Solo Cross-Country #2

I've been wanted to get the 2nd solo cross-country out of the way since Friday. Weather and aircraft problems got in the way on Friday and Saturday, but today, on Sunday, I decided to check the weather in the afternoon and it was looking good. So, I reserved the plan, filed a flight plan and headed out to the airport.

The wind was a bit strong at all my landing points, but mostly down the runway... not too much of a crosswind component. The visibility was really good and the clouds were pretty high.

click on image to enlarge

The route of the flight was McKinney (KTKI) to Rockwall Muni (F46) to Eaker Field, Durant, OK (KDUA) to Cox Field, Paris, TX (KPRX) to Sulpher Springs VOR-DME (SLR) to McKinney (KTKI). Total distance, 207 nautical miles and 2.3 hours logged.

With the completion of my second solo cross-country flight, I now have more than 5 hours of solo cross-country time and over 10 hours of total solo time, so I can cross a couple more requirements from the list.

• At least 40 hours of flight time, to include
  • At least 20 hours of flight training from an instructor, including
    • 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a single-engine airplane
    • 3 hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane, to include
      • 1 cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance
      • 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport.
    • 3 hours of flight training in a single-engine airplane on the control and maneuvering of an airplane solely by reference to instruments, including straight and level flight, constant airspeed climbs and descents, turns to a heading, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, radio communications, and the use of navigation systems/facilities and radar services appropriate to instrument flight
    • 3 hours of flight training in preparation for the practical test in a single-engine airplane, which must have been performed within 60 days preceding the date of the test
  • At least 10 hours of solo flight time in a single-engine airplane, to include
    • Three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.
    • 5 hours of solo cross-country time
    • One solo cross-country flight of at least 150 nautical miles total distance, with full-stop landings at a minimum of three points, and one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 50 nautical miles between the takeoff and landing locations

All that is left for me now is to get another 4.8 hours of overall time that includes 3 hours in preparation for the FAA checkride and 1.7 hours using only instruments. All this time can be combined. This means I'm very close to the end of the line. What I will do now is schedule my instructor and the plane as often as I can over the next week or two to make one last push to sharpen my skills and get ready for the checkride. If the weather cooperates and my instructor is available, I see no problem having my Private Certificate in May.

Updated Pilot Log