Flying Hours Today 0:55, Total 6:15
Having missed so many weekends my regular slot had been taken before I got the chance to make the booking for today. Fortunately I managed to get a late cancellation for today's lesson. It would mean a lazy Sunday morning for once, with the lesson scheduled for 1500hrs.
The weather wasn't promising. Even on Thursday the UK weather had been forecast for gales and heavy rain over the weekend. A call to the Leeds ATIS, and review of the TAF and METAR for EGNM showed that the signs were not good - high gusts, rain etc. etc.
I called the school at midday to get an update. It was touch and go, but I was told to get in for 1500hrs and we would take it from there.
Arriving at just before 3pm the weather didn't look too bad. The instructor had already been up in the twin engined Cougar - G-REAT - and declared the weather as not brilliant but doable. The wind and rain hadn't materialised, but the sky was quite overcast. All other trial lessons and leisure flights had been cancelled already.
We were to go in a different aircraft today: G-LFSK. A PA28, but with fairings etc. I took the opportunity to book the flight out with Leeds ATC - a first for me - giving information on the aircraft we would be taking, where we would be going (local flight), our anticipated duration, how many people on board, the captain's name and that we were to by flying VFR. Following that we headed to the aircraft.
I untied G-SK from the overnight weights and chocks, pulled her over for a refuel and then did the external checks. Including fuel tests which showed no water contamination, no debris. Because of the fairings covering the hydraulics, brakes, etc. I couldn't do every single item on the external checklist and completed as much as was possible.
Time to get into the cockpit, just as light rain started to fall. On with further checks and we were ready to start the engine. I requested the taxi instructions to F1 and then F3 where we progressed through the power checks. This delayed us a little and put us behind a KLM jet waiting to go to Amsterdam.
As that aircraft taxied down R14 to do the turn around we were given clearance to take off on R14 after the KLM jet had passed us. Straight onto the runway and away. I recall turning north and passing around 1000ft when the KLM jet was given clearance to take off... and to avoid us! I made certain that I soon got clear of the jet's flight path.
As we switched from Leeds Tower to Leeds Approach I had to acknowledge the frequency change. I was doing this by repeating the frequency, but noted that the frequency in the COM was different and I started to read this instead. Got quite confused and the instructor took over the hand over. It shows that you pay attention to ATC and not necessarily the COM settings. Lesson learned!
Medium Level Turns
"A medium level turn is a a turn performed: at a constant height; with a medium angle of bank (30° or less); at constant power; and in balance."
From Trevor Thom's The Air Pilot's Manual 1 We headed over to Harrogate and then on to Ripon. Looking for a good horizon to practice 30° medium level turns. This was going well, considering the murky conditions and the rain, I need to practice more on co-ordinating the rudder and the turn. I was getting the hang of the dual input when the instructor decided that the horizon was too weak to continue - we had done well and covered most of the lesson but it was time to turn back.
I untied G-SK from the overnight weights and chocks, pulled her over for a refuel and then did the external checks. Including fuel tests which showed no water contamination, no debris. Because of the fairings covering the hydraulics, brakes, etc. I couldn't do every single item on the external checklist and completed as much as was possible.
Time to get into the cockpit, just as light rain started to fall. On with further checks and we were ready to start the engine. I requested the taxi instructions to F1 and then F3 where we progressed through the power checks. This delayed us a little and put us behind a KLM jet waiting to go to Amsterdam.
As that aircraft taxied down R14 to do the turn around we were given clearance to take off on R14 after the KLM jet had passed us. Straight onto the runway and away. I recall turning north and passing around 1000ft when the KLM jet was given clearance to take off... and to avoid us! I made certain that I soon got clear of the jet's flight path.
As we switched from Leeds Tower to Leeds Approach I had to acknowledge the frequency change. I was doing this by repeating the frequency, but noted that the frequency in the COM was different and I started to read this instead. Got quite confused and the instructor took over the hand over. It shows that you pay attention to ATC and not necessarily the COM settings. Lesson learned!
Medium Level Turns
"A medium level turn is a a turn performed: at a constant height; with a medium angle of bank (30° or less); at constant power; and in balance."
From Trevor Thom's The Air Pilot's Manual 1 We headed over to Harrogate and then on to Ripon. Looking for a good horizon to practice 30° medium level turns. This was going well, considering the murky conditions and the rain, I need to practice more on co-ordinating the rudder and the turn. I was getting the hang of the dual input when the instructor decided that the horizon was too weak to continue - we had done well and covered most of the lesson but it was time to turn back.
By now the weather had closed in. The instructor took us back to Leeds, and he had to call for Special VFR into the airfield as even 3 miles out we couldn't make visual contact. An ILS approach was required.
It was interesting to watch and learn the ILS activity. As we drew closer to the airfield the lights for R14 emerged from the gloom. The runway looked much shorter and compact compared to a visual landing. We touched down and make a quick right exit onto the Foxtrot taxi way. Then to Multiflight West to shut down and tie G-SK down in the rain before heading back home after a useful and eventful lesson.
It was interesting to watch and learn the ILS activity. As we drew closer to the airfield the lights for R14 emerged from the gloom. The runway looked much shorter and compact compared to a visual landing. We touched down and make a quick right exit onto the Foxtrot taxi way. Then to Multiflight West to shut down and tie G-SK down in the rain before heading back home after a useful and eventful lesson.
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