Today the weather finally cooperated and I tasted flight again!
We started off with a lesson on how to preflight the airplane. I am flying a 1975 Cessna 172M (N1727V). The preflight is not rocket science, but there are a lot of details that need to be checked prior to taking to the skies.
The preflight is your one opportunity to catch a problem with the plane on the ground before it becomes a problem in the air. We check the general condition of the aircraft, all of the flight surfaces, the fuel quality (testing for water and other contaminants as well as the proper fuel type), the lights, oil, prop condition, tires and brakes — basically a thorough check of everything that could make the difference between a pleasant flight and an emergency in the making.
After learning how to preflight I took to the left seat for my first flight in N1727V. I taxied to the runway (still very uncoordinated) and my CFI performed the takeoff while explaining what he was doing. We climbed out and headed to the practice area.
I did have one equipment failure on this flight — luckily, it wasn’t something on the plane! My headset (one of the flight school loaner sets) started cutting in and out, making it impossible to hear my CFI tell me what was going on. I had to bend the headset cable trying to find a spot where they worked, then sit on the cable to try and keep them working. Then everything would be good for a minute or two until I shifted in my seat a bit and had to start the whole process all over again. It was difficult and distracting but at least I was able to get 90% of what my instructor said and didn’t have to scratch the lesson.
We practiced straight & level flight, level turns, and I started to learn how to trim the aircraft. The C172M has elevator trim, which basically means there is a wheel I can turn to take the pressure off of the elevator. Practically, this means once I achieve a certain speed or attitude of flight, I can adjust the trim wheel so I don’t have to continually apply pressure to the yoke. This is not only a convenience factor (constantly applying forward or back pressure to the yoke will become tiring over a long flight), but also a safety issue — the plane should always be in trim so you aren’t fighting the aircraft during maneuvers.
The flight was over before I knew it. My CFI landed and we taxied back to the ramp. As soon as we landed I bought one of the ubiquitous mint-green David Clark headsets…no more nasty loaners for me!
Flight time today: 0.9 hours
Total flight time to date: 1.8 hours