Friday, July 11th

Tonight's episode... "Ryan and the Incipient Spin" (or "Are My Affairs In Order?")

0800 report time, but this wound up being a study day... nose in the book and watching videos until about 1600, when instructor Mikey (first time flying with this 6'9" dude from Huntington Beach) handed me the key to 7265Z and told to preflight. Ran out to the main ramp and knew it would be an interesting one when I noticed the windsock flapping about wildly. Variable winds gusting to 20 knots with typical July afternoon thermals.

Good taxi and takeoff, but Mikey busts me for not applying elevator trim, which I'll need to get the hang of. Headed southwest toward Fort Worth Spinks Airport , which we crossed on our way to today's practice area at 4500ft. Steep turns go well... 360-degree turn at a 45-degree bank while maintaining altitude. Nailed it. Now for slow flight maneuvers, which simulates a landing configuration. Slow to about 40 knots (which ain't much!) with full flaps and kept her straight and level. Now time to stall her by raising the nose, which she does and recovery goes fine. Now for power-on stalls, which simulates stalling the aircraft at takeoff due to a too-steep climb (critical angle-of-attack). Start at 60 knots and level flight, then full power and yank the yoke back to where we're nose-to-the-sun. The stall horn sounds, the wings tremble (buffet), and we stall. Recovery is pretty easy... not much altitude lost.

On 2nd power-on stall attempt a wind gust struck us just at the point of stall, yawing us just enough to the left, and we entered an incipient spin. I had read all about these, and was aware of the possibility during stall exercises, but you just don't grasp it until you try it. Mine was pretty much identical to this...



More exhilarating than scary, and really not much danger, since we were really high up and Mikey knows his stuff. He recovered before it developed into a full spin, which he can also recover from. Glad I experienced it. Was rather strange to see a golf course through my windshield, though.

Rough ride back to Arlington, with lots of traffic. Had to turn out of the pattern again for spacing, and entered base leg at stall speed to allow even more space for a Cherokee in front of us. Landed her hard, but without visible structural damage. Morning and afternoon flights tomorrow... mostly touch-and-goes, I hear. Need the practice, especially on landings.

More studying, then home and bed. It's Friday, but I get no weekends for a while so I need to grab some Z's whenever I can. Big thanks for the birthday wishes (and warbling... you know who you are) from all of you.

Romeo Papa Tango, out.