Back in the air

Finally got back in the air on Saturday, May 19th. I had been delaying due to weather and the distance to the new airport. The airport I received my private at was shut down two days after my check ride.

The FBO I was using moved operations to Greeley (KGXY) and I had assumed it would take me two to two-and-a-half hours to get there. So, last month I visited a number of FBOs closer to home, Longmont, Boulder, and Fort Collins-Loveland. All of their rental rates were significantly higher and the planes were not as nicely equipped.

Scheduled my instructor and a plane at KGXY, while the FAA says I can get my currency back on my own, I'd rather have a check pilot on board after six months of no flying. I left home at 8:30 and got to the airport by 10, an hour early. Only 1.5 hours of driving. Actually, a little less time then when I was driving to Fort Collins Downtown, now closed.

Did the preflight while my instructor was finishing up with a student pilot, then hopped in. Greeley on a Saturday is quite a bit busier than Ft Collins Downtown ever was. It also has a restaurant on site, so that may account for some of the traffic. Taxied to the run up area for Runway 9. Everything checked out so made the call and took off.

Everything went as it should and I was going to just stay in the pattern, but my instructor recommended just flying a bit to get use to the plane again. So we headed west, took a look at his neighborhood, went up to Budweiser to check if they had any Clydesdale colts or foals out in the fields near the paddock, no luck. Then overflew Ft Collins Downtown and saw the big yellow X's in the runway and headed back to KGXY.

Not as busy when we returned. Did my three landings. I tended to start a little high, then get a little slow on final, but all touchdowns were reasonable. I'll need to continue to manage my speed on final.

Now that I know the airport isn't as far, time wise, as I expected I'll start scheduling more time int he air and try to meet some of those goals I set for the year.