Extra260 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Hi All My planned flight on Tuesday was canceled due to.... you guessed it..... more bad weather (low cloud). Fortunately I had a booking for this morning and the weather was looking pretty good over the Barton training area. It was a nice cold morning, below zero overnight and a good frost on the aircraft (WWS today). Fortunately Terry figured that would be the case and fueled up before he put the plane on the grass last night, and when I got there this morning he had moved it onto the hard stand and it was pointed into the sun.. most of the ice was soft and already melting off. I remembered not to stand under the aileron during preflight checks, nothing like a ice cold shower before a flight! No delay's with the clearance today, cleared via Hall to the Barton training area at 4000ft, off Rwy 30. WWS is not the best performing aircraft, so I had to make a slight detour to the left after take off to avoid Mt Ainslee, flew past it level with the viewing area, gave the tourists something to look at There was a lot of low level local fog over the training area, luckily there were plenty of landmarks available and we could still just see the ground through it. TAV was also operating in the training area, so we spend a few minutes looking for it, I was pleased to spot it before Terry for a change. We flew off to the northern end of the training area to keep clear of them. Today's lesson was Advanced Stalls, and Incipient spin recovery. The stall recovery was ok, but I do have this annoying habit of wanting to use the ailerons... I put that down to 20+ years of flying model airplanes, and the last 3 or so flying aerobatic competitions with them. Anyway, we did stalls in a bunch of different configurations, I managed to recover one with less than 100ft in altitude loss. Then Terry demonstrated the incipient spin recovery technique.. being gentile with the old girl and not hooking it into the spin too violently. Then it was my turn, I was a bit more timid getting into the spin, a bootfull of rudder and nose down a bit to stop the spin and then ease the nose up power back on and off we go. Height lost, 500+ft. On the way back we did one practice forced landing, and apart from being too slow with my trouble checks the setup and approach was good, got the "we would have walked away from that" from Terry and then it was time to head back. Cleared direct to Canberra, and Tower asked for a square base before final, then into Rwy 12. I ended up a little high on the approach, and then put the last stage of flaps out a little early but still managed a good landing and pulled up before taxiway Kilo to avoid a lengthy taxi or trackback (that would have been unlikely as TAV was back in the circuit). After landing I realised I missed something on my landing check, forgot to put the mixture back to full rich Terry reckons he didn't miss it (I believe him) and was ready to push it in if needed. He mentioned that it's easy to forget things on straight in approaches as we spend so much time doing circuits, and you get used to doing checks on downwind etc. So apart from missing the mixture on the landing check, I was pretty happy with the lesson. All I need now is a crosswind and then I'll be signed of to do my area solo's. I left Terry with instructions to call me if there is a usable crosswind and an instructor/aircraft available! Vincent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agrajag Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 That is one of the more fun lessons isn't it ) The first time I did a stall I had a big wing drop (my rudder use sucked) and smacked my head on the side of the cockpit! It is a bit better these days ) The full-slip stalls are my favorite. forgetting a check is pretty easy when the circuit is even just a little unusual. The weather in Adelaide has been poor for awhile too so I leave the carby-heat on until about to turn base, this means I have done all the downwind checks except for turning the heat off. Guess who almost never remembers to turn it off during base. GRRR. I now have a little base turn checklist so hopefully I wont forget it anymore. Here is looking to some better weather. My test keeps getting put off and circuits are getting boring! (well, except last Sunday when I was with the instructor doing 13kt crosswinds on approach then being hit with the mechanical turbulence at flare height because of the hangars!) Steven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extra260 Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 That is one of the more fun lessons isn't it ) The first time I did a stall I had a big wing drop (my rudder use sucked) and smacked my head on the side of the cockpit! It is a bit better these days ) The full-slip stalls are my favorite. LOL! The C150 cockpit is so small there's no where to go.. I'm already hard up against the door in straight and level! forgetting a check is pretty easy when the circuit is even just a little unusual. The weather in Adelaide has been poor for awhile too so I leave the carby-heat on until about to turn base, this means I have done all the downwind checks except for turning the heat off. Guess who almost never remembers to turn it off during base. GRRR. I now have a little base turn checklist so hopefully I wont forget it anymore. I leave carby heat on until short final.. that was probably the first thing I kept forgetting, now on finals I fly with my hand on the throttle and thumb on the carb heat (it's right next to the throttle so easy to do).. that way I remember to turn it off (usually wait till over the fence). Here is looking to some better weather. My test keeps getting put off and circuits are getting boring! (well, except last Sunday when I was with the instructor doing 13kt crosswinds on approach then being hit with the mechanical turbulence at flare height because of the hangars!) Which test are you up to? Anyway, good luck with the weather. I'm hanging out for a crosswind at the moment, in the mean time I'm studying the Canberra VTC so I don't get lost on my area solo's. Vincent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agrajag Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 LOL! The C150 cockpit is so small there's no where to go.. I'm already hard up against the door in straight and level! And the 150 is more than likely bigger than my little two seater ) I leave carby heat on until short final.. that was probably the first thing I kept forgetting, now on finals I fly with my hand on the throttle and thumb on the carb heat (it's right next to The newer SportStars have them next to the cabin heating and cooling controls below the throttle. Basically it is hidden by the throttle, especially when you have your right hand on it during the approach. It is a little awkward and a scan of the panel won't remind because it is out of view. Which test are you up to? Anyway, good luck with the weather. I'm hanging out for a crosswind at the moment, in the mean time I'm studying the Canberra VTC so I don't get lost on my area solo's. On Sunday (again) I have my pre-test with an instructor. If I pass that then I do the test a second time with the CFI which is booked for Wednesday. Weather permitting! Passing will give me my pilot certificate with cross-country and passenger endorements. Basically I can then fly a single seater or two seater tricycle undercarraige RA aircraft anywhere within Australia except protected airspace (ie, class C). I have been told that the test is modeled on the GFPT with the addition of the cross country testing. I have been unsure of position a couple of times. One time I was on a solo nav heading back from kangaroo island when the weather was marginal, it was amazing how different it all looked when the visibility was lower than usual and a 3,100 foot cloud base. I was where I thought I was but the disorientation because I thought I should recognise the place and couldn't was pretty powerful. It was a good lesson in making sure I do all my navigation tasks even when I am near someplace I fly regularly. Good luck with the cross-winds though it looks like it won't get very windy for awhile yet. I take that with a 15 knot demostrated crosswind component you need at least 10 knots for signoff? It looked like tuesday or wednesday might be the best over the next week or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bosch Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Good news Vincent! There's not much Terry misses is there. Of all the instructors I've flown with (3 now) he is certainly the most observant. I was meant to study up for my pre-area solo while down the coast but I was having too much fun fishing and did nothing. So now I have a real study rush ahead of me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Extra260 Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 Good news Vincent! There's not much Terry misses is there. Of all the instructors I've flown with (3 now) he is certainly the most observant. I was meant to study up for my pre-area solo while down the coast but I was having too much fun fishing and did nothing. So now I have a real study rush ahead of me Hi John Glad you enjoyed your holiday... could use one myself The pre-area solo exam is only about 15 questions, and it's all stuff you know, such as what to squawk on a radio failure, min altitude over Murrumbatemen, approach frequency, inbound clearance request, contents of a mayday call etc. The only one that caught me out was the definition of "cleared for a visual approach". Look it up as there is a bit more to it than I thought. Vincent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bosch Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Thanks. I'll look it up. I know there isn't much needed for the pre-area solo but that BAK is looming closer too. I was planning to use the past week to start studying because I usually have a few hours early in the day when the family is still asleep while we're on this yearly holiday. This year though the weather was so good each day I found myself on the beach with a rod every day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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