N291DR 1.0 Quick flight around KRHV

I wanted to test out Airball, but because the charging circuit lies to you about whether it's charging the battery, it turns out my probe was out of juice. So I just went out for a quick flight. 3 full stop landings.

Departed KRHV with a short-field takeoff with flaps 2. Climbed out to about 6,500', clearing turns, then did some steep turns, slow flight, and stalls. The main thing with steep turns I need to learn are:

• Stop working too hard. Steady body, steady hands, look out the window, and use all your senses.
• Get the plane coordinated, especially in right turns (where for some reason I have a tendency to hold in top rudder). Then it will fly itself around the turn. Just keep it there.
• Try to sense the stick back force required, and be aware of it.

I made PTS on most of the turns but they were nothing to write home about. Oh well.

Back home, I did a couple of landings. On one of them I went around because I was too high in the pattern and didn't account for the extra energy. They were not super short landing stuff, but they were passable.

N291DR 2.8 Fun and practice flight to C83

Off to Byron (C83) to do some takeoffs and landings. 6 full stop (i.e., tailwheel currency countable) landings total today. All were no-flap "conventional" takeoffs and no-flap wheel landings.

Departed KRHV on a very clear day with quite a bit of turbulence near Calaveras. Flew at 5,500' then did a left 270 into C83 rwy 30. There was a moderate crosswind. I did a rather embarrassing attempt at a wheel landing, then stopped, tied down, ate some lunch, and took a leak in the dirt somewhere (because the bathroom was closed due to COVID).

I took off again and did a boatload of patterns, all of them wheel landings with crosswind correction. First I was flaring too high (but this is a wheel landing, why are you even flaring?). Then I was doing too much crosswind correction and sliding off to the upwind side of the runway (who knew?). Then I finally got it when I reminded myself to "dance" on the rudder pedals, and was able to roll down the runway on one wheel like I should. I still have to get more confident with planting the nose forward; I'm sort of worried about stuffing the propeller into the asphalt. But oh well.

I shut down and took another leak and a swig of water, then took off and returned to KRHV. The landing there was pretty easy since there was almost no crosswind. I did a wheel landing again. Woo hoo.

N291DR 3.8 Currency flight to KWVI

3 full-stop landings, uncountable touch and goes that don't "count" for a TW anyway so I didn't bother to count 'em. :)

Flew South from KRHV over the reservoirs and then cut over West to KWVI. Did masses of touch and goes, then did a full stop to rest a little bit and take a leak. Took off again and did a boatload of air work over Moss Landing. Stalls were un-eventful. My steep turns were rather bad: altitude loss and gain was quite considerable. I need to work on these.

I then decided to return to KRHV, and I had plenty of fuel but it was cutting it too close for my liking (4 or 5 gals) so I landed at KWVI again and added 8 gallons of 100LL. Then took off and made for KRHV.

By my last 2 landings, I was landing okay without eventful drama.

N291DR 2.3 Flight over Pinnacles with Melissa

2 landings this time.

Little flight with Melissa to Pinnacles to check things out. Overflew the park at plenty of height per the legal requirements, of course, but Melissa still could get lots of neat pictures and enjoyed the scenery.

Landed at KCVH on the way back, used the bathroom, etc., then made for KRHV.

N291DR 1.7 Flight to KWVI with Aden

Flew to KWVI with Aden. Aden did much of the flying over there, and flew around the Moss Landing powerplant practicing turns around a point. Landed at KWVI, used the port-a-pottie, then returned to KRHV.

N291DR 0.9 Solo takeoff and landings

5 takeoffs and landings, short field technique, with a 10 knot wind with a partial crosswind and lots of bumps. Started out very iffy, and ended up with decent landings, stopping gently on the ground, touching the upwind wheel first, and getting out on the first taxiway.

N291DR 2.3 Flight to Panoche International with Aden

 Flew to "Panoche International" -- a private glider landout field a few miles South of Mercey Hot Springs -- with Aden. He flew most of the way there. Landing was uneventful if a bit bumpy. We flew back over the Panoche hills and landed at KRHV, again uneventful.

N291DR 2.7 Solo flight to Mercey Hot Springs

I called Mercey Hot Springs to confirm it is OK to land there, since I needed to go there solo to practice the trip before going with a pax.

Took off from KRHV and went to Frasier Lake first, and did 3 practice landings. There was a crosswind from the right -- almost perpendicular but favoring runway 23 -- so it was fairly challenging. I did wheel landings and the third one was fairly decent.

I then flew off to Mercey Hot Springs, winding my way around the hills. I did one low pass and then one landing, all of which were uneventful. I floatbounced (flounced?) a little on landing because I was landing downhill. I got out and checked things out; it's a great place. Definitely coming back.

I took off and returned following Highway 5, with some low and slow flying over empty fields and one practice engine-out. I think I am finally getting my confidence back after having gotten a bit out of practice due to a COVID-19 hiatus.

As usual, when low and slow, the ONE thing I look at is Airball. AoA and yaw, with dynamic pressure just "fyi". That is all I need for maneuvering flight, and I can confirm all that with one glance. The various wiggles and jiggles waggling about all over the place are useless to me. :)

I did an uneventful landing at KRHV and called it a day.

N291DR 1.7 Solo flight to Byron

Flew KRHV C83, 3 landings in crosswinds, mostly wheel landings. Returned to KRHV, 1 landing, 3-point. Just to stay in practice while COVID-19 and the local fires and resulting TFRs have put the kibosh on us a little.

N291DR 1.9 Solo flight to KCVH

 Solo flight to keep my skills up and have fun and try out Airball in stalls. 6 landings.

Right turnout departure from rwy 31R at KRHV, flew South down the valley and eventually made it to 5,500'. It was a bit bumpy. Did a bunch of slow flight and stalls, and verified that the bumps made me stall a bit wing-low to one side or the other; not really a wing drop but enough to require picking up the wing with a tiny bit of rudder. No big deal.

I tried a steep turn test maneuver and got within 30' or so on exit, so I considered myself done and pressed on.

My next step was to try to go to Frasier Lake and do some landings. But the runway was covered with geese, so I went around and skipped off to Hollister.

I set up for left pattern Rwy 24, which the wind was favoring at the time. I did a bunch of landings and kept flaring high for some silly reason. Oh well.

On the way back I flew over the valley again and took in the scenery, and did a pretty good landing at KRHV, not flaring low, touching down just past the threshold at low speed. I was like, so what was up with that?? Probably the fact that I used full flaps at KRHV whereas, at KCVH, it was bumpy so I kept my speed up and did no-flap landings.

N291DR 1.6 Solo flight to Byron for some landings

Evening flight for fun and practice. 4 landings at Byron (C83), then 1 landing back at KRHV.

I flew off to Byron where the winds were favoring Rwy 23 and there was nobody else there. Winds were approximately 15G20 down the runway. My first attempt at landing seemed shaky. My next 4 ones all worked out pretty okay, with a little bit of high flare every now and again but not too much trouble. The main thing I needed to work on was keeping my patterns squared off. I really had to pay attention to keep my crosswinds from not getting sloppy, and even though I was trying to do power-off 180s, I always had to add a burst of power at the end because I mis-judged the wind.

Back at KRHV, the wind was about 9 down the runway. I did a short approach and I *could* have made it to the threshold, but I cut the corner a bit too much and I did not want to be blowing over the mall in a sideslip at low altitude, nor did I want to slow down too much, so I ended up getting off at taxiway C rather than my usual B.

Overall, decent work, but need more practice cleaning up my patterns and nailing my touchdown point in various wind situations.

The scenery to and from Byron was super pretty, with the sun shining on the Bay. At some point while departing Byron, I ended up downwind of the windmills and took a bit of turbulence and got super scared, and punched it to 5,500' where I cruised comfortably. ;)

N291DR 3.7 Bush flying trip with Aden

KRHV to Red Hills Airstrip, landing at Red Hills. Unable to camp there due to COVID, but met really nice folks! Flew to O22, landed, and found out no camping there either. Overflew a private airstrip near KCPU but did not land. Landed at KSCK for fuel. Returned and landed at KRHV. Total of 4 landings, one of which was on a backwoods dirt strip.

N291DR 2.4 KRHV - KRHV with landing practice

Bumpy and gusty landing practice at KRHV, did 4 landings today.

N291DR 1.2 KRHV - KRHV

N291DR 2.4 KRHV - KRHV

N291DR 1.7 KRHV - KRHV

N291DR 1.4 Flight with Aden

Evening flight with Aden from KRHV over the hills to the vicinity of Crow's Landing and back again. More practice flying over the hills and remaining always within reach of a valley with a landing location.

N291DR 1.4 Solo flight over the hills

Flew to Frasier Lake (1C9) and did a couple of practice landings. Then flew East over the San Luis reservoir, North to the vicinity of Crows Landing, then back over the hills to KRHV. Practice flying over hills yet remaining always within easy glide of a valley with a good landing spot.

N291DR 2.4 Practice flight to Frasier Lake

Long solo flight with lots of practice landings at Frasier Lake Airpark (1C9). 6 full stop landings total.

N291DR 1.1 Practice flight

Short practice flight, 1 full stop landing.

N291DR 3.4 Flight to Byron and New Jerusalem

Long flight to try out Airball, and landings at Byron (C83) and New Jerusalem (1Q4). Total of 5 full stop landings for the day.

N291DR 1.2 Short solo flight

Short solo flight parallel to the Coyote Valley and back again. Valley was fogged in so just flew over the reservoirs. 1 landing at KRHV.

N291DR 1.4 Airball and maneuvering with Sergey

Sergey and I went out to try Airball and do some maneuvers. 2 landings at E16, 1 landing at KRHV.

N291DR 0.7 Airball data gathering flight

Short Airball data gathering flight. One landing at KRHV.

N291DR 0.7 Short Airball data gathering flight

Quick solo evening flight to get some Airball data. One landing at KRHV.