[To Diary for CPL: Current from March, 2008]
Welcome to My First Diary.
Getting started learning to fly
This diary tracks my lessons as I started learning to fly and reached GFPT, the General Flying Progress Test level. This part of my training took 7 months and involved learning all of the fundamentals of flight. The entries appear on a "Most Recent" first basis. So if you would like to start at the beginning click on the link below.
[ To First Diary Entry for GFPT: Saturday 2 December, 2006 ]
If you have enjoyed reading about this first part of my training then head to my PPL Lesson Diary as I spend 14 months taking lessons towards my Private Pilot's Licence (PPL). And if that's not enough, the flying bug has really bitten and I have started my Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL) so you are welcome to join me as I spend 18 months on this new journey.
Sunday 29 July, 2007
Onward toward PPL and Nav’s.
>> To PPL Diary
OK, now the road begins to Navigational/Cross Country flights. In total there will be 8 flights, including 2 solo navigational flights and my "test day". The PPL
is going to be challenging and I look forward to sharing my learning adventures with you. If you like to continue reading my diary after these GFPT entries head to my PPL Lesson Diary.
Sunday 29 July, 2007
Load Test and First Passengers
After passing GFPT on Friday, I am now able to carry passengers without an Instructor around the Redcliffe training area. First I had to be signed off by an instructor on a Load Flight. This is basically a few circuits with a fully (or close to) loaded aircraft, (which for a Cessna 172 was only 3 adult men and fuel!). This is to get used to how the plane flies and lands differently with a full load on board. SO I talked my mate Pete and Susi (who needed little convincing) into being “Luggage” for the flight. So off to the Club, looking like a beautiful day! Once at the club I showed Pete and Susi around the club, and then I helped the guys at the club pull the planes out. My plane today, YEP, you guessed it, SPQ (yet another first in SPQ). Andrew (Instructor) ran me through what we were up to today and then said “OK, pre-flight SPQ and you can take your passengers out and show them around the plane.” Off we went to “PAT” SPQ, Pete is a bit of an Aviation nut (like me) so he was very interested in the Pre-flight activities. Andrew came out just as I finalized the pre-flight and had a quick talk to Pete about the flight we where about to do. “I have heard he is a pretty safe pilot, is this true?” “Ah yeah he is very good, you have nothing to worry about” was Andrew’s reply….blush..blush…head swell . So I strapped Pete in the back and gave him a passenger brief and we taxied out went for a few laps. Susi snapped heaps of photos both on the ground and while Pete, Andrew and I did a few circuits. First one a standard touch and go, MMMMM, need to get that nose higher on touchdown GGRRRRR, next one better, could get the nose up a bit more, but that is better….took off again, turn cross wind……better check on Pete he’s a bit quite back there, “All good back there Pete?” , “All good, this is great!!” NOW THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR!!!! Next a Go-A-Round, that was all good too!!
Around for another circuit, “We’ll make this one a full stop” “OK” this landing is more like it!! Nose up, up, nice!!! Taxi back to the club and park, shut down, we let Pete out and Andrew and I discuss the event of the flight. Now I’m signed off on passenger load! Back to the club house and sign SPQ back in and then back out to do a quick half hour local flight with DG and Pete. SO, out we head to Bribie Island, I bought DG her own headset for her birthday so she got to christen them on that flight as well! We sat Pete in the “Co-Pilot” seat so he could see everything from the front this time, I explained what I was doing and the checks (that have been drilled into me over the past 7-8 months) that I run through. DG FINALLY got to see where I go every Sunday too. It was a glorious day for a Bribie trip too, not a bump in the sky, although the view out to the Glasshouse Mountains is a bit hazy due to the fires to the west of Brisbane. Over head Bribie make a call to the local traffic that we are there, after about 5 minutes we had to turn around and head back to get SPQ back to the club for its next flight. Over flew the airfield and rejoined crosswind for 25 and brought it in for a great landing…WOO HOO…. Taxied back to the refueling area and dis-embarked my first two official passengers!!!
HOW MUCH FUN WAS THAT!!!??!?!
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Special Diary Entry From My First Passenger
Sunday 29 July, 2007
Peter Young
On Sunday 29 July 2007 I had the honour to be the first passenger taken aloft by Captain Shane Wise. The fact that he needed ballast and I was big and available does not diminish the experience....I got to be first and I grabbed the chance. Shane wouldn't know this but there was a time when I would never have flown in a little Cesna, or any plane for that matter. As a kid we flew everywhere as my dad was a former pilot, and TAA discounts were plentiful for employees and families. But a bad experience with a flight later in life gave me a phobia of flying that took some time to overcome. Even today with a healthy respect for flying (but no longer an irrational fear) I was still a little apprehensive of being first to fly with a brand new pilot. This apprehension grew a little during the week prior to the flight, when everyone who I told about my weekend plans replied with the same responses - either, "nice knowing you," or "are you mad?"
But these people do not know Shane, and I would probably not fly with any other brand new pilot but this one. When Shane does something he does it properly, and as I watched Shane carefully do his pre-flight of the near-new Cessna I felt confident that he was already a better pilot than lots of seasoned flyers - mainly because he has the attitude required to be safe.
The first flight was his first experience of a fully loaded plane, and we had an instructor in the front seat to take any risk out of this new experience. I climbed awkwardly into the backseat (these planes are not designed for my body shape) and strapped in. Headphones meant I could hear the cockpit discussions and radio traffic for Caboolture, Redcliffe and surrounds which made the experience even more interesting.
We taxied to the holding position and then waited for a landing ahead of us, and for the engine oil to reach the right temperature. Then line up and go. These little Cesna's get up in the air quite quickly, and we were climbing at a pretty brisk pace. I was like a kid - leaning forward to read all the gauges, listening to the radio calls, watching out for other planes as we turned downwind and then almost immediately started slowing and first stage flaps in preparation for the first touch and go. Then line up and a nice gentle approach. Just as we got close to the ground everything seemed to go from slow motion to fast motion - the ground was close and moving quickly, the wheels touched, then flaps up and throttle and we are back up for another time around.
After two touch and gos and a go around we landed full stop and it was a great feeling - not relief at having survived but excitement at having had this once in a lifetime experience.
Then the question - are you happy to go up without the instructor? I felt confident and we went. Shane is such a careful flyer and with good skills I was happy to trust him. We had a great second flight - up to 3000 feet and across to Bribie Island and back. Got to sit in the front seat this time (thanks Susie). Learnt about altitude separations and watched other planes doing circuits while we flew above. What an experience - now I understand why my dad loved flying so much. It would have been a blast without all the technology and rules, but it's still a blast today.
I'll be back and next time I'll trust Shane with my most precious possession of all - my kids.
Week 32
GFPT Passed
GFPT part of my license is PASSEDDD!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!! How kewl!! I can now carry passengers around the Redcliffe training area!!!!
NNNNNoooooooowwwwwwwwwww time to start the Cross country part of the license to the full PPL!!!!!
I have to thank my instructors too Kelly, Andrew, Mal, Tony, Sean and Johnno (who is now flying in Tamworth!!) And I have to especially thank DG for all of her support!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS DEE GEE
Off To The test
Well I'm off to do my GFPT flying test now...Bit nervous but all in all not too bad.
Well next time I write I should be able to carry passengers on my own!!
In other exciting news, I have finally seen ELE again. You might remember, this is the plane I took my first flight in. I must say, she is looking her age! See my "Planes Spotted at YRED" photo gallery of photos of ELE in July, 2007.
Friday 27 July, 2007 8.00AM
My First Mate SPQ
Just a quick note, of the two 172SPs which I do my training in, one is SPQ. I have done all of my “firsts” in this aircraft, 1st lesson, 1st Solo, 1st Area Solo, 1st tyre blow-out (eeekkkk!!!! ) and my check ride for GFPT today will be in ....yep SPQ .... my 1st mate!!! Funny though, RAQ, the second 172SP at the club, is the plane I have done the most air time in!! SPQ is in lots of the photos of me flying, so check my photo gallery and see the plane I have done all of my firsts in ...later!!
Week 31
Last Solo Flight Before The Test
OK this is my last solo flight before the week of the pre-test and the test. GULP, off in RAQ this time, now I have to finish off Precautionary Search and Landing, after the tyre blowout last week left me 1/2 hour short on my solo time...First circuit...Normal one as a warm up....all good, landing ....EXCELLENT. Too happy!!! Then go-around for a 500 ft low level. 500 ft overshoot, then around again for 200 ft overshoot, next 100 ft overshoot, end the next circuit with Short field landing....nice one!!! Full Stop, and off I go again for ...mmm....lets see.....Flapless Approach, all good!!!! Next a normal circuit, GREAT stuff, go-around, I wanted to do a glide approach, but the cross wind is up a bit, I’ll see how it is on downwind....mmm... OK no glide approach today I’ll have to see how I go with Kelly on Wednesday. Lined up for final...all looking good, touch down.....a bit bouncy, but nicely corrected...YAY!!!! All this AND a chopper was practicing his auto rotation simulations at the same time!! That was distracting......OK bring on Wednesday with Kelly and see how I shape up on the Pre-test day!!!!!
Week 30
WHOOPS SPQ's Sore Foot
Well, flying today was one of those experience building flights. Same lesson as last week but SOLO!! Did pre-flight, topped to tanks and off into the wild blue yonder....weeeelllll , only 500 ft into it, all circuits today were at 500 ft, 1st pass of the runway inspection at 500 (remember to count out the length of the runway/proposed landing field), go around, next pass 200, go around, next pass 100 go around and then come in for a short field landing, lined up and all was nice and looking great, flared, held off all beautiful.....touch down ..hey this is one to be proud of. Applied the brakes, oops, (this is where it all goes awry) as the nose wheel touched down the right side wheel started squealing away...mmmm...tried to get the speed down carefully to make the turn into the taxi way...BANG POP!!!! the right hand tyre (that's "tire" for all of you in the US ) a little more left brake and applied a slight bit of left rudder to keep ol' SPQ straight. Tried to get off but because of the deflated tyre ended up just of the runway and facing the wrong way. OH well, made a call over the radio because another plane was coming in behind me, then tried to call the Unicom, no answer, then I thought "Oh well walk back...HEY stoopid....mobile phone on yer belt...oh yeah"...phone the guys up and the guy who landed after me arrived to lend a hand (he disappeared before I had a chance to say thanks ... THANKS MATE!!) and then a few minutes later the guys from the club came.... YAY!!! We removed the wheel spat and got a trolley and pushed it back to the hangars for repair tomorrow..phew!
All in all it is something to mark to experience, and for now SPQ has a sore foot (photos of SPQ's sore foot in my photo gallery) but no damage , yay, so it will be back in the air tomorrow!!! AND I'll be back next week...good night I'm off to have a crownie.
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Week 29
Getting Closer!!
OK, Precautionary Search and Landings, this lesson teaches how to check out a landing surface for a forced landing. We do all the passes over the Airfield, 1st one at 500 to get an idea of length and shape etc, 2nd at 200 ft to see if there is any ruts, boulders etc, and the 3rd at 100 ft to get a real good look at the proposed strip. Very cool flying at 70-75 knots at 100 over the airfield - things happen very quickly. New instructor Sean, who is taking Johns spot part time. Johnno is off to Tamworth to fly for a medium sized regional and will be sadly missed from Redcliffe. Now, one more solo flight to do solo PS&L, then a practice flight the week after and then GULP the test!!!
Week 28
Solo Steep Turns
WOW what a way to finish the Financial year!!! Solo steep turns, RAQ again. Flew out to Bribie Island and practiced steep turns. Steep turns are 45 and 60 degree turns and no height lose! Well +- 50-100 ft. Accomplished most at >50 ft, rejoined the circuit and landed BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!! 1 lesson to go and then a bit of practice time and the test comes up soon!!
Week 27
Area Solo One - Done!
WOO HOO, today, rocked up to the airfield, Kelly walks me into the briefing room and says "Well looks like an Area Solo for you, Nervous??" Hell yeah, but buzzing all the same. Off I went for practice Forced Landings Without Power...GULP.....SOLO!!!!!!! Off in RAQ, and out to the northern training area over Hazelton. Practiced 2 FLWOP there, then I went to Donnybrook and 2 more practices there, turned to head "home" and practiced another over Hazelton strip. KEWL FUN!!!! Re-entering the circuit was exciting, Kelly was with her student in a 152, I knew SPQ was inbound and a 206 Jetranger (helicopter) over flew the field, turned and reduced height to 1000 (and making calls). The 152 was just turning cross wind, I announced joining crosswind and then saw a 182 just leaving the ground...eekkk...no wait, I throttled up and increased to 1200 and then rejoined, phew that worked out OK. Kelly asked if I had her plane in sight..Yep, they had flown a bit out of the circuit, so I was wary of that. Still no SPQ ccalls...mmmm... then SPQ joined the Downwind leg in front of me!! WOT THA!>??!? Not dangerously so but still a bit of a weird way to join. Anyway, Kelly was on the ball and asked where I was in the circuit to make sure I was cool....Number 3 in the circuit.....now Slight crosswind landing, nice...landed safely!!! Turned off announced leaving the runway and clear, taxied back behind SPQ....parked and packed RAQ up....weeeee that was FUN!!!!
Week 26
Bad Ol' Meat Bomber
Well off to the Aero Club for probably my 2nd last solo before GFPT check ride....upon turning into the main street leading to the club I saw my old foe the "Meat Bomber" (Navajo Parachute Club Plane) coming in for landing. With his signature REAL SHORT short final, and as I approached closer, I saw him through the space in between the hangars just about to touchdown. Parked walked into the club, said "Hi" to Leigh (one of the new instructors)" MMmm what have you got today....AH SPQ" (Oh good I like SPQ!!!) hands me the folder and off I go to pre-flight her. I watched the Citabria taxi in to it's spot....WOW that's a nice plane!!! Start the pre flight of SPQ, masters on, flaps down, check fuels gauges etc, check fuel drains, starboard wheel, Flap, Aileron, wing, lights, fuel breather, remove Pitot cover and check the Pitot Tube opening, check the Static vent, climb up on the strut and check the fuel level in the Starboard tank. Andrew walks past "Don't go too fast checking that out mate, don’t think anyonhe's going anywhere....." and points my eyes to the other end of the runway.....OMG the Meat Bomber is sitting way down there with her tail in the air......"His nose wheel collapsed on landing, it'll take 'em ages to clear that" "Oh dear...well anyway I finished pre-flight and had ol' SPQ ready anyway. Mal (today’s instructor) came out and said well we can do briefing anyway for Precautionary Search and Landing....OOOhhhhh BUGGGGAAAA! Briefing done, walked outside, mmmmm, Navajo still there, looks like no flying today......One club member had walked down and had taken a few photos of it, WOW, both props (which also means both engines) nose wheel and it's doors are damaged, the underside of the nose is flat...eeekkkk that's gotta hurt the bank balance!!!!! AT LEAST NO-ONE WAS HURT!!!!!! I have larger photos in my "Airfield Mishaps" photo gallery...check it out!
Week 25
Cross Wind Landings - FINALLY
Finally managed a lesson when there was a cross wind blowing. I know most of us prefer NOT to have cross wind but when you have to do the training...feels like I have waited on the weather forever!!! OOOOOOOOOOOO TOOO C-C-C-C-O-O-O-L-L-L-D-D-D this morning, with the wind blowing it was Arctic!!!!!
Cool chopper action when I first got to the field, the guys where there spraying for mozzies after all of the rain over the past few weeks.
RightO then, after a briefing from Kelly on cross-wind landings and what we need to do today, we are off in MSJ the older 172 in the fleet. “I’ll meet you over at the bowser”, right off to do pre-flight, not much different to pre-flight MSJ compared to the SP’s. Start up and taxi over to the fuel bowser to top the tanks. S-S-T-T-T-ILL FREEZING COLD!!! We climb in and startup ol’ MSJ, …remember to check the charge light….OK not going out, cycle the ALT on the Masters, cool, it goes out…rolls eyes…old planes..hee hee. Taxi out for 25 and after pre-takeoff checks we are off!!! Kelly demos the first one, "It’s a good cross wind day”, crab into the wind and keep the centre line on track….as we cross the boundary of the field straighten up and lower the into wind wing down to stay on course. Flare and level the plane…all good…it should have been, Kelly did it…hee hee….gulp!.. now it’s my turn. Fly a not so tidy circuit (not real used to MSJ), turn base and call final…D’OH!! Make a correction call, turn final…OK….crabbing into the wind, check speed, don’t lower the full flap (172N’s have 40◦of full flap as opposed to the SP’s 30) check on line, goooooodd, speed good, touch more throttle…..OK as we cross the boundary starting straightening up and lower the starboard wing, hold it hold it, round out, hold off lift the wing a bit and start to flare raising the nose, BBEEEEEEEE, stall warning intrudes, a bit more , bit more, starboard wheel touched down, lower the port side and then start the nose coming down….Hey YAY I did it, back to the job at hand…flaps up, full throttle away!!!! OK next circuit is much tidier, and I get used to MSJ and it’s “looser” feeling in the sky, landing OK, 3 more and we call it a day and I’m now right and signed for cross-wind…boy they are extra work, but worth it when you pull them off!!!
Kelly also informed me that I only have 3 to go until I do my GFPT check ride...WOW!!!!!!!!!
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Week 24
Short Field Take Off and Landing
THIS is the lesson I SHOULD have done before trying the Flying Comp. But then the flying comp was excellent fun and I learnt HEAPS!!!!!
Week 24
Instrument Flying 2 and My Sister The Meat Bomb!
Instrumeny Flying 2
GREY GREY GREY that's all I could see, the inside of the Instrument hood, OH and the instrument panel, but boy that was fun!!!
My Sister the Meat Bomb!!!
OK, for my sister’s 30th birthday, her boyfriend got her a Tandem Jump out of Caloundra (he mustn't REALLY like her). I was still in the air doing my Instrument training at the time of her jump, and could hear all of the radios calls as the Caravan (thank gawd she didn't go in THE Meat Bomber) got it's clearance to 10000 feet....wow I haven't even flown that high yet!!!!! In the background of the radio calls all we could hear were screams and hoots from the back of the Caravan. Anyway, she did survive the jump, I now officially called her the "Lawn Dart". I told my mum that both of her children were in the air at the same time!!! One of us was learning to fall outta the sky the other was learning how not to.....HA HA!!!!!!
Week 23
Instrument Flying 1 and Club Flying Comp
Instrument Flying 1:
Now here is an interesting one, as SPL or GFPT or PPL holders, we are not allowed to fly into clouds, heavy rain or the like. That is a whole different endorsement called IFR, Instrument Flight Rules, we are VFR, Visual Flight Rules. So here we go and do an Introduction to Instrument Flying....In case you are stooopid enough to get caught in a cloud etc.
Club Flying Comp and Fly-in Day:
I competed in my 1st flying comp. WOW this WAS fun, we all (there were about 15 flyers) had to fly MSJ the 172N, and complete 3 circuits, the 1st one was Short field take-off then climb normally to 500 feet and then turn cross wind, and then onto downwind. Once on downwind and all setup, Andrew then covered the altimeter for the length of the Runway and I had to maintain 1000" + or - 50ft to get full points. Setup MSJ, covered, all good, checking VSI..good..look out side or clear airway....good...check VSI all good...run though pre-landing checks...VSI...Outside...Andrew then uncovered the Alt....WOW 980' ALL RIGHT!!!!! Well inside the + or - woo hoo full points..neat. Turned base and then onto final for a 200 feet overshoot and Flour Bomb Drop....I asked Andrew to drop it for me....I then only had to concentrate on aiming his side to the spot and keep height....DROP NOW!!!! Climb away to 500 and turn Cross wind for a low-level (500') circuit) all looking nice... Downwind.....base...Final for a Spot landing....GULP haven't done a spot landing yet.....Line up all nice...throttle off just before the threshold. BOUNCE, bounce, land ...oh well – Points OFF there!!! All in all pretty happy with how I went, except for the landing!! Didn’t win but wasn’t on the bottom of the ladder either!!!
BAK Exam!
Basic Aeronautical Knowledge Exam!!!! My second last exam before GFPT qualification....result....PASS!!! Woo Hoo
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Week 20-21
Steep Turns 1 and 2 and The Return of The Meat Bomber..EEKK
Steep Turns 1 and 2
WOO HOO this is like hacking Doughnuts in the sky, excellent fun!!!!
Anyways this is how the Meat Bomber (Navajo Parachute Club Plane) return unfolded. We had a great lesson, Steep turns number 2 and spiral dive recovery ..YAY!!! Rollercoaster flying, silky smooth skies, no bumps in the road at all!! Lotsa Warbirds taking off from Caboolture and going to Oakey (radio calls galore!!)
The Meat Bomber
Then we heard the Meat Bomber call 10 mile in bound....my Instructor said better tell him exactly where we are, so I sent out a call letting him know height, position where I was going, ..... no response, nahda, transmitted again, this time requesting a read back...... nope no response, we started a cautious turn on to the dead side of the circuit, still looking, looking, still couldn't see the Meat Bomber. So my instructor got on the radio and really read the riot act and demanded a read back...you guessed it, nothing....."can you see him" my instructor asked, "nope" I said quickly followed by OH CRAP THERE HE IS!! ....Instructor’s response, OH FFF^^***KKKK. The Meat Bomber came across our screen from about 9 o'clock high, we reckon about 100 ft above us and about 150 ft off the port wingtip!!!!! AAAHH throttle back..... We could see the oil stains on the under side of the engine nacelles. The instructor got back on the radio, STILL NOTHING, we thought maybe his radio wasn't receiving. He landed and we shakily landed a couple of mins after him, with my instructor going "THAT IS THE CLOSEST I HAVE EVER HAD ANOTHER PLANE COME TO THE PLANE I WAS IN .....UNINTENTIONALLY!!!"
Weeks 18 & 19
Forced Landing Practice
Sorry if you have been looking for new diary entries, work has been hell!!
Forced Landing Practice
Wow this was fun, week 18 was the introduction to Forced Landings and practice and week 19 was FL - 2 to hone the newly acquired skills.
Week 17
Advanced Stalls
April Fools day...NO FOOLIN' HERE I AM OFF FLYING!!!!
Woo Hoo, today I get to fly OUTSIDE of the rectangular box I was stuck in for the past few weeks. Don't get me wrong, any flying is fantastic, but circuits were starting to drag a bit. And being able to see the training area every time you turn cross wind.....
Any way, arrived, spoke with John (one of the PPL students who is nearly finished his training, great to talk to people who are advanced) "OOOO Advanced Stalls hey? Fun!!". Pulled to planes out and pre-flight SPQ. Quick brief with Mal on the exercises we will do today, "What did you think of the first stall training", " It was great, like roller coasting in the sky!!" I believe that a lot of people find it a bit scary. Ran through the checks and procedures we have to follow and off we go to SPQ, taxi to the re-fueling area and add about 80 litres to the tanks, final checks and off we go. Slight crosswind today, about 5-7 kts from the South so the take off was a bit drifty, turn to the crosswind leg, a bit bumpy today, climb to 1000 turn downwind and make a departing call and we are off to Bribie training area!!!
Now I do have to add, stalling, everyone asks me what if the engine doesn't start back up? Stalling in an aeroplane as opposed to a car, isn't stalling the engine, it is stalling the wings, meaning simply the wings cannot generate enough lift to keep the plane flying. You can probably see why people are a bit scared of this lesson. But this lesson is done at height with plenty of room to recover.
So Mal and I ran thought quite a few stalls and recoveries (obviously we recovered them all) and once again the 35 minutes at the training area passed like it was 2 minutes....I HATE THAT! And we head back towards the airfield. More radio calls to remember, flying circuits for so many weeks I had forgotten some of them. But all goes well, have to keep a keen eye out for incoming traffic...Navajo's (the Meat Bomber!! see Week 9 for an explanation of the name)...and we rejoin the circuit to come in to land, on final though the cross wind had picked up a bit more and the landing became a little bit more tricky, trying to keep straight whilst crabbing down and then straighten lower the wind side wing throttle back and flare and try to level the wings and keep straight before the wheels...BUMP...Bump.. land. Probably not the worst, but not in my best landings. Quickly get to the end taxi way as the Meat Bomber is coming in on final approach fast behind us, he has already had to do 1 go-around and didn't sound happy about it. Taxi back and park, "Well done mate!! That was all good!" Mal informs me, just what the budding pilot needs, feedback.....good feedback!!!
OK, next week, depending on the wind will be cross wind landings...didn't I just do one?....I think that is why we do a whole lesson on cross wind landings!! OR if there is no wind, Precautionary Search and landings...mmmm sounds interesting, sounds OUTSIDE the rectangle!!!
Oh yeah 21.1 hours up!!! That's about 2/3's of the way to GFPT!!
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My Dad and Flying
If you have read through my diary you will notice that I kinda love flying....funny thing is, that I come from a family who have either flown in a commercial jet and not much else, or have never flown, or are terrified of flying. My dad is the latter!!! He is absolutely afraid of flying, heights or anything to do with being off the ground. I don't think he swung from the Jungle Bars at school....I remember when I was little, Mum and Dad re-painted our family home, Mum was way up the top of trestles doing the eves, gutters etc, and Dad was on the ground painting the garage doors..."I get a nose bleed just looking down from the balcony" (his house is 2 storey, God forbid he looked over the balcony of a building!) is one of his favorite sayings. It's an interesting saying, but hey, if your nose bleeds when you look down .... uuummmm ..... maybe you should see a doctor, that sounds serious!!! Really!!
I don't know how I’m going to achieve this, but, one of my small aviator dreams is to get him up in a plane, he is 64 this year and has never experienced flight!!! Of any kind. I mean he hasn't even sat in a plane, I think he may have held one of my model planes...once..no nose bleed from memory!! I think (this is my personal opinion only) there are a few things you have to do in life even if it is only once!!! Flying in a plane is one of them. (Ed. note - JUMPING OUT OF THEM IS NOT AN EXPERIENCE YOU NEED TO DO....) This said, he is very supportive of my venture to get my license, every time I speak to him on the phone he asks how it is all going. I have threatened him with a flight (when I am actually licensed to take passengers up) "It's not that I don't trust your ability (hasn't seen me land yet) but..." yeah yeah I know nose bleeds etc...hrmph!!!
Probably my first aim is to get him to actually sit in one, DG and I have spoken about how we can get him to actually fly and we agree this is probably step 1. "Come down and "Pat" the plane" (patting the plane is my expression for pre-flight) " I'm not really interested in this, planes are your thing" he says, yeah but at least you will see what I get up to every Sunday morning and you may actually sit in a plane....you won't fall ...promise.
Step 2 in our cunning plan (Oh I might mention, Dad is a technophobe and will never read this because he does not, and will not, own a computer, so the gig won't be up!) maybe we can get him to sit in one after pre-flight and maybe start the engine, and maybe taxi over to, say, the re-fueling area.....TAXI, I SAID, JUST TAXI!!!! ...it's only 50 metres Dad.
Step 3, after the taxi, maybe a week or so later...see if we can taxi him out to the runway and run along the runway, not take off, just a fast taxi (although it would be hard not to mash the throttle into the panel and race for the clouds ) and show him that light planes aren't the rattley, bumpy things he has built up in his mind.......Don't worry about what you saw on Air Crash Investigation ... THIS IS A CESSNA!!!
Step 4, get him do go for a circuit, this will be hard... Hey it's 12 minutes of your time Dad, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A WRITTEN WARRANTY WE WON'T CRASH!!! Runway warranty HEE HEE. AND we won't go too high, but ...well...it will be higher than your balcony... but that's flying...hey maybe I can convince him with something they teach us in flight training...(*clears throat*) "Height Is Safety!!" true, the higher we are the safer you will be!! Don't think that will make him happier. **Groan**
Oh well, we will have to wait until I get to GFPT license standard before we can hatch this little plan!!! I keep you informed........
Week 16
Solo Circuits 2
Today is another hour of solo circuits in RAQ, first up (after pre-flight) is a quick check circuit with Kelly to make sure that all is well, and ask a few questions about what I did last week, especially the direction change. I explained what I did and...and...phew I did the right thing.... thank GOD!!!
The wind isn't really doing much but more on runway 25 than 07 so we will operate off of 25, and because there is hardly any wind the plane wants to float and float and float down the runway before touch down. And when Kelly jumps out it will do it more because of the reduced weight. Check circuit all goes well, land taxi back around and Kelly jumps out.
Off I go again, on my own, this week doesn't seem as disconcerting as last week....seems like I have a job to do and let's get it done. Landings are getting much better, although 2 of them aren't perfect (too floaty) though rest are really good, one landing I’d say was near perfect!!! But all in all they are all safe landings. The wind stayed on 25 all day today which is nice, BUT the birds in the air..... a crow to the left....2 really big birds flew under me out of what seemed from nowhere, plovers around the end of the runway.....reminds me of the infamous 'duck' day. Anyway after about 9 circuits add 1.1 hours to the SOLO total, a full stop for this last one and go in...park and secure RAQ. SIGH....another days flying over....next week we are off to the training area, YAY we get to fly somewhere outside the rectangular box!!!!
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Week 15
Solo Circuits
Today, Solo circuits from runway 25 in SPQ, first up Tony takes me out for a check ride to ensure that I'm doing everything correctly, landings are safe, calls made etc. We run through an engine failure simulation, flapless approach...etc. DG has come down to see what goes on down here on Sundays and took a few photos (the ones in my “First Solo” photo gallery). Then Tony sends me off on my own. Quick run up and a few pre-flight checks and I'm on the runway. My first solo was full of strange feelings, but this time (even though it is only my second outing without an instructor) doesn't feel as disconcerting. Though still there is the lurking "What if something really does go wrong" in the back of my head. "Remember to keep an eye on the windsock on final...just in case it swings 'round" First landing..it's OK, second landing, a bit bouncy ...probably should have done a go around, third landing, REALLY bouncy...mmmm REALLY should have gone around, kinda not happy with that, and I decide to not do a touch and go but taxi back to the entry point to the runway to catch my breath and think about that one. "OH MY GOD!!!" the 152 waiting at the threshold had Kelly in it and I pulled off probably THE worst landing I have done right in front of her and her student...EEEKKK! The 152 had alternator issues so they enter and leave the runway to go back, BACK TO THE JOB AT HAND!!! THINK THINK THINK!! Announce the enter and back track on runway 25 and off I go again....this landing is much better, touch and go, woo hoo!!! On this circuit another pilot comes on the radio and suggests change of runway to 07.....UH-OH.... by this time I'm on final.....I’ll see what it is like closer to the ground....I feel and appear to be racing along, being helped by a tail wind. OK decision time, call a go-around, now I have to turn cross wind, climb to 1500 ft AMSL, turn back and over fly the field and rejoin the crosswind for runway 07....uummm....I THINK....I HOPE that's right!!! Good thing is that there are not many planes in the area, so I announce I am climbing to 1500 and will over fly the field to rejoin, YAY all goes well.....MMMM remember to ask if I did that right when I get back!! Now this is familiar runway 07 the one I usually operate from, landings are really good this time another 3 landings and full stop and call it a day....I'll call it a really good day!!! DG said " I was listening, listening and tried to take photos of you coming but I don't think I did a very good job, so I just photographed every plane in the hope that one was you!" (as you can see from the "First Solo" photo gallery she did a GREAT job)..... I just wanted to say thanks for coming to support me ..... Booked the plane in and forgot to ask if my direction change was right (this will bother me all week!!!) anyway I’ll double check with Kelly next week!
Sunday 11 March, 2007
Week 14
First Solo Circuit
Firstly sorry this one is so long..
OK here we go, WILL THIS BE THE DAY!!!?? John is back and after pre-flighting SPQ, he tells me we are up to see some glide approaches (my favorites....don't ask why, I don't know myself...they're just FUN, a lot of work, BUT FUN!!) flapless approaches and check if the emergency procedures are all OK. Off we go, first circuit is just a standard take-off and standard approach....nothing tricky. Gee the radio is busy!!!! Touch and go, pops simulated engine failure...no probs here.... we might do a flapless approach...Cool....it was a bit shallow but ended up OK in the end. T&G again, Glide approach number 1, got it all a bit high on final, go-around....next one still a bit high (what's going on?? I like doing these). Next circuit is a normal approach and full stop to top the fuel tanks. Off we go again, simulated engine failure after take off... and another flapless approach, all cool, next Glide approach NAILED IT WOO HOO!!! The radio is really very busy, I've had to leave out the Downwind and Base calls, couldn't get them in!! Ok another circuit in standard configuration and standard flapped approach for a full stop, mmmmm doesn't look like I quite got to the standard!!
Taxiing back John says "Well, I might get out here and you can go and do a circuit yourself...how would that be?" "Alright that would be cool!!!" Ooops, did he say off you go...by yourself? I have waited for this day, but, can I really do this? DO I WANT TO DO THIS??! YOU BETCHA!!!
OK here we go, John makes a radio call to announce a SOLO circuit, then exits the plane and makes sure that I lock his door down correctly. Make a call to taxi 07, and taxi down to the threshold. Run-up and check, nerves start a little here...but fade away as soon as I get to the job at hand. Call enter and back track 07, GLUP, taxi out onto the runway, turn and point down the strip, throttle up and here we go!!!!! Take-off is nice and smooth, I vaguely remember looking down and seeing John standing next to a 152, AHHH WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LOOK OUT THE FRONT!!!..idiot... climbing past 200 ft and check flaps, mixture and full throttle, all good! 500 ft turn to the north and keep climbing. Hey, why isn't there any chatter on the radio?? Level off at 1000 ft, turn and call Downwind leg...trim out and check height....all good!!! Ummm there is STILL no-one on the radio....check everything is on, yep, selected correctly, yep!!! Glance out the passenger side window, this is weird there's no-one sitting there, OK check the door is locked down correctly, run through pre-landing checks, brakes - working, landing gear - down (as it has been since this plane left the factory!!) fuel - selected and plenty on the gauge, fuel cutoff - in, OK, seatbelt - locked, my door, good!!! OK throttle back, check Airspeed, Yep under 100 Kts. Select 1st stage of flap, maintain height, check all around for other traffic, call base and throttle to 1500 rpm and turn onto base, check speed 80 kts, second stage flap, now try and maintain 70 kts and descending, all is good so far. Still no word from the radio!!! Call and turn final full stop, select last stage of flap and maintain 68 kts.....Ok now the realisation hits.......
I AM NOW THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS PLANE WHO CAN LAND IT!!!!
Actually I AM the ONLY person in the plane!!!!! Line up on the extended centre line, check speed, trim, aim for the "piano keys" check speed, re-check flaps, check speed. Getting closer, closer (this always feels like slow mo') check speed, good, threshold looks good....throttle back just before the 'Keys' level out (round out) LOOK AT THE OTHER END OF THE RUNWAY apply a bit more back pressure, whoops slight cross wind .... correct for that. Bit more back pressure, stall warning bleating away (which it does) wheels disapprove of having to start spinning with the little skid noise they make..... keep back pressure to hold the nose off and then touch down on the nose....brake, brake keep straight and keep the backpressure up to help keep some weight off of the nose wheel....Hey I can take the 1st taxi way to turn off....woo hoo...yay. (Thinking back I think it may have been a little bumpier than I remember....but what the hey!!!) Pulling off the runway, I think I finally breathe since turning final!!! PHEW!!! Call clear of the runway, flaps up, transponder to standby. Wow ... I did it!! Hold short on the taxiway for the Navajo (Meat Bomber) going of to drop its cargo!! And taxi back. The reason I kept mentioning the radio is that I have read that a lot of 1st time solo pilots say how quiet the plane is without the instructor....I didn't think it would be THAT quiet and I didn't think the radio should be quiet without the instructor!!!!
Now John is joined by Andrew (one of my other instructors) and a nice guy named John, who is about to go on his first Cross-Country solo (Good Luck Mate!!!). Andrew "marshals" me in to park; I shut down and shakily get out of the plane.
Congrats from everyone...."How was that?!" asks John, well I'll try to relay this to you , it's every emotion you have ever had AND its opposite all at the same time.....someone asked if it was like the first time you drove a car by yourself....ummm NO WAY THIS IS SOOO MUCH BETTER THAT!! It's hard to describe, it's a real rush I haven't done anything that kind of compares to the first time you fly a plane by your self, flying is always fun (even in a commercial jet...for me anyway) but when YOU are flying it with no-one else in it is like.....
HEY I'M FLYING!!!!
Now I just need every Sunday to hurry up and get here!!!
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Week 13
Circuits and a Bathtub!!
What a beautiful morning to go flying!!!! Will this be the day?? I have ALL of my CASA paper work this time!!!! Arrived at the field and the slightest breeze coming down on runway 25....... 25!!!! I still haven't flown circuits in this direction (right hand) yet!!! EEK!!!!
Anyway ...sitting in the patio area I watched as this little ultralight amphibian came in to land. It looked really strange at first, it seemed that the pilot was way up under the "wing", as it got closer I saw that it was a passenger up high and the pilot was down low in the "tub"!!! Weird, I still don't see the attraction for these things, this one looks like a hang-glider with a plastic bathtub suspended underneath it .....I might get crucified for saying this....but why bother??? Float planes look like fun, but, plastic bathtubs...Not my scene!
Pull the planes out, Tony tells me John is ill and I am flying with him today (BTW, I haven't flown with Tony yet), that's cool I thought..hope John is OK..but the wind is still down 25!
Pre-flight is all good, go in and see if Tony is ready to go, he finishes his briefing with another student and off we go. "MMM looks like 25 today", "Have you flown from 25 yet?"......"Um No Tony, I haven't yet" Tony tells me it isn't any different but you will have to keep an eye on the runway and make your turns in relation to the runway,
Cool....I feel better. Pre-takeoff checks, check anything coming inbound.....mmmm bathtub coming in on short final!!!! Note to self...bathtubs in the circuit area....keep a watch on that!! He's now cleared take off and climb at the 172's best rate of climb, so we get to height 500ft ASAP and not upset the people in the houses at that end of the runway (that is another story I might look at later....but why you would build near an airport that has been there for 30 odd years AND THEN COMPLAIN ABOUT IT!!!!! shezzch). First circuit, all goes well, downwind coming in a little bit but we will correct this on the next one , landing better than usual, Flaps up, full power, off we go again. Downwind on target, turn base and final, "We might do a go-around on this one" "OK Tony no problem" ....bring it in for short final, apply full power and raise flaps in stages away we go again. Another circuit, turning onto final I see what appears to be a plane of to the side of the runway threshold... getting closer it looks like, yep the BATHTUB, BUT WAIT!!! AND its pointing in the wrong direction! On short final now, "I might go-around, Tony", "You're in command Shane". I announce the go-around, throttle up and go-around..."That was a good decision to make!!!" COOL!! After 3 more circuits, all of which are go-arounds Tony makes the decision to call it a day instead of just flying around and doing go-arounds wasting money, because I have to demonstrate 5 consecutive landings before they let me loose on my own....as we land they finally cleared the Bathtub off to the side. OH WELL, some thing to look forward to next ... maybe. *** A note on the Bathtub, it appears that the landing gear didn't come down fully on the rear, and it spun around on landing and hit the wing on the ground, I understand that the pilot was shaken but unharmed. This picture is a similar model aircraft, I wasn't carrying my camera that day.
Week 12
And Circuits, Again
Circuits, Circuits, and more Circuits. Found out you need to have your medical certificate IN YOUR HAND, it looked like (and I’m sure I was told) that CASA held it on the web...but now I know this is not the case!! So soloing is out of the question again today. Oh well at least I’ll be flying!
Week 11
Circuits Again
Circuits AGAIN, CASA paper work STILL not here.
Week 10
Circuits and my CASA experience
I have decided to rename CASA, to Conspiracy Against Shane Aviating!!! I know it's not really them holding me up but they are in the front line of fire!!! I supposed this is the new world we live in post 9/11, security checks and the like. Paper work STILL not here.
Anyway, Circuit practice today, Engine failure after take off and more landing practice.... At least my radio calls are getting a lot better.
Double figures today !! 10 hours up that's technically a third of the way through.
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Week 9
Circuits and the Meat Bomber
We taxi off and announce clear of the runway, in front of us is a Piper Navajo which is part of the Parachute club down here, we radio over to let him know he can go before us, no answer, so John says "Oh well let's go" and start to taxi back to the entry point of the runway. John asked, "Has he got any 'meat bombs' in the back of that?!" After a moments thought about what was said I start laughing uncontrollably and have to apply full brakes, because taxiing with tears of laughter and blurry vision isn't the safest thing you can do.....Meat Bombs..HAH HAH. Meat Bombs I have never heard them called that. My mate Domy used to call parachutists 'Turf Missiles' (BTW so does Dave Mustaine from Megadeth), but this is funnier. So from now on the Navajo will be know to me as the Meat Bomber!!! (PS sorry if I have offended any parachutists...but after all if you jump out of planes that aren't broken I think you should have some sort of a sense of humour!)
Week 8
Fly? yes. Land? getting there.
Sorry, I have missed a few weeks in the diary. Life gets in the way!!!
Flying is to me, the ultimate, I don't care if I don't get to fly really big jets, really fast jets (a flight in a Hornet would be a rush though!!) I just want to fly....always have, ever since I can remember (I do draw the line at ultra and micro lights though!). But life and money got in the way, couldn't get in to the Air-Force mainly because of my colour-blindness (yes...I can see red and green!!!!! just not THAT red and green!) So every Sunday for me is another day closer to fulfilling a dream I had all those years ago when I was so small and had dozens and dozens of model planes on my bedroom ceiling, and posters and books on aeroplanes all over my room!!! I have to thank DG again (can't thank her enough really) for helping me achieve this dream.
Week 4
New Year's Eve
Turning
New Years eve!!! My god another year over, so much has happened this year...I changed jobs, we lost a dear family friend, DG forgot our wedding anniversary (points to me for remembering) which was actually quite funny, all in all another mixed year AND I started flying!!!
Week 4
Climbing and Decending After Last Week's Wash Out
Christmas is now behind us and we are back home after Christmas away. CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) paper work finalised with the CFI.....cool I can send it off for my official SPL (Student Pilot License) another step over. New instructor today Andrew, short briefing and off to pre-flight the plane...
Now Climbing and descending you might think , well isn't that what plane are supposed to do? But I learn PAT (power, Attitude, Trim) the basis for all climbing and descending..
Week 3
The Wash-Out
Off to the aero Club for 10 am lesson, weather was not looking good, overcast and a bit of drizzle......mmmm.....not looking good!!
On arrival, Kelly (today’s instructor) ran me through my briefing on Climbing and Descending, "Not looking good for flying though, but, let's see how we go" she said to me. OK off for pre-flight inspection on the clubs other 172SP RAQ, half way through the inspection, I heard one of the local Tiger Moths coming in for landing, looking up only to see it disappear into the lowering cloud base and then reappearing and then disappearing again....Uh-OH, then the rain started......Oh-well I finalised the pre-flight checks and walked back inside.
"Looks like we will have to call today off I’m sorry"....the words a budding pilot doesn't want to hear...."the weather radar is showing more rain coming in"....... No lesson next week as we are off for Christmas away this year, so it will have to wait for 2 weeks.
"BUT WAIT you have a day off on the Thursday after we return from our holiday!!!!" my wife reminds me after calling her on the phone to say I'm on my way home for a washed out lesson. YAY YOU ROK DG... QUICKLY I rang the club and booked in for that day.
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Sunday 10 December, 2007
Week 2
Straight and Level
Lessons are now every Sunday... interesting lesson, today I fly VH-MSJ which is a Cessna 172N which is a 1980 model and is the sister ship of VH-ELE the fist plane I EVER flew in all those years ago!!! ELE was sold a while ago. So probably to closest I’ll get to the details of the first flight experience I ever had. Anyway I ramble, instructor today is John, Straight and Level today, Cool!! Briefed on how to achieve this we go off to Pre-flight MSJ which is slightly different being an older aircraft, principle is the same just some things are in a different spot.
Flying to Bribie once again on a beautiful clear day, to practice flying straight and level, trimming the aircraft so that it is not climbing not descending. ANOTHER hour passing in what feels like 10 minutes, and we are back to the field. I get to over fly the field and join the crosswind circuit, and then fly most of the circuit right down to short final!!! No landings for me yet!
Week 1
The Day It All begins - My 40th Birthday
I thought I would write this diary to try and convey what happened and the experience and feelings I had during my flight training ... so here goes.....I’ll try not to bog down in specifics too much.
Actually my birthday as well, and the 27th anniversary of my first flight. Now that date also carries new significance to me and the others in my life.....my first Flying Lesson.
A couple of parallels for this event. The first time I ever got to fly in a plane was my 13th birthday, which was a Sunday, now 27 years later on the 2nd of December 2006, my birthday is again a Saturday. My first flight in 1979 was with the Redcliffe Aero club in a Cessna 172M (rego- VH-ELE), my first lesson is also with Redcliffe Aero Club and in a Cessna 172 this time an SP not an M (rego- VH-SPQ). My mum paid for my first flight and now my lovely wife (whom I affectionately call DG - Darling Girl) had secretly saved up just over half of the projected costs to give me my lessons for my 40th birthday. Possibly my 2 best ever birthday gifts...the latter being THE BEST!!!
Feelings from the day, mixed, apprehension, excitement and I am fairly nervous. Greeted at the club by Mal my instructor we enter the training room for briefing on what we will do and what we hope to achieve today. We walked out and Mal runs me through the pre-flight inspection of SPQ, wow will I ever remember all of these checks??? Mal assures me that all of this will become routine quite quickly. Start up and more checks, WOW what a feeling even just idling (well slightly above idle!) this is fun!!! Mal explains taxiing and asks if I want to try "YOU BETCHA!!!" screams inside my head "that would great" meekly comes out of my mouth. We're off!!!! I wouldn't call this taxiing, more like a waddle: over correcting, braking, changing direction more correcting....PHEW. At the threshold, more checks before we can takeoff. Mal takes over control for take off and we are in the air!!!! THIS IS MUCH MORE LIKE IT!!!! Better than the majority of my flight time...sitting in the back of a 'heavy" (commercial jet) WOO HOO!!!! We head off to the training area overhead Bribie Island to learn what each control surface, Elevator, Rudder, ailerons throttle do. Then after an hour (felt like 10 minutes) we head back to the aero club, land and taxi back. "Next week it's straight and level to learn!" I must learn the rest of my radio calls!!
Ring home and report in that I’m on my way, still shaking from excitement!! Arriving home to find that my DG has organised a surprise birthday party with friends and family and lots of little 'chuckie' planes hanging from the roof. BBQ and a quick jam with Jimb0b and Pete adds to the day. Quick get me a beer I think I need it!!
WHAT A DAY!!!