[Miscellaneous]

Next time!? Oh gawd.

And so it will forever be. See here

[bladerunner911]

I reckon any flight is a good flight in terms of learning, there will always something that will come out of it that will make you a better pilot!
Just remember you are flying an aeroplane, how awesome is that!!

[Crash one]

Circuit practice, I remember was a brain bashing exercise at first.
Touch and go I once climbed out, turned crosswind, downwind, select carb heat and pulled the Mixture knob all the way out!! My instructor said something in Spanish that didn’t sound very complementary, I realised and pushed it back in, oops sorry!

[tr7v8]

Well another lot of circuit bashing today (1:05). Finally coming together I think. First circuit was 'orrible. Halfway round the circuit it peed down! By the time we had lined up on finals the rain had stopped & the sun was out. Next few weren't bad, my FI said that it is for me to fly the aircraft & not the other way around. I noticed he is subtly raising my workload & letting me make my own mistakes & allowing me to correct them. So 6 landings & take offs in the log book. Now on 15 hours 15 mins. Next lesson Saturday we will see if the improvements continue.

Just before we took off a PC12 landed, big single engined turbo prop Exec job. Biggest thing I have ever seen at Rochester

[T6Harvard]

Oh that sounds excellent! @tr7v8

I love the PC12. First saw a lot of it when I was 'following' the Silver Spitfire round the world trip in 2019 - PC12 was support.

I've been bashing the textbook and Youtube this evening and chair flying to try and get over Monday's horror show. I have also made a note of a few questions for my Instructor, just to clarify a couple of things (one thing is the conflicting info on their handout V what we prev practised) .

Forecast from nearest TAF is PROB30 CB just at my lesson time. Hope it holds off a couple of hours! Oh and the wind direction will mean the opposite RWY, just to add to my confusion

[TopCat]

... downwind, select carb heat and pulled the Mixture knob all the way out!!

This is of course correct procedure for a glide approach, is it not?

[A4 Pacific]

T6Harvard

There comes a transition in the learning process when we move from simply repeating what we have been taught, to understanding into which piece of sky, and with what energy we’d like to place the machine at our command. The ‘sky’ being a burbling cauldron of fluid in which we float.

Making that transition is not easy. It is fraught with frustration, but it means we’re getting very close to where the true beauty and enjoyment of flight begins! Surprising even ourselves, we simply stumble into becoming the captain of our ship.

Congratulations. You’re getting there! It won’t be long now!

[Paul_Sengupta]

However...

to try and get over Monday's horror show

Be thankful you haven't hit despondency yet. Not everyone hits that stage, but a lot of people do, thinking that it's all too much, that they'll never "get it".

Thankfully for most people that stage passes.

[MidlifeCrises]

Checking in here for the first time in a while. Glad to see we are all still plugging away, even after the last lockdown!

I'm very familiar with that feeling of having wasted a lesson, kicking yourself on the drive home. For the first couple of lessons post lockdown I didn't seem to be able to look in the right places at the right time and was generally quite distracted. Thankfully, things started to click in the circuit after that and I went solo a few weeks ago, which was both unexpected and a huge buzz.

My last lesson had me solo in the circuit for an hour - I think I learnt more in that hour than any other in the last many years! Listening to the radio calls of other aircraft taking off and joining from the overhead, acquiring and keeping them visual, transitioning in and out of slow flight on downwind to maintain separation and executing a go-around when the runway was still occupied on short final.

Can't wait to get out of the circuit and start Nav exercises now. Also need to crack on with the exams, having only taken two so far. Let's hope this current batch of unsettled weather clears off next week.

[T6Harvard]

That's excellent! You must feel on top of it now. I'm glad you posted good news

I'm still sulking about yesterday's poor lesson. If Monday was 2 steps back, yesterday was a very faltering 1/4 step forward, although I think my instructor was pretty near suicidal by the end of the hour.

I'll put a report up later but it won't make for pleasant reading
For now, suffice it to say I'm in the remedial class

[FlightDek]

I definitely got to the despondency stage during circuits.

At the start of one lesson we sat in the aeroplane waiting for a shower to pass through, before starting circuits. After 20 minutes it dawned on us that the shower was here to stay so we abandoned the lesson - I felt so relieved at not going flying that I questioned whether I should continue with the lessons. I did and the next lesson was much better.

Keep at it. Ever time you feel overloaded, it's because the instructor has seen you cope with the current workload and decided you can handle more. It's actually an indication that you are progressing.

Good luck

[T6Harvard]

@FlightDek , if only you knew! But thanks anyway

[Miscellaneous]

I'll put a report up later but it won't make for pleasant reading

I bet when reading readers will be nodding their heads in acknowledgement as they recall the feeling of apparent hopelessness.

[VRB_20kt]

When lessons appear to go badly can be the times when learning is at its greatest. It might be worth sitting in an armchair and working out what went wrong and if you absolutely know how to correct it. A lot seems to happen in the air all at once. Unpacking it at home and working through may just help to get it better next time.

BTW - in an honest moment your instructor may share with you that every pilot has good and bad days whether student or qualified.

[T6Harvard]

OK, here goes...

On the Pre flight inspection I found the oil was a bit low, easily remedied and I spotted a screw jutting point-up inside an end cap, I confirmed not fouling anything but asked if this should be capped in some way. Apparently it was self-tapping so all OK. Instructor said it was a good spot but on reflection I've inspected this same ac several times in 2 weeks and not noticed it before....

We are staying in the circuit so alt to 0' for the first time.

I thought my checklist rundown went smoothly but this was not necessarily the case, as I found on climb-out when my door clicked open. I knew not to panic so at the 300' check I handed control over while I slammed it shut. I rightly got a ticking off for having been negligent though. That was the second ticking off and we were only 10 mins into the lesson....my first one was when taxiing on the grass. I went round a large manhole cover towards the hard Hold but there was a smaller manhole that I didn't see in the grass beside it.
The words 'potential prop strike' are now embedded in my brain.

My first circuit was not toooo bad although I did alter power too soon because I misinterpreted the diagram I had been studying. This is the diagram I got in a pickle about the night before my lesson. I shall be revisiting it again

The accelerate to go-round from decision height was fine and I also felt more confidant about it. Edit - Spelling correction.... confident!

The second circuit I was told to get on with it and no advice would be forthcoming. It was ropey because I was too wide at the turn to downwind and consequently the rest of it went to pot. I ended up too high and too fast.

Of course the next one I turned onto Downwind too early!

Instructor took over to demo a proper version, as he put it, 'for the umpteenth time'

On base leg he said he'd do the touch and I'd do the go.
I was a bit nervous about taking control at such a critical time but I was OK, and tbh, somewhat relieved that I handled it.  [Yes, I do know that every other student is landing by now].

At the debrief I said I knew he'd disagree but that some of the handling had felt better to me and despite everything I felt more confident with some bits. I freely admitted to the obvious carp on the last third of the circuit and I don't know why I can't grasp it!!!

So next lesson we are going out to the training area for some practice at slow flying at a safe height
I shall be wearing my dunce's cap over my headset.

I walked back to reception wondering if I will progress beyond this.  As I completed my logbook my Instructor said I'd need to buy a kneeboard because I'll be noting the airfield info as well as doing all the rest next time. In my head I was hearing John McEnroe saying, "You CAN NOT BE SERIOUS!"

*** Oh, I have thought of one positive. Despite brain-overload I was registering the radio calls from ac in the vicinity and noting where they were relative to us. For every call I heard I spotted the relevant ac and believe me, when I heard a final call as we were on base leg I made absolutely certain to look right first! So I hereby claim a little salvation re situational awareness.

I expect to be whining less next week. I have no lessons!