Solo 8: See and Avoid + See and Be Seen

Total Time: 39.4
PIC time logged this flight: 3.0
Landings: 146

My long cross country planned for yesterday got scrubbed because of a TFR (temporary flight restriction) along my route of flight. I could have flown a shorter route, but that didn't appeal to me... so it waits for another day.

Today's flight was another tour of the local area, started out in practice area just after 8:30 am and it was empty (yay!) Practiced some slow flight maneuvers (turns, climbs and descents while in slow flight), a couple power off stalls, then it was off to Ann Arbor.

Once at Ann Arbor, I did three full stop landings with 1 short field, and 2 soft field takeoffs. Next was a series of touch and goes with variations of flap settings. Compared to 711, 00Q is a bit more finicky about power settings... and seems to prefer 10 degrees flaps abeam the numbers, 20 degrees on base, and 30 degrees on final. 711 was more flexible about where and how much flaps could be used and still maintain a nice approach with minimal power changes. My FI joked about 00Q having more "parasite" drag from all the dead bugs and damaged paint on the wing's leading edge.

On my last downwind, I requested to depart the pattern to the south. Tower cleared me on course, so I navigated via pilotage south past Milan, and turned left (east) at Dundee to make my way to Monroe. Monroe-Custer airport had nobody in the pattern, so I set up for a downwind entry to land on runway 3. I flew a bunch of patterns, each to a full stop landing. All my takeoffs were either soft or short field technique. At one point, another aircraft departed Custer and reported leaving the area to the west. I did two more patterns and then it was my turn to leave the area.

I had just captured my outbound radial to stay clear of the Class B airspace, climbing up to 2000 feet, tuned Willow Run's ATIS in anticipation of transitioning the Class D. Everything looked good, until I saw an airplane sized shadow at my 10 o'clock tracking along the ground on a converging path. It was a distance away, so I turned gently to the left to see if I could visually acquire the plane that was casting said shadow. Sure enough, there is a Cessna about 200 ft below me and climbing headed for what looked to be the same airspace as me. Can't climb, as I am under a Class B shelf, and don't want to turn left and risk him not seeing me... so I crank a hard right turn and descend. Once stabilized after completing my right 360, I couldn't see the other guy at all. Back up to 2000, scanning like crazy and gave Willow Run tower a call. They approved my transition, and I spot an airplane at my 9 o'clock headed south at a much lower altitude... Willow Run doesn't issue any traffic call, so I have to wonder if that was the same plane from before?

Once I am clear of Willow Run, they approve a frequency change so I tune in the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) and begin to listen for aircraft inbound to Mettetal. I call 3 miles west inbound for landing 36, and a Centurion calls 5 miles northwest also inbound for 1D2. I announce that I have the Centurion in sight, he says he can't see me. I give the wings a good side to side rock "00Q is at your 2 o'clock, 1900 ft", and make my turn to the east towards the airport, and the Centurion calls to say he has me in sight and that he will be turning to the north to give me a chance to enter the pattern (he is in a faster airplane). I call 2 miles west, on a 45 entry to downwind just as another aircraft calls turning downwind.

"Mettetal Traffic, Cessna 00Q is turning a right 360 to stay clear of traffic on downwind."

I think the Centurion must have done another turn, because as I called "downwind" for 36, he called again to say that he was 5 miles northwest.

Just another day at a busy uncontrolled field, where it is just as important to "see and avoid" as it is to see and be seen!