So far I have flown twice this week – once a pattern ride to do a little practice (which didn’t seem to help much) and the second another EAA Eagle Flight with a local EAA Chapter member.

The weather up here in Reno had been unusually nice for November. We actually set high temperature records last Friday and Sunday. 

The Eagle Flight was completed yesterday with an individual who was involved in aviation early in his life in several volunteer capacities but never took any instruction toward a pilot certificate. Then, as so often happens, life got in the way an flying was set aside. 

Now he is interested in changing his life’s direction and sees aviation as a possible later-in-life career path – not necessarily in an airline capacity but more likely in one of the other myriad of commercial flying possibilities.

We had a nice talk about the challenges and courses of action to get him on course to a new aviation career and then took a nice flight around the local area – to include a turn over the area where he lives. 

It was a beautiful day and a nice flight. He handled the Swift well, especially considering the sensitivity of the controls and his lack of experience. (He said he had watched Swift flying videos on YouTube the night before the flight.) Once we approached the area where he lives I took the controls so he could take photos and then I flew back to Stead through the Reno Class C.

Unfortunately, that landing practice I conducted a couple of days before the flight did not carry over to this flight. I’m not sure if it was the weather conditions (winds variable but less than 10 knots) or just my landing technique on this flight but just at the flare point in the landing the bottom seemed to drop out and the sink rate accelerated. I saved the landing but it was not a very elegant arrival.

I’m going to go do another pattern session in a couple of days – we have a weak cold front passing through the area this afternoon and tomorrow which is supposed to temporarily pick up the winds again. 

That’s the thing about flying – you never get to a point where you don’t have to practice to maintain your proficiency. 

Fly safe out there….