Thread: Started Flight Training

Originally Posted by VladTepes

Just remember.. Any landing you walk away from is a good one !

Not quite - I think the correct quote is "Any landing you walk away from is a successful one ! It is a good landing if the plane is still airworthy!"

Not sure who that is a quote from though.

John

DONE! One week later than planned but now that psychological hurdle is over I can get back to the business at hand.

I was originally scheduled to do the G13 (nominally first solo) lesson last week but was thwarted by an administrative ****storm. Whilst I was fully prepared to go solo, the instructor (not my usual one as they have to pass you over to another instructor to check and verify everything) confronted me with "your medical certificate is not on file". I had contacted CASA back in May when they asked for my Aviation Reference Number in order to process the medical and asked if there was anything more they needed from me. "No" they replied and added that the certificate would be out to me within 21 days. Well that was so long ago I just forgot that it never came through and thought I had already passed it on to my instructor for filing. As it turns out you have to make a separate payment and no-one thought to tell me, or ask for the money, or send an invoice or anything.

I have since come to realise that with regards to flight training, if in doubt, pay someone.

So after getting that piece of news and realising that I would have to wait until the certificate was issued my headspace kind of caved in. I was then blindsided with more pre-flight questions on weight & balance and fuel calculations that I had not fully covered with my regular instructor. I knew I had to learn it but had no idea exactly when I was required to be able to demonstrate proficiency. As it turns out, no-one thought to give me a full copy of the Operations Manual which sets out the CASA standards so I never knew what was coming up with regard to assessment.

Then I was told my flight radio exam (done the week before) was not yet marked, then he told me I had to finish my aircraft endorsement questionnaire (which was only 90% complete).

So it was a total balls-up and we never even got off the ground. I went away to chase up the missing medical and finish the endorsement etc etc. Not happy!

---

Yesterday morning however, was a totally different story. Paperwork all sorted, the instructor was as keen as me to get out to the plane. Weather clear with only the lightest of winds, and crosswind well below the 8knot maximum allowed for a first solo.

In order to prepare me for the possibility of him not letting me do the solo if he wasn't happy with my performance, the instructor went to great lengths to explain that very few people actually do their first solo straight away at G13. He was careful to explain that most people require one or two more sessions to hone their skills. I understood this and had already tried to mentally prepare for another abortive attempt.

By comparison to the administrative debacle last week in not going solo, yesterday was altogether boring - which is pretty much the best way it could be. After several uneventful circuits and a couple of emergency simulated engine failures, glide and flapless approaches, the instructor made the call to the tower to check on crosswinds. I knew straight away what that meant and went berzerk internally. "Well I'm convinced" he said, and proceeded to lay out the plan.

We did a full stop and taxied to the holding point where he got out and gathered up his things. I was doing my level best to just keep my enthusiasm flat lining so as not to risk doing anything different from before. "See you back at the parking bay", and off he walked. I taxied to the holding point and made the radio call to the tower... although it wasn't the tower as I didn't notice the instructor had switched over to COM2 so I got a "your still on ground" reply. Oops. Not a good start.

We had been having a problem with one of the radios as there was an awful lot of noise interference from the engine on COM1 so midway through the first part of the lesson the instructor switched over to COM2 but left COM1 on and set to the tower frequency. Oh well, if this was going to be my only mistake then at least it's not a bad one.

Cleared for takeoff I headed off and from then on things just happened automatically, like they should. I was still calling out my checks aloud even though there was no-one else in the plane. I felt this would help me from focussing on the fact that the co-pilot's seat was empty. I can't say the plane handled too differently in the air. This particular C172 climbs like a good-un and the missing weight wasn't noticed.

For the first time that morning, I had traffic in front of me. A Tomahawk was pootling along ahead so I had to configure for a slower downwind leg to give me plenty of separation at the business end. I was spaced pretty much bang on 1 mile from the runway but, as seems to be the case, the Tomahawk was at least another half-mile further out. My regular instructor has frequently commented on how a lot of students and even more experienced pilots seem to struggle to keep the correct distance from the runway on downwind. And it's not like there was any crosswind as an excuse.

The Tomahawk turned onto base and I was stuck having to extend downwind further until he passed abeam my wing before making the turn myself. Not that I cared as it set me up for a nice, long, stabilised final approach. Flaps 30, I turned onto final and then just locked in the numbers. It was all a bit dull actually. Until I got about 20 feet from the tarmac then a puff of wind caused me to drift off to the right - bugger. I was really trying to put it down so I could taxi off the runway at the first exit making for a shorter trip back to the apron.

I touched down and hit the brakes but as I neared the first exit they just started to lock up a little, so I thought rather than flip it on its lid trying to make the turn-off, which would definitely NOT be a good thing on first solo, I rolled down the runway to the second. "Congratulations" came through on the radio from the tower.

After landing checks and the taxi call then I proceeded on to the apron passing the instructor who was still walking back. Obviously he had stayed out on the field to watch. I offered him a lift but he motioned me to continue to the parking bay and secure the aircraft.

Handshakes all round and my lovely wife was waiting for me at the club. I was instructed to follow protocol and ring the First Solo bell and "go crazy". So I gave it one, loud "ding". "That was hardly crazy" said the instructor.

"It's not about crazy, it's about control & consistency" I said.

Well done - congratulations.

First solo is good but I found the first trrip solo to the training area was the REAL buzz - especially on a day with no cloud and no breeze.

All the best for the rest of the training.

Congrats

I am surprised that you didn’t notice the lack of weight, maybe something you shouldn’t mention.

Down wind leg, the T28 has the advantage that they can reference the runway against the wing. I would even go as far to say the T28 is a better learners Kite than the 172, the 172 being to easy and stable.

On the down wind leg pick out two reference points on the ground and just run them down. Two points so you can get your feet set up.

Have you been taught to crab down on finals or crossover

Lastly, never admit a mistake or mention that you have made a mistake
And get used to the paper war it only get worse, don’t ever show any emotion over it or any thing else. Good pilots are supposed to be unflappable.

You will soon be doing dead stick stuff solo. Nail it and Nail it hard, a few extra hours will do you no harm. And start looking for some inclement weather. crosswinds landings for a 172 is ??? 20 KNTs you want to be doing T&Gs in 19 knts. no point in learning when you don’t have a choice.

Get some hours in a low wing, ground effects are much greater, crosswinds, float etc

13 hours to solo, that’s ok, I know of many pilots who have gone past that before they could demonstrate competency. Me I did it in 10 but then I was flying since I was 10-11.

Well done! That was a great read.

The tradition at the club I soloed at was to dump a bucket of water on the newbie. This surprised me... but I didn't care. What an experience.

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

Well done! That was a great read.

The tradition at the club I soloed at was to dump a bucket of water on the newbie. This surprised me... but I didn't care. What an experience.

I did my training at Rossair at Parafield and there it was to cut a hole in your shirt over the left nipple and stick the piece of shirt on the 'Honour Roll' board.

Originally Posted by clean32

Congrats


Lastly, never admit a mistake or mention that you have made a mistake
And get used to the paper war it only get worse, don’t ever show any emotion over it or any thing else. Good pilots are supposed to be unflappable.

that will get you an instant fail from me,
this flying business is about honesty and procedures.
and something called 'airmanship'

not that i am a pilot,
but i do know some things about aviation.

Originally Posted by harry

that will get you an instant fail from me,
this flying business is about honesty and procedures.
and something called 'airmanship'

not that i am a pilot,
but i do know some things about aviation.

Bollox, the fliging business is full of over testosteroned egos who would think nothing about sniping down a prune. as far as honesty goes there is none.
There is a thread around here about warfies and unions, pilots are much more militant. Both ansett and quatas NZ were taken down by aussie pilots.
Just have a look at the childish behavior or PPrune and that’s just the wanabes

Procedures yes, airmanship = the appearance being carm and professional at all times, unflappable, a cold fish even. defiantly has its advantages.

But lets face it, a bus driver faces more challenges daily in there job driving a buss than a pilot faces on 99.99% of there flights. (The advantages of procedures) this has the result of producing an extremely boring job. result many pilots become worse than fish wife’s.

I would sagest that you are still endowed in the glow emitting from someone who sports egg.

not only am I pilot myself but I have also had the pleasure of having to pull air crew out of jails, hold there heads down toilet bowel's and ask fourren judges to go lenient and yes there employer will ensure that they will go into rehab.
I would be more inclined to trust an aussie pilot flying for Dragon than I would one flying for Quantas.