Lesson 35: Cross Country Navigation and Low Flying

It was a great day today as I went flying. I loved it. When I arrived at the airfield I didn't think I would be lucky really owing to the problem of the high gusts blowing across the runway. This made for dangerous crosswinds. The windsock was up and down like a fliddlers elbow! 

After some ground school, the wind had abated slightly and it was decided the wind was OK for us to proceed. As I did my external aircraft checks the aeroplane rocked with the wind and it was two very cold hands I had by the time I jumped in to the aircraft!

Today's lesson was to be a cross country navigation trip taking us East to Maypole Farm airstrip and then turning onto a South Easterly heading over Canterbury, Ashford on towards our next turning point Battle (Scene of the Battle of Hastings). From here we were to turn North up through Maidstone and home to Rochester.

En-route we were to fly low though two hills while approaching Ashford. This involved slowing the aircraft down and putting one stage of flap down. This technique allows you more time for getting your bearings and deciding on your next move. With one stage of flap, your visibility is improved. 

During the ground school my instructor taught me how to calculate "on the fly" a detour to another location. He had a detour calculator (like a ruler really) which was rather simple but like all things in this sense quite clever. I need to get one of these and practice. He explained that the examiner at the end of the course would be asking me to demonstrate this skill. Note taken!

We were on Runway 20 Relief for take off which was new for me and the take off run required full ailerons into wind and then after rotation a head into wind. As we climed out over the motorway and hit the turbulance from the trees the aircraft did quite a dance up and down actually and I commented that map reading in these conditions was going to be quite a challenge. In fact, I thought that if I was to be thrown around like this for an hour then I would be feeling quite queesy by the end of it never mind map reading!

I climbed out and turned west climbing up to 2,000ft and then looped back upon myself for an overhead departure on a heading of 94 degrees magnetic.

The first leg went fine although the wind appeared to be from my left (which would have been from the North). Sky Demon and also the Met Office Spot Wind Chart I took in the morning had forecast a tailwind and a groundspeed of 140 knots! Still, I made a correction once I got to Whitstable and found the Maypole airstrip fine. Turning around and heading down SW over Canturbury and Ashford everything went fine. During the low level flight it wasnt too easy to get the plane in trim but then climbing to 2000 ft again things were calmer.

I found Battle easy enough, although I had studied the area during the week similar to Maypole. Maypole was always going to be easy given it's proximity to the coast and other distinctive land markings but I wasn't too confident I would keep on track from Ashford down the Battle. In the end it went well as the first thing I recognised coming in was the Darwell Reservoir close to Battle.

Coming back North from Battle was OK, passing Bewl Reservoir on the left, crossing the railway line that runs East/West with Paddock Wood on the left hand side and Headcorn on the right. Overhead Maidstone I made a call into Rochester Information. From here I joined the circuit for a straight in approach to Runway 34.

My instructor pretty much landed the aircraft at the end as we were faced with a 25 Knot 50 Degree crosswind, and on 34! Not nice.

All in all, I had a great day with 1:25 Dual in the logbook and despite the wind reasonable navigation. I learnt about low flight and how slowing it down and putting a stage of flap in can help things considerably!

35.27-11-11 C152 G-CEPX EGTO EGTO 11:05 12:30 1:25 1-1 EX18A/B
HOURS = 31:55 INSTRUCTOR + 04:15 SELF

Lesson 34: Solo Circuit Time Completed

I woke up to a clear bright sky and was excited that I might actually fly this weekend. However while eating breakfast mist had formed so I was actually nervous when I arrived at the airport. While I was parking I saw my instructor who was going out with another student and it looked like we were in business! While the visilibility was not great it was certainly good enough for circuits. I was assuming it would be dual circuits (with the instructor) and after the week I had experienced at work I thought this would be for the best. I hadn't flown for a while so I had the butterflys going anyway.

Anyway, my instructor said "lets get your solo circuits done today" which meant obviously going solo. OK more butterflies arrived, lets see how we go.
First three landings (two stage, flapless and two stage) were very good indeed and my instructor remarked "That was perfect.. you haven't forgot to land thats for sure!". He jumped out and I carried around for 6 circuits. Visibility was not good into the sun and on the last two approaches, I was getting so warm and sweaty in the sun that my glasses started to mist up.

Landings were good except for the last but one (which was meant to be the last one - typical!!) where I bounced abit. As I bounced I thought about throttling in gently to ease back onto the runway as I had done before in a previous lesson. The ground was very soft and slippery. However, it didnt feel right so on the second bounce I decided I was going round so throttled right in. The last landing was not as good as the early ones but it was straight! I have noticed that when my instructor is not in the right hand seat the directional control on landing feels different. It feels like it goes to the left easier, even with right rudder.

Anyway, it was a hard long lesson but it was an achievement because my 4 hours of solo circuit work has now been completed. Of course there is a lot to look forward to in terms of work ahead but none-the-less it is still a milestone so I'm very pleased.

Looking back at today, the general circuit work was fine, and I didnt feel overwhelmed like in the early days of learning with the instructor. It just goes to show how training and practice really makes a difference.

MotionX-GPS track enclosed.

Name:		End Of Solo Circuits
Date:		19 Nov 2011 10:36 am
Map: (valid until May 17, 2012)		View on Map
Distance:		84.4 nautical miles
Elapsed Time:		1:37:33
Avg Speed:		51.9 kts
Max Speed:		120.9 kts
Avg Pace:		01' 09" per nm
Min Altitude:		399 ft
Max Altitude:		1,414 ft
Start Time:		2011-11-19T10:36:04Z
Start Location:
	Latitude:	51.347679º N
	Longitude:	0.503782º E
End Location:
	Latitude:	51.348083º N
	Longitude:	0.504095º E

logbook entry
34.19-11-11 C152 G-CEPX EGTO EGTO 10:50 11:20 0:30 3-3 EX12/13
34.19-11-11 C152 G-CEPX EGTO EGTO 11:20 12:15 0:55 2-2 EX12/13 SELF

HOURS = 30:30 INSTRUCTOR + 04:15 SELF

Grounded - FOG & Grounded - FOG

Arrrrrrrrr!!!!


Last nights lesson was cancelled and also today's :-(


We are caught in a prolonged period of fog. We need a new weather front to come through and clear it all out.


I have rebooked for next Sat AND Sun!! Surely one of those lessons will be ok!!

Grounded Again!

Grounded again. Its been so long since my last lesson. This morning it was murky and the cloud was cover was too low. The circuit was not navigable. This was the same as last week. I rebooked my lesson for next Saturday morning (crack of dawn slot) and for the Sunday after that (again , crack of dawn).

Enclosed some photos including the memorial at Rochester Airport.

Can't wait to be flying again...

Instructor On Holiday

My instructor is off on holiday this weekend so no flying. Last week I was too ill having just come out of hospital the day before and the week before that I was unfortunate enough to cop early morning rain and not get my lesson off the ground.

Oh well, this is flying I suppose however its torturous that the last two weekends have been bathed in glorious sunshine and clear blue skies.

I suppose the timing isn't bad as I have a lovely baby boy now 12 days old called Oscar to dote over.... Future pilot? Of course!!!!!

Until next time.

My website has changed now and this part of it is the blog component. OceansOfAir (me basically!) is also on Twitter. This is a handy way of posting my musings and updates to the site from my phone.

Lesson 33: A Trip To Lydd Airport In Gorgeous Sunshine

What a fantastic day it was today! It was 30 degrees celsius, still air and great visibility ....... in October. And even better than that (for me anyway) was the fact I was flying!! I arrived about 8AM in the most beautiful sunshine to a quiet airport. I had done my preparation the night before and in the morning by plotting out three routes as I was not sure what we would be doing today. As it turned out it was a super day combinig some navigation work and my first land-away at another airport - Lydd.

Everything went really well on my side, with lots of things to absorb. Lots of radio work. I had a failed transponder as well. The weather was amazing. Apparently it was the hottest day in October since records began yesterday and today was just as great.

The trip went from Rochester Airport (my home base) North East to Southend Pier, turning South East to Whitstable, East to and overhead Manston and South West over to Dover. On my plan I was to return home at this point but instead we headed down to Lydd Airport where landed.

It was my first time landing on a hard (non grass) asphalt runway and it was great. It was much bigger than the runways at my home airport so you have plenty of time to land. The circuit was large as well and it was nice going round the circuit over nice countryside and sea as opposed to the motorway, houses and supermarkets I have back home. Taking off on the way home we didnt even use flaps as the runway is so long. It felt so smooth with none of the bumpy bits you have on the grass runways.

The return leg home was a joy and the landing good. My instructor was pleased and said I could have done this on my own but there was a lot of radio work. I felt confident with this because of the work I had done leading up to yesterdays exam but its one thing saying everything right and another thing knowing exactly what to say and when.

Things to take away from todays wonderful day is I want to have better cockpit management (better map folding for a start), more map referencing and more work on the RT. What a great great day. I loved every minute of it.

logbook entry 

33.02-10-11 C152 G-CEFM EGTO LYDD 09:10 10:20 1:10 1-1 EX18
33.02-10-11 C152 G-CEFM LYDD EGTO 11:35 12:10 0:35 2-2 EX12E/13

HOURS = 30:00 INSTRUCTOR + 03:20 SELF

Ground School: Radio Telephony Theory Exam Completed

I sat and passed my Radio Telephony Theory (RT) Test this morning. Huraaaah! Huraaaah! I am pleased to get this out the way now as that's all my ground school tests done. It was nice as well to get 100% and finish on a high.

I was going to mention that I had previously purchased an audio revision RT guide from Pilot Wharehouse (see photo) and made my way through that when I was either in the gym or on the train etc. It's OK, there are 2 CDs with 29 tracks on each one and it extends beyond the scope of the test for the PPL course. It's not necessary to pass the test but it is useful if you just want to just extend your knowledge of the subject.
Hopefully flying tomorrow!

P.S. It is the 1st of October 2011 today and it is 29 Degrees C - absolutely scorching hot with no breeze! Incredible.

Autumnal Fog

I was up at 6:45 and really looking forward to go flying. Unfortunatly flying heavily relies on the weather, and the weather in this country is well sometimes ..... unpredictable and frustrating.

So you can imagine how I felt when I left my home in bright sunshine only to reach the airfield and be subject to what you see here in the photos.

Where I live it was absolutely fine. However, as is the way the weather works this time of year there can be heavily localised haze , mist and fog. The airfield I am learning to fly from is about 430ft above sea level. What had happened was the fog had lifted from the surrounding valley and had shrouded the airfield. Visibility was poor, say about 1km (it was barely possibly to see the end of the runway). A couple of cups of coffee and chat with the instructors and then it was time to quit. Shame. It was for me really quite a downer. I had been looking forward to it all week. I heard on my radio scanner a couple of hours later that flights had resumed. Today though was just one of those things. Given the timing of my lesson, it was not to be my day.

Oh well, I've booked for next weekend and I'm praying (like always) for some good weather. I can't wait to fly again.