Qualifying Cross Country

[Dop]

Weather permitting and fingers crossed, I'll be doing my Qualifying Cross Country on Monday (and have next Friday as a fall-back), so I was wondering if anyone has any useful advice or good yarns to tell about this kind of thing.

I'm doing Biggin -> Manston -> Shoreham and back to Biggin via Bewl Water. I've been to both Manston and Shoreham before, but the trip between one and t'other will be all new territory!

[AerBabe]

There have been a few threads about Q x/c experiences, have a quick look through the search facility and you'll find some horror (and otherwise!) stories. Good luck, and make sure you get a good night's sleep before.

[Tall_guy_in_a_152]

A pprune search should find some good general advice from previous threads.

The most noteworthy thing I can think of for the Manston > Shoreham leg is to be aware of the large number of (hang) gliding sites along the Northern edge of the South Downs. Keep a very good lookout!

Also, bear in mind that if you route close to the coast the weather can be quite different either side of the downs. I was caught out on my QXC (Goodwood > Lydd) by low cloud blowing in from the sea. I back-tracked to the River Arun and followed it through the gap in the downs (to keep maximum clearance between the ground, me and the cloudbase). It was a beautiful sunny day again on the other side!

I maintain that the QXC was the most challenging / exciting / satisfying etc etc flight that I have done.

Try to relax and enjoy it.

TG.

[Number Cruncher]

The Q x/c was by far the most enjoyable and satisfying part of the training for me.

I'm sure you'll have no probs with your route. If all else fails just follow the Kent/Sussex/West Sussex coast all the way round and back again!

You'll be nervous leading up to it but as soon as you depart you'll have a whale of a time! You may come across some interesting traffic at Shoreham waiting to go home after the show! Bonus!

Most of all enjoy. You will feel like a REAL pilot after this experience..

[G SXTY]

'Tis great fun, the QXC. Not quite like the buzz of 1st solo, but just as satisfying in its own way:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67109&highlight=QXC

Good luck!

[Hersham Boy]

My Qxc was in similar country (Redhill - OIW Sandown - Lydd - Redhill).... Wx was OK (cloud got a bit low over Solent!) but I LOVED it!

Two things that I was very clear on before I set off, though: I knew how to use the VOR in case I got out of shape and wanted a backup before calling 'tempo unsure of postn'... confidence thing.

And, I made sure that I knew Wx from one spot to another- no point in turning to RH seat and saying that it looks a bit manky, when RH seat is only occupied by a flight bag and 1.5l bottle of Evian!

It was first taste of proper flying- enjoy!

[flyingwelshman]

HI!

I am sure it will be a FANTASTIC trip..... on mine, all went well untill I got lost on the way out of Wellsbourne, tried not to panic, flew around a bit and then called Birmingham - who promently, effieciently sorted me out...... that was the moment I really started to enjoy flying, as I realised that its not as difficult as you sometimes feel it is, and if you need a hand - ask! I mean, there is no instructor there to hear you asking for that "training fix" or QDM.... so sit back, enjoy and appriciate that "this" is what you have been working towards!

Enjoy.

FW

[Gertrude the Wombat]

The best part of mine was being told to park next to an airliner at one stop and being greeted as an equal fellow pilot by the captain thereof ... OK, so it was "only" an Air UK shed[1] at Norwich, but still a real airliner.

And the hardest bit was trying to find someone at Norwich to persuade to let me go back airside when I'd finished my cup of tea.

[1] Or was it one of the Fokkers? - don't really remember.

[rotorcraig]

I was so nervous about getting going that I left my wallet at Sywell! Had to blag the landing fee at Nottingham and Bourn (both were fine about it; paid by Credit Card over the 'phone the next day!!!)

So ... whatever happens, keep your head and enjoy it!!!!

You'll definitely look back on it as a "defining moment" in your flying career.

RC

[singaporegirl]

I did Biggin-Shoreham-Manston as a practice QXC with my instructor, but did Biggin-Norwich-Southend as the real thing. I think Shoreham and Manston is slightly easier, as there are more landmarks (a lot of Norfolk is fairly flat) and, if you're based at Biggin, you'll be more familiar with the area in general.

Canterbury (cathedral) and Ashford (stadium-like shopping centre) are very obvious and recognisable, and I flew over a chalk crown just east of Wye (I've never managed to find it again! :rolleyes: ) There's also a reservoir/quarry with a conveyor belt (marked on the 1:500 000 chart), just north of Battle, which is very distinctive. Heathfield, with the radio mast, is easily recognisable too.

As the others say, try to relax and enjoy it - you'll feel a great sense of achievement afterwards!

[AppleMacster]

The QXC is a very liberating experience. My instructor reckoned that in many ways it's more important than the skills test, because it's more of a test of being a pilot as a whole.

I did Stapleford-Shoreham-Lydd-Stapleford and having left Shoreham encountered ever-decreasing cloudbase, all around me, finally below my safety height. I did a 180 and returned to Shoreham. It turned out to be an isolated episode of cloud and after an hour tried again and it all worked out fine. Beware of the urge to carry on if the weather deteriorates. Does anyone else know how common an extra landing is on the QXC?

Also, beware of the changing weather. On the final leg, the wind had picked up quite considerably and this made a big difference to my course headings.

However, it's a great experience and during the PPL course, probably the most satisfyling after first solo.

[Pink_aviator]

HI,
I did my qualifyiing xc (or attempted to ) on friday.

Lets just say ,i returned because of the bad weather.

What I did when I landed,
(this is not what I recommend )

is ,do a runner.
Yes run away.,
so i did not have to face any one and talk about it.

When I was eventually found,weeping in the main terminal,i was treated to a coffee and a bun,
(so that was good )

but ofcourse i did then have to go back and discuss what had happened.

GOOD LUCK to you on monday ,i will be thinking about you.
I am attempting mine again on wednesday and have a big treat in store if i caomplete it,so weather be good to us both please.

PINK-AVIATOR
THE PINKSTER

[ETOPS773]

Wow!! That sounds like a fun route actually,nav aids at every port and alot on the route :ok: You`ll have alot of fun,if its not too busy,should get a base leg join at Shoreham if 21 is the active..if your doing well for time,head for Brighton Marina,its a VRP great for caling in to get your joining instructions (and cruise along the coast a lil` and get some shot of the burned up west pier! :})

My Qualifier was horrible!!
Ormond Beach-Keystone Heights-St Augustine-Ormond Beach...in the flats of florida :bored: Was about 37 degrees,humid,scattered CBs :oh:

I remember Keystone heights being on the edge of a restricted military no go area-and you could hear and see the Apache helicopters buzzing around guarding it :yuk:

Enjoy it and yeah..it does make you feel more of a pro :D

[Dop]

Well, no QXC for me today. Low cloud hanging over Manston, so it was all off...

So I thought I may as well do SOMETHING, so decided to try and polish off the navigation exam.
Just two questions short of the pass mark.
OK. I wasn't really prepared for it, and hadn't revised recently. I'm sure if I am prepared for it next time I'll easily pass, but I am way behind on my exams so it was worth a try!

Let's hope the weather is better on Friday!

Hope PINKSTER has better weather for Wednesday, too!

[Pink_aviator]

Sorry to hear that you couldn't do your XC SOLO today.
I have been at home all day studying and watching the weather.
Also wondering how you were getting on at the other end of the country.
Seems like we both have coastal weather to contend with.
IT has been low cloud all day today,and I have not been able to see the mountains.

I am hoping against hope that it improves for wednesday.

I to am behind with my exams but am studying hard (very hard for MET.
Have not even looked at NAV yet ,am hoping that will be easier now i am flying by it.

GOOD LUCK NEXT TIME.

I'LL post on PINK HEADSETS IF I SUCCED ON WEDNESDAY

PINK -AVIATOR
THE PINKSTER

[sheii]

guys all you need to do is try and relax and enjoy it too....when i did mine a few weeks ago I found out that in my second leg i wasa more relaxed and was thinking ahead and enjoying the flight......having time to even think of the what if's......hope we have good wx on wednesday I have my skill test then...trying to relax for now which is a bit hard but am up for it.....have come a long way so we can all do it with faith in ourselves...

All the best to all u all:ok:

[Scuzi]

Providing the weather holds out I'll be doing my QXC tomorrow (Wednesday). It'll be from Aldergrove - Newtownards - Eglinton - Aldergrove. I'll be bringing along a spare set of underwear in my flight bag, just in case :O

I've still 4 more written exams to sit though :{

Good luck to everyone whos got their QXC/Skills test coming up!

[Dop]

Grrr...

Spent four hours at Biggin today hoping the visibility at Shoreham would clear up enough to go.

It didn't.

SO I try again on the 15th...

[Pink_aviator]

Weather has got to improve.

Frustrating isn't it.
managed to do mine on friday.

keeping my fingers crossed for you.

PINK-AVIATOR.
THE PINKSTER

[Thirty06]

From personal experience.

DO NOT!!! have a large curry and bavarian lager supper if there is a chance of the weather improving.

I was booked in for circuits in the afternoon when my phone went, only to be told that it was CAVOK and to head up to the airfield for the route that I had obviously had planned out.

Luckily Cabair had parked a tupperware trainer in a field and so my take off was delayed until nature had taken its course and I had cleared all systems ready for my flight.

I hate to think of the state I would have been in on arrival at Gloucester.

30.06