Was "HELP!!", now "MCL failure"

[Iolanthe]

FANTASTIC!! Thats great news Z!

i'm hoping to get airborne tomorrow too

[Rich T]

Well done ZG, I look forward to the write-up. Getting close to skills test time

[Yankee-K]

Well doen ZG, how much longer before GST?

[ZG 862]

Thanks all. GST is beckoning but there's some revision to be done before I stand the remotest chance of getting through that.

I wonder if I can actually manage a BRIEF account of my last outings? Let's see.

Well I turned up for the crosswinds lesson with the standby FI, only to find (guess what?) that there were no crosswinds to be found. However, not all bad news, the FIs had decided between them that the lesson wasn't strictly necessary so let's plan to do the QXC!! There are 3 "standard" routes used by the school and we'd go for the one that would put me in the clear air behind the front. But, guess what? The wind wasn't playing ball, leaving a big bad crosswind on the "virgin" airfield (i.e. the one I hadn't visited before). The front was due to pass, so perhaps it might improve. Do more planning, wait for a few hours, calculate the latest viable take-off time, wander to the windows and stare at the sky - all to no avail. The Weather chuckled malevolently and slowed the passage of the front. QXC scrubbed.

Next arrival at the field was last Friday afternoon. Not enough time for QXC but maybe some crosswinds after all? Of course the wind was blowing unfalteringly straight down the active. There is a currency requirement for QXC of not more than 2 weeks so we were going flying whatever. The additional re-briefing with the standby FI was very useful. He has a great "matter of fact" style that's highly infectious; you end up feeling that what you're about to do is well within your capabilities, highly predictable and eminently controllable. (It was he who had me flying down final hands off to illustrate the extent to which I was over controlling.) So, as I'll yaw straight (slightly upwind of the centreline), I'll then need to add a little into wind aileron to counter the wind's desire to lift that wing and blow me on to the grass. Simple.

We did 1 circuit on the active just to get my eye back in and then requested a different runway with an appreciable, steadily and increasing crosswind. It was pretty quiet so the tower was happy to oblige. 1st time down was a little uncoordinated (it's always good to flare in a landing) but the coordination gradually improved with practice until the 7-8kt crosswind component seemed not just do-able but fun.

Back in the briefing room, the news was less good. There was much juggling of schedules being done to ensure an aircraft was available for me for most of the next day but it would be needed for a lesson at 14:30 so I'd need to get away promptly. However, The Weather had apparently got wind of this plan (see what I did there?) and FI No.2 (Not No.4 who I was with today, but vastly experienced and the senior FI whilst the owner was out) confidently predicted from the forecasts that the lack of wind was highly likely to cover the ground with fog until late in the morning. Grr.

Well, we all know forecasts, so FI.4 and I hatched a plan where I'd clear off back home and replan the QXC anyway (for the southerly route) and he'd give me a call later in the evening once the forecasts were in; chance of an early start and we'd go for it, widespread fog and we'd scrub.

Call came in and an early start was unlikely. Ho hum, such is weather. At least I won't have to sit up and re-draw my chart.

Zzzzzz, zzzzz...

Child-the-youngest wakes me bright and early. “Lovely day, Daddy. Are you flying?”
Indeed, the sun was coming up on a cloudless sky. No signs of mist locally.

“Nope. Weather’s terrible so I’ll come and watch you swim!”

Drag myself out of bed to take Child-the-eldest to work. It really is nice out there. If it were going to be foggy, it would be foggy here. Drat, drat and double drat. Sat in the car park, I rattle off a “Sod’s Law” message to FI.4. He’s on the phone in seconds.
Weather looks fine but now he’s been called out on a money-paying (as opposed to flying instruction) job in light of our cancellation and can’t get out of it. Can I phone the school as they are trying to juggle things to get me away?

Race back home, chart out, cleaned off (makeup remover pads for me in case anyone from the “equipment” thread is reading), new track, new waypoints as per briefing, 3 new PLOGS on the go (slightly modified from my original plan), fan lines, 10 mile corridor, wind vector, print runway charts in A5 (for board pockets to ensure I have proper orientation) A4 (for the back of my board in case I can’t read the taxiway detail from the A5 when I get there) and some information from the AIP that I’ve read but not printed. A phone call tells me that the school owner is coming to do the paperwork and send me off. Apologise to Child-the-younger, kiss wife, check bag (forgot chart last time) and jump in car.

In the briefing room I sit with my whizz wheel and complete my PLOG. It’s all very hurried as it’s gone 10:00 rather than pre 08:00 as originally intended. Last time out I made some schoolboy errors with my heading calculations (which I’ll raise in a separate thread) so I stick pencils on my chart and make sure my wind correction is DEFINITELY, ABSOLUTELY in the right direction. The owner arrives and checks my PLOG as I call the foreign fields. Back to briefing room for a short interrogation and I manage to convince the FI that I know what to do(!) if clouds apparate into my path or I experience the overwhelming need to put the 152 down in some farmer’s field. We agree we'll meet in the pub if this happens. Boxes ticked, I sign my acceptance that if it goes wrong it’s alll my fault.

The flight itself? Nothing much to say really; all pretty much to plan. I read back my clearance to enter controlled airspace (tremble), I nearly remembered to report when on right base and made a half decent first landing on the longest runway I’ve ever turned on to. The kind controller prompted me when I made to turn off on the wrong taxiway (I simply couldn’t believe that I had not reached half distance & really didn’t want to go past). Form signed and off on leg 2 it took about 1:50th of the available runway to get airborne and I was a circuit height before the end of the colossal strip. Way points came and went right up to 10 miles from the 2nd landing, when I had a big wobble and convinced myself I’d been blown way off course. This was just my subconscious wanting an opportunity to do all the “ground to map” business and after a little stress I spied the destination field. Turns out it had remained exactly as positioned in the AIP and exactly on my original line of track. Phew. 2nd signature and time to scoff chocolate in the café. Final leg was a breeze. The home controller asked if I wanted join instructions on initial contact and I confidently said I’d hold off until closer. Switched on the DME because I could and, aware of some traffic to my left made my join as instructed. The circuit was busy busy busy and I was instructed to extend downwind for spacing. All radio calls were crisp and clipped as the controller managed at least 4 on the ground, 4 or 5 in the circuit, 2 joining and another leaving. I was not the only one taking advantage of the conditions.

“Cleared to land, G-CD”
Mental note of surface wind. (This is a new development.)
Back, back, back, back, squeak. On the brakes quite hard & column full back as I can just make the early turn off from here. Thumb poised over the PTT.
“G-CD, Vacate at next exit, cross XX, taxi to school”
“Vacating, cross XX, roger, G-CD”

And I’m done. Sorry, not as brief as I planned but I got all excited re-living it. Did I mention that the sky was beautiful and almost cloudless, the winter sun battling valiantly with some threatening mist around the hills? All a bit too poetic for a QXC, I think.

Back in the real world I can start to stress about the skills test. Can anyone offer advice about how best to revise 2 years of training? It’s not something I’m good at and could be my undoing…

Cheers,

Z

[Keef]

Excellent! Well done - despite the rushed bit in the middle.

[riverrock]

Well done ZG!
I've been waiting to do my GST for a while now. My schools wants the Chief instructor (ideally) to do a full practice GST before the school will allow me to go forward for it.
Unfortunately a combination of his holidays, he having lessons that ran late, his dishwasher (or was it washing machine?) breaking, me wandering around Scottish Center and bad weather, over the last few months I've only got up once with him. With bad weather, managed to do the circuit part but nav / general handling wasn't happening!

What I'd recommend is to read in detail what a GST involves.
http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?c ... il&id=1206
Then make sure you are confident in all the exercises.
Thats my plan!

[Yankee-K]

Congratulations ZG, it must be an amazing feeling completing your QXC

[ZG 862]

Congratulations ZG, it must be an amazing feeling completing your QXC

Yes and no.
It does feel like proper grown up flying and it starts to dawn on you that you'll be able to do this without the "Student" prefix to your initial contacts soon (Weather permitting) but at the same time, I was very aware that I needed to do everything correctly. No being lazy on FREDA checks because you'll be nudged, no letting your course drift off a bit because you can still see loads of familiar landmarks etc, etc.

I was still buzzing for a couple of hours after but it's pretty exhausting. If you've ever seen Mark Evans in the episode of "A Plane is Born" when he staggers out of his aircraft after going to Cardiff on his, you'll get the picture.

Just worrying about how to prepare for the skills test now...

Z

[ZG 862]

Eek! Just did the Aircraft General written (multiple choice) exam which I had assumed from skimming through the book would be a doddle. After all I know what a carburettor is and how to warm it - how hard can it be? I should, however, have anticipated that the CAA have wonderful ways of wording questions so that the obvious answer is probably not the right one. Except when they're double bluffing. Or triple bluffing.

Lesson: Revise like you mean it.

I'll let you know how bad it (a) was or (b) wasn't or (c) will be when I get my result next week.

Z

PS/ Generator failure - you can safely keep flying whilst managing your electrical power right? Nevertheless, makes sense to land as soon as practicably possible though doesn't it? (though this may be at the original planned destination). After all, there may be a broken drive belt wandering around the engine bay. Not an emergency, but I wouldn't continue a QXC for example if this happened in the 1st 10 mins of the 1st leg. Wonder what the right exam answer will have been?

[Rob P]

PS/ Generator failure - you can safely keep flying whilst managing your electrical power right?

Correct

Shut down everything electrical you can, ideally return to base if within sensible distance.

Always worth one attempt at switching the Masters off and on, or to an alternative position if one exists.

Rob P

[weirdfish]

I too got suprised at that exam. It was my final one to take and as I'd passed flight perfomance earlier in the day I thought I'd try my luck on the basis that I'm pretty mechanically minded.

I did pass it pretty well in the end but there were loads of questions I had to flip a coin between two similar answers and got lucky on the day. It was a lesson learnt and spent a couple of evenings reading up on the subject.

[Iolanthe]

Firstly, congrats on your QXC Z! Must be an amazing feeling to get done!

I'm now REALLY worried about Aircraft Technical exam...wasn't looking forward to it, as physics and I parted company in the 3rd year at school, I am not tekkie minded and I think theres going to be a lot os session between my FI and myself working on trying to get it into my head!

[weirdfish]

To be honest Iolanthe, you may actually be better off as you will treat it like the other exams, where I, and I suspect ZG, have done the man thing of presuming we already know how stuff works

[Iolanthe]

Hmmm, no comment.....

But thanks for the positvity Fish. I'm leaving Aircraft Tech and Nav until the end as I know they will be the hardest!

[Rob P]

Nav is by far the easiest of all the exams, as it is the most interesting, predominately the answers are logical and can be calculated with only the skimpiest familiarity with basic stopwatch and whizzwheel procedure

Rob P