Flying Hours Today 1:20, Total 29:45
P1 Flying Hours Today 1:00, Total 1:15
Last weekend my flying lesson had been cancelled due to low cloud. At the time I had been expecting to fly to Sandtoft (EGCF) to practice circuits and get some more local solo flying experience. It wasn't worth going above the clouds for further consolidation training of turns and general handling so the lesson was cancelled with the agreement of my instructor.
It has now been some 3½ months since I last flew solo - at the end of February. I haven't been in the sky alone since that date, instead I've been focussing on completing the flight training syllabus and doing a great deal of navigation. I haven't even been doing any circuit bashing.
So I turned up at the flying school today expecting last week's delayed plan to be put into action. How wrong could I be?
A senior flight instructor, who I'd not seen before, was waiting with a piece of paper and some questions to ask me. After he had reviewed my flying notes and I'd answered the questions to his satisfaction - what to do if lost, entering cloud, entering MATZ etc. - I signed the dotted line. I was authorised to go cross country solo!
It has now been some 3½ months since I last flew solo - at the end of February. I haven't been in the sky alone since that date, instead I've been focussing on completing the flight training syllabus and doing a great deal of navigation. I haven't even been doing any circuit bashing.
So I turned up at the flying school today expecting last week's delayed plan to be put into action. How wrong could I be?
A senior flight instructor, who I'd not seen before, was waiting with a piece of paper and some questions to ask me. After he had reviewed my flying notes and I'd answered the questions to his satisfaction - what to do if lost, entering cloud, entering MATZ etc. - I signed the dotted line. I was authorised to go cross country solo!
Pilot Navigation
"When you have completed most, or all, of you basic flying training, the next challenge awaiting you is to deal with cross-country navigation.
Flying to another aerodrome, perhaps quite distant requires the additional knowledge and skills encompassed in flight planning and navigation."
From Trevor Thom's The Air Pilot's Manual 1 I absolutely wasn't expecting this. I was a bag of nerves. I planned a familiar route: Leeds (EGNM), Castle Howard, Elvington, Leeds. Then made all the appropriate checks of weather and NOTAMs, checked, then rechecked than got my flying instructor to check one of the leg calculations.
I still was in a bit of a daze. I was going to go and fly some distance alone. I needed some reassurance so asked the flying instructor to take me up for a single circuit at Leeds Bradford - having recalled my last flight with ear problems I wanted to know that I'd be ok today.
I did the circuit extremely well, everything came together perfectly. The flying instructor got out and I was on my own at EGNM. I did everything right, especially the R/T and preflight checks, and soon was at Harrogate and changing my heading Castle Howard.
The route took me through the Linton-on-Ouse (EGXU) MATZ (Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone), and so I checked with Leeds ATC to confirm that it wasn't active - and as it was a weekend, the MATZ was clear. From there I flew on to Castle Howard passing the disused RAF East Moor airfield, a navigation way point from an earlier flight. All was going OK and to plan.
"When you have completed most, or all, of you basic flying training, the next challenge awaiting you is to deal with cross-country navigation.
Flying to another aerodrome, perhaps quite distant requires the additional knowledge and skills encompassed in flight planning and navigation."
From Trevor Thom's The Air Pilot's Manual 1 I absolutely wasn't expecting this. I was a bag of nerves. I planned a familiar route: Leeds (EGNM), Castle Howard, Elvington, Leeds. Then made all the appropriate checks of weather and NOTAMs, checked, then rechecked than got my flying instructor to check one of the leg calculations.
I still was in a bit of a daze. I was going to go and fly some distance alone. I needed some reassurance so asked the flying instructor to take me up for a single circuit at Leeds Bradford - having recalled my last flight with ear problems I wanted to know that I'd be ok today.
I did the circuit extremely well, everything came together perfectly. The flying instructor got out and I was on my own at EGNM. I did everything right, especially the R/T and preflight checks, and soon was at Harrogate and changing my heading Castle Howard.
The route took me through the Linton-on-Ouse (EGXU) MATZ (Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone), and so I checked with Leeds ATC to confirm that it wasn't active - and as it was a weekend, the MATZ was clear. From there I flew on to Castle Howard passing the disused RAF East Moor airfield, a navigation way point from an earlier flight. All was going OK and to plan.
At Castle Howard I turned to Elvington, called Leeds with position and expected time at my next way point.
En route I was told of some unidentified traffic at my 2 o'clock, it turned out to be two microlights about 1000ft below me. Ahead, bang on the nose came Elvington runway, a long straight strip in the distance. I tried to confirm my position by looking for Full Sutton (EGNU), but couldn't make it out. I do find it difficult looking for grass strips from the air. I'm sure I identified the prison next to the airstrip so that gave me some comfort as a potential marker to confirm my position.
Keeping a good lookout, and heading directly for Elvington I suddenly noticed a large airfield in my 11 o'clock. Oh dear, something was amiss here. Further inspection of the 'runway' ahead now that it was getting nearer showed that it was actually a straight stretch of the A64 York by-pass but from where I was positioned it looked like a long runway strip. At this distance I couldn't see any traffic on the road. It did look like a long runway in the countryside.
I turned to Elvington and noted the time as I flew overhead, changed my heading for Eccup and reported my position to Leeds Approach.
I had been cruising at an altitude of 3100ft to avoid the Church Fenton MATZ. The cloud base was getting lower so I dropped to 2900ft. A minute or two later I realised I was still in the RAF Church Fenton (EGXG) MATZ. Oh Dear! I quickly made a call to Leeds to ask if the base was active today. They couldn't confirm, so offered me the Church Fenton tower frequency.
I didn't really know what procedure to follow so I made a sharp turn north to get out of the MATZ. This took me over York Racecourse where I could see the preparations for Royal Ascot well underway. I recalled the NOTAM for next week that the racecourse would be a temporary heliport ATZ, bring the rich and famous to this racing event in the North of England while the Ascot racecourse was undergoing redevelopment.
En route I was told of some unidentified traffic at my 2 o'clock, it turned out to be two microlights about 1000ft below me. Ahead, bang on the nose came Elvington runway, a long straight strip in the distance. I tried to confirm my position by looking for Full Sutton (EGNU), but couldn't make it out. I do find it difficult looking for grass strips from the air. I'm sure I identified the prison next to the airstrip so that gave me some comfort as a potential marker to confirm my position.
Keeping a good lookout, and heading directly for Elvington I suddenly noticed a large airfield in my 11 o'clock. Oh dear, something was amiss here. Further inspection of the 'runway' ahead now that it was getting nearer showed that it was actually a straight stretch of the A64 York by-pass but from where I was positioned it looked like a long runway strip. At this distance I couldn't see any traffic on the road. It did look like a long runway in the countryside.
I turned to Elvington and noted the time as I flew overhead, changed my heading for Eccup and reported my position to Leeds Approach.
I had been cruising at an altitude of 3100ft to avoid the Church Fenton MATZ. The cloud base was getting lower so I dropped to 2900ft. A minute or two later I realised I was still in the RAF Church Fenton (EGXG) MATZ. Oh Dear! I quickly made a call to Leeds to ask if the base was active today. They couldn't confirm, so offered me the Church Fenton tower frequency.
I didn't really know what procedure to follow so I made a sharp turn north to get out of the MATZ. This took me over York Racecourse where I could see the preparations for Royal Ascot well underway. I recalled the NOTAM for next week that the racecourse would be a temporary heliport ATZ, bring the rich and famous to this racing event in the North of England while the Ascot racecourse was undergoing redevelopment.
Once out of the MATZ I visually navigated around the boundary. North of Tadcaster then on to Boston Spa and Wetherby, using the radomes at RAF Menwith Hill as a reference point.
All too soon I was homing in on Eccup for entry back into the Leeds zone. Permission was granted to enter the zone, I was handed over to Leeds Tower. All the R/T was going very smoothly.
Leeds Tower gave me instructions for a right base for R32, I had written down the QFE and entered it in the altimeter. But then thought again: was that the QNH or QFE?
So I did what I've been trained to do and requested the QFE again. It was the value that I'd entered but it was good to get the confirmation from the tower. There was landing and taking off traffic as I approached the field but I slotted in perfectly for final approach.
An absolute greaser of a landing - why do these only happen when no one is in the aircraft to witness them? Parked up, closed down and back for the debrief.
Absolutely amazing. This solo cross country trip has given me so much confidence. A brilliant day of flying.
All too soon I was homing in on Eccup for entry back into the Leeds zone. Permission was granted to enter the zone, I was handed over to Leeds Tower. All the R/T was going very smoothly.
Leeds Tower gave me instructions for a right base for R32, I had written down the QFE and entered it in the altimeter. But then thought again: was that the QNH or QFE?
So I did what I've been trained to do and requested the QFE again. It was the value that I'd entered but it was good to get the confirmation from the tower. There was landing and taking off traffic as I approached the field but I slotted in perfectly for final approach.
An absolute greaser of a landing - why do these only happen when no one is in the aircraft to witness them? Parked up, closed down and back for the debrief.
Absolutely amazing. This solo cross country trip has given me so much confidence. A brilliant day of flying.
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