Too Windy for my Taste

February 10, 2012
Pain Field- Jefferson- Arlington- Pain Field
Cessna 152
2.0 hours, 5 landings

My CFI had me visit a different airport today, which apparently has a really good pie place? He had me fly us there using the sectional, and figure out what direction I would be landing. It was simple enough flying there, only a rock through away from my home airport. I didn't do so well on the landing, ballooned it. The crosswinds were pretty bad though, so we went to Arlington to do some touch and goes there instead. We also worked on slow flight as usual and some stalls. At this point my radio skills at an uncontrolled tower are SO much better! I can confidently make the calls, no problem. In fact the only radio calls I continually mess up on are when I'm coming home to ask clearance for landing. The Tower just spits so much out at me and so quickly, I never know what I HAVE to say back, or even where to start. I'll get it down eventually though.. hopefully.

This was also the first flight I did while it was raining, and I thought it was the collest thing ever seeing the rain hit the window and just move away! I loved it, I don't know how to explain it, but I was sitting there laughing staring at the rain drops rather than the outside scanning for planes (whoops...) but that's what my CFI is there for right...? Us student pilots occasionally get distracted. Once I noticed I wasn't paying attention I got back on my game. Thankfully, my CFI didn't seem to notice.. We also saw a rainbow! It took every bone in my body to continue flying at the heading my instructor had told me, instead of chasing the beautiful colors in the sky.

Unfortunately, on our way home one of the runways were closed and the only one open had something on the runway so we had to circle over the water till we could be cleared to land. The wind was bumping us all over the place which was making me sick to my stomach, so my CFI took control of the airplane for awhile (thankfully). He got us clearance to circle over the runway in an attempt to get away from the winds over the water, which helped ease my stomach a lot. I wasn't close to puking, how horrible would that have been! But I was slightly nauseated, and for the first time was happier than ever to get out of that plane.


Total cost invested thus far: $3691