Solo Flight Practice: Soft and Short Field Takeoffs and Landings

PIC - Prasad

Today (March 17, 2010), I practiced soft-field and short field takeoffs, traffic pattern work and landings during my fourth solo flight. The weather at Raleigh-Exec Airport (KTTA) was sunny (62 F) with mild wind 0f 03 knots but with gusts of 10 knots. My flight instructor Jim was off today. Ross, another flight instructor with B-Bar-D Aviation, sent me on my solo flight after filling the Allegro 2000 LSA with a full tank of autogas.

I did the preflight check and taxied to RWY 03. After waiting for a low-wing 4-seater plane to land, I performed a soft-field takeoff (taxi to the runway without stopping and stick in the middle, apply full-power and takeoff at 56 mph, level to gain speed and climb at 70 mph with flap 1 - at 15 degrees). I climbed to 3,000 ft and did a go-around of the airport and flew to the practice area NW of KTTA. I turned towards the airport with two medium bank turns and entered the downwind leg with a plane on the final. Since the plane had not cleared the runway when I was on the final, I did another go-around to the right of RWY 03. Turning left crosswind, I did my third traffic pattern work with idle power abeam the number three. There was a plane on long final for an ILS approach and another behind me during my downwind leg. I landed after the airplane on the long final and turned off from RWY 03 at the second exit. Taxied back to beginning of the runway.

I tookoff for the second time from RWY 03 - this time I performed a short-field takeoff. I flew another traffic pattern, with a six seater Piper airplane way behind me to join the downwind leg and another airplane on final approach. I turned to base leg and with a forward slip reduced my altitude from 1000 ft to 600 ft on the final. I landed the plane after a long flare due to my fast speed during the final leg. Today, both of my landings were with no flaps as I did not try the slow speed maneuvers due to the gusty wind conditions. I turned off the runway via the third exit to the taxiway. Taxied the Allegro 2000 LSA back to FBO.