trust but verify

It is not a coincidence that ATC provides clearance for runway 16R while I hold short of 16L once out of every 6 flights in the pattern. A minor slip of the tongue does happen and can easily go unnoticed. It takes a short 'verify clearance for 16 R, 2 9 Echo' prior to take-off to avoid incident.

If requested by ATC to make a short downwind leg to get in front of approaching traffic, do not be afraid to: (1) request a long downwind if safety is a concern OR (2) move the aiming point farther down the runway (on a suitably sized runway) as long as the pilot can still get the plane off the runway in short time after landing for arriving traffic. The ATC is managing space, trying to be respectful to each aircrafts constraints (fuel, speed, training or commercial, etc.). Pilots ultimately are responsible for the safety of the passengers and aircraft.

ATC is usually cognizant of flight training. In the case of a short downwind request, I often wonder if the ATC has a secondary purpose--placing new trainees in different scenarios. Either way, ATC is in integral part of training and often very helpful.

Today's training, another day in the pattern, was very beneficial. Not only can I land the plane with some confidence, many little things were sured up including the following.

• Remember to turn the transponder to Mode C prior to take off.
• Remember to check the directional gyro one more time prior to take off while on the lined up on the runway (since the direction is well known). It takes a second.
• Be aware of the the foot on the brake when taking off while using right-rudder.
• Use of the side slip in a cross wind landing as well as more rapid loss of altitude while maintaining airspeed around 75 knots. This proved helpful in a shortened downwind.

Now the repeated pattern lessons are complete.

Patience, young jedi.

I am a drummer. I have been for 28 years. I try not to own up to it as I am not as good as I should be by my standards. After that long, I should be playing like Dave Weckl did 10 years ago, even for a part timer like myself. Some reasons are obvious. Cats like Weckl play ALL THE TIME. I play, both practice and perform, on average about seven hours a week. The other reason is how I practice. For the longest time I would push very hard to get the most complicated patterns down without building on the fundamentals. The idea, bad as it was, is the the fundamentals will come and the end is the same. This is FLAT OUT WRONG. In the last five years I have stepped back and worked incrementally. Now, I am a solid drummer who can play in just about ANY setting. I recall those frustrating days where I was slamming my sticks down on items like the tape player (for youngs guys, this is device that amplifies sound stored on a magnetic tape), lamps and anything else close by that is designed as a percussion instrument.

Anything requiring motor coordination requires the same disciplines. I have seen 'natural' talent. What I see is a quick grasp of fundamentals. 'Naturals' do not SKIP fundamentals. This is evident in any activity requiring motor skills (e.g. Kung Fu, my son's Tae Kwon Do, other musicians, other sportsment, seamstress, etc.). FLYING IS NO DIFFERENT.

So when one of my instructors says 'CHILL OUT', it is instantly understood. Learning to fly is a well-established set of steps. They cannot be skipped. Moving on to the next step is not an option if the first set of steps is not performed with competency. For example, landing is difficult if a student cannot hold a plane steady in slow flight. Getting frustrated is counter productive and is a sign that the student (yeh, me) is trying to move to fast.

It is hard to maintain patience. With the monetary price of flying, it is preferred that each step comes quickly. So now I look back at yesterday with a different perspective. I had trouble landing. In the process of trying improve landing, I accomplished the following:

(1) Solid take-offs in a cross wind.
(2) Accuracy in holding a pattern including 20 degree turns, maintain altitude and heading.
(3) Incremental improvement in airport communications at a busy class D airport with a tower.
(4) Maintain focus while still having 'light' intermittent conversation.
(5) Solid approach on the glide slope.

So if I attempt to measure the whole 1.3 hours of flying on about on about 90 seconds of that time, I am doomed to be an unhappy and unsafe pilot. [ 90 seconds = 15 seconds during the flare and rollout multiplied by 6 landings. And yes, 1.3 hours for 6 pattern runs is a bit much, but, like I said, busy airport.].