"I think there was a bit of grease on that landing..."

This past week my flying has completely consumed my mind.  Not that I ever really had much space in my brain for anything else, but the past little while I have felt as though I really am bordering on obsessed.  I have spent a lot of my time getting sucked into the addictive city that is the YOW airport, but when I haven't been working or driving to and from home, it is most likely that I am to be found in the lounge of the OFC with lots of books, occasionally snaring some poor instructor or more advanced student and making them teach me things.

When My Instructor told me it was almost time for my solo, it became time to put in the final bit of effort and get my pre-solo tests done.  I aced the PSTAR last week, and tried not to come off as looking too pleased with myself.  Putting both hands in the air in a gesture of victory may have given the game away slightly, but it is possible that it came off less as less conspicuous than it felt.  Yesterday I passed my radio license test.  I didn't get a perfect score, which frankly pissed me off, but I passed anyway.  Tomorrow is the final one - the OFC pre-solo exam, which is making me feel like it would be less work to just memorize the POH as a whole.

On Saturday I spent an hour in the circuit with My Instructor doing touch and gos.  Now I have finally relaxed about my whole landing debacle, I was able to enjoy myself, and realised just how much fun landing is.  Previously I would end the lesson and literally be in pain as a result of how tense I would be throughout the lesson.  On Saturday I felt relaxed and calm and even (drumroll please) confident!  As I lined up on one of my approaches I realised I was pretty high, so I used full flaps - something which usually would have put my blood pressure right up.  But instead of panicking I kept my cool, enjoyed the view, and thought to myself Yeah, I got this.  I touched down nicely, grinned widely and cheered silently in my head.
My Instructor laughed, and said to me 'I think there was  bit of grease on that landing.'
I don't think I could have had any better praise that afternoon!

My one issue on Saturday was the carb heat.  Usually I am pretty good at remembering when to have it at hot or cold, but for some reason that afternoon I kept forgetting about it.  We were turning from the crosswind into a downwind at one point when My Instructor noticed I had the carb heat on hot.
'Has that been like that the whole time?' he questioned me.
'Uuuuh...' I quickly pushed the knob back in to "cold".  'Maybe...' I said.  But as I said, it's usually something I am good at remembering, so I am hoping that there will be no repeat performance of those blonde moments.

I am scheduled in for a lesson tomorrow, but the weather is looking to be awful.  I really hope that it's just because The Weather Network never gets it right, and not because it is actually going to thunderstorm all day.  I'm extra keen for my lesson to go ahead because it's the final review lesson before the big solo!  If all goes well, I am hoping to do my first solo flight on Thursday afternoon!  I can hardly believe it.  I feel ready and I feel excited.  I'm going to pitch a fit if the weather spoils my plans!