so bad I did a touch and go and had to give it another shot. By that time I had over 150hrs. Probably just got comfortable and cocky.

Sure hope you keep us posted on your progress.

I sadly do not yet have the resources to take such lessons, but I have a friend with a private licence. The school he went to used 152's for all of their lessons. I did a familiarization flight in one with the tail number CFOOU - apparently it was known locally as the foo fighter.

Sadly your 172 doesn't have an amusing tail number, but it's a nice little aircraft all the same. Great shots, too.

Pretty little plane!
Reminds me a little of this Cessna, that I rode in last month:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2065/...ff4dae7ef9.jpg

That one looks newer. :)

One more from today. Same airplane.

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