"mastering the e-6b flight computer"

a while back i posted something about a book i found called "mastering the e-6b flight computer" (http://learnthee6b.com/). i've been studying it off and on and am satisfied with it. it has very specific pictures and descriptions of the various things you can do with it. i'm really trying to get proficient at it so that i can use it in-flight (without the manual) when i need to during longer flights. i do recommend the book if you're looking to do the same.

another solo to okv (winchester, va)

i did another solo to okv (winchester, va) today, it went reasonably well but it has been almost 30 days since i last flew (due to a vacation in iceland and work) and the season has changed which means the fall colors make things look different. i am glad i had the gps to rely on beacause i had a hard time visually finding both okv and jyo (leesburg). i was almost on top of both before i realized where they were. because this was a busy travel day jyo was busy on my return and i probably caused some consternation from all the pro pilots waiting for me to finally make it into the pattern for landing. i also had my eye on iad (dulles) bacause i was closer to it than i had intended. i definitely should have practiced using ms flight sim x before doing it today.
oddly enough my landings were pretty good so i am making progress here and there. i am going to ratchet up my frequency of flying though.

aviation podcasts

i recently bought a new ipod with a 160gb disk and was looking at itunes for podcasts to put on it. after subscribing to various npr/c-span/talk shows i searched on 'aviation' and found a number of podcasts that are aviation related. one that i found was at http://www.thefinerpoints.net/ and the current issue covered collision avoidance techniques. it covered a recent midair (both planes survived) and discussed when you should maneuver to avoid a potential midair. these are very interesting to listen to and are perfect for walking your dog or anything else where you're not staring at the tv.
btw, while being a linux purist i still broke down and got the ipod because of it's very easy use/integration with other stuff. in general i use linux whenever i can but i also admit that it can be a pain at times.