Gusty Cancellation ... Again

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 11:25

Saturday was a good day for flying, but the weather forecast for Sunday wasn't looking too good. An early rise and a quick visit to the Met Office website to download the latest F215 - low level weather - and F214 - UK spot wind chart.

I also printed the TAF and METAR pages. They didn't make good reading. The TAF for Leeds Bradford - EGNM - had the ominous 36018G30KT entry...

I called my instructor as he was en-route to the airport and read out the bad news. He was going in to check to see if it would be feasible to go for circuits at Gamston.

Twenty minutes later he called back with the bad news that today would be another cancellation. The gusting northerly weather was all across the eastern side of England.

Learning to do controlled approaches in gusting wind would not be a good use of my time and money. As we have also now covered the other 'back-up' exercises such as basic instrument operations and steep, level turns, there was no point in taking to the air today. Roll on next week...

Snowy Cancellation

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 11:25

On Friday the first snow of the season had settled on the ground in Yorkshire, and most of the rest of the British Isles too.

This meant that Saturday was a perfect, blue sky day. Very cold and crisp. The air was perfectly still. Driving over the Pennine Hills from Manchester into Yorkshire a very visible temperature inversion was in place. A band of dirty brown smoke and pollution was hanging over Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds and beyond.

In the distance the vapour trails from the three power stations of Eggborough, Drax and Ferrybridge could be seen rising vertically. Unfortunately the forecast for Sunday wasn't so good, and in the end the weather turned out to be not conducive to flying.

Low level cloud at 500ft and some drizzle. So another lesson cancelled. I took the time out to review the exam requirements for the next two papers that I will sit - I plan to take the Aircraft General, and the Flight Performance and Planning together as they are quite closely related.

The target is to have these two closed off by the end of the year. Leaving only the navigation and the R/T to do.

Fog

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 9:15

Today I was expecting to do my first landing. Unfortunately the weather wasn't at all suitable, thick autumnal fog was obscuring not only Leeds Bradford airport but the majority of the Vale of York where I was planning to continue my circuits.

At least this weather phenomenon gave me a real world example of the conditions under which fog forms - I've been re-reading the meteorology section of Trevor Thom's book 2 and getting much more focussed on the weather examination.

I am much more confident now and would expect to sit this exam next Sunday if the flying is back on then. Weather is a complex subject but if you take the time to break down the concepts and get a real understanding of what is happening, then it all comes together to make perfect sense.

You'll also find that those high school physics lessons actually start to become useful when recalling latent heat and the relationships between temperature and pressure!

Bad Planning

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 4:05

The last Monday in August is a public holiday in the UK, signalling the end of summer and turning our attentions to autumn, winter, the cold and Christmas.


Following booking confirmations from the Flying School Ops Manager and with my instructor I was looking forward for my first double lesson - time to really get my teeth into a sustained period in the air and to finish off climbing and descending with flaps before moving onto turns.


The weather was good, although a little blustery as I arrived at the school. Only to be met a few minutes later by one of the guys who runs the office. There had been a monumental communications failure and he asked me to step inside to explain more...

It turns out that the school was planned to be closed on this public holiday - although my first lesson was on a public holiday in May so I don't see how this is different. I was the only booking in the diary - everyone else must have got the message that the place was to be closed. As the weather was so good the owners of the aircraft had decided to take them up for their own leisure thinking that there were no bookings today.


So another wasted return trip of 2 hours. To their credit the school gave me £10 from petty cash to cover fuel - but that isn't the point. I lost a potential 3 hours of flying time over the weekend. I can accept one hour from the weather but to lose 2 hours through bad planning is galling.


I'll miss my flying next weekend as I'm on holiday in Mallorca, however I'll be able to sun myself by the pool reading my latest book purchase: Stick and Rudder - An Explanation of the Art of Flying by Wolfgang Langewiesche. Here's hoping that the weather improves upon my return.

Hazy Cancellation

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 3:00

Today I woke up to CAVOK skies: clear blue directly above, with a slight early morning haze. At 0800hrs I set off to the airport. At the 1/2 way point I called in to confirm the lesson was on, which of course it would be. Imagine my disappointment to be told that the lesson was cancelled due to haze.


I pointed out the clear blue sky and, to his credit, the flying school chap did state he was 30 miles from the airfield in Sheffield so couldn't vouch for the weather.


Another lesson cancelled. Thats only 3 hrs flying through May, June, July and now mid August.


I returned home and at about 1400hrs received a voicemail on my mobile. It was a message from my instructor at 0902hrs that had taken 5 hours to get to me! He was apologetic and said that I had been given the wrong information and, if I got there soon, we could do the lesson. Unfortunately I was a bit too late on this one and so another Sunday was spent on the ground.

Foggy Cancellation

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 3:00

On Saturday the sky was glorious - clear blue sky everywhere. A really perfect day for flying, although perhaps a little bit humid. Unfortunately for me I wasn't booked for flying on Saturday, I had a lesson due first thing on Sunday, and having now completed Trevor Thom's book 2 - Air Law & Meteorology I forecasted that Sunday would start as a gloomy day.


Sunday morning - 0800hrs: fog. Not even mist, but fog. I tried to call the flying school but couldn't get through. It is about 30 miles away from home so I set off in hope.


After driving for 20 minutes I called in and this time someone was there.


Unfortunately the lesson was off. So I turned for home as the sun started to break through. However the sky remained misty for most of the morning until early afternoon so there really was no opportunity to fly.


Late afternoon and the sky broke, to about 5/6 oktas - perfect for a BBQ. As we were eating a GA craft came very low over our house - well below 500 ft - banking sharply to the left. At first I thought it could be a pilot in distress having just taken off from Crosland Moor airfield (EGND) - locally known as Huddersfield International Airport - about 2.5nm away. I could clearly hear the throttle changes for more power, then I saw the aircraft come full circle at much greater height and then it headed off directly east. There were no reports of anything untowards in the press on later days so I must assume that everything was OK and that perhaps it was a pilot who had descended for a closer view and then climbed away.


As a side note, I received Trevors Thom's book 5 (Radio Navigation and Instrument Flying) on the previous weekend as a birthday present. The set is now complete - with lots of reading to do. At this rate of 3 lessons in almost 100 days there is plenty of reading time available between flights.

Gusty Cancellation

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 3:00

Double bonus! This week I received early birthday presents in the form of Trevor Thom's volumes 4, 6 and 7, and a PA28 Pilot's Guide. Now only volume 5 of Trevor Thom's series is require. I've got so much reading to do, it is unbelivable.


I'm all set for a Saturday afternoon lesson, it makes a change from quiet early Sunday mornings. The conditions are good but then the flying school calls me to inform me my lesson is delayed by 1hr due to delays earlier in the day. At least the lesson isn't cancelled.


An hour later than planned I headed off for the 1600hrs lesson. Upon arrival I waited for my instructor to return from his current lesson and when he came in there was much discussion on the gusting wind and how it was getting worse. He offered to take me up, but as we are currently learning about climbs and glides it would be a quite ineffective lesson as the wind was so blustery.


And so another cancellation.


I head back home quite disappointed, but accepting that it would have not been so instructive to have been in the air today.


As I had some time to spare I passed by the FlightStore shop which is quite local to where I live and so a very handy location for any future requirements. Although I now think I have everything I need to get me through to the end of my course: however long that may take - about 4 years at the current rate!

Rain Stops Play ... Pooleys Saves The Day

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 2:00

More rain today. Is this the dullest summer on record? Yet another of my flying lessons cancelled, this time due to the low laying clouds and more rain.


To keep me upbeat my Pooleys Flight Guide arrived last week. I have been studying some of the local airfields and the various other pages of information in this excellent pilots guide.


You will learn to live by Pooleys - although there are others on the market. Just like the Trevor Tohms books for flight training, Pooleys guides are the de facto reference for information on airfields around the British Isles and parts of continental Europe.


You can add even more credibility to your pilot speak by casually asking to borrow someone's Pooleys, or asking to see the Pooleys page regarding an airfield you might be flying to.

Rain Stops Play

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 2:00

Today was a complete wash out. Torrential downpours across the North of England, with the occasional break in the weather. I was had a flying lesson booked with Multiflight and so called early to confirm the lesson. As the weather was changing rapidly I was asked to call back at 3pm, some 45 minutes before the lesson was due to start.


At 3pm I called and spoke to the flying instructor. Unfortunately the weather was still too changeable and so the flying lesson was cancelled. Typically, from that point on the weather cleared into a blue sky afternoon! So I spent the rest of the day watching the French Grand Prix, Wimbledon Men's Final and the final of the Euro 2004 championship.


My strategy now is to start to book double lessons so that if I do get the chance to get airborne I will be able to maximise the available flying time.

It is now just over two months since my first flying lesson, and in that time I've only had two hours in the air. Some people say that flying is an expensive hobby, at this rate it will be an extremely cheap pastime as it is increasingly difficult to be able to spend the money.


A holiday in Spain, Florida, California or Arizona is looking increasingly like an option to consider seriously. At least then I would be able to get some regular flying under my belt.


I've also added another book to the collection: The Mechanics of Flight by A. C. Kermode. An excellent read that covers the physical aspects of flight in an easy to read yet comprehensive manner.


Although some of the information is quite hard to get to grips with the book provides an excellent introduction to aerodynamics and will stand me in good stead for the upcoming examinations.

Maintenance Cancellation

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 1:00

It is now three weeks since my first flying lesson. A perfect clear blue sky and so I set off to the flight school at the airport. I didn't take my cell phone with me. No need I thought - the sky being so good.


I arrived at the flight school with 10 minutes to spare before my 0900hrs lesson.


No one was there. I waited until just past the hour and then drove off to find a public phone to call up and enquire about my flying lesson.


Unfortunately the aircraft I was to use today is "having maintenance" and so is out of action. Another day lost, another opportunity to fly has passed me by.


I quickly drove to Multiflight, the other flight school at Leeds Bradford airport, and enquired about availability for a flying lesson today. Unfortunately there wasn't a single free slot today.


When I returned home I called Multiflight and booked a set of 3 lessons in June and July. Hopefully these will prove to be more fruitful - otherwise learning to fly will become a very long and fraught journey! I also manage to get through to Leeds Flying School and booked the 20th June.


So now I have a block booking of 4 consecutive weekends of flying lessons. But before they start I'm away on a touring holiday in the States.

Weather Cancellation

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 1:00

As this is a warts-and-all diary of my flight training experience I decided to include all the cancellations I had during my quest to become a qualified PPL pilot. If you are learning in the UK, regardless of time of year, you will have flying lessons cancelled, it is just a fact of life.


Don't get disheartened, but be persistent and determined. The further you get in your flight training the less cancellations you will get as you will be more capable of flying in less than ideal circumstances.


It was 0830hrs on Sunday morning. I called the flight school to check on the status of today's planned lesson. Unfortunately it has been cancelled along with all other flying lessons booked today. Cancellations due to aviation weather conditions: a gray, damp, miserable day ahead for the most of the UK so no possibility whatsoever of getting airborne.


My next flying lesson is scheduled for 0900 on Sunday morning 23rd May - there are no free weekend slots before that time. At least that will give me more time to read up on activities - and it will spread the cost of my flight training programme.


Since the last lesson I've been reviewing Trevor Thom's book #1 - Flying Training. I've had this book for a number of years - it was bought on recommendation of a work colleague who is now a qualified commercial pilot. I've always had available as a reminder of my need to get that first flying lesson booked.


Having done the flying for real it makes the book so much easier to understand and appreciate. I've re-read all the exercises that we did last week - i.e. up to the end of chapter 4 - along with chapters 5 and 6. The next two weeks will give me the opportunity to re-read and consolidate the work to date and also to push on further into the more advanced chapters.