Ah, well, Wednesday's lesson was pretty dire flying. Horrid aircraft played a minor role but I was behind the whole time.
My Instructor ended up saying 'We'll just break the circuit down into bits again and get some of it to stick'
Of course there is no way to do that really - It's all or nothing, isn't it?
I flew better the first time I flew the circuit!
As an example -
Having sorted the '2 stages of flap all at once' on Base, I later removed 2 stages all at once on climbout (at 300', while holding the nose up, so on this occasion not a disaster but.....). The rest of the lesson was nearly as bad.
The best I can say was 2 or 3 decent approaches and a decent very low go-round.
Oh, and a REAL forced go-round -see below.
Even my assisted landing was 90% Instructor because by that point I was clearly having an 'off day'.
I felt like the toddler who is running down a hill, barely in control, and onlookers wonder whether they'll fall over or make it to the bottom by luck not judgement.
So I'll gloss over the majority of it to save you my angst.
Anyway, there was a great learning moment thanks to another pilot in the vicinity.
As I turned Base for the fourth time I was eyes out for anyone cutting in from the right on a long final (see last week!), then, as I looked straight ahead I spotted another aircraft. 12 O'clock, level!
Definitely pointing our way.
We were a mirror image, either side of Final.
I announced to my Instructor who calmly says, 'I don't know what he's doing there.' A second or 2 pass and we make a gentle right turn, as protocol dictates. We watch the opposition turn right, descend and then announce Landing. All within the ATZ of course.
So, it seems, they probably flew a righthand circuit (although who knows), failed to announce Downwind, or any intentions, until decision height and probably didn't even see us. Consequently I did a real forced go-round as they taxi'd off the runway.
I forgot to ask whether this would be raised with the PIC.
It did prove the diagrams right, in that they appeared to hang in the air, not getting any closer
I have 2 lessons before a week off so I need to shape up next week. My plan is to try and forget this horror show and go back on Monday as if I was born to fly. It's not that hard, and in my head I can do it just fine