Good afternoon,
Well, today was supposed to be a busy day. Up at 6 am, got the school at 6:30. I was scheduled to fly 4 hours. I got my route to Apopka planned, and we were in the air by 8. We did our navigation to Apopka. Bill diverted me to Skinner, then I got another diversion to Flagler.
Some more general handling, stalls, steep turns, instrument flying and back for short field landing, flapless and glide approach.
I was due to fly again at 1 pm for another 2 hours. So I went to get something to eat and came back to find the aircraft was grounded. I asked Bill what had happened – the engine cowling came off in flight. Lucky it held on untill they got above the runway, then it came off altogether and smashed off the runway.
So at the moment, it’s in maintenance getting a repaired cowling fitted. I’m due to fly at 8 am in the morning for 2 hours, then to complete my 170A flight with Stephen Fisher at 1 pm. That will be the end of the course then.
I got an e-mail from Paul Thompson today, he will meet me at the airport at 10 am, and we will fly from 12 until 2.30. It’s a long flight.