Flight 14: The First Little Plateau
I had wondered when I would finally hit a plateau, and today I got the answer. It was not a bad day overall, but just not as good as last time. There were a few factors which varied enough to make a difference. It was warmer and humid, visibility was the lowest so far (7 miles), the wind was almost directly across the runway (instead of straight down it like last week), and it had been a week since my last lesson (instead of less than a day).
My biggest problem was probably some pre-solo nervousness. (Until today I didn’t have to be concerned about a solo, since I hadn’t taken the exam. I had a whole week to wonder whether today would be the day. That’s up to my CFI, obviously, but he can’t make the decision in advance, not knowing what my performance level or the weather will be.)
Today was another day of touch & goes. My landings were still OK for the most part; if I hadn’t had the previous flight that went better, I would have been satisfied. I guess that’s the nature of flying- just when you think you have something down pat, conditions will eventually change enough to make it a challenge again.
Today: 1.1 hours
Total: 16.3 hours
