Flight Log 02-25

I was sitting in class and decided to pull up the BVFS online scheduling database - only to find another open slot, from 11:30-1:00! Second time this week I caught someone canceling at just the right time. I called the airport as I left class at 10:50, ran home to grab my flight bag, and was at the flight line ready to go. Today was a recap of everything, plus a lesson on the different classes of airspace, including operating from an uncontrolled airfield. We flew out west to Caldwell Municipal  (RWV) and entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. I came in high and fast on final approach, and the Caldwell runway is half the length (and width as well) of the one at Easterwood. The wind gusts were ridiculous today - steady wind at 9 kts, gusting to 22. That large of a wind variation makes slow flight at low altitudes a nightmare, especially when one gust comes from the left, and the next from the right. I was working very hard trying to stay on top of the controls - as soon as I got the side slip evened out, the winds would push me back the other way and I would jam the rudder in the full opposite direction. In addition, every time the wind increases you get a boost in lift and the plane would float high. As soon as I decreased the throttle to come back down the winds would die and we would drop! This up and down, back and forth struggle turned into a violent battle as I got closer and closer to the runway - it was mentally and physically draining. You start realizing that the plane doesn't want to go where you want it to be, and the ground is coming at you. If I was on my own I would have went full-throttle and gone around for another pass, but with an instructor to my right I wasn't going to quit unless it made him uncomfortable. Eventually I touched down, way off to the left of the centerline and very crooked. The wheels made a very uncomfortable screech and I felt a lot of strain in the nose gear through the rudder pedals. I used up too much runway for a touch-and-go, so I put the brakes on and turned around to taxi back to the start of the runway. We took off and made another attempt, this approach was better and we had enough room to lift off, but I was not very satisfied. As we came back to Easterwood, Dave said he wanted me to land using the right half of the runway only... my guess was to get more practice using smaller runways. Again, the gusts made for a messy landing and I floated quite a bit down the runway. Either way, at the end Dave said I was doing just fine and he's impressed for what I can do in these situations with little experience. He went on to say the next flight will be three trips through the pattern, and if I'm having a good day and the weather's right - he'll hop out of the plane and turn me loose.

Flight #10: 1.1 hrs
Total Log Time: 9.7 hrs