Yesterday I had my first flying lesson in two years. On one hand it felt like I'd never been away, on the other I really have a long, long way to go. I'd forgotten lots of basic things like checks, controls and where things were. I was more nervous that I've been for ages.
The flight was on a trial basis and we flew to Theale and did a bit of sightseeing and home spotting - if only I'd brought my camera. My instructor Johan took things fairly easy and concentrated on things like Straight and Level and Turns.
Today's aircraft was G-BPTE a Piper PA-28-181. Found this when I was looking it up! Report
Friday, 8 October 2010
Monday, 4 October 2010
Begin Again
It's been bothering me for a while now that I've just stopped flying. Every time a plane flies over I look up. We're not far from Brimpton and seem to be almost on their flight path so there's lots of that. Somebody practices aerobatics just out of sight. Hell, I wanna do that! Excuses - yes, the money, the house move - so many petty excuses. What am I afraid of?
So after some further prompting from T I've booked another lesson - a trial at Blackbushe to see what things are like over there. A bad weather cancel on Sunday, but at least I've started again! Time to dig out the books and do some work.
So after some further prompting from T I've booked another lesson - a trial at Blackbushe to see what things are like over there. A bad weather cancel on Sunday, but at least I've started again! Time to dig out the books and do some work.
Friday, 15 January 2010
Sunday, 30 August 2009
The World Aerobatic Championship 2009
This week I found myself in an enviable position. The company I work for was one of the sponsors of The World Aerobatic Championship being held at Silverstone and I got the chance to work behind the scenes and enjoy corporate hospitality.
On Thursday I was on-site helping support the IT infrastructure for Flying Aces, the organisers of WAC 2009. The IT equipment for timing, TV and general office work had been set up by Ben and James earlier in the week and it was just a matter of jumping in when something went wrong. This left plenty of time for watching the flying and even to have a flight in the Q liveried SBACH 342.
Our pilot Andy took me through some 'gentle' aerobatics - absolutely awesome! I even got the chance to fly for a while - really very different to my usual PA28. I climbed at my usual rate and Andy kept telling me to pull the nose up until I felt like we would fall out of the sky! Silly of course since I later saw this plane climb vertically (as did all of the others). The ten minute flight over the Northamptonshire countryside seemed so short.
More photos under the WAC 2009 link including lots of competitor aircraft on the ground and in the huge tent hangers.
Friday saw the corporate day. I was feeling quite at home as the Ultimate High chaps from Kemble were taking our important visitors for flights.
On Thursday I was on-site helping support the IT infrastructure for Flying Aces, the organisers of WAC 2009. The IT equipment for timing, TV and general office work had been set up by Ben and James earlier in the week and it was just a matter of jumping in when something went wrong. This left plenty of time for watching the flying and even to have a flight in the Q liveried SBACH 342.
Our pilot Andy took me through some 'gentle' aerobatics - absolutely awesome! I even got the chance to fly for a while - really very different to my usual PA28. I climbed at my usual rate and Andy kept telling me to pull the nose up until I felt like we would fall out of the sky! Silly of course since I later saw this plane climb vertically (as did all of the others). The ten minute flight over the Northamptonshire countryside seemed so short.
 |  |  |
| From WAC 2009 |
More photos under the WAC 2009 link including lots of competitor aircraft on the ground and in the huge tent hangers.
Friday saw the corporate day. I was feeling quite at home as the Ultimate High chaps from Kemble were taking our important visitors for flights.
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Flying the Circuit
When I arrived at the airfield on Sunday everyone was in a very friendly Christmas mood, mince pies and chocolates galore! Not so good on the flying front though, what had been clear in the morning had turned into a solid layer of grey cloud down at 1000 feet. It wasn't looking good until Stu suggested we try my hand at flying the circuit, meaning we would fly just below the cloud. An extensive brief followed, with detailed intructions for flying from runway 26 and into a left hand circuit. This was a familiar approach for me since we've always used 26. A shame then when we came to take-off we were instructed to use runway 08 and fly the circuit on the opposite side! Stu let me handle the take-off - I really shouldn't stamp on those peddles so hard though. I also did one of the touches - again too hard!
So the briefing went a bit like this. Stu said he'd handle most of the RT and the checks, so all I had to do was fly. I have to say it was probably my favourite lesson so far!
• RT - “Kemble Information. Golf-Bravo-November-November-Tango”
• RT - “G-BNNT. Pass your message.”
• RT - “G-NT, PA28, tower apron, two POB, flying the circuit, request airfield information and taxi”
• RT - “X” (hold at Bravo 1)
• RT - “G-NT Alpha-1 ready for departure”
• Runway checks, transponder to ALT / DI and compass / T’s & P’s / check heading matches runway.
• RT - “G-NT Hold” / “Line up and wait” / “take off at your discretion”
• RT - “G-NT taking off”
• Full power
• Instrument check / power 2000/2500 airspeed increasing
• Centre line, choosing aiming point off runway
• 60 knots & rotate
• Nose to horizon giving 75 knots in PA28
• At 300ft AGL after take-off checks – T’s & P’s, flaps clean, (gear up), trim 75kts
• Bank 15˚, climbing turn, look right in LH circuit first
• Select aiming point.
• Wind from right
• Turn (30˚?) and new aiming point – Ashton Keynes lakes
• At 950ft start to level (10% of rate of climb)
• RT - “G-NT downwind for touch and go” or “to land”
• RT - or “G-NT downwind for late touch and go” if radio busy
• Downwind checks BUM FFI LCHH which should memorise [B.U.M.F.F.I.C.H.L. - Brakes, Undcrge, Mxtr, Fuel, Flaps, Instmnts, Carb heat, Hrness, Lights]
• Wingtip on the runway for correct 1-1.5 mile gap
• 45˚ from threshold, thinking about turning
• Descent called Base Descent
• Power 1700 RPM / Carb heat on / nose up / trim 75kts /
• Reduce speed to Vfe / 2 stages of flap
• 500ft/min descent rate ideal – manage height to be on glide path
• Turn final
• Centre line with rudder, aileron & wings level
• 3 stage flaps / 65kts
• RT - “G-NT final for touch and go” or “final to land”
• Runway number as aiming point
• Judge the flare
So the briefing went a bit like this. Stu said he'd handle most of the RT and the checks, so all I had to do was fly. I have to say it was probably my favourite lesson so far!
 |
| From flyian |
• RT - “Kemble Information. Golf-Bravo-November-November-Tango”
• RT - “G-BNNT. Pass your message.”
• RT - “G-NT, PA28, tower apron, two POB, flying the circuit, request airfield information and taxi”
• RT - “X” (hold at Bravo 1)
• RT - “G-NT Alpha-1 ready for departure”
• Runway checks, transponder to ALT / DI and compass / T’s & P’s / check heading matches runway.
• RT - “G-NT Hold” / “Line up and wait” / “take off at your discretion”
• RT - “G-NT taking off”
• Full power
• Instrument check / power 2000/2500 airspeed increasing
• Centre line, choosing aiming point off runway
• 60 knots & rotate
• Nose to horizon giving 75 knots in PA28
• At 300ft AGL after take-off checks – T’s & P’s, flaps clean, (gear up), trim 75kts
• Bank 15˚, climbing turn, look right in LH circuit first
• Select aiming point.
• Wind from right
• Turn (30˚?) and new aiming point – Ashton Keynes lakes
• At 950ft start to level (10% of rate of climb)
• RT - “G-NT downwind for touch and go” or “to land”
• RT - or “G-NT downwind for late touch and go” if radio busy
• Downwind checks BUM FFI LCHH which should memorise [B.U.M.F.F.I.C.H.L. - Brakes, Undcrge, Mxtr, Fuel, Flaps, Instmnts, Carb heat, Hrness, Lights]
• Wingtip on the runway for correct 1-1.5 mile gap
• 45˚ from threshold, thinking about turning
• Descent called Base Descent
• Power 1700 RPM / Carb heat on / nose up / trim 75kts /
• Reduce speed to Vfe / 2 stages of flap
• 500ft/min descent rate ideal – manage height to be on glide path
• Turn final
• Centre line with rudder, aileron & wings level
• 3 stage flaps / 65kts
• RT - “G-NT final for touch and go” or “final to land”
• Runway number as aiming point
• Judge the flare
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Foggy November Morning
To get back into the swing of things I thought I'd book a lesson this weekend. I'd been watching the weather forecast all week and it really didn't look good. This morning was as promised - as foggy as you like. I drove over to Kemble anyway - just to say hello, check the journey from the new house and persuade myself to get on with flying. I met up with Stu who filled my in on all of the gossip. We chatted for while with Tom who had come to replace brake disks and pads on one of the club's leased PA28s - interesting chap. A splendid bacon sandwich in AV8 (thanks mate!) and a view of the club's Granville trip DVD and I was on my way home. Another lesson booked for two weekends time.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Rainy Weekend Stalls
Well much to my surprise conditions were good enough on Sunday to fly. The pressure had been rising all day, the cloud lifted until we had over 2000ft to play with. This Sunday I was learning slow flight, including standard stall recovery.
I should really have written this up straight away. Damn my shabby memory.
Every manoeuvre seems to have its own work process acronym - this one was no different. HASELL stands for
H - height. Do we have enough for this? 3000ft is the recommendation.
A - aircraft. This is our plane. Is it configured, in trim, straight and level.
S - security. Physical security for passengers, pilot and loose articles.
E - engine. Temperatures and pressures.
L - location. Are we in a suitable place. ABCCCD (Airfields, built up areas, crowd, cloud, controlled airspace, danger areas)
L - lookout. Is the airspace clear and safe. We should include some turns to clear.
On subsequent trys we can reduce this to HELL.
We start with
P - power - 1500 RPM and in balence
A - attitude - > 60kts, 2000 RPM
T - trim
Standard Stall recovery (At Last)
So the aircraft stalls when the angle of attack is around 15˚ - not very steep. This is known as the critical angle. To recover:-
Pitch forward
Apply full power
Balance
I felt okay doing the stall recovery - seemed fairly sensible. However I didn't get to see what happens if one wing drops - one should keep the ailerons straight. Doing otherwise makes things worse - spinny spinny! Stu demonstrated a spin recovery which once again had my stomach in my mouth.
I should really have written this up straight away. Damn my shabby memory.
Every manoeuvre seems to have its own work process acronym - this one was no different. HASELL stands for
H - height. Do we have enough for this? 3000ft is the recommendation.
A - aircraft. This is our plane. Is it configured, in trim, straight and level.
S - security. Physical security for passengers, pilot and loose articles.
E - engine. Temperatures and pressures.
L - location. Are we in a suitable place. ABCCCD (Airfields, built up areas, crowd, cloud, controlled airspace, danger areas)
L - lookout. Is the airspace clear and safe. We should include some turns to clear.
On subsequent trys we can reduce this to HELL.
We start with
P - power - 1500 RPM and in balence
A - attitude - > 60kts, 2000 RPM
T - trim
Standard Stall recovery (At Last)
So the aircraft stalls when the angle of attack is around 15˚ - not very steep. This is known as the critical angle. To recover:-
Pitch forward
Apply full power
Balance
I felt okay doing the stall recovery - seemed fairly sensible. However I didn't get to see what happens if one wing drops - one should keep the ailerons straight. Doing otherwise makes things worse - spinny spinny! Stu demonstrated a spin recovery which once again had my stomach in my mouth.
Monday, 1 September 2008
Kemble Information
Well things looked good this weekend when I left home, but as I got closer to Kemble the cloud gathered. When I entered the club house (in their own words) six grown men were gathered looking at the sky. One of them was my instructor Stuart who sadly told me the cloud was too low and too solid to do slow flight and stalls for which we needed plenty of altitude. I hung around for a little while to see what would happen - the weather was right on the edge of clearing up, but I was to have no flying today.
So Stu took me for a tour of Kemble Operations and the Control Tower. Glenn was running things in the tower and it was fascinating to see how things worked from this side. Each aircraft has a card and plastic holder which Glenn was putting in different places on a special rack to indicate where it was - on the runway, taxiing, circuits, flying in the local area or passing through. Things looked quite complicated and he was only looking after six aircraft. One cheery thing though was just how many people got RT stuff wrong - there's hope for me yet. The aviation world was firmly divided into newbies getting RT wrong and sounding nervous and those real old hands who confidently got things wrong or were simply unclear. Stu explained the importance of keeping the messages short and accurate - the tower has a lot of people to deal with and one shouldn't hog air time.
I was happy to see the return of Zulu Whiskey to the club after weeks being away for repair. She'd only arrived the day before and apparently Zoe was seen to do a little dance. Zulu Whiskey has been away for months for service and was waiting for parts from the States. It was also nice to see one of the Piper Cubs I'd seen at Duxford in July at Kemble today. She was refueling while we were in the tower but sadly I missed the takeoff. All of this just serves to fire my enthusiasm and I just want to fly. I'm sitting here with rain lashing against the window yet again this summer.
So Stu took me for a tour of Kemble Operations and the Control Tower. Glenn was running things in the tower and it was fascinating to see how things worked from this side. Each aircraft has a card and plastic holder which Glenn was putting in different places on a special rack to indicate where it was - on the runway, taxiing, circuits, flying in the local area or passing through. Things looked quite complicated and he was only looking after six aircraft. One cheery thing though was just how many people got RT stuff wrong - there's hope for me yet. The aviation world was firmly divided into newbies getting RT wrong and sounding nervous and those real old hands who confidently got things wrong or were simply unclear. Stu explained the importance of keeping the messages short and accurate - the tower has a lot of people to deal with and one shouldn't hog air time.
I was happy to see the return of Zulu Whiskey to the club after weeks being away for repair. She'd only arrived the day before and apparently Zoe was seen to do a little dance. Zulu Whiskey has been away for months for service and was waiting for parts from the States. It was also nice to see one of the Piper Cubs I'd seen at Duxford in July at Kemble today. She was refueling while we were in the tower but sadly I missed the takeoff. All of this just serves to fire my enthusiasm and I just want to fly. I'm sitting here with rain lashing against the window yet again this summer.
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