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.

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 !

Dual PTS Flight Maneuvers Practice

Power-ON Stall & Recovery

Power-OFF Stall & Recovery

On April 13th and 14th 2010, I practiced several flight maneuvers after Jim demonstrated each of them. During the flight training on the 13th, Jim demonstrated the first takeoff with flap 1 (15 degrees) as a soft-field takeoff with the stick all the way back from the taxiway. Applying full-power, the airplane lifted off at 50 mph. Jim reduced the nose high attitude to allow the airplane to gain further speed in the ground effect and climbed at Vy = 70 mph. After clearing over the runway, I took control of the airplane. I performed my first soft-field landing with Flap 1 at downwind (AS=70 mph) and Flap 2 (48 degrees) at final with an airspeed of 62-64 mph in a nose down attitude. I still held a little power after touchdown to simulate rollout on a soft-field. Touch and Go...Tookoff from the remaining runway with flap 1. After the traffic pattern at 1,250 ft (crosswind, downwind, base and final), I performed my second landing as a short-field landng with flap 2 in the final and cutoff any remaining power as the main wheels touched down. I performed six short-and-soft field landings with flap 2 to gain proficiency.

During the second day of PTS Flight maneuvers training, Jim demonstrated several flight maneuvers and I repeated them under his guidance. I practiced the following flight maneuvers:
1) Clearing Turns
2) Steep turns at 45 degrees to left and right
3) Power-ON stall with 4,500 rpm and recovery
4) Power-OFF stall in landing configuration with Flap 2 with idle power and recovery
5) Circle around a point at 1,400 ft
6) S-turns around a straight road from 1,400 ft

I then performed the landing at RWY 21 and taxied back to FBO.