Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:48 pm
#1564902
So, I had what could have been my final lesson pre skills test earlier today. Only it didn't go so well and now the test I had pencilled in has been bumped to another day in the near future (yet to be fixed). In an effort to provide others with potentially useful advice on this stage of the training I thought I'd man-up, admit I was Carp and explain why. It might save you some expensive flight training
I'd completed my Solo Cross country back in August and, for varying reasons ranging from work distractions to holidays, I'd only flown a very hurried 45mins between then and now. The hurried session was a rapid-fire introduction to using the VOR and how to position-fix. I understood the concepts and thought I'd spend some time revising in a flight sim (good for the technical aspects). I never got around to that.
This week I was to have an hour flight Wednesday evening, probably brushing up on circuits, and today a much longer session covering everything else. The Wednesday flight was scrubbed due to weather (happening a lot at the moment, particularly out of my grass airfield) but no drama, I had today to try and solidify things. I was tasked with creating a PLOG for a simple two-leg flight. Things started off a little rough, wandering off my track. I felt slightly behind the aircraft and it took a while for me to settle into it again. Arrived overhead what has routinely been the schools turning waypoint and foolishly went into begin my turn for the next heading... forgetting completely I had been tasked within continuing on this leg to an airfield I'd never previously seen. Not to worry, caught now and wouldn't let that happen in the test.
Trying to find a little grass airfield in the middle of nowhere I had it broadly pictured off my side (left) and thought it was a matter of time until I picked it out amongst all the other green fields. This was until my instructor told me it was not in view as it was off to my right... he took control and changed course to the airfield, pronouncing it as something to picture in case I was asked to fly in this area during the test. Only he quickly realised it wasn't the airfield (for fixed-wing) but instead a gliding site... I guess I was on track then. It seems experts can make mistakes. Maybe I'm not rubbish!
Heading onto the next leg we soon went into foggles+diversion. Now I never really had a problem adapting to fly on instruments. Though this time it seemed to be a prolonged period, concluding the 180 turn and flying straight and level back along the route. This is where things went really wrong. I felt absolutely terrible. I must have turned green and considered calling it quits. I can only believe it was motion-sickness. Now I'm being asked to use my choice of VOR's to fix our position whilst he keeps us circling the current area. This took me an eternity, in part because I felt so awful and in part because I hadn't really consolidated this skill nor do I find it particularly easy to mess about head-down in the cockpit on a folded map looking amongst the crowded chart, diversion plotter in hand. I made a fairly poor fix which turned out to be around 5nm from our position. Though I'd argue I'd have got us to our diversion point (Brands Hatch) it was pointed out my lack of accuracy would only have magnified had I selected VOR's further from our position. Fair enough, need to improve on that.
After this came some upper air work, stalls, spiral dive recovery etc. Hadn't done any of these since the early lessons (If memory serves, I'm around 53hrs now) which only served to degrade my state of sickness They were perfectly fine, it only took a couple of stalls to get back into the swing of things. It's not like anything of these elements are challenging in a C152. The trick is merely displaying the exact procedure they are marking you against.
Next, track a particular VOR enroute back to our home airfield. No problem. Though my instructor asked why I was bothering to use the map and check the surrounding area whilst we were tracking a VOR I thought it sensible to double-check I was a) in the area I presumed us to be and b) that we were heading in the direction we needed to be. This I did perfectly well (again, not a challenging concept) and after flying around the VOR (nice to see what they look like from the air) we had our airfield in sight so I headed home expecting to cover a PFL or two and a bunch of circuits. Though I had thought numerous times, if I didn't call it off for sickness he probably would as I clearly should be operating at a slightly better standard before going into my test.
My instructor is renowned for having a very high standard and this is one of the reasons we get on so well. I don't care much for gaining my PPL in as few hours as possible (arguably I could cut several hours out by compacting my training, putting greater prep time in ahead of lessons and this is before the usual middle-age distractions of busy job and busy family! I'm stick with those excuses). My goal has always been to attain my license as a safe pilot and my instructor is possibly the best possible fit for my goal.
Arriving back at our home airfield he radioed for a PFL and pulled the power on me at 1,900ft. I noted wind direction, carried out a decent circuit keeping the active runway centre point in view at all times. Talked aloud the mayday call, only verbally announced that I would keep the master on to enable flap deployment later in the PFL (I should have verbally stepped through in more detail what I was thinking) and then when I was sure of making the runway I deployed two stages of flap before calling upon the third stage... made a beautiful touch-down and was told it was a full-stop, roll to the end and park up. No circuits.
It transpires we didn't have enough time to do circuits anyway, but it felt slightly deflating save for the great landing. I joined my instructor back inside the classroom after I'd composed my green-self and we agreed I needed to brush-up on a couple of things. He seemed to be apologising, imagining I was particular upset with myself but to be honest I could see I needed to do better so we were in complete agreement.
Weather permitting, my next revision opportunity will be Monday morning and I will ensure I am much better prepared. Whilst I am disappointed (I quite fancied passing my test on Friday 13th) the mini-mock was a great learning curve and I feel better prepared for it. The foggles sickness though, I hope I don't encounter that again!
I'd completed my Solo Cross country back in August and, for varying reasons ranging from work distractions to holidays, I'd only flown a very hurried 45mins between then and now. The hurried session was a rapid-fire introduction to using the VOR and how to position-fix. I understood the concepts and thought I'd spend some time revising in a flight sim (good for the technical aspects). I never got around to that.
This week I was to have an hour flight Wednesday evening, probably brushing up on circuits, and today a much longer session covering everything else. The Wednesday flight was scrubbed due to weather (happening a lot at the moment, particularly out of my grass airfield) but no drama, I had today to try and solidify things. I was tasked with creating a PLOG for a simple two-leg flight. Things started off a little rough, wandering off my track. I felt slightly behind the aircraft and it took a while for me to settle into it again. Arrived overhead what has routinely been the schools turning waypoint and foolishly went into begin my turn for the next heading... forgetting completely I had been tasked within continuing on this leg to an airfield I'd never previously seen. Not to worry, caught now and wouldn't let that happen in the test.
Trying to find a little grass airfield in the middle of nowhere I had it broadly pictured off my side (left) and thought it was a matter of time until I picked it out amongst all the other green fields. This was until my instructor told me it was not in view as it was off to my right... he took control and changed course to the airfield, pronouncing it as something to picture in case I was asked to fly in this area during the test. Only he quickly realised it wasn't the airfield (for fixed-wing) but instead a gliding site... I guess I was on track then. It seems experts can make mistakes. Maybe I'm not rubbish!
Heading onto the next leg we soon went into foggles+diversion. Now I never really had a problem adapting to fly on instruments. Though this time it seemed to be a prolonged period, concluding the 180 turn and flying straight and level back along the route. This is where things went really wrong. I felt absolutely terrible. I must have turned green and considered calling it quits. I can only believe it was motion-sickness. Now I'm being asked to use my choice of VOR's to fix our position whilst he keeps us circling the current area. This took me an eternity, in part because I felt so awful and in part because I hadn't really consolidated this skill nor do I find it particularly easy to mess about head-down in the cockpit on a folded map looking amongst the crowded chart, diversion plotter in hand. I made a fairly poor fix which turned out to be around 5nm from our position. Though I'd argue I'd have got us to our diversion point (Brands Hatch) it was pointed out my lack of accuracy would only have magnified had I selected VOR's further from our position. Fair enough, need to improve on that.
After this came some upper air work, stalls, spiral dive recovery etc. Hadn't done any of these since the early lessons (If memory serves, I'm around 53hrs now) which only served to degrade my state of sickness They were perfectly fine, it only took a couple of stalls to get back into the swing of things. It's not like anything of these elements are challenging in a C152. The trick is merely displaying the exact procedure they are marking you against.
Next, track a particular VOR enroute back to our home airfield. No problem. Though my instructor asked why I was bothering to use the map and check the surrounding area whilst we were tracking a VOR I thought it sensible to double-check I was a) in the area I presumed us to be and b) that we were heading in the direction we needed to be. This I did perfectly well (again, not a challenging concept) and after flying around the VOR (nice to see what they look like from the air) we had our airfield in sight so I headed home expecting to cover a PFL or two and a bunch of circuits. Though I had thought numerous times, if I didn't call it off for sickness he probably would as I clearly should be operating at a slightly better standard before going into my test.
My instructor is renowned for having a very high standard and this is one of the reasons we get on so well. I don't care much for gaining my PPL in as few hours as possible (arguably I could cut several hours out by compacting my training, putting greater prep time in ahead of lessons and this is before the usual middle-age distractions of busy job and busy family! I'm stick with those excuses). My goal has always been to attain my license as a safe pilot and my instructor is possibly the best possible fit for my goal.
Arriving back at our home airfield he radioed for a PFL and pulled the power on me at 1,900ft. I noted wind direction, carried out a decent circuit keeping the active runway centre point in view at all times. Talked aloud the mayday call, only verbally announced that I would keep the master on to enable flap deployment later in the PFL (I should have verbally stepped through in more detail what I was thinking) and then when I was sure of making the runway I deployed two stages of flap before calling upon the third stage... made a beautiful touch-down and was told it was a full-stop, roll to the end and park up. No circuits.
It transpires we didn't have enough time to do circuits anyway, but it felt slightly deflating save for the great landing. I joined my instructor back inside the classroom after I'd composed my green-self and we agreed I needed to brush-up on a couple of things. He seemed to be apologising, imagining I was particular upset with myself but to be honest I could see I needed to do better so we were in complete agreement.
Weather permitting, my next revision opportunity will be Monday morning and I will ensure I am much better prepared. Whilst I am disappointed (I quite fancied passing my test on Friday 13th) the mini-mock was a great learning curve and I feel better prepared for it. The foggles sickness though, I hope I don't encounter that again!