I've been working days so much this year that I haven't flown much at all. Since I'm on vacation and staying home, today was a good day to go flying. At OKV, both the Cherokee and Warrior were unavailable, so I rented a C-172 to do pattern work and complete 3 take-offs and landings to a full-stop. While there, I met a friend who has joined a Cherokee club out of another local airport - tempting to join it with him for the access to a beautiful machine. But I'd rather fly out of Winchester because I now live so close. Maybe another great deal will come along.

This flight: .7 solo/PIC flight time, 3 landings.
Total to Date: 90.1 flight hours, 244 landings.

| Category: Cessna 172   

It's time already for my flight review. I picked up "Guide to the Flight Review" by Jackie Spanitz, to review the questions which are asked during a BFR. I also took an online course at FAASafety.gov to prepare for my flight review.

I met Leslie at the airport and we reviewed a number of topics in the classroom for an hour. She asked quite a few questions, but in a way that allowed discussion, not just a quiz. Following the classroom time, I headed out to pre-flight the plane. The Piper Cherokee I expected to be able to fly was unavailable, suffering from a cracked cylinder. The Piper Warrior was already booked, but a Cessna 172 was available so we used that plane, fulfilling the flight review requirements, as well as getting me checked out in another model of airplane.

We reviewed slow flight, stalls, steep turns, simulated engine out procedures, takeoffs and landings, and touch & goes. This plane had inoperative flaps so I got to practice landing without flaps. Leslie also showed me how to determine through slow flight testing, what the ideal landing speed would be in any plane. By slowing the plane down (at a safe altitude) and entering a descent (as though landing), we were able to determine the speed where the plane begins to loose control and enter a stall condition. Knowing that, we then knew to land a safe buffer above that speed.

Now I'm checked out in a Piper Cherokee, Piper Warrior, Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172. That gives me some flexibility when booking planes, when some of the planes are unavailable.

This flight: 1.2 dual flight hours, 3 landings.
Total to Date: 89.4 flight hours, 241 landings.

| Category: Cessna 172   

Did a little pattern work today to stay current. The weather was great with almost no winds. I flew over my house to see the neighborhood a little better, and see where some of the roads actually go.

The Washington ADIZ has changed, moving it further away from Winchester. The chart marking near us now is the 30nm ring where planes have to slow it down before entering Washington's class-B airspace.

I picked up Sporty's biennial flight review DVD to study in preparation for my BFR which is due in October.

This flight: 1.0 solo/PIC flight hour, 3 landings.
Total to Date: 88.2 flight hours, 238 landings.

| Category: PA28-140 Cherokee   

I flew with Malachi from Av-Ed today for a rental pilot checkride, but also as a refresher for me since I haven't flown since last August. We departed the pattern and flew down to a practice area over Strasburg VA. He had me do slow flight, power on stalls, power off stalls, and a couple of emergency landings, where I had to select and maneuver down to land, restoring power shortly before actually landing.

I'm now approved to rent the plane and fly passengers, if desired. In reality, I plan to practice my landings and stay current, flying at least once a month. Since I was licensed in October 2005, I'll also need to prepare for my biannual review this fall.

This flight: 1.4 dual flight hours, 1.4 PIC hours, 5 landings.
Total to Date: 87.2 flight hours, 235 landings.

| Category: PA28-140 Cherokee   

It's been a long time since I've flown. The plane I was used to flying is no longer available at Valley Aviation in Winchester. After waiting for some time for them to replace it, it's become apparent that they're not going to do so. If I wanted to continue flying with Valley Aviation, I'd have to get checked out in a different model.

Instead, I've decided to follow the plane to it's new location at Av-Ed. They require a checkout which involves completion of a written exam to demonstrate knowledge of the specific aircraft flown, and a checkride with one of their instructors. That's fine with me because it's been awhile since I've flown. Even if they didn't require a checkout, I'd still ask for some time with an instructor, because I'm sure to be rusty in my landings. I want to be current, and I'll soon need to complete my biannual flight review.

I booked some time with my favorite Piper Cherokee and met Justin, an Av-Ed instructor. I had already downloaded the Av-Ed renter pilot exam from their website and completed it, which he reviewed in the office. There were some concepts I had to look up to remember, such as the difference between standard empty weight (manufacturer's standard for this model) and basic empty weight (on this actual plane's weight and balance certificate). I also found conflicting information about the minimum amount of oil, which varied from 2 to 6 quarts. Another pilot recommended a minimum of 5 quarts, and recommended only using 5-6 quarts total, saying that "the engine would blow out anything more than that."

I ended up not flying today because of weather. The rain wasn't the problem as much as the low ceiling, as low as 700 feet in some places. So I've booked time on Monday, and hope the weather has cleared up by then.

| Category: On the Ground   

I awoke to great flying weather today, with temperatures in the low 70s and winds of only 3 knots. I quickly jumped online to see if the plane was available as well as an instructor I'd like to try out for a review. James appeared to be busy, but the plane was available. When I got out to the plane, he came out and agreed to go up in the pattern with me to fine-tune my technique.

He was very helpful, and pinpointed the specifics for me. I had developed a habit of flaring too high and allowing the plane to stall and drop from too high, so he pushed the nose down further than I was used to. He also had me do touch-n-goes... something I've done very little of in the past, and never do when I'm alone. Of course, Front Royal's runway is much shorter than Winchester's. But when practicing landings on a long runway, it really makes the time more productive, avoiding taxi-back and wait time. He also reminded me of some pattern fundamentals... like using power to control altitude and pitch to control speed.

The pattern was quite busy this morning and a little crazy. There were pilots failing to make proper radio calls to identify their location. Twice there were pilots who took an excessive amount of time to clear the runway causing others to go around. We had a plane fly about 300 feet over us to enter the pattern. On four occasions, pilots cut off others instead of flying behind others already in the pattern to land. One instance was a definite runway incursion, something the cut-off pilot was none too happy about.

I'm very happy James was available to fly with me today, not only to help me brush up on my landings, but also to help manage spacing in the pattern. Things can get crazy on the weekends, which is one reason I like to fly during the week.

This flight: .9 dual flight hours, 7 landings.
Total to Date: 85.8 flight hours, 230 landings.

| Category: PA28-140 Cherokee   

Things finally worked out for me to take a flight with my co-worker Dave who has also been learning to fly out of Winchester. After he got off from work in the afternoon, we met at the airport to take the Cherokee.

During preflight, I checked the fuel in both wings and found them filled to the caps. Today's weather was hot with a density altitude of 3200 feet. With full tanks and the two of us aboard, the total weight exceeded the recommended payload for the plane's performance tables. So Dave took the plane alone for the runup check and twice around the pattern to burn off a little fuel from both tanks.

I sat against one of the hangers, watching him fly and listening to radio calls in the pattern. His landings were long, with the first one hitting a bit hard, but the second one was smooth. Then he called me over and I jumped in.

Before takeoff, I asked him what our decision distance on takeoff would be... the point at which we decide the plane isn't going to get off the ground and we'll abort. His response was that we'd be fine. My thought was that we needed to be off by 3000 feet, since that's a little more than half-way, and we would need time to stop.

He pulled onto the runway at the very beginning, and holding the plane in place, ran up the engine to full. While he had already checked things, I still took a look around to double-check, including all the guages, and that trim was set for takeoff. As we rolled, the winds were headed almost straight down the runway, which helped us out a bit. The plane hit 80MPH by 2000 feet, and he rotated at 2200 feet, getting off the runway but staying close to build airspeed. By 4000 feet, he nosed up and we began a slow climb out from the airport.

We headed south and immediately saw that clouds were moving into the area, much lower than shown during our weather briefing... at around 4000 feet AGL. As we approached Front Royal, we saw rain showers over Linden and I took a couple of pictures.

After flying over Front Royal, we headed over Luray, and climbed to cross the mountains to the west. We flew near New Market, and circled at the Endless Caverns, one of the many caverns that tourists visit in our area. We considered heading further south to Shenandoah, but even lower clouds and rain were to our south, so we turned to the north to head home. On the way, some rain clouds were coming toward us from West Virginia, and we were forced to fly through a brief area of rain. Then near Winchester, the sun came out again, and clouds were well above 5000 feet.

Dave made a good landing but wasn't completely satisfied, so we took off again so he could fly the pattern and perform one more... much better on the second try. Somewhere unseen, his instructor was watching, and later complemented him on his landings. With lots of practice since earning his license, Dave has become a good pilot. I need to do the same.

For this trip, Dave booked the plane and logged the hours as PIC. Perhaps next time, I'll pay the way and log the time. In the meantime, I'd like to get a tune-up ride with an instructor, followed by a few sessions of pattern practice. I'd also like to get qualified on a couple of other models. Valley Aviation has picked up an additional plane I'd love to fly, a Piper Archer.

| Category: Cessna 152   

I flew the Cherokee at Front Royal today. When I check the weather before flying, the temperature was 86 degrees and winds were only 3MPH out of the west, which would be straight down the runway. On takeoff however, I noticed they were stronger and from the south-southwest. I was off the runway, but then hit a pocket which pushed me back down to bounce, and then I was airborne.

They are working to extend the taxiway at Front Royal, so lots of trucks are driving back and forth on the western end of the runway, dumping dirt for fill... and that's stirring up a bit of dust. Each truck has a flag on it, and I noticed all the truck flags whipping about.

Once in the air, it seemed to be quite choppy. I stayed in the pattern, coming around for my first landing. I reminded myself that if conditions weren't great, I could always go around. My speed was a little fast on final, but I was able to reduce to 80MPH before touchdown. But once I touched, I bounced again. The owner yelled on the radio for me to keep the nose up, just as I lifted the nose and applied full-throttle for a go-around.

On my next approach, I decided that once down, I was staying down today. I really don't like it when it's windy. I was high, then I was pushed down onto the runway and bounced. I kept the nose up and felt the plane sinking fast, so I applied a little throttle. I still bounced again, but then settled onto the runway to stay.

I'm a little shook up and thinking I should book some time with an instructor for a little refresher course, to fine-tune my landings a bit. My flight time today is the shortest ever for me... and I can only count the one successful landing.

This flight: .3 PIC/Solo hrs, 1 landing.
Total to Date: 84.9 flight hours, 26.8 PIC hrs, 223 landings.

| Category: PA28-140 Cherokee   

The temperature here was in the high 80s today and I had the day off so I headed to Front Royal to practice my landings. As usual for Saturdays, glider operations were being conducted. I took my time with the preflight check, wanting to be sure that being away for a few months didn't cause me to overlook anything.

I had a little trouble starting the Cherokee. I pushed the throttle full and back plus two primes, and it wouldn't start. On each attempt I added two primes and it failed two more times. So I let it sit and tried again without priming. It backfired, I kept cranking, and it finally caught. After flying, the owner told me I didn't need to prime at all on such a hot day... that I should have given it one full-throttle push, pulled back to idle, and attempted to start it there.

The winds were light but as I pulled onto the taxiway I noticed that the wind socks disagreed. One indicated to use runway 27, but the one at the beginning of 27 pointed to the other end. On takeoff, I noticed a bit of tailwinds... also noticeable on landing. The second time around, I thought to myself I shouldn't continue to practice with the winds going the wrong way... but all the gliders were setup to use runway 27, so I landed and parked the plane. My thoughts were that I wasn't going to try and make a dozen gliders switch sides of the runway just for me. But I also knew I didn't want to continue flying that way. When the owner asked why my flight was so short, he said I should have asked them to switch, and that he had also asked them to (but they didn't). As we were talking, I noticed that both wind socks were indicating runway 9, and now becoming more extended. As I left the airport, I heard the gliders on the radio finally regrouping at the other end.

This flight: .5 PIC/Solo hrs, 2 landings.
Total to Date: 84.6 flight hours, 26.5 PIC hrs, 222 landings.

| Category: PA28-140 Cherokee   

It was such a nice day today and I heard Winchester's AWOS say that winds were calm, so I asked my daughter Brooke if she'd like to go flying with me. By the time we finished our preflight inspection, winds picked up to about 6 knots. I explained everything to her so she'd have a better understanding of what was going on. Unlike everyone else in the family, Brooke has never flown in any kind of aircraft at all, so today was special. I had her test the brakes on her side of the plane, and we taxiied to perform a smooth runup check. Then, we departed the airport on runway 14 and headed to the south. Brooke was surprised how different everything looks from the air, and how difficult it could be to figure out where you are. I was relieved to hear that she didn't think flying was scary at all, but lots of fun. I had her put her hands on the yoke to feel how it works - she said "that's cool." We flew over the large fishing lake in Clarke County, over the Shenandoah river, then over Apple Mountain to show her our neighborhood, where she was able to spot our two lakes and trace the road to our house. Then we flew over Front Royal and the quarry on the north end of town. When we returned to Winchester, I explained how the airport's traffic pattern works as I flew in to land. I was able to nail the numbers on each leg of the pattern, and touched down for a smooth landing.

This flight: .8 PIC hrs, 1 landing.
Total to Date: 84.1 flight hours, 26.0 PIC hrs, 220 landings.

By the way, I listened to Adam Curry's DSC#370 podcast in which he takes a flight around Guildford, England in his C182. One of his magnetos failed the check during engine runup. Each cylinder has two spark plugs powered by separate magnetos, and pilots look for an excessive drop in RPM while they cutoff each magneto independently. An airplane engine should be able to continue performing adequately, even if one magneto lost power during flight... the concept of safety through redundancy. Adam had a safety pilot along who tells us some of the things to do for further diagnosis, such as leaning the mixture a bit to burn off any plug fouling. In this case, they were unable to clear the problem and took the plane to a mechanic to get it fixed immediately. It turned out to need a spark plug replaced. It was a bit of a challenge for me to understand the British voice in the control tower there. I also noticed that they give the altimeter reading in millibars. Thanks Adam for taking us along for the flight via podcast!

| Category: Special Flights   

After my last flight, I decided I needed some practice, and it's a beautiful day for flying. So I booked the Cherokee in Winchester and flew in the pattern. I met a coworker there who showed me what he knows about the Garmin 430, a new moving-map GPS mounted in the plane's com-stack. I did a complete preflight check and took her flying (the plane, not the coworker). On my first loop, a Citation Jet entered the pattern, and flew a very long, wide pattern. It's considered bad form to cut in front of someone else, though perhaps I could have asked. But to try and follow the jet would extend my pattern five miles beyond the airport. So I announced and flew a 360-degree turn to the right for spacing. By the time I was back, the Citation was landing and I was able to practice a normal pattern. On my second approach, someone else was flying a very loose, slow pattern so I went around. The reason I was in the air today was to practice hitting precise airspeeds and distances in the pattern, but it wasn't working out that way with others flying such different speeds. On my third time around, everyone else's speed and distances were no longer a factor, and I nailed the numbers I was going for. I still feel like I need a lot of practice, to be able to hit target numbers when I need to, but also to be flexible enough to handle a busy pattern.

This flight: .7 PIC/Solo hrs, 3 landings.
Total to Date: 83.3 flight hours, 25.2 PIC hrs, 219 landings.

| Category: PA28-140 Cherokee   

Yes, weight and balance calculations really do matter. Just ask the silly baggage & cargo handlers at Varig Airlines of Brazil who packed this plane wrong on April 12th:

| Category: Review