Probably one of my worst lessons so far. But never the less I learnt something, and even tried a few new things, so I like to think of it as a positive experience. My first for this lesson was a right hand circuit, flown because the rather strong winds were blowing cloud around the base leg of the circuit that was obscuring the runway at 1000 feet and we are not allowed to fly through it. Being so early in the morning must have been the cause of some of the dumb things I did. I was all over the shop up there. Turning too deep or shallow, easing out of the climb during climbing turns (got really chewed out by Ryan for that), not keeping on a parallel heading to the runway (spent too much time trying to see the runway instead of flying straight and level). My best landing was probably the last one because I nailed the approach and had the right angle except I was a tad slow and we reached the right attitude as we touched down but Ryan said it was OK.
In hindsight I learnt a lot about myself and my ability to cope. Right now it doesn't take much to turn me from a fairly capable student pilot into a bumbling fool. The not so nice weather was no excuse, and I am particularly glad that Ryan thought highly enough of me to agree to take me up in it. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't anywhere near the legal minimums, but it was enough to overload me and show me just how bad things can get if you are not coping. A lesson well and truly learnt.
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