First Private Pilot Lesson - Crop Duster

plowhog · Apr 16, 2018

A lot of non-pilots judge the quality of a pilot based on the quality of their landings. But, it's kind of like measuring how good a truck driver is by how many flat tires they don't get. There are many variables out of the pilot's control.

I've had some landings where you could not determine when the wheels touched the runway. Incredibly smooth. But airlines train their pilots to have a "firm arrival" as a positive change from flight to being on the ground.

Typical cross wind landings either use a crabbing method or a wing down (with opposite rudder) method. Both are a challenge and both are fun. I tended to favor the crabbed method unless the crosswinds were gusty. If the side gusts were strong I found the wing down method to be more stabilized all the way down to the landing zone.

hawkeye08 · Apr 16, 2018

Awesome, enjoy it.

One of my uncles had a small plane (don't know what model), took a bunch of us up for rides, was fun even in cross winds. He was flying with a friend one day not long after that and clipped a power line taking off.. got hurt pretty bad, plane totaled. Friend sued him, pretty much lost everything, had to start over.. He talked about another plane and his wife would roll her eyes and ask, what part of no are you having trouble with.. he never got another plane, but did enjoy the stories for years.

I am not trying to scare you in any way or diminish your pleasure. Just be careful, do the routine checklists every time. Know what is around you..

PILOON · Apr 17, 2018

My 1st plane was a Piper J3 65 hp Cub.
Instructor was a bush pilot and he made me do some rather odd things during practice sessions.
One I recall was to taxi some 2000 ft with one wheel raised all the time. Another to fly the length of the runway at about 1 foot without touching.
Most of my training sessions were from a farm field out of a tractor track.

When I purchased that Cub we took off from a section of highway that the LEO's blocked at both ends for us.
As we taxied to that 'take off' section there was a semi that was parked overnight in the residential area that blocked our passage.
The LEO calmly rang the driver's doorbell and ordered the driver to move his rig as an aircraft needed to pass.
LOL, this was an Easter morning at about 6:30 or 7:00 AM.
The driver complied dressed in his PJ's and drove the rig around the block to allow us to pass.

The Cub (CF-NBZ) had been on floats and I purchased it on wheels only hence the crazy runway.
Crazier yet was when 4 guys hand maneuvered the cub out from the tree line. They actually had to lift and carry the AC with one wing very high and twist it around tall trees sort of like it was going around a pylon like in those air races in Nevada.

It weighed 710 lbs and solo was from the back seat due to the CG but as a student pilot I trained from the front so my first solo was another learning curve.

mark02tj · Apr 19, 2018

PILOON said:
It weighed 710 lbs and solo was from the back seat due to the CG but as a student pilot I trained from the front so my first solo was another learning curve.

Interesting!! When I transitioned from a Cessna to a Cub, I did all my training in the back seat. Then I moved to an Aeronca Champ that you flew from the front seat. LOL! Once familiar with both planes, going back and forth was not a problem.

Old Red - You mention the Sporty's videos. Sporty's is located on the field at the Clermont County Airport in the greater Cincinnati area. When the time comes for your "long cross country", that might make a good destination for you. Kind of fun to visit the Sporty's showroom, look through the big window in the warehouse and see how they will sometimes use 3-wheeled bikes to get around. There's not much to choose from to eat there, but that might have changed since I was down that way 15 years ago.

I flew down there once to pick up an order (because it's so much cheaper to fly down there than to pay for shipping! :laughing

and was in the pattern. The plane in front of my had the nose gear collapse on landing which then closed the airport for a few hours. Stayed in the pattern for a little bit to see how long it was going to take to get the plane off the runway. They didn't appear to be in much of a hurry so I flew back home.

Old Red · Apr 19, 2018

mark02tj said:
Interesting!! When I transitioned from a Cessna to a Cub, I did all my training in the back seat. Then I moved to an Aeronca Champ that you flew from the front seat. LOL! Once familiar with both planes, going back and forth was not a problem.

Old Red - You mention the Sporty's videos. Sporty's is located on the field at the Clermont County Airport in the greater Cincinnati area. When the time comes for your "long cross country", that might make a good destination for you. Kind of fun to visit the Sporty's showroom, look through the big window in the warehouse and see how they will sometimes use 3-wheeled bikes to get around. There's not much to choose from to eat there, but that might have changed since I was down that way 15 years ago.

I flew down there once to pick up an order (because it's so much cheaper to fly down there than to pay for shipping! :laughing and was in the pattern. The plane in front of my had the nose gear collapse on landing which then closed the airport for a few hours. Stayed in the pattern for a little bit to see how long it was going to take to get the plane off the runway. They didn't appear to be in much of a hurry so I flew back home.

Cool story....Yes it is not very far from here. Will definitely check it out.

Just went through and learned about Sectional charts and their markings and metar and taf weather reports.....and the runway lights papi's etc.....lots to remember. A little less intuitive than I expected.

Old Red · Oct 23, 2018

Good morning fellow pilots.....ad me to the list of Private Pilot now. Got my ticket October 4th! It is as great as you said it would be!

firebird93 · Oct 23, 2018

Old Red said:
Good morning fellow pilots.....ad me to the list of Private Pilot now. Got my ticket October 4th! It is as great as you said it would be!

congrats, one of the most enjoyable things i've ever done.
Had a piper cherokee until a few years ago.

Alien · Oct 24, 2018

Congratulations Old Red
Always wanted to do that Never had the money or encouragement.
Now I have the money and could buy a plane but I'm too old. (Or is it because I have more sense?) LOL

ray66v · Oct 24, 2018

Congratulations.

In case they didn't already tell you: Now, go and learn to fly.

Seek out different experienced pilots to fly with, and learn all you can from them. And, when you are experienced enough, find a student, or some students to mentor. I never learned more, then when I was teaching.

TimberHole · Oct 24, 2018

Congrats Red!!!! Getting your license is a big accomplishment!!!! If you are interested in tailwheel I have a nice little Cessna 120 I’m getting ready to sell. I just made a deal to buy a Warrior and I can’t keep two!

Edit: I didn’t see you had already bought a 182 when I posted this! Good for you! I’m guessing you probably don’t need a Cessna 120