Solo 2: "Concentrate Daniel-san"

No, I didn't stay home and watch "The Karate Kid" for the umpteenth time.. I went flyin!

Total Time: 21.0
PIC time logged this flight: 1.7
Landings: 84

It was me, 00Q, a few other aircraft, the traffic pattern, and a slight breeze out of the southwest. The movie reference brings up the main theme for today, concentration. Today I reverted to what worked so well when I was first allowed to solo, and that is to talk... alot. Something about talking through a checklist, even though there is nobody there to hear seems to work much better for me. The same goes for every other phase of flight around the pattern, abeam the numbers, base, final, grading my landing, and the after landing checklist (call clear of the active, landing light off, carb heat in, flaps up, reset trim for T/O, twist the VOR2 OBS to record the landing, then taxi back to the departure end of the runway)

Ironically, my first landing was my best! All the rest were attempts to match it with varying levels of success. None of them made me think the situation was getting out of control, that includes one where the slight crosswind lifted my wing up after touchdown... added some aileron, danced on the rudder pedals a bit, and resumed my landing rollout. On a subsequent landing I dialed in the correct crosswind technique and actually put the upwind main gear down first, then the downwind, then the nose... Sweet! I still have much to learn, since the crosswind component was all of 3 kts, if that. Much to learn Daniel-san.

I performed 2 soft field takeoffs, the first was not great because I didn't keep enough forward pressure on the yoke and 00Q climbed out of ground effect too quickly. The second was much better. I decided to not do more until I can use a bigger runway with more margin of safety, get some experience in the technique and then add it back into my bag-o-tricks at Mettetal.

Consistency will come with work and concentration...

Wax on, Wax off! <-- Karate Kid references make me feel old :D

Tomorrow is my first lesson with my FI since soloing, and I think we are headed to the practice area for some simulated instrument flight. My FI said something about trying to get me "lost", if I can find my way back to 1D2 I might get endorsed to solo to the practice area.

Weather forecast looks reasonably good: Sunny, temps in the high 70's, with winds out of the NE at 7-9 mph.