Going Around

 Video Link: Going Around 

Jake and I have been focused on the landing pattern for the last few flights. Plant City (KPCM) is only a few miles to the west so he is busy when leaving the controlled airspace of KLAL to get ready for a normal entry into a non-towered field. He is getting good at it. On this flight, I wanted to fine-tune all of the procedures and was pretty much non-stop instructing as he maneuvered for the 45 entry. A plane made a courtesy call that he would be passing over the airport midfield at 1500'. I had that plane in sight but the student failed to make his downwind call. The other pilot reminded us, a lesson learned.

I haven't been flying Sally as much as I would like. The weather has been horrible and when it does stop raining I've been trying to get Jake up in his airplane. Today was a good day to give Sally some exercise. Thunderstorms were expected by mid-afternoon so we taxied out about noontime. Hot. OAT read 32. (So 2 x 32 + 32 = 96F). The CHT was good through the runup at about 235, but a long hold short pushed it up to 250. Sally told me she didn't like that. When the last student in front of us finally cleared the runway, CHT had gone past 253. (255 is my abort number.) By the time I turned crosswind, she was back in the 240s.

Normal to light traffic today. Not many students. It seemed like one or two pilots from nearby fields were out for some exercise on a Sunday afternoon. As I was about to finish up a student missed my position calls and took the runway as I was turning short final. Well, that was interesting. I haven't had to do an actual go-around in a while. 

I'm thinking that with all of the advanced technology out there (the "fishfinders" - I hate that term), it still comes down to putting your eyeball on the target.