[ROG]

Gertie--we do--thats how it was seen---saved the battery a few times over the years.

[alanevans]

Gertie:

I think almost everybody has left the master switch on at some time.

I was very frustrated in one of the Paris peripheral airports a few years ago. I had refuelled in a hurry, then walked a hundred yards to the smart terminal to meet my buddy, who was filing our flight plan and getting some coffee. When we were ready to go, we went through security with the passengers of two low-cost airline flights and waited at the gate to be let out onto the apron. I looked idely across at 'AA, a hundred yards away, sitting in the gloom.

I was horrified to see the beacon flashing. It must have been nearly an hour since I'd taxied to fuel. What else had I left on? There is no avionics master, so in addition to the intercom, gauge circuits, magnetos and turn-coordinator (which come on automatically with the master), I could easily have left on the taxi light or some avionics!

I told the security guard that we needed to go to the aircraft immediately and pointed out the flashing beacon. His reply was we could not move onto the apron until the two airliners had departed. One of them had not even landed yet.

Eventually, we pursuaded him to take us out, half an hour later, after the inbound had landed, but before the two jets were ready to go. It seemed more like two hours at the time, and the little flashing light seemed to be getting dimmer and dimmer.

The engine definitely turned over much more slowly on starting. It felt like it started on the battery's last gasp.

Were we glad to be in the air!

It was only later, after we had landed, that I wondered if we should have run the engine for 20 minutes or so on the ground, before departure, until the charge rate slowed down. I've heard one or two horror stories of what happens when batteries are charged too fast!

I've never left the master switch on again (so far)..............................

.................but I have left the magneto switch on!!

Alan.

[Vince C]

I wonder if there should be an "airmanship" written for the PPL...

I don't think you could. You know poor airmanship when you see it (or do it ), but defining it in a syllabus for a 'written' ....?

[Steve D]

[quote='Vince Chadwick'][quote='Keef']

I wonder if there should be an "airmanship" written for the PPL...[/quote]

I don't think you could. You know poor airmanship when you see it (or do it :shock: ), but defining it in a syllabus for a 'written' ....?[/quote]

Commercial plug alert:

When we were developing the PPL series of textbooks, we were of the opinion that the Human Factors syllabus (and exam) was almost entirely irrelevant to PPLs. So we wrote the book in 2 parts and called it "Human Factors and Flight Safety"

Part 1 (Human Factors) covers the syllabus, ticks the boxes, gets the exam done. Part 2 (Flight Safety) is the H-F book we wanted to produce all along. It covers the airmanship and decision-making stuff that every PPL needs to start thinking carefully about and develop throughout their entire flying life. We're still very proud of it.

[/plug] (sorry)

[adhawkins]

You've just reminded me I never got round to reading that section during my PPL training.

Must correct that.

Andy

[Paul_Sengupta]

I've never read it. But I do have a pewter cup which I won for "Airmanship" once...

[joe-fbs]

If Steve is talking about the AFE textbooks then the non-examined flight safety section is a good read.

[GG-33]

Landed in the wrong direction on the active runway at a Swiss airport (luckily the circuit was quiet)

GG

[Rich T]

On one occasion while I was doing my PPL at Staverton, we landed on 27. I missed the intersection with 18 and prepared for a long taxi to the end of 27 and all the way round to the club. ATC gave me an unrequested clearance to backtrack, sparing us the taxi. I read the clearance back, then forgot to release the mike button and said "That's good" to my instructor. ATCO must have thought I was referring to my landing, and sarcastically responded with "Though I say so myself." :oops:

A couple of weeks later (recently-awarded PPL in hand) I got the chance to return the banter. In the circuit there was a heli with a similar callsign. When I called "G-CD downwind to land" I was told "G-CD cleared to land at Heli North,' to which I replied "G-CD is low hours PPL, can I just use the runway?"

[tripacer]

It was only later, after we had landed, that I wondered if we should have run the engine for 20 minutes or so on the ground, before departure, until the charge rate slowed down. I've heard one or two horror stories of what happens when batteries are charged too fast!Alan.

What are the horror stories? I can't figure out what the problem would be.

[tgb]

What are the horror stories? I can't figure out what the problem would be.

I'd heard this during my PPL, so did a bit of googling to find out more. Have a read of this, in particular the Gassing and Thermal Runaway sections.

[OCB]

[quote='Gertie'][quote='ROG']Our newest member left the master on recently--it resulted in a nice 100 yard walk while myself and another sipped our tea. On his return he said "i won"t do that again". guess we all do it once--hands up who hasn"t--but you don"t usually do it again.[/quote]
At least leave the beacon on so if you leave the master on you have a chance that someone will see it before it's left for the night.[/quote]

What a great idea. I had that horrible "did I or didn't I" feeling on the drive half way home not that long ago.

My list - and this is from someone only half way through his PPL. I'll only include the ones I've done when solo :)

Putting drag flap down just after a touch n go (well, start to - shouted at myself and put flap *up* )
Every mistake possible with carb heat.
Confusing KMH and KTS arc on the ASI, and wondering why the front slats are popping out when I'm still at 300ft and plenty to go before the threshold (this is a Rallye).
Not seeing someone on a wide downwind when I was on a tight downwind, and only noticing him when he turned base and across my nose. Thing is, we'd both been radioing our positions almost at the same time and same place.... :oops:

[adhawkins]

Not seeing someone on a wide downwind when I was on a tight downwind, and only noticing him when he turned base and across my nose. Thing is, we'd both been radioing our positions almost at the same time and same place....

That wasn't at Shobdon was it?

Andy

[OCB]

[quote='adhawkins'][quote='OCB']Not seeing someone on a wide downwind when I was on a tight downwind, and only noticing him when he turned base and across my nose. Thing is, we'd both been radioing our positions almost at the same time and same place.... :oops:[/quote]
That wasn't at Shobdon was it?

Andy[/quote]

Nope, Ursel - Belgium. I wrote about it here in the "it happened to me". My conclusion is he was same headingsame altitudesame time and into the sun, which compounded on top of my student numptiness resulted in me having a minor crisis of conscience (aka went "what the fu**! and did a full on anti-collision manoeuvre) .

[adhawkins]

[quote='OCB']Nope, Ursel - Belgium.[/quote]

Ah ok, I had something similar happen at Shobdon just after passing my Skills Test (although I still had my instructor with me as licence hadn't arrived). Was one of those 'hold on, *I'm* just turning base' moments when I heard him make the same call.

Andy