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.

Solo Flight Practice: Soft-field Takeoff, Flight Maneuvers and Landings

The mid-day weather at KTTA (Raleigh-Exec Airport) today (April 19, 2010) was sunny with clear skies with a temperature of 75 degrees but with gusty winds of about 4 knots varying in direction. I preflighted the Allegro 2000 LSA just after my instructor, Jim Schmidt taxied the airplane to the FBO after his flight training session with another student.

I taxied the airplane with the stick all the way back and entered the RWY 3 without stopping to simulate a soft-field takeoff. I applied full-power and the airplane lifted off at 50 mph with flap 1 (15 degrees). I levelled the airplane to gain airspeed in the ground effect and climbed out at the best rate of climb (Vy = 70 mph). I retracted the flaps at about 150 ft altitude and crossed the remaining runway.

I flew the plane at an altitude of 1400 msl to the NW of the KTTA Airport and performed the two following flight maneuvers, each a couple of time to gain practice:
1) Circle around a point (intersection of two state roads below)and
2) S-turns around a straight stretch of a state road with the intersection as the mid-point.



After the flight maneuvers, I entered the mid-point of the downwind leg for RWY 3 at 1250 ft. Turning base and final with an airspeed of 70 mph, I landed the Allegro 2000 LSA and turned off to the taxiway. I took off from RWY 3 for the second time today entering it via taxiway Echo. I performed a normal takeoff with Flap 1 and lifted off at 56 mph. I did the traffic pattern work and entered the base and final legs a little high. I applied full-power to perform a go-around (I should have tried a forward-slip!). After another traffic pattern with idle power from abeam the number 3, I landed the airplane after a short flare. The varying winds with not much corrections made me land a little off the center-line. I taxied the plane to the FBO.

Today marked my eighth solo flight and with this short 36 minute flight, I now have accumulated seven hours of PIC solo time.