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...

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!