In a 1968, 115 hp Citabria 7ECA

[link|http://www.amerchampionaircraft.com/newac/aurora/aurspecs.htm|Sales picture and specs]

The plane made 3 takeoffs and landings, but my spirit hasn't made the third landing yet!! I figure I'll make the final full stop in a day or three.

I've got about 25 hours dual time so far (and 0.5 pilot in command). It took a while to get the feet to work the rudder properly for takeoffs and landings. Keeping them moving properly is quite important--you want the wreckage to go straight down the runway. My instructor said if I was learning in a 152, I would have soloed well before this. But I knew going in that the taildragger would take longer (I was hoping about 5 hours longer instead of 10, but what the heck.) The extra time did make me much, much more comfortable for solo. Though I must admit the butterflies set in about a hour before the flight.

Now it's on to cross countries, night flying, and mid-air refueling.

And I'm pretty worthless for work for the rest of the day.

Brian Bronson

Well, as soon as I closed up the plane to pull on to the runway, I was looking forward to landing and pulling off, so I could open up the window and turn on the A/C! It was a hot and humid Wisconsin day.

The first thing I noticed when I pushed in the throttle was that the tail came up almost immediately. Takeoff went well, and I got off the ground pretty quick. Then climbing out I noticed over 500 fpm. What a difference a 10-15% drop in AC weight makes in performance! I was on my crosswind leg well before I got to the end of the runway (rwy 28 at KUES is about 5500'). Not something to which I was accustomed.

Run the before landing checklist, everything fine. Got a bit low on final, so I added about 100 rpm (and hoped my instructor didn't notice!). Lined up just right, a bit of left aileron for the 1-2 kt crosswind. Okay, flare--and realize that I've flared just a bit too high as I bounce it in. I keep it on the ground on the second bounce. But it was pretty close to the numbers, and the bounce wasn't too bad. I pull off the active and turn the A/C back on while I taxi back for my second takeoff.

The second landing went pretty well, and the third one was so-so. All of them were full stall landings. I've done wheel landings, but I'm not as proficient with them, so my instructor said full stalls.

I had a lesson with my instructor Tuesday. Practiced stalls, turns around a point, and S-turns over a road. And landings, of course. If the weather holds, I have another lesson this afternoon, and I might get soloed out to the practice area.

Brian Bronson