Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:56 pm
#1894767
I'm aware that I waffle a lot and it's not of interest to everyone so feel free to toddle on by if you wish.
I just enjoy using this as a bit of a de-brief and have found the feedback very useful from king contributors.
Todays lesson was an absolute belter for fun and learning!!
Small dual Navex from Glos to Witney (in the Brize zone) to Chipping Norton (overflying Clarksons Diddly Squat plot) to Glos. Last leg was intersected with a couple of PFL's.
Planning was OKbasically on my own with a cross-check with the instructor. Bit of a brainfart again on using the wiz-wheel but once I recalibrated it and me, it was all good. I'm going to prep a few pretend flights and cross-check them against SD during the week as I want it to be instinctive rather than having to think about it too much.
Up in the air is something completely different. I feel lost from about 700ft onwards. The world looks so different at height and without roadsigns . The first 1/3 of the first leg I really struggle to know where I am, keep height and direction - it's just overwhelming. Then the sense of being lost makes it all the more stressful. Instructor is brilliant though - as cool as a cucumber. Gentle nudges and once back on track, it all settled down. Looking back on the flight log on SD afterwards (I just used a chart in flight), it wasn't as bad as I thought it was so a lesson to learn from that to just stay calm and sort things out and don't necessarily expect things to be perfect (or my perception of what perfect should be).
Radio calls into Brize zone all good and I'd pre-planned them before we left without being told and just checked all was OK with the instructor.
Had I been on my own, I would not have remembered to leave Brize zone radio and go back to Gloucester. I guess I would have done it eventually, but it just didn't pop into my head as we were bimbling along. I just need to join the dots of what's going on a bit better - I already had Glos in the radio from the previous FREDA check but then forgot about calling. I guess it comes with practice.
PFL's were good. I like the technique I am being taught (trim for best glide, put wind direction in bottom of DI while doing restart checks, pick a field, pick a 1000ft point at 45 degrees to field, mayday call, tell instructor/examiner that at 300-400ft, open door, harness tight, everything off). It seemed to make logical sense and I was fairly calm with both and found them quite exciting. On both attempts, I chose a field that when we got closer, actually had telegraph poles in so one, I chose a different field last minute but it was all OK. Did some practice EFATO's on climbout and one was particularly challenging to find a field.
Once on the Glos frequency, I've never heard anything like it. Having flown on civil aviation this week for the first time in 2 years and found it strangely quiet, I'm sure that Glos was busier than LHR this morning. Took an age to just get a slot to request joining instructions so held with a self imposed orbit above Tewkesbury. Was then given an instruction to join the overhead but not break it - never heard that one before. Good job instructor was with me as visually I was doing a goldfish impression. Approaching the airfield, it was still very busy so we stayed up at 2000 in the overhead. During an orbit on the deadside, another aircraft was asked to join us so it was a bit nervy knowing we were both in the same bit of air at the same height. We were asked to do a left orbit away from the airfield then join on the crosswind. Whilst challenging, I felt roughly in control and aware of what was going on which was a nice feeling but not something I am getting complacent about - you don't know what you don't know so I was still very alert. Landing was OK - no prizes, but landed short so that we could get off quick and help out a bit with all the traffic.
Still nervous about getting lost but I think that will wane in time - it's just about getting setup right for the first part of the first leg and I think after that, it's all good. I was pleased that I spotted a lot of my gross error check features.
Next week is a short solo Nav all things being well with the weather and my confidence. I plan to chair fly it first with the instructor as best I can.
I was a bit nervous about today for some reason - felt a bit of concern that I'd lost my mojo having had last week cancelled. But an uneventful planning session and once in the aircraft, it all fell into place and was just great. Waiting now for the wheels to fall off and me to get taken back a peg or two but today is a good day!
Lesson 19, 22h total, 19h50 dual, 2h10 solo.
I just enjoy using this as a bit of a de-brief and have found the feedback very useful from king contributors.
Todays lesson was an absolute belter for fun and learning!!
Small dual Navex from Glos to Witney (in the Brize zone) to Chipping Norton (overflying Clarksons Diddly Squat plot) to Glos. Last leg was intersected with a couple of PFL's.
Planning was OKbasically on my own with a cross-check with the instructor. Bit of a brainfart again on using the wiz-wheel but once I recalibrated it and me, it was all good. I'm going to prep a few pretend flights and cross-check them against SD during the week as I want it to be instinctive rather than having to think about it too much.
Up in the air is something completely different. I feel lost from about 700ft onwards. The world looks so different at height and without roadsigns . The first 1/3 of the first leg I really struggle to know where I am, keep height and direction - it's just overwhelming. Then the sense of being lost makes it all the more stressful. Instructor is brilliant though - as cool as a cucumber. Gentle nudges and once back on track, it all settled down. Looking back on the flight log on SD afterwards (I just used a chart in flight), it wasn't as bad as I thought it was so a lesson to learn from that to just stay calm and sort things out and don't necessarily expect things to be perfect (or my perception of what perfect should be).
Radio calls into Brize zone all good and I'd pre-planned them before we left without being told and just checked all was OK with the instructor.
Had I been on my own, I would not have remembered to leave Brize zone radio and go back to Gloucester. I guess I would have done it eventually, but it just didn't pop into my head as we were bimbling along. I just need to join the dots of what's going on a bit better - I already had Glos in the radio from the previous FREDA check but then forgot about calling. I guess it comes with practice.
PFL's were good. I like the technique I am being taught (trim for best glide, put wind direction in bottom of DI while doing restart checks, pick a field, pick a 1000ft point at 45 degrees to field, mayday call, tell instructor/examiner that at 300-400ft, open door, harness tight, everything off). It seemed to make logical sense and I was fairly calm with both and found them quite exciting. On both attempts, I chose a field that when we got closer, actually had telegraph poles in so one, I chose a different field last minute but it was all OK. Did some practice EFATO's on climbout and one was particularly challenging to find a field.
Once on the Glos frequency, I've never heard anything like it. Having flown on civil aviation this week for the first time in 2 years and found it strangely quiet, I'm sure that Glos was busier than LHR this morning. Took an age to just get a slot to request joining instructions so held with a self imposed orbit above Tewkesbury. Was then given an instruction to join the overhead but not break it - never heard that one before. Good job instructor was with me as visually I was doing a goldfish impression. Approaching the airfield, it was still very busy so we stayed up at 2000 in the overhead. During an orbit on the deadside, another aircraft was asked to join us so it was a bit nervy knowing we were both in the same bit of air at the same height. We were asked to do a left orbit away from the airfield then join on the crosswind. Whilst challenging, I felt roughly in control and aware of what was going on which was a nice feeling but not something I am getting complacent about - you don't know what you don't know so I was still very alert. Landing was OK - no prizes, but landed short so that we could get off quick and help out a bit with all the traffic.
Still nervous about getting lost but I think that will wane in time - it's just about getting setup right for the first part of the first leg and I think after that, it's all good. I was pleased that I spotted a lot of my gross error check features.
Next week is a short solo Nav all things being well with the weather and my confidence. I plan to chair fly it first with the instructor as best I can.
I was a bit nervous about today for some reason - felt a bit of concern that I'd lost my mojo having had last week cancelled. But an uneventful planning session and once in the aircraft, it all fell into place and was just great. Waiting now for the wheels to fall off and me to get taken back a peg or two but today is a good day!
Lesson 19, 22h total, 19h50 dual, 2h10 solo.
PPL(A) gained 30/8/22, started Aug 21, C-152, EGBJ