So Mike, my flight instructor, apparently up and quit.

No big deal, I have a guy named Bob. Older guy, really knows his shit.

Did a call to get a weather brief, and our destination airport was clearing, but not yet VFR. We chose to go there and see what the conditions were.

We flew from VPZ to OXI . Weather was clear and we did some landings. I learned a LOT more, and did 3. There was, again, ZERO wind, so I did some good landings with no complications.

Then did 3 more at VPZ. Again, much smoother.

I think I’m gonna do better with Bob than I was with Mike.

Only issue is he’s old enough to have trouble getting into the 150’s, so we are gonna go to the 172 (and stay there). But that costs a bit more. Still, I am happier. I think he’s gonna teach me more, and better, than Mike.

Wednesday, if we fly, it should be windier, so we shall see how I do in landings with winds. 

in parts of the South Side of Chicago as well.


READ THIS.

“One of the consequences of such notions as ‘entitlements’ is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence.” ― Thomas Sowell

These psychotically anti Trump haters are starting to be just as bad as the psychotically Anti Barry the O haters were for the past 8 years. And it took just about as long for them to get on my nerves.

Fer gods sake folks, GET A GRIP!.

(if you aren’t sure if this applies to you, then it probably does)

Trump on Puerto Rico debt: ‘We will have to wipe that out’

Yeah, no, why destroy the savings of all the folks that own some of Puerto Rico’s debt instruments.

You know that if you wipe out the debts, they’ll just do it again. It isn’t like they’ve tried to balance their budget over the past 10 years, much less reduce their debt load.

And waffling…

Again.

Are you surprised? I’m not

(FAIRFAX, VA) – The National Rifle Association today issued the following statement: 


“In the aftermath of the evil and senseless attack in Las Vegas, the American people are looking for answers as to how future tragedies can be prevented.  Unfortunately, the first response from some politicians has been to call for more gun control.  Banning guns from law-abiding Americans based on the criminal act of a madman will do nothing to prevent future attacks.  This is a fact that has been proven time and again in countries across the world.  In Las Vegas, reports indicate that certain devices were used to modify the firearms involved. Despite the fact that the Obama administration approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions, the National Rifle Association is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law.  The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.  In an increasingly dangerous world, the NRA remains focused on our mission: strengthening Americans’ Second Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities.  To that end, on behalf of our five million members across the country, we urge Congress to pass National Right-to-Carry reciprocity, which will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts of violence.”


I don’t own, nor do I have a need for, a Bump Stock. Having said that, it isn’t about NEED. I have no use for one, they seem like an easy and quick way to turn money into smoke and noise. Waste of ammo, cause it is hard to hit anything after the first shot. But some folks like ’em and don’t hurt anyone using them.

Had this dude in Vegas used one of his 2 planes and crashed into the crowd, it would have killed more folks,and injured many more. Had he bought a large truck and used it to run folks down, it would have resulted in a similar tragedy.

He used a gun, modified with a LEGAL, ATF approved item, to spray bullets down on a large group of people.

Would regulating these items out of existence have prevented the tragedy? Nope. Would it have lessened it? Maybe, but doubtful.

I am disgusted that the NRA is so quickly willing to cave on something like this. It isn’t what I give them my yearly dues to do. It isn’t what I expect them to do as a “gun rights” organization.

I am disgusted by their actions and the thought process that led to those actions.

ETA: And so far, for the past 12 hours, their “feedback” page has a runtime error, so I can’t connect to them (and they probably don’t care) about this matter. 

So I’m at Ground School. (6 PM to 8 PM) and at the end of the class, one of the instructors found that she had locked her keys in the car.

I go outside and find these 20 Somethings trying to see inside the car with the flashlight apps on their phones.

“What’s up” sez I?

“Locked her keys in the car” came the answer.

I take the (actual) flashlight out of my pocket and look through the widshield. Sure enough there are the keys. The window is down about a half inch and I can see that the car has electric locks.

“No problem,” I say, “someone go inside and see if you can find a hangar”

One of the 20 Something trots off and I go to my truck, open it, toss my bag inside, open the center console and pull out a headlamp, open the toolbox in the back and pull out a pair of pliers.

I get back to the car and the kid runs up  as I am putting on the headlamp. Hands me a hangar.
A white plastic hangar.

Dude, Seriously? Headdesk. Facepalm. If I’d have had both hands free it woulda been a double facepalm.

Sigh.

“No, a wire hangar”

“Oh!” I can see he hadn’t thought it through until now.

Runs back inside, returns with a WIRE hangar.

I untwist it, straighten it and they all look at me as if I am some kind of shaman or magician as I slide the hangar into the car and pull the little tab marked “lock” and the doors all go “click!”.

She thanked me and they all disperse. I put the pliers back and the headlamp back and started the truck and drove home.

If these young men are the future, we, as a culture, are DOOMED,

She: “He’s a good person, even if he is a highly intelligent, mostly in control psychopath.”.

Me, to myself:  “yeah, true, but that describes many of my friends”.

1 Good, 1 Meh, 1 Better.

Weather was marginal when I left the house at 0900. scattered at 1800, overcast 2400. It improved when I got to the airport at 0945.

Preflighted the plane, then a quick briefing, a stop at the desk for a hood, and we taxied to the end of 27 and did the run up.

Wind was 240 at 10. Scattered at 2000 ceiling at 2400.

A good takeoff, and departed to the north. Climbed to 2400 just so I could see what it was like, then descended to 2000 and I put on the hood. (damned thing didn’t fit very well).

Flew simulated instruments for about a half hour at 1800. It wasn’t too hard to hold level flight, but straight  was a bit of a challenge. I kept drifting ’cause of the wind. Smaller control inputs helped.  But I got that figured out and we flew a bit instruments only, then turned back south and found the airport.

Entered the pattern and flew a good approach. Wind was 260 at 11, steady.

I flew a good final and did a good landing. Without the wind gusting, I did OK and so we did another takeoff and went around again. Good approach, but I wandered a bit after the flare and didn’t stay as straight as I should have (gotta pay attention to the rudder!) once on the ground. (hey, it’s a wide runway, why not use all of it?) Took off and went around twice discussing what I did wrong. There was another plane that entered the pattern  close in front of me, so I went long before turning base and then I was low. Intercepted the glide path lights at about 1500 and flew a good final approach and a decent (much better!) landing.

Full stop.

Taxied off the runway and to the ramp.

Without the gusts, I could pay attention to the actual approach and flare. I finally got it right. More than once, in fact.

I’m much happier today. Gotta pay more attention to the pattern altitudes and speeds, and I need a LOT more landings.
But this time, Ma Nature chose to smile upon me and give me less complicated landing conditions to deal with. I’m still overcontrolling, but not as much, and I’m much happier with myself.

1.5 and 3 landings.

I’m beginning to think I can do this. 

“Democrats had a surge of hope”

A direct quote from CBS about Gun Control.

And their coverage has been as if every gun owner had rolled in offal, the facial expressions, the choice of words, the way questions are asked to form the answer….”There is no way for the ATF to know when a person purchases multiple rifles”.

“The state of Nevada doesn’t require licenses or registration so a person can have as many as they want“.

And the kicker:

“This is good news for Gun Control… the Silencer legislation is dead”.
Scary thought process to enable anyone to say that

Temporary poverty vs Permanent poverty.

It is my opinion that most folks who live in “poverty” (note that the definition changes often) generally do so by choices they make. Many tines over and over. It is a culture, a thought process, and a lack of learning….a failure to connect behavior now with results later.

I employed many folks with the “poverty mindset”….”cant pay the rent, but look at my new tattoo”……”Car needs tires and I can’t afford ’em….hey, are you gonna meet us at the bar on Friday night”? Etc etc, wash/rinse/ repeat.

My father says that “Poverty is a state of mind”.  The older I get, the smarter he seems.