Flight Training - PTS Maneuvers

I practiced Sport Pilot flight maneuvers with my instructor, Jim Schmidt, on 08/27/10 and on 09/01/10. The aim of the flight training was to perfect my flight maneuvers to the sport pilot PTS standards. I performed the following maneuvers under Jim's supervision and with his insights for improvement.

(1) Takeoff with flaps 1 - soft field and short-field

(2) Steep turns of 45 degrees at 2,500 AGL - right and left

(3) Slow flight with flaps 2 at IAS of 50 mph for an assigned heading and shallow turns to left and right

(4) Power-off stall and recovery with flaps 2 and assigned heading

(5) Power-on stall and recovery with flap 0 and assigned heading

(6) Simulated emergency landing procedures from 1600 ft

(7) S-turns and circle around a point at 1,400 ft

(8) Landings with flaps 2 - soft and short field

Jim briefed me on my flight training and provided inputs for my solo flights to practice flight maneuvers.

Busting the Checkride !

I flew to Burlington-Alamance (KBUY) Airport on July 25, 2010 to have my Sport Pilot Checkride with the Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), Ms. Zenda Leiss.

I had a 45 min. oral portion of the checkride with the DPE answering her questions on my flight planning preparation and Weight & Balance, aircraft systems, aviation charts and weather knowledge. After passing the knowledge portion of the checkride, I took off with the DPE in the Allegro 2000 LSA for the flight portion of the checkride.

I performed a short-field takeoff per DPE and headed towards the Asheboro airport (KHBI) with Causay airport as a visual checkpoint. After about 10 min. of flight, DPE asked me to point out the checkpoint and in the process, I lost about 280 ft and finally found the airport. The weather was hazzy and the new environment did not present many visual reference points. I was also nervous due to the checkride and being in a new setting since my home base is Raleigh-Exec Airport (KTTA). Zenda asked me to perform an emergency landing, as she brought the power to idle at 2,500 ft. I did the SPELL emergency checklist by setting the trim at the glide speed for Allegro 2000 at 70 mph, picking a landing spot as a nearby field, engine restart (simulation), let someone know (frequency, squawk) and headed towards it for landing. At final for the field, being high I performed a slip maneuver. She asked me to discontinue the landing at about 500 ft above ground and perform a go-around. But, I subsequently failed to clear the flight maneuvers portion bedeviled by my inability to maintain the assigned heading (90 degrees) just looking at the magnetic compass and without any outside reference point. Later Zenda pointed out that I could have switched on the GPS after the navigation portion of the checkride! My bad...She asked me to head toward the KBUY airport and perform a soft-field landing. I entered the left downwind for RWY 24 with full-flaps and performed a forward slip in the final and landed the airplane smoothly. The DPE complemented my landing but I still need to come back to correctly perform the flight maneuvers within the PTS margins. I plan to practice a couple of times with Jim and solo before embarkring on the checkride retest for the flight maneuvers portion...

Flight Training: Review Flight for Sport Pilot Checkride

On July 15, 2010 at 8.00 AM, I preflighted the Allegro 2000 LSA with Jim. Taxing to the RWY 03, I performed a short-field takeoff applying full power with brakes and releasing to gather speed on the takeoff roll. Liftoff at 56 MPH and climb at Vy=70 MPH, I headed NW of KTTA to the flight practice area. At an altitude of 3,000 ft and airspeed at 90 MPH, I performed a clearing turn to the right and left. Jim asked me to perform a power-on and power-off stall & recvery. I did the power-on stall at 4,500 rpm and with no flaps and recovered by lowering the nose to reduce the angle of attack (AOA) and applying power to climb to the original altitude. I reduced the power to idle and at 70 MPH, put flaps at 2 and stalled the airplane by backpressure. I recovered from the stall by lowering the nose by pushing the stick forward and applying full-power. I retracted the flaps from 2 to 1 and after the airplane gained some speed, I retrected the flaps from 1 to 0. I climbed to an altitude of 2,800.

Jim simulated an engine-out emergency by bringing the power to idle. I trimmed the airplane for a glide speed of 70 MPH, picked a landing site (KTTA RWY 21 within 3-4 miles), announced on the radio and entered final for RWY 21. I performed a forward-slip all the way down to the beginning of runway and straightened for flare and landed just after the first taxiway exit.

Landing Insights

Credit: AOPA Pilot, August 2010

I then performed a soft-field takeoff with stick all the way back from the taxiway and the plane lifted off at 50 MPH, gained speed at ground effect and climbed at Vx=65 MPH. After a traffic pattern at 1250 ft, I performed a soft-field landing with some power on the flare at 60 MPH and soft laning holding the nose up a little longer before rolling out of the runway.

Soft-field Landing

I then entered the beginning of RWY 03 and performed another takeoff, traffic pattern and a short-field landing with power at idle abeam no. 3, flaps at 2 and airspeed at 62 MPH. After a short final, I landed the airplane with an aiming point just after the first 500 ft mark and exited the runway within the first 1,300 ft of the runway. Taxied back to FBO.

Short-field Landing

Jim suggested some finer points and e-signed my FAA-IACRA application form for my sport pilot certificate. Jim then called the Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) to inform the completion of my sport pilot training preparations. I contacted the DPE later in the day to schedule my sport pilot checkride...

Flight Training: Evaluation Flight with another Instructor

On July 8, 2010, my flight instructor Jim asked another instructor at the FBO, Ross Kennedy to perform an evaluation of my flight maneuvers in preparation for my Sport Pilot checkride. After the preflight of the Allegro 2000 LSA, I taxied to RWY 3. Ross asked me to perform a soft-field takeoff and head towards the flight practice area. At an altitude of 3,500 ft MSL, I performed clearing turns and slow flight at 55 MPH heading straight and shallow turns to the right. Ross then asked me to demonstrate stall & recovery in both the takeoff and landing approach configurations with flaps at position 1 and 2 respectively. Ross asked me to simulate an engine failure at 3,000 ft. I then changed the attitude of the plane to maintain a stable glide speed of 70-72 MPH and picked a large field as the landing site. I flew the plane descending towards the field. I was a little high even after a forward slip maneuver and Ross demonstrated the correct configuration and slip maneuver to reach towards the field. I ended the simulated landing at 500 ft and performed a climb to 1,000 ft AGL. Ross then asked me to perform a turns around a point maneuver. I performed the maneuver at 90 mph and headed towards the KTTA, joining the midpoint of downwind for RWY 3 at 1,250 ft. Ross then asked me to perform a soft-field landing. I landed the plane within the first 1,000 ft of the runway with flaps at 2 and a final approach speed of 62 MPH. Ross provided some feedback and suggestions.
I have scheduled another dual flight training with my instructor Jim Schmidt next week and hope to be ready by then to contact a DPE for my checkride !

Solo Flight Practice: Sport Pilot PTS Maneuvers

On July 2, 2010, I preflighted the Allegro 2000 LSA and taxied to RWY 03 for solo practice of Sport Pilot PTS maneuvers. I performed a short-field takeoff, applying full-throttle with brakes and release for a takeoff at 56 MPH, climb at 70 MPH, heading to NW of KTTA (Raleigh-Exec Airport). I climbed to 3,500 ft at the flight practice area near the 3M plant located in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

I performed clearing turns to 360 degrees at 90 MPH followed by steep turns to 360 degrees both left and right. I then slowed to 70 MPH and put flaps at 2. Maintaining a slow-speed of 62-64 MPH, I headed straight towards Jordan Lake and then performed shallow-turns to the right and left. I applied power and retracted flaps from 2 to 1. At 70 MPH, I retracted flaps from 1 to 0 and gained an airspeed of 90 MPH. Turning towards the KTTA, I started to descend and entered the midpoint of downwind for RWY 03 at 1,250 ft and 80 MPH. At abeam # 3, I reached an airspeed of 70 MPH and put flaps at 2. Maintaining an airspeed of 62-64 MPH during the final approach, I landed the airplane after a short flare at RWY 03.

I then taxied to beginning of RWY 03, and performed a soft-field takeoff with full back pressure and liftoff at 50 MPH, climb at Vx=65 MPH with a crosswind (winds of 7 knots from 350 degrees).

METAR for KTTA

I headed towards the intersection of two state roads and performed turns around a point and S-turns above a state road at 1,750 MSL. I then entered the downwind for RWY 03 and performed a short-field landing (AS of 60-62 MPH at Flaps 2 during final approach) witnin the first 1,300 ft of the runway of 6,500 ft. I taxied back to the FBO. With the completion of this flight, I have now logged 100 landings and 40 hours of flight time.

Solo Flight Practice: Circle Around a Point and Takeoffs & Landings

On June 8, 2010, I preflighted the airplane, Allegro 2000 LSA (N50631) and tookoff from RWY 03 for my eleventh solo flight. I performed my first takeoff with 15 degrees of flaps and headed towards the NW of KTTA (Raleigh Exec Airport). During my climb to about 2,500 ft near the 3M plant, I retracted the flaps at 150 ft and switched off the electric fuel pump at 1000 ft. I performed clearing turns and shallow turns and headed towards the KTTA. Entering the mid-point of downwind for RWY 03, I switched on flaps to 15 degrees at 70 mph and abeam the # 3. After base and final legs, I perfoemd my first landing of the day.



I again tookoff from RWY 03 of KTTA with flaps at 1 and headed towards the Cape Fear River Basin and followed the river. At the intersection of two state roads, I practiced several circle around a point maneuver at 1,400 ft ad 90 mph. I was able to keep the altitude and speed within the margins allowed for the Sport Pilot PTS and was able to correct when off with quick corrections. The wind was calm but there were some up drafts.



After my flight maneuvers practice, I entered the downwind for RWY 03 and landed the plane after a short flare. I taxied back to RWY 03 and did another takeoff, traffic pattern and landing.

Flight Training: Fine-tuning Flight Maneuvers and Landings

On May 21st and 28th, 2010, I practiced flight maneuvers and landings in different configurations with my flight instructor, Jim Schmidt. I performed takeoffs with flaps set at 0 and 1 (15 degrees) and headed to the flight practice area near the 3M plant about 6 miles NW of KTTA.
At 3,000 ft, I performed clearing turns to full circle from left and right with an airspeed of 90 mph. I then executed steep turns of 45 degrees to the left and right to full circle, maintaining the AS and altitude within 10 mph and 100 ft respectively.


Credit: AOPA Flight Training, July 2010

Jim asked me to slow the plane to 52-54 mph with flap 2 and perform a straight and level flight. I picked a spot and headed towards it with the inclinometer ball in the center. I then performed shallow turns to the left and right. Jim then asked me to increase the speed to 90 mph with flaps retracted at 70 mph and descend to 1400 ft near a state road. I then performed several S-turns to improve my proficiency.

After the flight maneuvers, I headed to KTTA and practiced several landings with touch 'n' go, in different landing configurations - flaps at 0, 1 and 2. There was a slight wind that allowed me to practice crosswind takeoffs and landings. I also executed a forward slip to reduce speed and altitude on one of my landing approach with full right rudder and left aileron into the wind.