I completed my checkout in a Piper Cherokee 140 E this week...
All it took was a couple more laps around the pattern, and Paul cut me lose.
It was another absolutely beautiful flying day. We started out early - 7:30 AM - and couldn't have asked for better conditions. Clear skies, just cool enough, air smooth as a baby's bottom.
The Cherokee is an incredibly smooth platform. It's strange because I don't really like flying it as well as I like flying the Cessnas, but I fly it much better than I do the Cessnas. For a straight and level entry-level cruiser, I don't think you can beat it. I guess maybe the reason I feel more comfortable in the Cherokee is because it is more stable, and requires less rudder to coordinate turns. That's good, because as I confirmed practicing Dutch Rolls and Slips, it doesn't have nearly the rudder authority that the Cessna has. I also would have thought that the 25% higher approach speed would have made landing much harder, but the opposite seems to be the case so far. As I've mentioned, the stalls couldn't be more benign. About the only fault I can find is that it has a tendency to over-bank, so you have to be a little more vigilant when turning, especially in the pattern where you are slowed down.
I generally felt more comfortable flying solo this time than I did last time. I hope the trend continues.
Overall, I was fairly pleased with my flying. I made a total of five landings, and they were all acceptable. The main area that I will need to concentrate on is slowing down my final approach by about five knots, which will shorten my landing distance.
Since the only rental aircraft in Florida will be a Piper Archer, I guess I'll stick with the Cherokee for these last few weeks until we move. That will hopefully allow me to keep the check out time in Florida to a minimum, as well as keeping me safer flying up here, since at my current experience level, jumping back and forth between Cessnas and the Cherokee might be pushing my skills a little too hard.
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Posted by David at May 12, 2005 07:29 PM