Until the checkride, descriptions will be shorter since I'm just trying to polish the edges...

Date & Time: Thursday, 25th September, 1997, 17:30 CDT
Where: From SPX, local
Instruction: 0.7 hrs dual with Lee Simmons - logbook total: 64.0 hrs, 24.4 hrs solo
Aircraft: Cessna 172, number N1219F

Final dual.
   Today was my final (I expect) dual towards my private pilot's license. We just went over some manoevers, and soft/short field landings. The manoevers were fair from a ground reference point of view, but very good in terms of altitude. I need to get some more practise with short and soft field takeoffs and landings to try and make them smoother. Lee signed me off for the checkride today - all I have to do is add up my hours, have the form filled in and have Lee sign that, and I can go to the examiner, which I will schedule tomorrow. Reading that signoff is exciting...the words "...and find him compentent to perform each pilot operation safely as a private pilot" are my instructor writing down that I can do it! I just need the examiner to write out something like it on the airman's certificate they write out when you pass...

Date & Time: Friday, 26th September, 1997, 17:30 CDT
Where: From SPX, local
Instruction: 0.9 hrs solo - logbook total: 64.9 hrs, 25.3 hrs solo
Aircraft: Cessna 172, number N1219F

Building confidence.
   Seeing an empty slot on the schedule, I took it and was rewarded by clear, blue skies (and I mean clear), with at least 15 miles visibility (which is rare here!) The wind was favoring Rwy 31 for a change - only the second time I've soloed of 31. I went over the airwork, and it went very well. I made a special point of talking through the stalls - calling a clearing turn, announcing the reduced control effectiveness, the stall horn and slight buffet, then trying to predict the stall break as close as possible. I practised steep turns and slow flight, and if I can repeat that performance I will have no trouble at all with the upper airwork on the checkride since I held altitude extremely well - it was if the altimeter was stuck! I find trying to be as far ahead of the aircraft is the best policy - anticipating the change each control input would have on altitude, and having the control input there before the altimeter had moved.
   I did some soft field/short field takeoffs and landings, and they still need practise. My short field landing was not so good - although I had a good approach at the correct airspeed (59 KIAS) I let it drift a bit in the flare. Got to stop that from happening!
   My checkride is now scheduled, with Maebelle Fletcher, of Fletcher Aviation. She was one of the DE's (designated examiners) my instructor recommended, and I've heard lots of good things about her. She's been flying for many years and has thousands of hours experience - and I think I can learn a thing or two that way! Although examiners don't instruct during a checkride, I'm sure I'll be able to pick up many words of wisdom once it's over. She's no "Santa Claus" examiner either - you will only get your ticket if you perform properly whilst she's checking you out! The big day is Sunday, October 5th at 10:#0 am.

Time off - Saturday 27th/Sunday 28th: Wings over Houston airshow at Ellington Field.
   This year I volunteered to be a safety person at the annual Wings over Houston airshow. It's a great airshow bringing 50,000 people in each day. The military obviously show up in force - we had everything from the exceptionally ugly helicopters the army flies to a sleek Learjet owned by the Air Force. Some Air Force heavies were in - an AWACS and a KC-135 were on the ramp, and they were giving people guided tours. It was fun sitting in the boss's seat on the flight deck - a little more complex than the 172! The Air Force also had their hurricane chaser. This benefits the civilian population every year very visibly by flying right into hurricanes (can you say turbulence?) and finding out what's happening so coastal populations can be evacuated.
   I learned something new about their navigation systems too. The Air Force use TACAN instead of VOR's (a UHF station - TACAN means TACtical NAVigation). I was very surprised when I found out that TACAN is actually inferior to VOR in one respect - the area of ambiguity is much larger, so the user has to use the DME much more to tell when they are over the station. However, TACAN is generally more mobile and the KC-135 actually has it's own (the particular KC at Ellington only had one which would do DME though).
   The Warbird ramp was the best part. The Confederate Air Force had a large representation with everything from P51 Mustangs to B-25's. Acually working at the airshow meant I was at EFD at 6:00 am. and it was quite a sight to watch the sun rising over the warbird ramp - the sillhouettes of the hundreds of aircraft sitting silently with nobody around them. I think these aircraft made the best displays - they sound great and look graceful, unlike modern jets that just make a lot of noise and go so fast within seconds they are just a tiny dot.
   The Thunderbirds (the USAF display team) were here this year, and were good enough to stay for the dinner afterwards (an informal thing - barbecue on paper plates) which the volunteers and CAF(Confederate Air Force) go to. They were a great credit to the USAF since not only could they put on a display, but they were approachable and talked to us! We had our barbecue beef whilst watching people take checkrides in the warbirds (I've never seen a B-17 doing touch-and-goes, but there they were!).
   All in all, a great weekend, even if it was scorching hot!