Lesson 13, 1.4 hrs

Ed and I meet at Boeing Field as usual and decide that we're going to fly North to Whidbey island. I want to head that way for a change of scenery (Bremerton is becoming familar) and Ed really wants to practice some basics and some new topics in preparation for our cross-country flight.

Takeoff is straight forward except that the controller mis-interpreted my intention for a straight out departure to the North, instead assigning us a Mercer departure. Since I didn't jump on the radio to correct this assignment, Ed did and we departed North as planned. Lesson here is correct things like this early as possible - my plan had been to make the call once airborn. Sooner is better.

We fly North to Whidbey and Ed has me put on the foggles. We practice unusual attitudes a couple times and I do well. It's hard not to look up from under the foggles some times!

We spot the tiny airstrip on Whidbey that we identified on the chart during preflight. It's got a narrow surfaced runway, and has trees all around. We do a simulated engine out above the airport and I guide us in for a full-stop landing - pretty darn nice. Back taxi for takeoff.

Ed prescribes a short-field takeoff and I confuse this in my head with soft field. Short field is 1) run the engine up while holding the breaks, 2) release breaks 3) rotate at 60 and 4) climb out at 60. I do this and boy-oh-boy, are those trees at the end of the field ever close - and tall! I'm not sure in my mind that we'll clear them and I look over to Ed, who tells me to maintain 60 - best rate of climb. We clear the trees, but in retrospect I wouldn't care to take off from this field again in this under-powered 150. I'm glad we didn't have full fuel.

On the way back we practice a diversion to another airport. The trick here is identify where you are currently, estimate using the chart the direction to the new destination, turn to that heading. Then using landmarks, adjust the heading as necessary to be as accurate as possible. Then determine distance and en-route time.

I need to schedule a cross country flight for us; plan is to head to Orcas.