In search of good winds

So far in my flight training, one thing I can count on is that the wind and/or other weather will not cooperate when I go for a lesson. Today was the great search for good wind.  It was just blowing too hard at Palo Alto to be able to make good landing attempts. I really need to learn how to make good landings in favorable wind conditions if I'm ever going to solo. So far, every time we've been out, Mother Nature just hasn't cooperated.

In the search for the proper wind conditions, Dave decided we'd head over the hill toward the central valley. Two more airports to add to my tally: Tracy Muni and New Jerusalem.  Both are in Tracy, both uncontrolled. New Jerusalem (1Q4) is leftover from WWII, where it was apparently a training airfield. Not much left there now but a strip of asphalt in the middle of some fields. Not even a shed standing. It seems to get the most use from radio-controlled aircraft enthusiasts, who have their own little runway laid out on what looks like a former taxiway. The main runway is pretty rough and bumpy. On the plus side, there's nothing around, and no other planes anywhere nearby. The taxiway is separated from the runway by just a stripe of paint. After landing, we basically made a hard U-turn off the runway and taxied back slowly to the approach end, avoiding weeds, loose rocks, gravel, and the broken pavement. Definitely the roughest runway I've flown in/out of yet.

My pattern and approach work is getting a little better each time, but I still don't feel like I've quite got the hang of it yet. I think I concentrate on doing one thing right, and everything else regresses. As bad as I think I'm doing, Dave seems to think I'm getting a notch better every time. It just drives me crazy... I'm always a quick learner and I've read all this stuff about the pattern and landings, but going from theoretical stuff in a book to actually doing it is so much harder than it seems on paper.  I guess it'll just take a lot of practice, concentration, time, and money to get the hang of it.

Aircraft: 669TW

Today's landings: 8

Total landings: 32

Today's flight: 2.4 hours

Total hours: 32.1 hours