Flying Hours Today 1:15, Total 5:20
Today when I woke up the weather wasn't looking too promising. Oh no, not another cancellation - I don't think I could face that.
I go on-line and get the weather forecast. The TAF and METAR for EGNM (note that I'm now using the ICAO code for the airport rather than that IATA code of LBA) looked promising so I set off for the flying school. This was a good decision as the lesson was definitely ON.
We started with a short briefing review from three weeks ago when the weather changed and curtailed the lesson and then went outside to the waiting aircraft.
As we checked out G-BODD the rain was falling lightly. All checks done and off we went - I managed to have intelligent conversations with Leeds tower and taxied to R27 via F3, hold for power checks, then R09, exit Charlie to hold A3.
We had to wait for a touch and go to complete, then we missed for our slot for some unknown reason. It was then that the kindly pilot behind, waiting patiently in his 737 informed the tower that we were in his way so couldn't progress. Tower apologised - they couldn't see us behind the 737 - and so gave us clearance to depart.
Out to R27, turn around and then cleared for take off. I was particularly pleased as I had completed all R/T conversations by myself with only a few prompts from the instructor.
We set off on the familiar track out to Harrogate in the overcast and cloudy weather - LEEDS BRADFORD EGNM 190552Z 190716 24013KT 9999 SCT020 SCT050 TEMPO 1016 23018G28KT.
I go on-line and get the weather forecast. The TAF and METAR for EGNM (note that I'm now using the ICAO code for the airport rather than that IATA code of LBA) looked promising so I set off for the flying school. This was a good decision as the lesson was definitely ON.
We started with a short briefing review from three weeks ago when the weather changed and curtailed the lesson and then went outside to the waiting aircraft.
As we checked out G-BODD the rain was falling lightly. All checks done and off we went - I managed to have intelligent conversations with Leeds tower and taxied to R27 via F3, hold for power checks, then R09, exit Charlie to hold A3.
We had to wait for a touch and go to complete, then we missed for our slot for some unknown reason. It was then that the kindly pilot behind, waiting patiently in his 737 informed the tower that we were in his way so couldn't progress. Tower apologised - they couldn't see us behind the 737 - and so gave us clearance to depart.
Out to R27, turn around and then cleared for take off. I was particularly pleased as I had completed all R/T conversations by myself with only a few prompts from the instructor.
We set off on the familiar track out to Harrogate in the overcast and cloudy weather - LEEDS BRADFORD EGNM 190552Z 190716 24013KT 9999 SCT020 SCT050 TEMPO 1016 23018G28KT.
The handover to Leeds approach went OK then we got stuck into a review of the lesson of climbs (full power, climb attitude, trim - 40ft to go and level off, gain airspeed, power to 2400rpm, trim), glides (carb heat on, power to idle, reduce airspeed, descent attitude - maintaining 75kts, 200ft from target - carb heat off, 100ft - apply power and pull the nose up), powered descents as glides but with 2000rpm.
There was a lot of R/T chatter regarding a Chinook in the area - but we failed to get visual as we moved to another, clearer, part of the sky. En-route I was exposed to some steep banking by the instructor over Ripon - which didn't agree too much with my stomach.
Descending With Flaps
"Extending the flaps causes a small increase in lift and a greater proportional increase in drag, i.e. the L/D (lift:drag) ratio is decrease. If maintaining a constant airspeed in the glide, the flightpath will be progressively steeper following the extension of each state of flap."
From Trevor Thom's The Air Pilot's Manual 1 Now it was time to practice the use of flaps when descending with power. We moved on to using flaps to enable us to fly at different speeds, maintaining similar descent rates, power to extend or reduce the descent distance.
We did a lot of this practice by targeting various fields, rivers, reservoirs and even RAF Menwith Hill as possible landing points.
All too soon we headed back to Leeds, with lots of grim looking showers ahead. My instructor managed to get us a direct approach on R27 so I could practice the approach which would become so familiar to me.
We arrived over Eccup reservoir at around 2000ft, heading 210. Then apply a right turn to 270 when over the reservoir some 4nm from the threshold. Two stages of flap applied, throttle to 1700rpm. Keep the runway number steady in the windscreen, a right to left crosswind so point the aircraft slightly to the right. R/T for the approach done by me with help. I suddenly noticed an Embraer on the runway! But it was turning away onto taxiway Delta (phew). Three levels of flap at about 500ft, fuel pumps were already on. Throttle fully back.
A tendency to pitch up as the runway approaches fast - but the instructor insisted that I maintain the down attitude. He took control at the very latest point and I followed the controls through as he flared and we gently touched down.
There was a lot of R/T chatter regarding a Chinook in the area - but we failed to get visual as we moved to another, clearer, part of the sky. En-route I was exposed to some steep banking by the instructor over Ripon - which didn't agree too much with my stomach.
Descending With Flaps
"Extending the flaps causes a small increase in lift and a greater proportional increase in drag, i.e. the L/D (lift:drag) ratio is decrease. If maintaining a constant airspeed in the glide, the flightpath will be progressively steeper following the extension of each state of flap."
From Trevor Thom's The Air Pilot's Manual 1 Now it was time to practice the use of flaps when descending with power. We moved on to using flaps to enable us to fly at different speeds, maintaining similar descent rates, power to extend or reduce the descent distance.
We did a lot of this practice by targeting various fields, rivers, reservoirs and even RAF Menwith Hill as possible landing points.
All too soon we headed back to Leeds, with lots of grim looking showers ahead. My instructor managed to get us a direct approach on R27 so I could practice the approach which would become so familiar to me.
We arrived over Eccup reservoir at around 2000ft, heading 210. Then apply a right turn to 270 when over the reservoir some 4nm from the threshold. Two stages of flap applied, throttle to 1700rpm. Keep the runway number steady in the windscreen, a right to left crosswind so point the aircraft slightly to the right. R/T for the approach done by me with help. I suddenly noticed an Embraer on the runway! But it was turning away onto taxiway Delta (phew). Three levels of flap at about 500ft, fuel pumps were already on. Throttle fully back.
A tendency to pitch up as the runway approaches fast - but the instructor insisted that I maintain the down attitude. He took control at the very latest point and I followed the controls through as he flared and we gently touched down.
Taxy along R27 to Foxtrot taxiway and back to the Multiflight West apron. I completed the closedown procedures to end another excellent lesson - and the instructor kindly apologised for the steep turns over Ripon which had cause me a bit of queasiness en route.
Altogether I booked 1hr 15 minutes on this flight as we had been waiting for some time at the A3 holding point. That takes me over the 5 hour mark - I should have this PPL business cracked in less than 4 years at this rate ;-)
Altogether I booked 1hr 15 minutes on this flight as we had been waiting for some time at the A3 holding point. That takes me over the 5 hour mark - I should have this PPL business cracked in less than 4 years at this rate ;-)
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