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.

Broken Alpha-November

I've had a couple of months off flying since my last post. The club's one and only PA28 Alpha-November went off for her annual and they found some cracks which have taken a while to fix to say the least.


So a couple of weeks ago she returned and I did a session of circuits to get me back into the swing. It was nice to be back in the sky, even on a hazy day with only just enough visibility and cloud base. It went amazingly well with (in Barrie's words) three 10/10 circuits. He was so please that he sent me solo for another three. We were on runway 25 which I find easiest so that helped.My last landing my approach was a bit too high and it resulted in a flat landing but apart from that all was well.

I followed up last week with a solo Navex to Greenham Common and Overton. A few circuits first for Barrie to check I was still flying okay. This time we were on runway 07 so not as smooth. One rough landing, one go-around and one pretty good one and I was off on my own. Visibility was amazing today and I scarcely had to worry about navigation - I could see the next waypoint when I turned onto each heading. This sortie was flown starting at 2700 ft to fly clear of Aldermarston and Greenham. There was a NOTAM in place for Greenham common - not to overfly below 2500ft. It turns out they're filming the new Star Wars there. There are some bunkers in the South West corner and I spotted the Millenium Falcon sitting there! Sadly my camera wasn't working so I didn't get any footage - more of that in a mo. Radio work and flying were good but navigation may have slipped because of the visibility!

I've been looking at various techie toys for use when flying. Firstly t got me a Rollei Racy Actioncam which I planned to use on the windshield on a suction mount. I got some nice point-of-view video of the circuit session, perhaps a bit too much propeller. I believe I can reduce that with a faster frame rate. Sadly I messed up with the Greenham run because I left it filming in the car all day and it was out of juice by the time I mounted it in the plane!

Secondly I've finally subscribed to Skydemon. I've been using their demo for quite a while to double check my flight planning and I like what they've got going on. I also I figure I owe them some money by now having signed up with all of my e-mail addresses. I have always been concerned about having a phone or tablet active without being in flight mode in the cockpit. It's bad enough when someone forgets to turn off their phone. I did find various suggestions that disabling the sim with a pin number or removing it seems to turn off the phone signal and 3G while leaving the GPS active and that seems to work with Skydemon. This guy has some notes about it, though as a hiker he's mostly trying to save battery. I'm planning to log my next 'grass field' practice circuits tomorrow, it will be interesting to see the same of my circuits!

Land Away at Goodwood

I had a great lesson last time - my first land away at the relatively local Goodwood! A quick call to Goodwood to book and get the runway information - 24. We thoroughly briefed the approach, how I'd floy west of the airfield and join deadside, noting the circuit height of 1200ft. .The trip out was pretty smooth with a bit of help from my radio prompts on the bottom of my PLOG while calling Farnborough. We transited Farnborough which is always interesting. For the journey south I could do with a better navigational reference point or even vaguely knowing what it was - I'd chosen the A3 and Barrie seemed to think I'd picked the Hindhead tunnel (I had no idea it was there). Barrie had given me some tips on identifying Goodwood using the inlets to the wets of Chichester, the South Downs and the Race Course on the hillside.

Arrival at Goodwood was a tiny bit confused - my deadside plan was a bit scuppered when Goodwood Information were kind enough to inform me that there was an aircraft operating on the deadside. A quick conflab with Barrie and we opted to join downwind. My other problem was identifying the various runways which are all grass. I was pretty happy with the landing - slower short final and really, really keep the nose wheel off for as long as possible. Once on the ground, taxiing to park was simply across whatever grass was between the runway and the parking. We were directed to row 2 - just in front of the Boultbee Academy hangar - Spitfire, Tiger Moth and Harvard all on display in the sun behind us!

Time for some photos, to pay the landing fee and a cup of tea.

The return flight was a bit less smooth. They check out at Goodwood from the plane, not by phone which was a bit different, more like Kemble. My take-off was a bit more precipitous than planned - I should have stayed in ground effect for longer and not climbed away so steeply. One stage of flaps, full power held on the brakes and keeping the yoke back a little were clearly all a bit much for me. As I climbed to the overhead we heard the Spitfire call for airfield information - shame I'd have love to follow her down the runway or seen her in mid air. Some fluffing of radio work to Farnborough and light mocking from them (Squawk 0448 might be a bit difficult). With all of that excitement I missed my navigation reference on the way back. Transiting Farnborough to the East and re-joining Blackbushe were better. My landing went well until the last moment when I was caught unprepared for a gust which lifted us off again. Very untidy.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the experience . The plan is once more with Barrie then it's my turn to land away solo!