Clear of Cloud

Lazy, Not Lost.

No, I didn't get lost over Cavan, I was just lazy about writing about it.

I made it and learned a couple of lessons in the process.
1. Its' really easy to think you can beat the weather.  I ran into some light rain and had to seriously ask myself if  could continue.  I did in the end, but I found myself asking whether I was running the risk of featuring in an accident report.
2.Winds aren't necessarily as forecast, look out the window and check exactly where you are.  If you're not where you should be, do something.
3.Fly the heading you planned, don't make it up as you go along and resort to "feature-crawling"
4.It's fun

Unfamiliar territory; real navigation.

Hopefully I set out on my second solo navigation exercise today.  This time it's a route to the north, to Virginia in Cavan, south to Mullingar and home.  This will be more of a challenge for me as I'm not familiar with the country-side between Weston and and Cavan.  I'll be relying purely on accurate flying and navigation skills without the crutch of known landmarks to reassure me along the way.  I'm also going to fly longer legs today, say 20miles between waypoints, which will hopefully mean more time to enjoy the view and not more time to get further off course :-) I'm planning for the former.

Yesterday's first solo nav-ex was successful.  There was more going on that I had been used to on the training flights.  More talking to ATC, several  frequency changes and a couple of orbits; one while waiting for clearance to enter military airspace, and one near home to provide separation between me and a Piper also on it's way to Weston.  Coping with these and still managing to navigate my way successfully along my course was a good confidence builder.

The next big waypoint to the licence is the long cross country flight, probably to Knock and back.  Since Knock is about the same distance as the route I flew yesterday, I reckon I'll be well able to cope with it.  Fly it once with and instructor and once on my own and we're done with the biggest steps.  After that it's just polishing up for the flight test.

Nearly there.

First Solo Navex

I'll write more about it later, but for now you'll have to make do with knowing that yours truly went navigating over Dublin Kildare and Offaly, busted nobodys airspace, arrived back at Weston safely and didn't bend the airplane on landing.

Good day that.

Today's the day - epilogue

Instructor Joe was a no-show so I didn't go on my solo cross country last week.  :-(

Saturday myself and Willie went up to do my first session of instrument appreciation. Hello artificial horizon, I think you're great...no not that kind of appreciation.  We flew out west and Willie decided that the first thing that I needed to be show was "the leans".  With my eyes closed and hands and feet off the controls, Willie commenced a series of turns.  I was to say whether we were turning left or right.  "Right....level....left, level right, level, right again" Willie instructs me to open my eyes; we're in a pronounced left hand turn yet my instincts would have been to turn left.  It was a very clear demonstration of why you should trust your instruments.

So I donned the foggles, eager to see what instrument flying is really like.  It is challenging and really easy to lose your grip on straight and level flight.  Because of some very choppy air, I was being bumped around a lot and I found it difficult to pick up the headings Willie specified.  In trying to nail the headings correctly I would fixate on the direction indicator and not keep a proper instrument scan going.  As a result by the time I'd picked up the heading, I would also have picked up another 200 feet of altitude.

To close off the session, Willie decided to mock radar-vector me back to the airport. We  got to within a couple of miles but the circuit pattern was too busy to fly it right down onto the approach.  Foggles off, I flew the circuit as normal but the crosswind had picked up awful lot - I was almost looking out the side window on landing..... and I really need to improve my rudder working, I don't think the undercarriage appreciated the touch down on that landing.

Overall I was really pleased.  The turbulence added significantly to the workload but as a first attempt it was quite respectable.  I got the feeling Willie thought I had done some instrument work on a simulator - I haven't so I'm taking that as a compliment.  The landing wasn't perfect but I think it the crosswind gave me more confidence to take more positive control of the airplane in future.  It was a good session.

Today's the day

After another successfull navigation exercise along the same route yesterday, Joe, my instructor, thinks I'm ready to do it on my own.  To tell the truth I'm a little aprehensive.   It's taken 80+ hours just to get this stage in my flying and I'm conditioned to doing things 20 times with an instructor before going it alone - being ready to go it alone a mere 2 spins "around the block" just doesn't sit right.

Thinking objectively about it though, that 80 hours of flight experience has to count for something and I've already brought good map reading and observational skills to my flying so I guess all that should mean good progress through the navigation.  And I suppse I am capable of coping with the unexpected.

I guess what I need now is just a little faith.... and some careful flight planning :-)

Getting there. (without getting lost)

The weather has been fantastic, dominated by high pressure systems and blue skies.  I've learned my lesson, use the weather and fly the credit card if needs be - and I have been.

I've been building my solo time and yesterday we cracked on with the navigation element of the training.  It was an hour flight around the block; Weston, Kilrush, Athy, Clonbulloge, Weston.  I took a little time to settle in but once I did, it was quite easy.  The eye-opener for me was the realisation that VFR (Visual Flight Rules) navigation is not a precision exercise.  As long as you arrive at the right town within a minute or so, you're doing well.  And I did. 

I'm going to do the same trip today with an instructor and if that goes well, off I go on my own tomorrow or Saturday.  The weather is set to deteriorate somewhat over the weekend but the early indications are that the good weather will return next week.  A forecast like that could see me tackle long the long cross country to Knock and back.  Do the Knock run solo and the biggest parts of the PPL syllabus are complete.  It's almost a little scary.