Second Supervised Solo

June 15, 2010

I had my second supervised solo today. I met Hal at the airport at 10am and it was already hot. Jeff came up to the airport to, because according to him, if he didn't see me solo it never really happened.

I did a few landings with Hal on board and then dropped him off at the FBO. The density altitude was 2000' by the time it was my turn to go at it alone and it really does make everything feel different. I could tell right away it took longer for the plane to get up and the plane just flew different all around. I also had to leave more power in and get up higher in the pattern because the Cherokee was sinking faster than normal otherwise.

I did two takeoffs and landings, and on both landings I was porpoising. The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook says this about porpoising: "In a bounced landing that is improperly recovered, the airplane comes in nose first setting off a series of motions that imitate the jumps and dives of a porpoise - hence the name. The problem is improper airplane attitude at touchdown, sometimes caused by inattention, not knowing where the ground is, mistrimming or forcing the airplane onto the runway." Sounds fun huh?

After the second not-so-graceful landing, Hal called me back in so he could go up with me and as he put it, "get you calmed back down." He quickly determined the problems. First of all I was pushing the nose over (forcing the airplane onto the runway) rather than just letting her come down. And second I wasn't looking down the runway. Think about how you drive a car, as you go down the road you look out ahead of the car, down the road. If you look right over the hood of the car it makes it difficult to judge exactly where you are. The same is true of landing a plane, if you look right over the front of the plane it is hard to judge where you really are. You see the ground coming at you and either want to push the plane down or pull back and flare to soon. You have to look down the runway a bit to get the timing right.

So I did one or two landing with Hal and he gets back out and I taxi back out to try again. I give it full power hit 60 mph and rotate. As soon as I begin to feel the plane lift off, about 4 feet off the ground I hear this big rush of air and see sunlight streaming in around the door. Great, the door came unlatched. It didn't open all the way, the top was locked, but the latch on the side had popped open. I had a second of uncertainty and confusion, but knew I had plenty of runway to land. I pulled back the power, felt a little bounce and then heard Hal say "hold her off", I did and the Cherokee came right down. Ironically the best landing so far of the day.

I taxied back to the FBO, we checked the door and made sure it was shut properly this time. Jeff and Hal at first thought the engine had quit, fortunately that was not the problem, but I am guessing it gave them a good scare.

Not to be done in by the previous landings and attempted take-offs of the day, I taxi back out for one more. After checking the door several times, I finally take off and end the day with a pretty decent landing and my second solo under my belt, not to mention some emergency landing practice.