Pilot's logbook

10/7 C-152 N89933 LOU BAK LOU Flight planning, Pilotage, dead reckoning, leaving procedures, airport approach & landings. landings:2 1.9 hours TH

Sunday 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Cross-country trip to Columbus. This was the good one. I have a list of things to work on in my notes, but the trip was good. Columbus and the ground between here and there were all where they were supposed to be, and the airplane was where she was supposed to be, too. Todd was great--he played passenger really well.

MONDAY: COLUMBUS SOLO!!!!!!!!! (weather permitting) WHOO HOO!!!!!!!!

Windows open.
"Fore!" (Todd)

Eval:

I was rushed getting the last-minute part of the flight plan this time, too, but not as bad as before.

The gasoline measurer wasn't in the plane, and we didn't top it off. Gauges read almost full, and my finger test (gas up to the first knuckle of my forefinger) means 8 or 9 gallons in each tank, but this might not have been a good call. Better to really KNOW how much gas is in there.

Winds calm, on the ground and at altitude. Broken cumulus layer at 5,000-ish, so we stayed at 4,500 on the way there, and 3,500 for the way back. Climb-out course (350º corrected to 346º) took us directly to 6-mile island, and then correctly to the right of KJVY. I set us on VOR 351 FROM Bowman field, which turned out correct and took us practically to the Columbus airport.

All the way TO Columbus, we held altitude and heading within a very small margins. On the way back, for some reason, it was not as good.

Checkpoints all showed up as planned, except Henryville, which was most likely there, but wasn't distinctive enough to tell if it really WAS Henryville. Todd says any little town that is shown as a small circle instead of a shape is not usually a good checkpoint. Roads other than interstates are no good. Power lines, railroads, water towers are better.

I neglected to set the compass on the way there. One result (probably) was that the runway approach was confusing. Tower gave me a right base for runway 5. I had a hard time seeing it, a hard time figuring the angles, and (Todd says) I started my descent too soon. It was a crummy approach. Touchdown was ok.

I forgot to clean up the plane after pulling off the runway. (Carb heat, transponder and flaps.) Also, I need to be really careful to use the before-takeoff checklist to catch things like this.

Return trip--
I didn't have a VOR radial to follow from Columbus, but the heading (346, 350) worked correctly. It was important to know when I-65 should be on our right or our left.
It was harder to hold altitude and heading.

I should have descended sooner before 6-mile island to stay below Charlie airspace.

For Bowman right base for 24, head for the center of the airport, turn base when you intersect it. Again, I started the landing sequence too soon, and it was an icky approach. Both of those landings, it would be appropriate to go around and do the square thing to get it right.

Interestingly, the approach felt unbelievably slow, much much slower than my airspeed readings were telling me.

Notes for next trip (Monday at 12 noon):

Have flight plan totally ready.
Need current chart and Airport Directory.
Order a fuel sump and measurer-thingie.
BE SURE AND PUT THE MIXTURE IN BEFORE THE LANDING SEQUENCE. I did, but I'm always afraid I'll forget. This time, I put it in when I started the descent from altitude because I was afraid I'd forget later.
With only one person, you really need to do more looking for traffic.

Figure out altitudes and distances and points for standard and non-standard landings at these two airports.
Figure out and practice a scan that includes traffic, emergency landing place,compass.

Todd added:
Don't forget about the military restricted area west of Columbus.
You can ask for a progressive taxi if you're not sure where you're supposed to go.
Flight following is always an option for help with traffic.

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