Thruxton and Other Stories

This weekend was quite abig flying weekend for me. On Saturday I met David who runs a local non-equity group for a PA28 and a C182 and he took me up for a little trial in their PA28. I was pretty much sold before we started but a long talk with David and a quick flight were all it took to persuade me. I've now got my own key for Delta-Juliet. Amazing! The Blackbushe airspace was extremely busy because the weather was perfect.

On Sunday I'd booked Alpha-November for the afternoon with a view to doing a club currency with Will and then on for a land-away at Thruxton.

The time with Will was extremely valuable - a different interpretation of circuits to Barrie. Will emphasised doing circuits as big as possible giving as much time as possible to complete each step. He also suggested a power setting of 2100-2200 for the circuit since Alpha-November is faster than the C152 and microlights common in the circuit. It also gives more time to get through the work. He also pointed out we're aiming for 500 feet when turning final and the workload Speed -> Runway Picture -> repeat. I felt much happier for my planned flight that afternoon.

After a swift cuppa for me and some fuel for Alpha-November I set off on a direct line to Thruxton, talking to Farnborough LARS and getting Odiham MATZ transit so I could clip the edge. A fantastic day with very little traffic and wind straight down the runway - nice. Arrival at Thruxton was pretty quick - I feel most of the flight was taxying around both airfields and departure pattern. Thruxton were very helpful and I was almost on top of the airfield before I saw it - I'd just spotted the runway right in front of me when they asked if I had visual. I flew what felt like an enormous circuit - I think I went too far down wind. There was a very long run in on final. The landing was a bit heavier than I'd have liked. A long taxi back on the grass and parking up on the beautifully marked apron. The restaurant was closed but the flying club kindly made me a cup of tea.

Commit Flying

Yesterday I took my first flight as a qualified pilot - I committed flying as Bruce Dickinson says in one of his interviews. Corny but I like it.

I took the advice of various people to do a simple flight by myself to get used to the idea. I chose to fly back to Theale and see my house from the air, to the office and spot that and then down to Highclere Castle and back to Blackbushe. It was the first time I'd flown on a Saturday for a long time at things were pretty busy on the radio and at the airfield.

For each of my tourist visits I descended to the MSA for a better look. I'm pretty sure I could have tried lower but I didn't want to push my luck. I finally used SkyDemon to help navigate which made life easier though I did my paper route as well just in case. Of course neither of these were really necessary since I've flown in this area quite a lot. I've tweaked a couple of SkyDemon settings as a result.

It turns out spotting stuff from the air isn't that straightforward. I found my house from a new-build next door that is pretty distinctive. The business estate I work in is tiny it seems but it's proximity to the A34 helps. Highclere Castle is pretty easy to spot!

Hopefully my license will arrive soon and I can take T out for a fly. I need to go somewhere with good food - all recommendations welcome!

Skills Test

The day of my skills test arrived at the beginning of August. I did a mock with Harry the day before which I was pretty pleased with and which Harry thought was of good enough standard to pass. Good news!

My actual skills test was with Steve which I wasn't unhappy about. The day before he gave me a route - Blackbushe - Thame (not the gliding site!) - Swindon - Blackbushe which on the morning I duly plotted out and did the wind calculations as I'd done so many times. I actually enjoy this bit! The route I chose took me through the Benson MATZ because of a gliding competition to the North - I've not done that before but after a little fret and a quick look on the forums it was actually very simple - call them! The morning was cloudy with a front passing through and it really didn't look promising, with the TAF and METAR being pretty poor. But the day got brighter and brighter as it went on and frankly it couldn't have been much better.  The TAF still forecast doom but it was looking increasingly incorrect

When I got to Blackbushe I pre flight checked and fuelled Alpha-November. Steve then sat me in the briefing room and went through my plan asking about planning, weather, the aircraft, fuel, take-off distances and so on. I'm not sure I had perfect answers for everything but he seemed happy. I'd planned to call Farnborough North but he pointed out I'd only talk to them very briefly - so my new plan was to  change straight to Benson Zone. In what seemed like no time we were off. I ran though everything slowly by the check list and had him test the brakes as Barrie suggested. The checks, take-off and departure were pretty good. Farnborough wasn't too busy so that was straightforward too. Visibility was excellent and various way points stood out very well, though I seemed to be off course by a good mark. I corrected and carried on. Shortly after Henley Farnborough pretty much handed me off to Benson. There was a little hiccup getting zone transit - I didn't hear them give permission but Steve said they did so I turned on course through the Norther stub. A couple of minutes later they called back and gave permission to enter. Again I found myself a good chunk off course and corrected. I assumed the wind was stronger than forecast. Away from Benson I called Brize Radar - another first.

Just North of Wantage Steve diverted me towards the town and had me identify it and the old airfield at Grove. Over Wantage he asked me to plan a diversion to Popham. I felt that went pretty well but once again I found myself a good chunk off course and corrected using visual references like Newbury and Greenham Common. I ended up a good way East of Popham but I found it without too much hassle. Again I was off course even after my corrections.

It was then into the General Handling section with steep turns, the various stalls, spiral dive recovery and the dreaded PFL. All seemed pretty good apart from my field choice for PFL was poor - pylons, a big hill and the checks and shutdown. We also did an instrument straight and level followed by a 180º turn.

After what seemed like no time we were heading for Blackbushe with a swift position check using VOR and a talk through radio failure using the checklist.

Finally back at Blackbushe a touch and go, flawless touch and go and a glide approach which weren't my best, the glide landing was particularly flat. One final test was an aborted take-off for which we taxied back to Alpha. We paused on the runway while Steve checked the DI and compass against a known heading - the runway. It turns out the compass was out by 15º - no wonder my navigation had been so inaccurate. A yet another valid lesson I seem to have missed. Anyway started the take off - 'Engine running rough', put on the brakes and that was that - taxi back to Blueplane.

On the taxi back Steve told me it was a pass, but what he called a PWB - pass with bollocking. Essentially safe but a number of items to talk though.

1. Start up - close the air conditioning controls since they open a gap to the engine - bad should there be a fire. (new lesson!)
2. I should look further ahead on my map reading - rather than saying where we were it would be better to point out what was next. Not sure I entirely agree since I knew what was next its just he'd asked where we were.
3. Individually check the brakes first - a hard brake with only one working would result in a sharp turn.
4. Keep my climb rate to 75 - seems I wasn't very accurate there.
5. When repeating back to Farnborough LARS I should also repeat Basic Service - it forms a contract between us an I should be acknowledging that.
6. The DI and Compass checks should be done with all nav equipment and radios turned on since they affect the compass and DI.

After 30 minutes of paperwork and some congratulations I was done - application form for my PPL completed and signed, log book verified and stamped. I'd certainly flown better the day before but on the day it was good enough.

The sun sets on Alpha-November after the event

A few days later I popped it all down to the CAA desk at Gatwick. Just waiting for my license and log book back now. 

Hello, my name is Ian and I'm a pilot.

Skills Practice

I've had a few lessons since my last post covering navigation aids (VOR), glide & flapless circuits, stalls, PFL, diversions, steep turns and slow flight. I'm not convinced of my skill level in these things but Barry seems fairly happy. Certainly I am better at PFL and things like stalls and steep turns seem to come fairly well. I'd slipped into a few bad habits like using the artificial horizon in turns rather than looking outside - now much better.

I haven't flown for a three weeks for various busy / servicing aircraft reasons. I still need to do my final Principals of Flight exam - that's this week's job. The weather today wasn't brilliant with gusty wind and clouds at 1200ft for so. Perfect weather for circuits though. They went pretty well with three normal and one flapless approach under my belt. I always seem to fly better after a little break.

Today was cool from another point of view though. We were on the apron about to do power checks when Barrie pointed out a small business jet that he said was Bruce Dickinson's. It was a nice little Eclipse 500. As I went through my power checks a figure in a baseball cap and hi-vi came out and was checking it over. Bruce? I carried on with my detail and they came on the radio with an engine start request. The tower replied calling the pilot Bruce rather than using the call sign. It was him! They were departing for Fairford - the Air Tattoo is this weekend. A circuit later and they were at holding point Alpha waiting for me to touch-and-go before they were cleared to take off. Bruce Dickinson giving way to me - awesome! After the turn at 500ft Barrie took the controls so I could watch was they took off and headed West.

Here's a photo his aircraft - not taken by me I'm afraid but a local photographer Neil Randell. Note the Trooper badge and the Iron Maiden style name tags.

Towards the Skills Test

With my qualifying cross country out of the way it's time to study for my Skills Test. I know right?

These are the topics for the Skills Test and the methods.

Navigation with diversion

• Prepare navigation to west for all lessons
• Diversion may use VOR

Steep turns

• L & R 360°
• 45º
• add power
• back pressure
• rudder balance

Slow flight

• 10kts above stall
• reduce power
• raise nose
• at correct speed increase power
• power and attitude to maintain speed
• trim

Safe Slow Cruise

Aiming for:- 75kts 20° flaps 2300 RPM

• Reduce power by 300 RPM. 
• Hold attitude and wait for speed
• 10° flap & trim add 100 RPM
• 20° flap & trim add 200 RPM 

Spiral Dive Recovery

• Throttle closed, flaps up, ailerons neutral
• Verify spins direction (turn coordinator)
• Apply full opposite rudder
• Pause
• Move control column centrally forward to unstall. Wait until rotation stops
• Centralise controls
• Level wings
• As nose rises above horizon, add power

Stalls - HASELL

• Clean power off - recover at examiners command, rudder for balance
• 20° flap in turn [base leg] - recover at first sign of stall, recover then level wings
• 30° flap [simulated final] - recover at first sign of stall, drag flap away

Stall recovery - show positive action. 

PFL / Precautionary landing

• Immediate Action [aviate]
  • Glide & trim
  • Select Field thinking WIND
  • Plan Approach - upwind end of field

• Heights [aviate]
  • Downwind 1500'
  • Base 1000'

• Fly towards field [navigate]

• Check failure [aviate]
  • fuel - tanks, pump
  • mixture
  • mags
  • icing - carburettor 

• Mayday [communicate]

Diversion

• Circle and identify last known position on map
• Draw line to chosen divert
• Find heading
• Wind Correction
• Distance
• Time

Instrument Flight and Nav

• VOR - Flag FROM / TO
  • Tune (CPT 114.35)
  • Ident (morse)
  • Test
  • Set
• Instrument flight - T instruments

Circuits

• Normal
• Flapless (+5 kts)
• Glide (+5 kts)

Rejected Take-Off

Engine Failure After Take-Off

Technical Questions

• SEP License validation and renewal (CAP804 flight crew licensing)
• Weather minimums
• Best rate & angle
• Engine technical
• Talk through route
  • Current weather, fronts, minimums
  • Obstacles
  • Controlled Airspace

Skills Checklist

1. Aircraft checked & prep for flight
2. Flight Plog including fuel calculations
3. NOTAMS - print narrow route
4. Weather - print
5. Chart prepared for flight
6. Weight & Balance
7. Performance Take-Off & Landing (Airfield chart AIS)
8. Aircraft Documents
   • Pilot Operating Handbook
   • Certificate of Airworthiness
   • Certificate of release to service
   • Tech log
   • Insurance
   • Tx/Rx License
   • Original documents checked

Qualifying Cross Country

Yesterday (Bank Holiday) I finally got a chance to do my qualifying cross country flight following the plan I've been practising for - Blackbushe - Lydd - Shoreham and back to Blackbushe. It was awesome!

The weather hadn't been looking promising with a warm front approaching from France and a change from very few low clouds to rain and wind forecast by early afternoon. It looked like a window of opportunity - I just hoped it was big enough. Barrie was confident, though he advised me not to hang around at the land-away airfields.

I managed to start Alpha-November leaving the tech log on the wing - stupid boy! Peter from the club and a few bikers in the car park were waving for me to stop the engine. When I got out Barrie and Will were gathering pink sheets from the 100 yards or so they'd been scattered behind me. They were most insistent that it was not problem as we gathered the sheets and stuffed them back in the folder for the flight. I was determined this was a good sign - getting something stupid out of the way and as it turned out it worked.

The leg to Lydd went very smoothly, with my navigation working well. The 1/60 corrections were spot on, radio work was smooth and timings were spot on. My only self criticism would be flying level, but I corrected reasonably well. Lydd was a welcome sight and I had the place almost to myself with a slight downwind extension to allow them to clear the field of birds. The runway was 21 as on all of my previous visits. The wind was pretty much straight down the runway - very nice.

After getting my paperwork signed and a quick drink I set off for Shoreham. I was a bit earlier than planned but I figured it couldn't hurt to try and beat the weather. My journey along the south coast was somewhat less accurate, but again 1/60 corrections helped. During a FREDA check I realised the compass and heading indicator weren't telling me the same thing. A quick correction there and things looked better. Visibility was slightly reduced with a hazy horizon. This was a short leg and in no time I was calling Shoreham ATIS and approach. I overflew the airfield at 2000'. They were pretty busy though and I was directed around again at that level before being directed to join the circuit at 1100'. My join was bad as I few outside the runway (thinking I was going to join crosswind - awful considering the number of aircraft taking off). I got into stride and was on downwind when they told me to orbit to the right while an IFR flight approached. Finally after three orbits and time to position myself I was number 1 to land. The narrow runway was a bit off putting once again, but the landing was good. Once again there was minimal time on the ground - documentation signed, fees paid and a criminally expensive ginger beer drunk and I was off, departing overhead to the west for Littlehampton.

The return to Blackbushe seemed short with the usual clearance though Farnborough's airspace, a slightly clumsy set of radio work for the re-join and a noticeable crosswind on landing, which once again drove me a bit too much off centre. I was down and back.

All in all a great day's flying with some good accurate flying and radio. A good day to be up there - not as busy as expected for a Bank Holiday, some fine sights and further amusement at Shoreham.

Learning Experience

Shoreham shenanigans, crossing at 2000ft, descending deadside and then round and round...

On Monday I flew my second solo land away, once again visiting Shoreham. It was an interesting flight to say the least. The forecast on the face of it was excellent - CAVOK and less that 10kts wind in line with the runway, but things weren't so straightforward. Visibility was actually pretty poor and navigation was trickier than normal but I thought manageable. Looking at the track I wasn't very accurate. It worked well enough getting to Littlehampton. I called into Shoreham and they had changed the runway from 02 to 20 - quite a change. It turned out to be extremely variable. My approach was very poor and I made the circuit far too small, with the result that I was far, far too high on final. Last time I'd been here we'd joined on the base leg and had missed the circuit entirely - a mistake really. Time to go around. The second and third attempts weren't much better - each with a bigger circuit. I was convinced I'd seen the circuit pattern roughly around a large road junction, that was one mistake. It was actually much bigger. Several others in the circuit were having trouble and I heard several go-arounds. It turns out there was a tail wind for part of the approach which was making landing extremely difficult. I finally made a big enough circuit, descended enough and was in a good position albeit at 80kts - a bit fast. I could see another aircraft on the runway and was jus about to announce a go-around when the tower instructed my to do so. It seems someone had positioned to take off in the opposite direction and the Cessna on the runway had aborted it's take-off.  Round I went. Finally everything lined up and I landed - again fast and used a lot of the runway but at least I was down safely. The controller even came down for quick chat after I landed saying I handled the situation well and hoped I never had a landing as difficult again! The first few go-arounds were still my fault though!

Look I'm on the arrivals board!

Alpha November and the blue Miles Messenger

 The return journey went pretty well - take off from Runway 02 just to show how much the wind was moving around. I really need to learn to keep a heading and fly straight and level though. Back at Blackbushe was another low and slow landing. Barrie would be very scathing.

And Solo Lydd!

With what seems to be a rare break in the weather in this country I've embarked on what can only be described as a lunge for the finish line.

On Tuesday I managed my first solo land away, Lydd having been chosen. I was flying the same route as previously but was actually in charge of an aircraft by myself! The day was CAVOK if a little windy, although that was almost straight down the runway at both Blackbushe and Lydd.

Is that a nuclear power plant in the background?

The outbound route felt good. Navigation worked well and I was spotting landmarks and timing went well. The RT was proactive and smooth. I did struggle to lose height coming from the dead side through the circuit for runway 21 with the strength of the wind but it ended up as a good landing. On the way back I had a little 'diversion' way to the east of Biggin - too paranoid about straying into Gatwick's airspace I think or the wind was stronger than forecast at 2000'. A sloppy cross wind landing rounded things off at Blackbushe but I got back and didn't bend anything. It was a fantastic experience and I look forward to more.

Today I flew dual navex to Shoreham. The weather wasn't bad - relatively calm with patchy sun and clouds at 4500'. Another approach over the sea here which is part for the circuit for runway 02. Once again outbound wasn't bad with the Shoreham landing being a bit timid and made my classic mistake of dropping below 70 kts on final. Bad! Coming back I got a bit behind everything with a more complicated RT for Shoreham - Tower and Approach. I got a bit flustered for the long leg but with some prodding from Barrie managed a decent landing. Shoreham has a lovely art deco terminal building which has been used for Poirot. It was sadly under scaffolding on today's visit. There was time for a nicely presented cup of tea though.

 You'd think I'd have taken a happier pilot selfie! Probably the £31 landing fee.

Lydd!

We've had a bout of awful weather but I finally managed to do a solo Navex to Greenham Common and Overton so now on to better things. Here's the Sky Demon track of the departure and return to Blackbushe - departing overhead to the west and rejoining on the dead side from the North (the bottom of my picture below. Note the extended downwind leg)

Sky Demon magic!

Last week we finally did a Navex to Lydd with a view to using that for my first solo land-away. Lydd is the longest flight I've flown myself at 1:20 going out and 1:10 coming back. We did do a flight all the way round the Gatwick zone last year, but Barrie flew some of that.

Alpha November on Delta Apron at Lydd

A couple of notable firsts here. Lydd's circuit is partly over the sea and after we'd landed it turned out Charlie apron was full, so they sent a marshall out to direct us as the first aircraft on Delta apron - very cool!

The flight itself went pretty well - lots of radio work Blackbushe to Farnborough LARS West to Biggin Hill (avoiding Kenley) to Farnborough LARS East and finally Lydd ATIS followed by Lydd Approach. We used both radios in Alpha November so that four frequencies could be set in advance.

A great flight and I'm looking forward to repeating it as my first Solo Land-Away!

Off Again

I've had yet another break in flying - this time three months. Work, Christmas, Holidays - crazy. I've now implemented plan - Let's Get This Done and started again a couple of weeks ago. I'm aiming to fly a couple of times a week with a view to getting through the last few lessons.

Firstly a circuits lesson to get back into the swing of flying itself. It was an extremely frosty day and we spent some time de-icing the aircraft. Things went pretty smoothly with 8 or so pretty solid circuits using 25 and the ever present Alpha-November. The lesson here is to maintain speed all the way until the flair.

The second lesson was planned as a dual navigation exercise flying from Blackbushe via Greenham Common to Overton and back. There were weather fronts closing from the North and West so things didn't look to promising. We departed overhead, handed off to Farnborough and set off. The winds were very strong and I neglected the heading a few times which meant after a few minute we were way south of where we should have been. A quick visual correction and we were heading for Aldermarston. Sadly cloud cover was getting lower and lower so we abandoned the detail. Returning to Blackbushe Barrie landed her in what can only be described as challenging conditions - cross winds and gusts. We maintained 80 kts coming in and he did a lovely smooth touchdown as the things calmed near the ground.