I have created a simple Pilot Log Book template on Google Docs. This will allow pilots to track all their flight hours and flight currency (Take Offs, Landings in the last 90 days, Instrument approaches in the last 6 months) etc. It also has columns for PIC X-Try, and is easy to extend to whatever else you want to track.,
http://links.kunalmittal.com/pilotlogtemplate
Pilot Log Book Template for Google Docs
Last week has been bad, so I decided to write about this topic. It is interesting to see numerous vendors selling security & privacy products, constantly send you broiler plate emails and spam messages trying to sell you their products. A few that especially caught my eye, vendors trying to sell me anti-spam tools.
So I guess, I need to buy an anti-spam tool to stop spam from the vendor selling the anti-spam tool….
This week I also got a few calls from such vendors. Finally, I decided to have some fun. So I actually took the call and talked to the sales guy. He went about his pitch and then I asked him – how he got my contact information. His answer was honest – he bought some list that had my telephone number, but not email. He was trying to sell me an anti-spam tool for email. I asked him, did his company make an anti-spam tool for phone calls; and if so, I would buy it right then and there. We both laughed and I hung up!
Sales folks have to call; it would be nice if they bothered to at least get the basics right instead of just going down a call sheet.
Today was awesome! I flew for the first time in 4+ months. Not sure why, just laziness I guess. Shiva and I went for an actual IFR flight today – Shiva joined just because I was not current any more.
We took off from Hawthorne in our Cessna 172, N7275R. The weather was marginal VFR and we hit the clouds below 2500 feet for about 500 ft or so. Then again at 3200 we were in the clouds. The first approach was the RNAV Z at Long Beach. Due to ATC delays in actual conditions we were sent all over town before being vectored to the final approach course. A straight forward approach. Just before Runway 30, we executed an IFR missed with a Southbound turn.
Next we asked for the ILS into Torrance. There was a helicopter about a mile from us, but we could not see it in the clouds. Once we cleared the helicopter with help from ATC, we continue to shoot the ILS with ultimate precision. The HSI has been giving us trouble, so I had the second VOR also tuned to the localizer. However, it seemed like the HSI worked – something we will test again on the next flight.
Once again we executed an IFR missed approach and it was time to come home. A simple VFR (marginal) into Hawthorne with a landing in the rain on Runway 25 with a light tail wind.
The plane did get a free wash through this flight.. And I am back in the cockpit!! More flying through the rest of the year for sure.
IFR Flight
I am editing a book on Android Web Apps, and the author Damon Oehlman, just introduced me to a tool call “github”. The motto of Git, is “social coding”, it really takes the paradigm of open source. If you think of a typical open source paradigm of collaboration using a tool like SourceForge, think of Git as a Web 2.0 evolution.
GitHub is free for open source projects, and has a bunch of licensing option for others. I am still new to the tool, but in the limited exposure, it is absolutely amazing.
Neeta was with her instructor, Bill Goddard. They did 3 touch and goes at Hawthorne airport (KHHR), after which Bill told Neeta to do her first ever solo flight. At first, Neeta was a little nervous and wanted to push her solo till tomorrow. Bill insisted – and there goes Neeta.
I was nicely watching TV at home when Bill calls me to tell me that Neeta is doing her solo. I rush to the airport and catch Neeta taking off for her 3rd solo touch and go. The first two obviously went well, thus Bill let her continue.
The take off was fine, I tracked her all across the traffic pattern – and then she was on final. Very high, but the runway was long enough for her to play with. She came in high over the numbers, but then brought the plane down very nicely, with a little bit of runway to spare.
Bill flagged her to do one last pattern for the day.
Again, a very professional quality take off, and smooth through the pattern. On Final again. This time it seemed like she was bang on the VASI. Winds had picked up a bit, but they were straight down the runway – so no worries. She came in perfectly and touch down! Score!
4 landings to Neeta’s credit as the sole manipulator of the aircraft. She is super fired up and she is planning to do another supervised solo flight tomorrow morning! Needless to say, I am going to go to the airport and watch her entire flight this time.
Fellow pilots will feel my excitement more than others, a first solo is a big achievement in the journey to getting your pilot’s license. I am so proud of Neeta!!!
