Wake Vortex: A Wake Up Call!

Flying Hours Today 2:15, Total 34:50

P1 Flying Hours Today 0:45, Total 4:20

Today was one of those full of flying experiences that I'll remember for some time to come. I should have known it was to be an interesting day when we started the flying lesson as we took off from Leeds (EGNM).

Departure instructions on R32 were to take off with left turn to exit the zone. I took off and at 500ft was instructed to make a right turn so my visualisation of our route was scrapped and I made for the easier and safer route out of the zone via Eccup. Flying over countryside rather than houses.

We left Leeds for Sandtoft today for more circuit consolidation. I need to build up my solo flying hours and really get my landings and circuit pattern nailed. I'm quite fine with this as I believe the navigation exercises are well covered and one of my apprehensions has been my ability to be able to land anywhere and in most conditions.

All was going fine with the instructor then I was let out on my own. My first circuit was fine, but on the second touch and go there was a crosswind on the narrow runway at Sandtoft (EGCF). I landed and used rudder for alignment, I had over aligned, so corrected in the other direction, but overcompensated. At the same time applying full power for a touch and go, by now weaving all over the place and heading for what looked like the edge of the tarmac at the wrong angle.

Quick decision time - stay or go? Brakes or power? Within a second I was aloft and so elected to continue, phew, but not too steeply please as there are buildings at the end of the runway so a fast shallow climb better than steep and slow to bust through any turbulence. I was really shaken by that incident.

Flying the following downwind I must have lost so much concentration I dropped to 700ft without noticing. Time to shape up and get back to 1000ft and sort things out. A strong word to myself and I got myself back on track with a few more touch-and-goes but that drop in altitude really did worry me - it simply shouldn't be happening at this stage in my flight training.

This flying business really focusses the mind - you can't decide to stop and get off when the ride gets bumpy. You need to focus until you are parked safely on the ground with the engine switched off.

I completed a few more touch-and-goes, all quite acceptable and the occasional greaser. On the last landing is came to a full stop to pick up my flying instructor and the we headed back to Leeds. A simple and familiar flight: heading of 280, joining from the east.

At Leeds the active runway today is 32, with right hand circuits. In my head, and looking out of the window I am visualising the situation. We are approaching a north westerly runway, from the east. Usual manner is to join base which would be 230, a simple left turn to get into position.

But not today, there was big iron in the vicinity - Boeing 737s - so I had to join downwind, i.e. 140. I was already heading to the downwind leg, but the wrong way around for a right hand circuit. The situation wasn't helped by another training PA28 given instructions to take off for a right hand circuit from runway 32.

Now I trust the judgement of ATC but I wasn't comfortable with being asked to join downwind by flying the opposite way along the downwind leg in order to turn tightly 180 degrees onto downwind especially when knowing another pilot was in the circuit on crosswind at this time. That manoeuvring was slightly unsettling but not too bad for what was to come.

We do the 180 turn and get settled on downwind. As a Ryanair B737 was approaching to land I was asked by ATC to do a couple of left hand orbits before base turn. A tip here from the instructor is to orbit around a fixed point - I chose a small lake and flew around that as the Ryanair jet landed.

Keep using the turn indicator to maintain the 2 min orbit but also fix to the ground position. This ensures that you don't drift and that in marginal weather you will always be sure of your position.

ATC instructed us to give 6 minutes clearance from the 737 to avoid any wake turbulence so we fly a long downwind and base. I'm now overflying built up Leeds for the first time away from the airfield so no chance to stretch a glide for landing.

I asked the instructor where he would put down in event of engine failure. He nominates a couple of football pitches that look so small to me, and surrounded by trees and houses. How on Earth would I be able to fly and land on those postage stamp sized fields?

I turned for final some way out, perhaps 4nm, and set up the aircraft for a nice gentle approach. Some 2 miles out, at 600ft, the aircraft just DROPS out of the sky, lurches to the right and down.

My instructor grabs the controls with none of the 'I have control' niceties. Kicks left rudder and left aileron, nose down, power etc. recovers in seconds but felt like forever.

I continue and do a good landing. It would appear that we got caught in the wake vortex of the 737. I've read about this but it was absolutely terrifying. Like a stall but with zero warning, no buffeting, no warner etc. I don't honestly know what I would have done if I'd been flying solo. We could have so easily gone into a spin and at only 600ft wouldn't have had much chance to recover.

I'm still ruminating over that one. A very close escape. That was one of those great learning opportunities that you can read all about in the flying books but until it happens you would never be able to have it explained to you on the ground.

Leeds Circuits

Flying Hours Today 1:00, Total 32:35

P1 Flying Hours Today 0:30, Total 3:35

Although I have been making good progress in my flight training I still feel that the most important, and mandatory, aspect of flying is still not quite as good as it should be... the landing.

So today we took an hour out to do some circuits at Leeds to get me back into practice for landings.

These were circuits with my third instructor. Some people have difficulty changing instructors but I have no problems and take it as an opportunity to pick up new skills and ideas that other instructors might not have.

As expected I learned some new skills and new approaches to handling the aircraft. I found the method used today to be more appropriate to my way of thinking. It was more logical and everything fitted together better.

Take off was as usual - remembering 'Lights, Camera, Action' as yet another phrase to commit to memory. Lights on for take off and landing, camera is the squawk - so others can see you, and action is when things begin so recall a clapperboard and make a note of the time.

Climing in the normal circuit pattern to 1000ft, level off but before turning and adjusting power, trim to 95kts. Follow this with the turn and then adjust power to maintain height and speed. At the end of the downwind leg drop the power to 1800rpm then turn. After turning, the speed with be OK for flap deployment. Drop two stages, bring the airspeed to 80kts then trim for the powered glide at that speed. Before you know it you will be at 600ft and at the right position to turn for final. Do so then glide at 70kts for final approach and for a great touch down.

The weather was good today - no need for any crosswind adjustments but I will need to start practicing in them again soon, which shouldn't be too difficult in the UK, and especially so at Leeds Bradford (EGNM), as it is situated on the brow of a hill.

After six circuits with the instructor - a mix of left and right hand circuits - I was sent out on my own to complete as many circuits as I saw fit. I would be doing solo right hand circuits due to the traffic pattern at EGNM - this doesn't leave much room for error in this built up and hilly part of the zone. Left hand is much easier from R32 as you have R27 as a fall back to land on if there are issues on the downwind.

By now the airport was waking up and the big commercial jets from KLM and BMI were interrupting my schedule. On one touch and go I noted a KLM jet a the hold point near threshold of R14, waiting for me to clear. On the downwind leg I had to make a right hand orbit to allow the KLM jet to line up and take off. It was quite enjoyable to just hang there in the air watching all this happening. Also quite humbling to watch the take off speed and climb rate of these aircraft - puts the PA28 capability into perspective.

On one of the circuits I noted the aircraft approaching the stall on final approach. I don't know if this was for real, or my imagination, or just turbulence. I checked the speed at 70kts which was correct, but it did give me a brief cause for concern. Due to this, and the fact that I was beginning to get mentally tired I made one more circuit before calling it a day and returned to the GA apron, shut down and returned to the flying school for a debrief.

I won't be flying again for 3 weeks due to holidays, and then another 3 weeks due to other commitments so I'll target the last week in July for further consolidation and hope to include some flap-less and flapped landings at a smaller airfield such as Sandtoft weather permitting.

Radio Telephony (R/T) Practical Exam

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 31:35

P1 Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 3:05

I'm writing this just after I've sat my practical R/T (Radio Telephony) examination. Wow, that was tough, a total duration of just over 1.5 hours. 10 mins intro, 20 minutes prep time then 1hr of activity.

Let's just say, before I go any further, that I passed and now I have a licence to broadcast on the air from my aircraft. But I didn't think I had once I saw the examiner's remarks paper that was covered in red pen. It turns out that he was simply making comments and only had a red pen to hand - phew!

The set up was one of the more modern examination environments. A dedicated PC along with headphones, and a comms box used to house the jack plugs for the headphones, the PTT (Press To Talk) button and a red light that came on when an emergency was underway.

I was introduced to the PC application. Most of the screen is a visual representation of a section of an aviation chart. This included AIAAs, Danger Areas, Class A airways, ground obstacles such as high towers etc. It didn't help that the section was obviously based on an area of the West Country with towns, airfields etc. all placed where you would expect them to be - but with made up names. So my head is already visualising position reports but having to use none standard names.

On the screen is a blue line showing my intended track, as if it had been plotted on a regular chart. The right hand of the screen has a DI type of instrument. I was shown how this controls the direction of the aircraft as it moves along the track. Oh yes, you have to steer the aircraft as it moves along the track. Not as difficult as it may sound, but another thing to consider. It was also possible to speed up the simulate movement between reporting points.

At the foot of the PC screen were digital representations of COM1 / COM2 and the toggle switch, as well as a simulated transponder. All these worked for tuning and setting values and would be used in the test.

I was then given some time to look at the paper work: a flight log showing directions, reporting points, altitudes, times etc., just like a regular log. A list of all known stations on the chart section, their call signs and frequencies. The list was comprehensive and by no means would all stations been expected to be used as there were probably more than 20.

The test is to pick out the right ones for the right service at the right time. Finally a paper giving basic instructions about the flight e.g. take off from here, climb to here, do a position fix on this leg, request weather, make a decision to land - if necessary divert to here etc.

And then I was ready to go. First of all taking off from ATC using SVFR in Class A airspace. Hmmm, nothing like a nice easy start.

I was then given the choice to make my position fix either by a fix call or tune for QDM request - I chose the latter. A simulated emergency thrown in - the PC displays what has failed at the examiner's discretion!

Contact with military radar, FIR information, MATZ, radar information (LARS), etc. Lots of height changes, QNH / QFE changes en-route and the difficult bit is remembering current height - which isn't really important until you re-read the instructions and are supposed to be changing height at a certain point for an upcoming activity which forms part of the test.

I made an additional point to report position and gave my new height - it was a flight level (FL) by the way rather than regular altitude. A PAN PAN thrown in for good measure.

Towards the end, about 50 mins in, I was feeling confident and approaching my destination field. I contacted the tower - because in the field notes the approach wasn't in service during xxxxhrs to yyyyhrs - just the time period of my simulated flight was taking place.

Because I'd gone straight to tower my head was thinking this was an AFIS so I was telling the ATC what I was doing - rather than waiting instruction. Oops. My big mistake. In reality the tower may have been sterner at saying they they were not an information service!

I'd requested and checked the weather, all was good for a landing. The test was coming to an end and I was feeling good. I was number two to land behind a Cessna. Continuing approach, only the landing to do. It is odd that you are only making calls rather than really downwind, final etc. - just follow the calls one after the other.

I had also started to direct my on-screen aircraft to fly downwind and base until the instructor told me directly that I didn't have to bother - phew, a workload gone there.

Anyway, back to the approach. Am waiting for the 'clear to land' instruction when all of a sudden the aircraft ahead had had a problem on landing, broken nose wheel, airfield would be closed for some time.

Initiate go-around. Which I did. Then had to make calls to state intentions to divert. Aaargh - so close to finishing then back into the (virtual) airspace to get to my diversion field. Another 5 mins of diversion, and now to contact and land at an A/G airfield - which I did OK. Before long the call came through that the test was over and I went through for my results.

The examiner was very thorough in the debrief which was good. I had made a few elementary errors:

• in position reports I had given some of the information in the wrong orderafter cancelling a PAN PAN or MAYDAY (I had one of each!) you have to state intentions so that controllers can keep a track of you. I didn't state this so had to be asked explicity.


• on changing to an altitude I had said "approaching 2500ft" - don't know why but I did. "Approaching" is NOT a word to be used.


• I made much use of ETA rather than Estimate - and if you don't believe me the whole test is taped so the examiner can play back any piece (!) It was odd how much I thought I had said that I actually hadn't or had said differently.


• I was told to "Continue Approach" as an instruction when coming in for the aborted landing. I didn't acknowledge the instruction in full ("Continuing Approach - G-XX") rather just "G-XX". At that time I was waiting for "Cleared to Land" and when the examiner kept repeating "Continue Approach" I knew I was doing something amiss, but didn't know what.


• I had used "One, zero, zero, zero" instead of "One thousand" for a QNH setting. Also read back QNH as QFE (but was corrected in-flight - I was testing the examiner ;-))


• At take off the instructions said that I'd already booked out. So I went straight into the taxi request - to tower rather than ground - doh! I was told that I should have re-stated my intentions. Whereas in the real world at Leeds Bradford I book out and this saves all this info having to be passed over busy airwaves...

That was so difficult. I had an headache at the end. Now I can focus on the QXC and GFT as the last two hurdles on my route to the PPL licence.

An Audience, A Failure

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 31:35

P1 Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 3:05

I had an audience today for the first time. My parents were in town so they came to the airport to watch me take off. I first took them airside for a tour around the aircraft - checking off the line items in the A-Check and explaining the various activities and their importance.

After escorting my parents off the airfield I strapped myself in, fired up the engine and received my taxi instructions to hold at F3.

I was expecting to get there and then to do my power checks. However the airport was very busy with GA - General Aviation - traffic so it was an expedited backtrack along R27, across R32, exit at A3 then hold.

I did so and at the hold I started the power checks. Half way through, just after the magcheck I was requested to enter the apron, turn 180 and hold again at A3 but facing the other direction. When I had turned around I received departure clearance and completed the power checks. I was almost ready to report ready for take off.

During my final checks I noticed the HSI - Horizontal Situation Indicator hadn't moved! It wasn't aligned with anything remotely like the direction I was in.

I checked the compass and my heading relative to R27. This thing was not operational at all. For the first time I closely checked the CBs - circuit breakers - and various switches. Nothing.

So had to tell ATC I had a problem and needed to return to the GA apron and flying was cancelled for the rest of the slot as there wouldn't be time to fix things and re-plan my route.

I should have been checking instruments on the taxi, but was busy getting into position. However this was a very valuable lesson in continuing through the checklist line by line to the very end.

My method is to talk out loud as if explaining to someone what I'm checking and why. This time I pointed at the HSI and confirmed that it indicated the reality outside. 100% of the time until now it had done, but this one time it didn't.

The aircraft was still capable of being flown, I would have just had a rude awakening as I attempted to turn on my first heading and would have had to report back to land at Leeds (EGNM) immediately.

Most disappointing though was that my parents didn't get to see me take off. They had heard so much about my flying exploits over the past year and it was just my luck that on the day they would be watching the aircraft would become unserviceable and not suitable for a training flight.

Instead I should have been taking off just like this pilot.