Another day in the pattern

[Apologies to my IR's. This post isn't terribly exciting, adventurous or ground breaking, sometimes flight training isn't exciting, but it can be fun... and in the end, I was flying, what more could I ask than that?]

I flew with my CFI in the pattern today because I wanted to set in my mind the right way to do soft and short field landing again. I had the short field landings pretty well nailed back in the beginning of July, but hadn't practiced them in forever. I had a great feel for the soft field ones right before going out of town, but had lost it. So today I wanted a bit of a reset, to remind myself what its like to do it right. My other goal today was to have fun... not to think of these maneuvers as a procedure I must master, but to think of it as a game.. how close to perfect can I get? I'm tired of banging my head on the wall. Time to have fun flying again, even in the pattern.

I got to the airport early because my other half was going to do his BFR and I offered to help out by being moral support and, if needed, a contributor to "all available information" if he was asked a question he didn't know the answer to. The FARs are fresh in my mind because I've been studying and studying for my PPL check ride. He's 2 years away from his check ride. So I could help maybe :) In the end he didn't need any help of course, he got his BFR sign off. I got to have a fun morning chatting with the owner of the flight club.

Then it was my turn. Back out to the pattern to practice short and soft field takeoffs and landings. Not too much to say about it. My short and soft field takeoffs are great. Short field landings were good, soft field landings I still need to work on, but my CFI says I am very close, very very close to nailing it. I have to work on keeping the nose gear up on the soft field landings. I know can do it. Most important, I had fun!

Tomorrow I will go back and do it some more.. hopefully I'll be able to get in another practice run during the week. I need to tighten up my steep turns and get more slow flight/stalls practice in too. Tomorrow's focus, have fun. Practice keeping (or getting if I have to) that nose up on the soft field landings. Have fun. Yup, that's the plan.