Andy gave me a nav to plan down to Sturgate with a choice of either departing from Eccup or Dewsbury. Chose Eccup as distance was much of a muchness and it didn't involve transiting the Doncaster zone directly overhead the field.
***TBC***
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Getting close
This morning was a short trip to polish up stalls and instrument flying before an afternoon flight with the CFI as a progress check to see what I need to work on before my 170A.
***TBC***
***TBC***
Monday, 27 October 2008
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Blowin' a Hoolie!
Strong crosswinds are NOT a good combination for polishing up asymmetric circuits :-(
Mini-nav and GH
After four days of not flying I was somewhat aprehensive about flying yesterday (Weds 22nd Oct) as I felt like I'd forgotten all the useful minor corrections I had been given on the two previous trips.
Planned a short nav out to Kirkbymoorside airfield, but with the wind from the west it was largely behind me and my calculated groundspeed of 160kts meant that the 26nm would happen very quickly (in 10 mins). Clocked Knaresborough as my GEC quickly and easily but thought that I was too close to Boroughbridge and was about to make a heading correction since I couldn't spot Tholthorpe disused airfield. But the instructor pointed it out and I didn't in fact need to correct my heading. Duely spotted the destination and was on time & on track, at which point I was given Holme-on-Spalding Moor as my diversion.
Planned the essentials and turned onto my new heading. Then I got bogged down in trying to find something for a GEC and wasted valuable time until the instructor pointed out the obvious - Castle Howard was on the nose - muppet! Anyway, things were on time and on track and I tuned in and identified OTR VOR but I wasted more time faffing with my plog around the halfway point. So by the time I used the VOR to position fix myself on track I was already almost at my destination, but it worked out well and I verified myself as on the 300 radial from OTR at 27D.
Was then asked to demonstrate the stalls. Had to have a few bites at the clean stall though the basics were ok. Just forgot to do the two reds, two blues, three greens at 80kts (though this wasn't on the original instructions we were given), and also didn't bring the nose back up enough after the initial lowering of the nose on initiating the stall recovery. The approach stall went quite well only I forgot to catch the prop as I applied full power, though I did get it right on the second attempt. Finally the landing configuration stall also went pretty well and I managed to do a second and not miss out or mess something out on either.
Onto the instrument work and note to self - I must remember to set 18/23 as the screens are going up to make things easier. Did my IMC brief again so hopefully that's ingrained again. Did struggle again to get my height keeping and trip setup nicely, but once that was sorted we did the basics of climbing, descending and turning on full panel. Onto limited panel and the bastard timed turns. These went well apart from one where I was 10 degrees off my target heading and I didn't reset the OBS to my actual heading and turned the wrong way for my 3 seconds correction. Must remember to use the OBS even for small corrections, even if I only count time in my head. Unusual positions work went well and I managed to arrest the climb/descent ok (mostly) and not overshoot the level flight position into a descent/climb respectively. Might seem like a simple task, but on instruments and especially limited panel it's quite hard to judge correctly.
Once the screens came down it the final bit was steep turns. The first one was a bit poor for a few reasons, but the only one I remember was that my height keeping in the turn was all over the place. The second attempt was much better and the one in the other direction similarly good.
Headed back to Leeds, did the field approach checks, routed in via Eccup and did the downwind checks as I joined on right base for 32. Managed to more or less get the descent right and the instruction I'd been given to work on speed control also went well. Once I got fully set up on base I kept the speed relatively nicely at 90kts and then on finals at 80kts and this time I remembered the 2 reds, 2 blues, 3 greens. Did drop slightly low right at the end but I masked that error by stating that I was going for the threshold and did quite a doozy on a landing on the centreline and onle just past the threshold!
In the debrief the instructor said he didn't really have much to say - just a few minor points he'd not covered in the air. So all in all a very good trip and I was really happy with things. If all continues to go well, I might just have one more trip to polish up the asymmetric curcuits and then I might be onto my 170A (Mock test).
Planned a short nav out to Kirkbymoorside airfield, but with the wind from the west it was largely behind me and my calculated groundspeed of 160kts meant that the 26nm would happen very quickly (in 10 mins). Clocked Knaresborough as my GEC quickly and easily but thought that I was too close to Boroughbridge and was about to make a heading correction since I couldn't spot Tholthorpe disused airfield. But the instructor pointed it out and I didn't in fact need to correct my heading. Duely spotted the destination and was on time & on track, at which point I was given Holme-on-Spalding Moor as my diversion.
Planned the essentials and turned onto my new heading. Then I got bogged down in trying to find something for a GEC and wasted valuable time until the instructor pointed out the obvious - Castle Howard was on the nose - muppet! Anyway, things were on time and on track and I tuned in and identified OTR VOR but I wasted more time faffing with my plog around the halfway point. So by the time I used the VOR to position fix myself on track I was already almost at my destination, but it worked out well and I verified myself as on the 300 radial from OTR at 27D.
Was then asked to demonstrate the stalls. Had to have a few bites at the clean stall though the basics were ok. Just forgot to do the two reds, two blues, three greens at 80kts (though this wasn't on the original instructions we were given), and also didn't bring the nose back up enough after the initial lowering of the nose on initiating the stall recovery. The approach stall went quite well only I forgot to catch the prop as I applied full power, though I did get it right on the second attempt. Finally the landing configuration stall also went pretty well and I managed to do a second and not miss out or mess something out on either.
Onto the instrument work and note to self - I must remember to set 18/23 as the screens are going up to make things easier. Did my IMC brief again so hopefully that's ingrained again. Did struggle again to get my height keeping and trip setup nicely, but once that was sorted we did the basics of climbing, descending and turning on full panel. Onto limited panel and the bastard timed turns. These went well apart from one where I was 10 degrees off my target heading and I didn't reset the OBS to my actual heading and turned the wrong way for my 3 seconds correction. Must remember to use the OBS even for small corrections, even if I only count time in my head. Unusual positions work went well and I managed to arrest the climb/descent ok (mostly) and not overshoot the level flight position into a descent/climb respectively. Might seem like a simple task, but on instruments and especially limited panel it's quite hard to judge correctly.
Once the screens came down it the final bit was steep turns. The first one was a bit poor for a few reasons, but the only one I remember was that my height keeping in the turn was all over the place. The second attempt was much better and the one in the other direction similarly good.
Headed back to Leeds, did the field approach checks, routed in via Eccup and did the downwind checks as I joined on right base for 32. Managed to more or less get the descent right and the instruction I'd been given to work on speed control also went well. Once I got fully set up on base I kept the speed relatively nicely at 90kts and then on finals at 80kts and this time I remembered the 2 reds, 2 blues, 3 greens. Did drop slightly low right at the end but I masked that error by stating that I was going for the threshold and did quite a doozy on a landing on the centreline and onle just past the threshold!
In the debrief the instructor said he didn't really have much to say - just a few minor points he'd not covered in the air. So all in all a very good trip and I was really happy with things. If all continues to go well, I might just have one more trip to polish up the asymmetric curcuits and then I might be onto my 170A (Mock test).
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Abysmideous Weather
Abysmal + Hideous = Abysmideous
As you can probably guess, I've not been flying today :-(
As you can probably guess, I've not been flying today :-(
Monday, 13 October 2008
Monday - nowt yet...
I apologize for not really keeping up to date with the blog. It's hard work flying and I often just crash out when getting home and have no energy for (or forget about) the blog.
Consequently it gets left to the next day when the same thing often happens, so I get more and more behind :-(
*** TBC ***
Consequently it gets left to the next day when the same thing often happens, so I get more and more behind :-(
*** TBC ***
Flying on instruments in the twin - oh joy!
Sunday
It's rewarding if if goes well, but very hard work mentally.
*** TBC ***
It's rewarding if if goes well, but very hard work mentally.
*** TBC ***
Saturday, 11 October 2008
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Circuits? No, surprise nav
Wednesday dawned with practically not a cloud in the sky - woohoo!!
I had been expecting to be doing circuits, but the instructor said it was too nice a day not to do a nav, and that we could tag a couple of circuits into the end of the trip. So we planned a flight to Pickering.
Can't remember much of the detail, but I pretty much aced the first leg :-) Got my climb to 4000 feet approved while still in Leeds airspace and subsequently the MATZ crossing of Linton approved nice and early. The vis was great so my GEC of Wetherby was easy to spot. Marston Moor and Linton came up on track and on time, but was batting along so much quicker than my last nav that I realised it was pointless looking out for East Moor as I'd probably already passed it. So I concentrated on flying my heading and altitude as there wasn't much else to look out for enroute. Because things were happening quicker than previous experience I didn't properly note when I passed my halfway point so I had to guestimate (which is not approved CPL technique) and I thought I was a minute ahead of schedule so revised my ETA to two minutes earlier. Spotted Pickering relatively easily and quite well in advance and was given a diversion of Breighton. I arrived three minutes later than my revised ETA and only one minute later than my original ETA, so if I'd not botched it up it would have been a near perfect leg :-(
Turned over Pickering and set off for Breighton and completed all my planning and ETAs. Noted that I was left of track when approaching Malton after only about 6-7nm and realised that this was due to my not having applied a wind correction to my heading. The instructor also pointed out that I had turned a bit late over Pickering and so had rolled out left of planned track so there was also some parallel track error. My GEC should have picked out that I was to the left of Malton when I should have been to the right, but for some reason it didn't register. But a heading correction of 25 degrees for 2 mins (the twin only heeds 25 degrees rather than 30 for the single) put me back on track and I remembered to note it down on my plog! :-) The rest of the diversion when fine and I arrived at Breighton only a minute ahead of schedule.
Back to Leeds and did a touch and go, followed by and engine failure into an asymmetric circuit , then a low approach and go around finished off by a full stop landing. I can't properly remember how it went, but I think I struggled to maintain runway heading on engine failure and also go around, but it wasn't a disaster as my practice in the sim had helped again.
I had been expecting to be doing circuits, but the instructor said it was too nice a day not to do a nav, and that we could tag a couple of circuits into the end of the trip. So we planned a flight to Pickering.
Can't remember much of the detail, but I pretty much aced the first leg :-) Got my climb to 4000 feet approved while still in Leeds airspace and subsequently the MATZ crossing of Linton approved nice and early. The vis was great so my GEC of Wetherby was easy to spot. Marston Moor and Linton came up on track and on time, but was batting along so much quicker than my last nav that I realised it was pointless looking out for East Moor as I'd probably already passed it. So I concentrated on flying my heading and altitude as there wasn't much else to look out for enroute. Because things were happening quicker than previous experience I didn't properly note when I passed my halfway point so I had to guestimate (which is not approved CPL technique) and I thought I was a minute ahead of schedule so revised my ETA to two minutes earlier. Spotted Pickering relatively easily and quite well in advance and was given a diversion of Breighton. I arrived three minutes later than my revised ETA and only one minute later than my original ETA, so if I'd not botched it up it would have been a near perfect leg :-(
Turned over Pickering and set off for Breighton and completed all my planning and ETAs. Noted that I was left of track when approaching Malton after only about 6-7nm and realised that this was due to my not having applied a wind correction to my heading. The instructor also pointed out that I had turned a bit late over Pickering and so had rolled out left of planned track so there was also some parallel track error. My GEC should have picked out that I was to the left of Malton when I should have been to the right, but for some reason it didn't register. But a heading correction of 25 degrees for 2 mins (the twin only heeds 25 degrees rather than 30 for the single) put me back on track and I remembered to note it down on my plog! :-) The rest of the diversion when fine and I arrived at Breighton only a minute ahead of schedule.
Back to Leeds and did a touch and go, followed by and engine failure into an asymmetric circuit , then a low approach and go around finished off by a full stop landing. I can't properly remember how it went, but I think I struggled to maintain runway heading on engine failure and also go around, but it wasn't a disaster as my practice in the sim had helped again.
The rain in...
Leeds fell most of the day on Leeds...
(Tuesday 7th Oct)
IIRC, I did go up to the airport and spent a couple of hours practicing setup & recovery from stalls and engine failure drills & asymmetric circuits.
(Tuesday 7th Oct)
IIRC, I did go up to the airport and spent a couple of hours practicing setup & recovery from stalls and engine failure drills & asymmetric circuits.
First day back - rusty
Monday 6th Oct was my first day back flying after over 10 days off due to the weather and wedding commitments abroad.
I was thinking on the ground that I'd probably be doing circuits since that was the stage I was at. However the instructor recommended I did a bit of a twin refresher with general handling and then asymmetric work as I might be a little rusty. Probably a good thing, because despite the fact that I didn't think I'd really forgotten it, in the heat of the moment it can all just go straight out the window as happened today :-(
We took off and started out with some steep turns which went ok from what I remember. Then the instructor asked me to demonstrate a stall in the approach configuration. Now the same instructor had impressed upon me to learn by heart the stall procedures (practice them every night), but I had not really done it and was definitely caught out here. While I could remember more or less how to recover from the stalls I am required to demonstrate in the test, I couldn't remember all the specifics about how to set the aircraft up. With some prompting from the instructor I managed to set up the aircraft and perform the demonstrated technique passably (IIRC) and the same with the stall in the landing configuration.
Then onto asymmetric work. Can't remember the specifics of how it went since I'm writing up this blog entry a week after the event, but the rustiness definately showed. I initially struggled to maintain control/heading/airspeed on the engine failures in the cruise, but once they began to come more naturally again I had to add engine failure after takeoff to the mix. Because of the high power & low airspeed configuration, I again struggled to maintain my heading and also partially mucked up the vital actions and shutdown drills. One small crumb of comfort was that everything was beginning to polish up by the end of the lesson.
In the debrief the instructor rightly ticked me off for not having practiced my stall setup drills but overall wasn't too damning and said that the asymmetrics work wasn't a big problem, just down to a lack of currency. His debrief also went into the fact that if working in an airline I'd be expected to do this kind of thing all the time - I'd have to memorise many checklists, perform them in many different emergency situations, and that I'd have to do this very regularly such as every 6-12 months, so I'd better get into the habit/mindset of it sooner rather than later.
Suffice to say I do now practice the stalls in my head every day so hopefully won't arse them up again, but time will tell...
While today's performance wasn't beyond all hope, it did put me into a bit of a downer.
PS. This was totally reversed the next time I flew - this CPL malarkey is a always bloody roller-coaster ride - highs & lows/peaks & troughs :-(
I was thinking on the ground that I'd probably be doing circuits since that was the stage I was at. However the instructor recommended I did a bit of a twin refresher with general handling and then asymmetric work as I might be a little rusty. Probably a good thing, because despite the fact that I didn't think I'd really forgotten it, in the heat of the moment it can all just go straight out the window as happened today :-(
We took off and started out with some steep turns which went ok from what I remember. Then the instructor asked me to demonstrate a stall in the approach configuration. Now the same instructor had impressed upon me to learn by heart the stall procedures (practice them every night), but I had not really done it and was definitely caught out here. While I could remember more or less how to recover from the stalls I am required to demonstrate in the test, I couldn't remember all the specifics about how to set the aircraft up. With some prompting from the instructor I managed to set up the aircraft and perform the demonstrated technique passably (IIRC) and the same with the stall in the landing configuration.
Then onto asymmetric work. Can't remember the specifics of how it went since I'm writing up this blog entry a week after the event, but the rustiness definately showed. I initially struggled to maintain control/heading/airspeed on the engine failures in the cruise, but once they began to come more naturally again I had to add engine failure after takeoff to the mix. Because of the high power & low airspeed configuration, I again struggled to maintain my heading and also partially mucked up the vital actions and shutdown drills. One small crumb of comfort was that everything was beginning to polish up by the end of the lesson.
In the debrief the instructor rightly ticked me off for not having practiced my stall setup drills but overall wasn't too damning and said that the asymmetrics work wasn't a big problem, just down to a lack of currency. His debrief also went into the fact that if working in an airline I'd be expected to do this kind of thing all the time - I'd have to memorise many checklists, perform them in many different emergency situations, and that I'd have to do this very regularly such as every 6-12 months, so I'd better get into the habit/mindset of it sooner rather than later.
Suffice to say I do now practice the stalls in my head every day so hopefully won't arse them up again, but time will tell...
While today's performance wasn't beyond all hope, it did put me into a bit of a downer.
PS. This was totally reversed the next time I flew - this CPL malarkey is a always bloody roller-coaster ride - highs & lows/peaks & troughs :-(
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Germany
Am now off to Germany to visit Priya (Rekha's sister) followed by a wedding of friends of Rekha's (and mine) who came to our weddings, both in India and in the UK. Will be back flying on Monday the 6th Oct weather permitting.
Wind and Rain
Tuseday and more of the same wind, only with rain, drizzle & generally piss poor conditions and of course not suitable for flying.
Wind and Aircraft Servicing
Initially the conditions were flyable and indeed I'd set off to the airport when I got a call saying that the aircraft had been in effect gazumped by a revision flight for an IR skills test/renewal due to happen the next day. And because it only had about 1:20 hours left before needing to go in for it's 50 hour check (kinda like an MOT), I would have to wait until later in the day until the only other aircraft that was not in for a service was available.
But by then the windy autumn had struck and the wind was something like 260/18G25 - basically not really suitable for practicing circuits, never mind asymmetric ones :-(
But by then the windy autumn had struck and the wind was something like 260/18G25 - basically not really suitable for practicing circuits, never mind asymmetric ones :-(
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