Rich's Quest For Flight

KRYV 281414Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 02/M01 A3058 RMK AO2

No, I don't fly as much as when I was in training; those resources were well expended just as I was earning my certificate back in January. But that just makes each time up more special. And it also means that I have to make the most of each flight, to set an agenda of skills I need to cover to keep my proficiency at a high level.

As it was, my last flight was on September 9, a run to Racine for the pancake breakfast and back. I had a plane reserved last Sunday, but the winds were too strong and from the wrong direction to safely operate a Cessna 152. Today was much different, with calm winds, and Jason came along for the ride.

After preflight and takeoff, we headed north toward the Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, a large wetland area about 15 miles north of Watertown. Along the way, I treated Jason to some basic flight maneuvers: clearing turns, followed by a steep turn (he begged out of the second steep turn but said it was neat anyway), then some slow flight dirty. From there, we flew a big lap around the marsh, careful to observe the 2000' AGL recommendation for the area. Jason had visited the marsh as part of a school field trip, and he really got a kick out of seeing the area from the air. We didn't see very many geese; you'd want to be there at sunrise or sunset for that show. As we turned around at the north end, Jason complained of a headache, so we headed back to Watertown. I dropped him off there, and took the plane back up solo for some pattern work. A simulated power off landing, and a partial flap landing were the highlights of a very productive session.

Next plan: getting some night work in after the clocks roll back.