More circuits today so we headed off to the training area at Bradfield. Now Bradfield only has one runway and because one end is heavily wooded, I had to land with a 10-12 kt cross wind that was blowing slightly from behind. On short final I kept to the centre line but because of the slight tail wind I was going to over-shoot so I powered on and went around again.
The next time around I got it in with a bit of buffeting as we came down through the tree's but the landing was ok. We did another seven landings and another aborted landing, but out of the eight landings we did I would say considering the conditions two were good, three were ok and three were a bit hairy but none were hard or bouncers.
We then headed back to Lynfield for a slightly on the nose cross wind power on short field landing. For the first time I got the airspeed and attitude working together and some slight power adjustments got us nicely over the fence but then I stuffed up by pulling the power off as we crossed over the fence, then I dropped the nose, rounded out, flared and put it on the ground.
At debriefing I was told in no uncertain terms how dangerous it was pulling the power off early but I was told I did save the situation by dropping the nose when I did.
Next time I will remember the power doesn't come off till I flare.
I'm starting to feel the landings are more controlled and not something that happens with some control.
T/T 7.5 hrs
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Day 5 - Finding airfields and joining circuits
26th January 2009
(Note lesson date and scroll down to find oldest unread post)
Finding airfields and joining circuits is what we did today because the weather was too bad around our training area.
We climbed to 1900 ft to keep below the cloud base and headed for Gatton as the weather looked better over there. I noted wind direction and joined circuit down wind. When I turned base I kept the power on longer because we had a head wind, but then over shot the airfield centre line a little which I didn't mean to do, but it worked out well because of the cross wind final.
Now because I had worked out that I may have been looking too short up the field for guaging my height when I've been flaring, this time I tried looking further up the strip as I came in, flared and put it nicely on the grass. YAARHOO..!!!! And I have a record of it, my wife got it on video as she was out flying with JimG in Kev's Tecnam and just happened to be there at Gatton Airpark saw us coming in and grabbed the video camera, Awesome..!!!!
We had a quick cup of coffee (thank you Marty) and got airbourne again:
Kevin told me there was a private airstrip beside the railway line, half way between Forest Hill and Laidley (which is south west of Gatton). "Find it, join circuit and land there".
I found it, joined circuit and turned onto final and noted the electric train power lines that I would have to clear before dropping onto the airfield the other side of the power lines. As I cleared the power lines I pushed the nose down rounded out , flared and a got a reasonable smooth landing on a rough field.
Airbourne again, we headed back home detouring around a couple of showers and came into Lynfield on a powered approach. I got it down nicely but because of our ground speed with a little tail wind I was having trouble keeping it straight up the strip but still managed to pull it up so we didn't have to turn back to the hanger.
All in all a good day, three good landings in trying conditions and I'm pumped.
Now all I have to do is landings like that next lesson and I'll be happy.
T/T 6.4 hrs
(Note lesson date and scroll down to find oldest unread post)
Finding airfields and joining circuits is what we did today because the weather was too bad around our training area.
We climbed to 1900 ft to keep below the cloud base and headed for Gatton as the weather looked better over there. I noted wind direction and joined circuit down wind. When I turned base I kept the power on longer because we had a head wind, but then over shot the airfield centre line a little which I didn't mean to do, but it worked out well because of the cross wind final.
Now because I had worked out that I may have been looking too short up the field for guaging my height when I've been flaring, this time I tried looking further up the strip as I came in, flared and put it nicely on the grass. YAARHOO..!!!! And I have a record of it, my wife got it on video as she was out flying with JimG in Kev's Tecnam and just happened to be there at Gatton Airpark saw us coming in and grabbed the video camera, Awesome..!!!!
We had a quick cup of coffee (thank you Marty) and got airbourne again:
Kevin told me there was a private airstrip beside the railway line, half way between Forest Hill and Laidley (which is south west of Gatton). "Find it, join circuit and land there".
I found it, joined circuit and turned onto final and noted the electric train power lines that I would have to clear before dropping onto the airfield the other side of the power lines. As I cleared the power lines I pushed the nose down rounded out , flared and a got a reasonable smooth landing on a rough field.
Airbourne again, we headed back home detouring around a couple of showers and came into Lynfield on a powered approach. I got it down nicely but because of our ground speed with a little tail wind I was having trouble keeping it straight up the strip but still managed to pull it up so we didn't have to turn back to the hanger.
All in all a good day, three good landings in trying conditions and I'm pumped.
Now all I have to do is landings like that next lesson and I'll be happy.
T/T 6.4 hrs
Monday, January 26, 2009
Day4 - Around and around we go
21st January 2009
Today we did circuits and my foot work on the ground with the rudder is getting better HOORAY..!!!!!
We started off with the usual briefing and then headed off for the training area. The first couple of landings weren't too bad but the circuits needed to be tidied up and I had to be reminded to do my down wind checks. And then my circuits improved and so did my down wind checks but my landings got worse, to the point where I thought I was going to break the poor little Drifter in half, and I can tell you I was glad to hear it was time to go.
We did a powered approach back at home base and I managed to do a bouncer, so Kev grabbed the controls and saved the situation but didn't save my ego. I feel like I have gone backwards in a big way and at the moment I'm not looking forward to my next lesson.
T/T 5.3 hrs.
Today we did circuits and my foot work on the ground with the rudder is getting better HOORAY..!!!!!
We started off with the usual briefing and then headed off for the training area. The first couple of landings weren't too bad but the circuits needed to be tidied up and I had to be reminded to do my down wind checks. And then my circuits improved and so did my down wind checks but my landings got worse, to the point where I thought I was going to break the poor little Drifter in half, and I can tell you I was glad to hear it was time to go.
We did a powered approach back at home base and I managed to do a bouncer, so Kev grabbed the controls and saved the situation but didn't save my ego. I feel like I have gone backwards in a big way and at the moment I'm not looking forward to my next lesson.
T/T 5.3 hrs.
Day3 - Stall time
15th January 2009
Because of weather and other things it has been over a week since my last lesson, so I was a little nervous this morning probably because of the fact we were going up to do stalls and I wasn't too sure how I was going to go.
At last I did a take off without doing z's, they may have been s's but they were not z's. Even so it did get a bit hairy but I got it into the air without modifying a wing on a tree.
We got to height, selected an area, checked for other a/c etc etc and got into doing stalls and power-on stalls. Lesson done we headed back to Bradfield for a break and a coffee. Kev got me to come in pretty high over Bradfield and then got me to do descending turns left and right until we were down to final height and then straighten up for a short final. I dropped it in pretty hard with Kev coming on the controls once we were on the ground to help me to keep it straight. He said the landing was not that bad which helped me feel a bit better about it.
After coffee we headed back to Lynfield where the landing was hard again but not as bad as it was at Bradfield, so we had a debriefing and called it a day.
T/T so far 4.3 hrs and I feel I'm progressing.
Because of weather and other things it has been over a week since my last lesson, so I was a little nervous this morning probably because of the fact we were going up to do stalls and I wasn't too sure how I was going to go.
At last I did a take off without doing z's, they may have been s's but they were not z's. Even so it did get a bit hairy but I got it into the air without modifying a wing on a tree.
We got to height, selected an area, checked for other a/c etc etc and got into doing stalls and power-on stalls. Lesson done we headed back to Bradfield for a break and a coffee. Kev got me to come in pretty high over Bradfield and then got me to do descending turns left and right until we were down to final height and then straighten up for a short final. I dropped it in pretty hard with Kev coming on the controls once we were on the ground to help me to keep it straight. He said the landing was not that bad which helped me feel a bit better about it.
After coffee we headed back to Lynfield where the landing was hard again but not as bad as it was at Bradfield, so we had a debriefing and called it a day.
T/T so far 4.3 hrs and I feel I'm progressing.
Day2 - Step two and three
8th January 2009
In the Drifter at Gatton Airpark
Today we did two lessons, the first was straight and level and the basics of this is pick a point on the horizon and keep the nose pointing towards that point and don't loose or gain any height while you are maintaining your heading. It sounds simple but as I found out it takes a lot of concentration to keep the wandering up and down left and right to a minimum, but Kev said because of my minimum time I've got it wasn't too bad so no doubt it will get better as time goes on.
Then we landed at Bradfield and had a cup of coffee. Kev got me to bring it in till the fence line then he said it was his plane and for me to stay on the controls with him.
The major problem I'm having at this point is the rudder, while on the ground I cannot seem to keep the a/c (aircraft) straight. I seem to be too aggressive or something and creating a "z" pattern up the strip. I've got to slow my feet down and get my movements smoother. I guess it will come.
Three lessons and 2.6 hrs up so far and feeling like I'm progressing well, I'm stoked.
In the Drifter at Gatton Airpark
Today we did two lessons, the first was straight and level and the basics of this is pick a point on the horizon and keep the nose pointing towards that point and don't loose or gain any height while you are maintaining your heading. It sounds simple but as I found out it takes a lot of concentration to keep the wandering up and down left and right to a minimum, but Kev said because of my minimum time I've got it wasn't too bad so no doubt it will get better as time goes on.
Then we landed at Bradfield and had a cup of coffee. Kev got me to bring it in till the fence line then he said it was his plane and for me to stay on the controls with him.
The major problem I'm having at this point is the rudder, while on the ground I cannot seem to keep the a/c (aircraft) straight. I seem to be too aggressive or something and creating a "z" pattern up the strip. I've got to slow my feet down and get my movements smoother. I guess it will come.
Then after the coffee the second session (third lesson) was turns, doing medium turns left and right, climbing turns left and right and descending turns left and right and then headed back to Kev's strip (Lynfield). At Kev's strip we join base, throttle back to a idle and Kev's giving me some prompts as to what the airspeed should be and telling me to make the turn onto final so I have the centerline lined up. I did this and the prompts kept coming, then getting near the fence I felt I may be a bit low for the fence so I dribbled in a little power and off again to make sure we cleared the fence. Then a load voice came over the intercom "get that nose down get that nose down", so I pushed the stick forward and dropped the nose by about ten degrees.
Now I can tell you at this point I was expecting Kev to be on the controls but he wasn't and the ground was coming up quick, so I started to pull the stick back to start rounding out and as I went to initiate a flair we were on the ground. Then I felt the rudder moving under my feet so thankfully Kev was keeping it straight for me as my "z" patterns on the ground are not good for the a/c or it's occupants (not with trees so close at his strip).Three lessons and 2.6 hrs up so far and feeling like I'm progressing well, I'm stoked.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Day 1 - Up, up and away!
5th January 2009
I know at 67yrs of age I've left it a bit late to decide to start to learn to fly but it is something I have always wanted to do going back to early memory when I was a kid, anyway here I am now just done my first .9 hour lesson.
I had spoken to several people about going for my licence and they all said go and do my training with Kevin Walters and he'll start you off in the Drifter and then when you solo in that he'll then switch you over to the Tecnam sierra and get into cross country nav's.
It was the usual first lesson being shown what the controls did and letting me have a go and after about fifteen minutes of that he let me fly the Drifter back from the training area to his strip. Now when I say his strip I expected Kev to take over and do the base and final but he kept talking me down until we were over the fence! And then he said "MY PLANE but stay on the controlls with me and feel what I am doing". I was amazed that he let me fly it in so far..!!!! (As both my brothers are pilots I had done some straight and level before and done simulator for a few years but being a hot day the thermals were throwing the Drifter around a bit).
Ok I'm stoked, being 67yo some people including my instructor told me not to get my hopes up too much because most people at that age are not able to achieve their dream.
After we got back from the lesson Kevin said I didn't have to worry about that and said in fact I performed possibly a little above average. What a relief..!!!
But I do realise now I have to be able to pass the theory, so I'm going to have to study study and more study.
I know at 67yrs of age I've left it a bit late to decide to start to learn to fly but it is something I have always wanted to do going back to early memory when I was a kid, anyway here I am now just done my first .9 hour lesson.
I had spoken to several people about going for my licence and they all said go and do my training with Kevin Walters and he'll start you off in the Drifter and then when you solo in that he'll then switch you over to the Tecnam sierra and get into cross country nav's.
It was the usual first lesson being shown what the controls did and letting me have a go and after about fifteen minutes of that he let me fly the Drifter back from the training area to his strip. Now when I say his strip I expected Kev to take over and do the base and final but he kept talking me down until we were over the fence! And then he said "MY PLANE but stay on the controlls with me and feel what I am doing". I was amazed that he let me fly it in so far..!!!! (As both my brothers are pilots I had done some straight and level before and done simulator for a few years but being a hot day the thermals were throwing the Drifter around a bit).
Ok I'm stoked, being 67yo some people including my instructor told me not to get my hopes up too much because most people at that age are not able to achieve their dream.
After we got back from the lesson Kevin said I didn't have to worry about that and said in fact I performed possibly a little above average. What a relief..!!!
But I do realise now I have to be able to pass the theory, so I'm going to have to study study and more study.
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