The Leaves are Changing

Today's flight lesson was just plain awesome.
The air was the smoothest it has ever been (thanks to some low temperatures and calm winds). To top it all off, the leaves are changing and it was awesome to look at from above. I practiced slow flight, steep turns, ground reference maneuvers and landings.

I did an excellent job performing all of the maneuvers, thanks to the smooth air. I was practicing turns around a point and I didn't even have to touch the yoke, once I was in the turn. We established that I can fly very well, as long as the air is smooth like this. I hope the same conditions are present when it comes time for my checkride.

I landed eight times today. All eight I did without assistance from my instructor. He also failed my engine while I was in the traffic pattern, and I had to glide the plane down to the runway and land. I also made an interesting discovery; thanks to the overcast sky, I didn't need my sunglasses for this lesson. As a result, I found out that I can see the runway better and I feel much more comfortable during the landing. I think it's because the sunglasses block my periphery a little bit, which I need to judge my height above the ground. So from now on, sunglasses off for the landing.

I will be taking my pre-solo exam Friday, and I will be soloing Sunday. I feel really good about it.