Category Archives: Solo Flight

Wind, Rain and Clouds: Getting a Feel for Alaska Weather

I’ve got a long way to go before I can consider myself a seasoned Alaska pilot, but I can work towards that by challenging myself and flying in less than ideal meteorological conditions. I know that pushing my limits bit … Continue reading

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Summery Flying, Part 2.

I haven’t been flying as much as I’d like this summer, partly due to the economy, but I’ve gotten up in the air a couple of times lately. Last week, I flew out to the edge of the Tordrillo Mountains, … Continue reading

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First Time Mountain Flying

Flight time: .9 hrs Yesterday I took my first foray into the world mountain flying. Conditions were prefect for it, the skies above the Chugach were totally clear and completely calm, so I took the opportunity to start getting myself … Continue reading

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Tour Around Mt. Susitna

Flight time: 1.3 hrs For my first flight as a licensed private pilot, I decided to do a tour around Mt. Susitna, a 4,396′ mountain that lies just west of the Susitna River, about 35 miles northwest of Anchorage. Called … Continue reading

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Final Checkride Prep

Aircraft: C172 N52654 Flight Time: 1.9 hours Total Hours: 41.1 I have now passed my required 40 hours and as I look forward to my checkride, I can’t help but look back at the experiences that have brought me to … Continue reading

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Better Landings

Aircraft: C172 N52654 Flight Time: 1.0 hours Total Hours: 36.7 Thinking about what I still need to improve before my checkride, I decided to put in another hour of takeoff and landing practice and work on my short and soft … Continue reading

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Touch and Go’s…a little out of practice

Aircraft: C172 N52654 Flight Time: .6 hours Total Hours: 34.5 We had a break in the weather, so I decided to take advantage of the clear skies and get in some takeoff and landing practice. With my cross country flights … Continue reading

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Lesson 23: Long Solo Cross Country to Homer

 Aircraft: C172 N52654 Flight Time: 3.2 hours Total Hours: 33.9 I’d been looking forward to my long cross country. In some ways, it’s the culmination of my flight instruction and the real test of my piloting skills. The requirement is to … Continue reading

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Lesson 22: Solo Cross Country to Soldotna

Aircraft: C172 N52654 Flight Time: 2.0 hours Total Hours: 29.6 I’m approaching 30 hours now, and looking forward towards my private pilot checkride, which at the current pace, should be sometime in April. As I make each new entry in my … Continue reading

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Solo Touch and Go Practice

Aircraft: C172 N52654 Flight  Time:  .7 hours Total Hours: 18.4 At this stage in my flight training, I’m starting to take a close look at my progress and evaluate where I am in relationship to my lesson syllabus. Now that I’ve started to … Continue reading

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