Rich's Quest For Flight

KRYV 261517Z AUTO 29006KT 10SM OVC018 M03/M07 A2994 RMK AO2

Approaching the airport today, there were a couple of indicators that I might not fly. First, the ceiling was about 2000', so we certainly weren't going to fly anywhere except around the patch. Second, I was still not fully recovered from a stomach virus that hit me hard Friday night. The first problem was no problem as Adam said we'd just focus on takeoffs and landings with some oral review tossed in. So out to the plane I went for preflight. It was quite cold today, and in my rush to get to the airport, I only had a medium jacket. So at least the preflight checks weren't lazy. But I still felt a bit groggy, and a bit sore from being sick. I wasn't completely sure I wanted to fly. But I wasn't at all nauseous, so I decided to go forward as we'd only be local and we could scrub at any time.

Turned out to be a good decision. Winds favored Runway 29, so most of our time was spent practicing the takeoff and landing variations. Short field, soft field, no flap, forward slip to landing. Then we switched to Runway 23 for some light crosswind work. Out of 6 landings on the day, only one could be considered less than satisfactory and the passenger probably wouldn't be able to tell. It all feels so coordinated now, very natural.

I need one more solo session, and Adam is sending me up with another instructor for a final phase check, then it's on to the practical exam.

That close.