Stalls, Slips and Landings, Oh My!

I have two more trainings under my belt. On Thursday I got going a little late. I know that I am getting up to take the lessons at 6am for a reason, but that doesn't mean that it isn't hard to wake up at 4:45am. For anyone that knows me, understands that I really, really want this to be able to commit myself willingly to get up at that hour. After getting started a few minutes later than I had hoped, we flew back out to a practice are just passed Primm, NV over the Mojave desert. We practiced slow flight, turns in slow flight and an introduction to stalls. Just like Tuesday, the weather was perfect and very little wind.

On Friday, making sure that I would get up on time so that I could perform the pre-flight inspection and get going early, I set my alarm earlier. When I woke up, it was 5am, which would put me out there late again, so I jumped out of bed, rushed in the shower and ran downstairs to eat breakfast. I then saw that clock in the kitchen and it was 4:45am! I was really early! Somehow, and unconsciously, I had set the time on my clock 35mins ahead. I took advantage of the time, called the weather briefer and did the preflight inspection. I had time to study the pilot's operating handbook and review some notes before my instructor arrived.

We took off and headed out to the same practice area again, starting out with slow flight and some turns. We then practice both power on and power off stalls. After 15 mins of practicing, my arm was about to fall off from holding the wheel back to cause the airplane to do something that I knew and it knew it wasn't really supposed to be doing. After the stalls, we practice some forward and side slips and then did some S-turns over a road. The wind wasn't blowing at all, so we couldn't practice slips into the wind.

After about 1.25hrs in the practice area, we went to Jean, NV (0L7) and did two full-stop landings. Both went pretty well, but I still have alot to learn. There are quite a few things happening simultaneously that makes it alot to remember the first few times. I am sure with more practice, they will become natural.

Approaching 8:30am, we headed back to Henderson and landed, fueled and parked the plane. It was another great day of flying!