Lesson 11 - 7th March 2020

It has been nearly 4 months since I last flew.  This is all due to a combination of the Christmas period and the awful weather.  The flight school says it is probably the worst they have ever known.  Even in winter they usually manage 3 out of 7 days each week but they have been lucky to average 1 out of 7 recently.  I am not the only one to suffer with lots of people also reporting the same issue.  This is always going to be a problem in the UK in winter, so I have to accept it and perhaps use the time to do some study for the exams.  

 Now the weather has improved, to a point, I can get back to it.  I know I will be rusty, having not flown for so long, but it is not a race and I just need to take my time.

Upper Air Work Review and Circuits
Graham was my instructor today and we decided that it would be sensible to do some upper air work as a refresher and then start looking at circuits.

 The airfield was still a bit wet and soft in places so care had to be taken when taxiing out.  After checks, we lined up on runway Two Five.  I had a go at the take off, which wasn't too bad, and then we were away.  We flew west from the airfield and got to a sensible height and in to straight and level flight. From there we went over various turns including climbing and descending turns.  These were OK, but still need work.

 After about 30 minutes, we retuned to the airfield and started to look at circuits.  Today was a lefthand circuit on to runway Two Five.   There are few distinct sections to the circuit and these will get expanded on as I get more practice.  For instance, we didn't do a proper airfield join or dead side descent, we went straight to the downwind leg.

 1. The downwind leg.  This was at 500 feet, which is quite low, but the cloud base was also only about 1400 feet today so that may have had a baring.  We had not done an actual briefing beforehand, so this was all on the go training.

 2. The base leg.  Turn 90 degrees from the downwind leg when the centre of the runway is at about a 45 degree angle from where the plane is.  Lower the speed a little in to the white arc on the ASI and put the first stage of flaps in.  This has the effect of more lift and the power can be backed off a little.

3. Final.  Turn 90 degrees so you are on an extended centre line to the runway and pull the power back, possibly to idle, and add the second stage of flaps.  The nose will need pointing downwards towards the aiming point for the landing.  It feels really strange and you feel like you are aiming yourself to pile into the runway.

4.  The landing.  Keeping the aircraft on the centre line of the runway, you have to work out when you are about 10 feet from the ground.  At this point you pull back on the stick to flare out and you hold the aircraft off the runway.  In theory it should float down and your job is to actually keep holding it off to try and stop it from landing, if that makes sense.  Once down, keep the back pressure to keep the weight off the nose wheel to save it digging in, especially with the soft, wet ground.

First time, Graham took over and we took straight off again so it was a touch and go.  The next time round, we practiced the circuit and final approach but at about 50 feet applied full power for the go around.  We repeated this a further couple of times before finally coming in to land.

I had been warned that it would be quite intense.  With Clench Common being a small circuit, each one only lasts about 3 to 4 minutes and I could end up doing maybe 10 or more circuits in the hour lesson.  Everything we have been looking at over the last 10 hours will be shoehorned in to 3-4 minutes!

I am back again next week, I hope, where I can continue to refresh my flying and continue to look at circuits and possibly landings.  It is going to take a while to get it right and until I am getting it right most of the time, I won't be allowed to go solo.  I don't think I will be ready for that moment for a while yet!!

Purchases this post

Lesson £112.50 - 50 minutes

Totals

Total Costs = £3251.41
Total Hours PA-28 = 1.05

Total Hours Icarus C42 = 10 hours 40 minutes

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