Flew from NZAR out to Port Waikato, then headed for Meremere, then tracked over to Kaiaua, up the coast to Orere Point and then over to Kawakawa Bay and up the valley back to NZAR.
You can get really busy reading from map to ground, identifying features to ensure you're on the right track, doing SADIE checks, monitoring fixs, track made good all while trying to stay out of controlled airspace around Auckland International... good fun though and absolutely gorgeous weather.
Had an interesting approach as I have never joined straight in for long final before (I usually join overhead, downwind or base)... it is a little hard to judge the decent without the usual references and was compounded by giving way to an AFS 172 that was actually flying a pretty tight circuit (wtf is up with that!??! ;) who I had to give way to... no real drama, I just switched to the grass... unfortunately, the late change meant a rather messy approach and we were a little fast and floated a way...
When I went up later and did the same exercise solo, I just joined for the grass to avoid and conflicts and totally nailed the shortfield landing... 54 knots on the threshold and I totally greased it... the plane just rolled onto the grass without any kind of bump and did not even bounce. I was stopped and off the strip by the 2nd set of marker boards even though I could not brake heavily due surface conditions! :)
Days like today, are they reason I took up flying... I really wish I had a video camera hooked up to my eyes, so when people ask 'Why do you fly?' I could just show them the video :)
Next up is a 'proper' cross country from Ardmore to Hamilton to Tauranga to Thames and then back to Ardmore... can't wait!
This flight: 1.1 Dual + 1.1 Solo
Total Hours: 93.8 (70.7 Dual, 23.1 PinC, 5.1 IFR)
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