Time: 1200Z (0600 MST)
Flying time: 1.4 hrs. (cumulative 17.1)
Landings: 5 (cumulative 47)
Aircraft: Skyhawk N7887N (T-41C)
Flight: ABQ-NW Practice area-AEG-ABQ
Well, arrived at the aero club at 0530, found out I got a 100% on my procedures exam, and an 88% on the FAR/AIM/Aeroclubrules test --- the incorrect answers were mostly on Aero Club rules, so I'm doing fine.
Well, almost. Took my medical exam on Monday, and found that one of my medications requires a waiver from OKC before I can solo. Grrrr. Still, working on it, shouldn't take *too* long (famous last words?).
We head to the practice area and Jeff tells me to "choose some procedures to practice and go for it. I'll just sit here and watch." I do a power off stall, a power-on stall, and an emergency descent from 11,000' to 7,000'. Over to AEG for some T&Gs.
Basically my landings are OK. The first one my approach is way too fast, so I burn up quite a bit of runway on my flare. Off the runway again, we call crosswind, and almost immediately hear someone else in a Mooney call crosswind. Turn downwind, and promptly hear someone else call downwind. I can't see him anywhere. We're abeam the numbers, right downwind at 22, and call "Niner-Whiskey-Echo, what is your position?" "I'm abeam the numbers right downwind for 22." I'm 100' above TPA (hadn't properly pulled power to level off), and he's apparently right below us --- good thing I didn't continue my descent back down to TPA! We do a 360 to the left , and find that he had been slightly behind and a few hundred feet below us, and going much faster. Jeff didn't seem as worried as I was, so perhaps the separation was a bit better, but we got out of his way nevertheless.
Other than that only one clunker landing, and that one just because I'm going rather fast at touchdown, not because I stall above the runway like last time. I'm even starting to feel like I did one or two of them *well*! I'll get over that, I'm sure.
Back to ABQ Class C space, mostly uneventful. Did fly a couple thousand feet over a bunch of hot air balloons near Balloon Fiesta Park. Pretty.
Landing at ABQ was OK, but needed a bit more right rudder --- a bit too much sideload on the mains.
Like I said, Jeff keeps saying I'm ready to solo, and finally today I believe him.
No solo in my schedule until the stuff gets through OKC, but we're flying again in one week.
Notes to self: watch airspeed in pattern.
A while before lesson 11