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Ian

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After 15 years and 750 hours of pretty uneventful and thoroughly enjoyable flying, I made probably one of the stupidest and potentially disaserous mistakes on my last flight.
Yes, believe me when I say I feel a right dickhead,...

In the interests of being honest and offering lessons from which people can learn.
Here's my tale of how get-home-itis and stress piling up can ruin a day.
I took a passenger up to a medium-sized international airport about 40 minutes away from...

Well aviation giveth and aviation taketh away I suppose...

All newly re-mojo-ed, off I set to get back current in the little X'Air. Perfect conditions. How could I fail to get a job lot of landings in, post-permit and post-lockdown ready for...

So today I ticked off another emergency situation, smoke in the cockpit...

I was heading to Southend to do some circuit training, and was running a bit early so was doing some general handling to get my eye back in and kill time etc. I'd just done...

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but it's only now I feel it's relevant to do so.

Not so long ago, I passed my NPPL GST in the C42, which - as many will know - is a fabulous little aircraft with some design quirks compared to others. One...

Think I know already the cause of what happened here - but worth writing down as a reminder more to myself than anything else of not to try too much too soon.

Recently started flying a new plane from a new field, both PA28s, but used to fly a...

Over the last year, I've developed a fear of heights, and now it's started to impact on my flying.

Up to around 2,500 ft I'm fine, but suddenly about a year ago over 2,500 I start to get a feeling of panic, with my bowels turning to water. It's...

I needed some hours but the weather has been bad. I decided to hire an instructor and plane from a large airport to go flying for an hour and get some marginal weather experience with 11kt crosswind and gusting.

takeoff was uneventful even with a...

This place is to learn from other’s mistakes yeah?
So here’s mine

Not too long ago, I was flying a tailwheel permit aircraft with a continental C 90 engine, into a strip that I had not visited before.

The wind had picked up since I had left my...

So here it is - that first solo moment. The instructor is out and the power checks are done. This is a middling international airport and so a small delay after checks for one of the local airline flights to arrive. Running through the important...

As I was returning to my home airfield, the sun was quite low on the horizon with only a little bit of cloud cover.

As I turned onto final, the low sun completely obliterated my view of the runway. In fact I had no forward visibility whilst...

I have always used QFE around the circuit rather than QNH, but once recently I forgot to change back to QFE after transitting controlled airspace on QNH; I only realised when I was joining crosswind from the deadside at 400 ft rather than 800ft...

I don't know why I keep posting these and, essentially, asking for a kicking.
I think it's because I like to learn, and writing about my mistakes helps me - and, possibly, other people.
So today was a very thermic day. I bounced about the skies for...

Not sure if to post here or students but finally nearing solo cross country (slight delay as medical ran out again - the years do seem to pass quickly).

1) Added drift to wind direction rather than track to produce heading for leg close to head to...

Not anonymous, as I see no reason for it to be.

Over the last 15 years or so, I’ve normally flown around 120hrs per year in various aircraft from flexwungs to my current Europa. Following major home renovations, then the purchase of a second home...

I had an accident at the weekend; I am a forum regular, and at some point I'll feel sufficiently emotionally "over it" to talk about it openly. For now however, I'm alive, my pax is alive, injuries restricted to cuts and bruises, and if...

Nipped over to Headcorn today for fuel. One ahead making low approach and go around. Saw them start to climbe from the threshold so I throttled back to increase my rate of descent.

Looking forward I then saw the aircraft ahead climbing towards a...

A recent flight reminded me of the dangers of getting complacent

On a route I fly very regularly I decided to exercise the grey matter and do it all using a printed plog, and paper nav. No big problem I thought, I know the route. know the landmarks...

So I'm new on the board but thought I'd kick things off with a confession. Not too bad a mistake but bad enough that I still squirm to think about the way I reacted.

Relatively newly passed PPL, but I'd already taken a few passengers up and was...

So I had a 'learning experience' :oops: - coming in to a relatively narrow hard runway, with full flap, I'd let the speed get a little low (which I'd noticed, but decided I could correct), but then flared far too high (probably as I'm used to a much...

In the last 25 years I have, fortunately with no adverse consequences

Tried to start a carburetted engine with the mixture at ICO

Tried to start an engine with the fuel turned off

Started an engine with the parking brake off (no foot brake)...

I don't post here an awful lot but I do use the site for learning and I now have the opportunity to post something which others may find useful or of interest.

I was making an airways flight from Cambridge (the aircrafts home based airfield) to...

Yesterday. Cherokee Six. 260. Mains to tabs. Tips full. Flew the first of three legs on left main, switching to right main before landing.
Flew the second (30 minute) leg with right main selected.
Took off on final leg on right main with the...

I appreciate this is perhaps not the usual sort of post to be found in IHTM but I hope the mods will appreciate the reason for wishing to post anonymously. I apologise for it being a rather long and perhaps rambling in places post, but hopefully at...

this is just an observation on what can happen if things do not go according to plan but for not fault of your own and what effect it can have on you.

I was flying with a non pilot friend at the weekend and was on final at an ATC airport....

Recently started night flying and had a bit of an experience...

My instructor and I go off into the local area for a familiarisation exercise. We rejoin the circuit for a look at our lovely airfield at night and to check out the PAPI's. On joining...

Having only recently got the aircraft back from its annual, and only having done a few short flights squeezed in around work, I decided yesterday to do a dusk trip from Cambridge to Gloucester and back as the weather had turned out OK.

The way out...

Every now and then I feel an insurmountable feeling of dread about a flight that should be well within my capabilities l. Does anyone else ge this..Oh and I have an instructors ticket, a variety if different ratings, single, multi, instruments and...

I was going to post this anonymously, but then your mates start asking "Was that you posting?" so decided to fess up and go public.

I won't name the place in this post though but those that know me on FB will have a good idea where it...

I was due to fly the aeroplane today, and as I'd booked it (group member), I duly got up, planned the flights, checked NOTAM and Met etc, and headed to the aerodrome. My normal excitement and enthusiasm was lacking however.

On the short drive to...

I have been running my aircraft on a mix of mogas and avgas, with no problems, but suspect today was an issue due to vapour lock.
Aircraft is powered by a Continental A65, and last flown two weeks ago. I always tend to fill up, just in case, and the...

This happened a while ago, but as this topic is being widely discussed at the moment on the forum and elsewhere, I thought I would share my experience of infringing on controlled airspace and what happens after. I'm trying to be as vague as possible...

I'm a student and was returning in a PA28 to my home airfield (FIS) after a solo Navigation exercise. After joining the circuit I performed a couple of touch and go landings without event.

The circuit was becoming more busy. I turned onto final for...

Hit a gull this morning at about 400 ft on climb out, he'll of a mess on the windscreen and an almighty bang as the bits hit after it went through the prop disc. Getting round to land with a 600 ft cloud base and filthy windscreen was interesting....

Hi guys. I've just joined as a way of therapy. It's genuinely keeping me awake!

So a couple of days ago I took a mate flying with his 2 kids. Aircraft was a warrior and landing on grass. I took of with winds 10 degrees off at 13 kts. When we came...

So yesterday was a big big learning experience for me. Apologies if this thread is a long one but it has really affected me, in a good and bad way..

I decided I wanted to fly to this airfield from my home base for ages. Booked the aircraft for the...

Did a flapless approach today without meaning to.

Base leg and final I just couldn't get the speed down, picture looked wrong too. Then saw I'd not put any flap in.

Stuck in 30 degrees and landed without drama but was confused for a while at a...

Scared myself on my last flight :shock:
I am an 80 hour PPL with 13 hours on tailwheel, and 5 hours on type.

Runway in use on take off was 28, the wind was 300@12kts. I did consider asking to use 31, and think this was a factor that stuck in my...

After my last flight I begin to question whether I really should allow myself to continue flying.

I'm going to break this down into the holes I was trying to align....

1. Due to time requirements at my destination airfield I elected to refuel on...

Perhaps 2016 isn't going to be my year...departing Gloucester the other day, gear coming up, gear unsafe light stays on :shock:

Quick look in the mirror to find dangling bits :shock: :shock: , keeping airspeed below 107KIAS and recycling again now...

A wind straight down the strip, forecast to get a bit gusty. A grass strip, recently mown, soft, but in decent condition. We walk the strip before flying and that day there was nothing to indicate any no-go areas. A tailwheel aircraft, with...

Three months ago, I was going to land a C172 on a temporary field on snow. The field was short and the old landing skills are a bit rustier in winter than in summer. It was all good on final and when crossing the threshold, so I mentally committed...

OK, not a big deal, this one, just a reminder ...

The club was short of an aircraft, but were doing their best to give everyone a flight, rather than cancel people. (Which I sort of approve of, in principle, I think. Beats the alternative, which is...

Pretty horrendous landing, in fact genuinely scared the living day lights out of myself, and thought I'd post my musings, I learnt something, and maybe someone else will (btw, I'm one of the students)

The verdict was "you only made only one...

Had a nice little pole round in my Auster j5g this morning , going know where special just a flight for the hell of it after a wet runway lay off, thought I would do a few turns just for a bit of practice and fun, one steep turn to the right...

Picture the scenario:

Relatively low-houred and recently-qualified PPL goes on a 'social' flight with an instructor with whom they are friendly (and have previously been taught by).

Said PPL flies a club aircraft from the left seat with said...

Earlier this summer I flew a local sortie with a recently qualified PPL. I had planned to fly on my own and at the last minute invited Jim (not his real name) to accompany me in the right seat.
A lovely summers day with superb vis what more could...

Now I know where at least the bad landings in the AAIB report come from that you just look at and wonder what makes people just suddenly not land well.

The answer is no great mystery - sometimes we just stuff it up!

;)

I managed to break a shock...

An unfortunate incident occurred to a friend today.

His maintenance organisation have recently done a serious amount of work on his aircraft and done a great job. As part of the work, new engines were installed. Ground runs were all good and the...

I departed Denham on 24 this afternoon without remembering that I had to maintain <1000ft until clear of CTR. Denham Radio chap was very nice, given that he had Heathrow calling him wondering what was going on. My apologies to all involved. I...