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Lew747
28th Mar 2009, 16:52
Hey all,

I've been booked up to my QXC next week as apparently the weather looks to be very good. I'm already nervous beyond belief!

I've landed at both aerodromes I intend to visit beforehand with my instructor and all went well just one of the main concerns I have will be the radio!

I know ATC will write 'Good, Excellent, Satisfactory, Poor' on the sheet regarding your radio and landing. I aim to go for Good or Satisfactory, but I fear nerves will get the better of me and I will cock up major!

Anyone got any tips so I can make the flight and my communications go as smoothly as possible? One thing i've always struggled with is the speed at which ATC will give you airfield/landing instructions and when you have to read all the important bits back! I feel if I asked' Repeat Last' too many times it wouldn't go down too well or If I gave back 'QNH 1013' instead of '1012'.

Hope you can help! :)

Lewis

Whopity
28th Mar 2009, 17:00
I know ATC will write 'Good, Excellent, Satisfactory, Poor' on the sheetThen you must be using out of date paperwork. That requirement was removed from the form around 5 years ago. The form originally invited an assessment of the student's "airmanship" (not RT) but as the person signing probably has no relevant qualifications to make such a judgment, the requirement was removed. AOPA produced an amended Qualifying Cross Country form.

Ideally you should have completed your RT practical exam before conducting any solo navigation exercises.

Gertrude the Wombat
28th Mar 2009, 17:09
I've landed at both aerodromes I intend to visit beforehand with my instructor
That's cheating, I'd only seen one of mine beforehand!

Now I wonder ... does the instructor phone up ATC at the destination airfields and say "G-ABCD will be coming your way shortly, student on QXC, be nice to them please, like speak slowly and clearly?", or don't they?

Lew747
28th Mar 2009, 17:28
Whopity,

Is this the revised form you are talking about? Just found it on the CAA's site, so basically, whoever's job it is, just has to write down that the student landed at the right place? Nothing else?

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG2105FF.pdf

Duchess_Driver
28th Mar 2009, 17:55
Lew

Yep, that's all they can write. No longer can you find the Tea Lady and get excellents all round!

GGR
28th Mar 2009, 18:06
As a former ATC and junior birdman myself, I suggest, make sure in your initial contact you actually mention that you are a student pilot under going QXC, all concerned will no doubt help you achieve your goal. Good luck and happy landings.

bjornhall
28th Mar 2009, 18:07
Take it easy, and fly the way you always do. Your instructor wouldn't send you off if you weren't ready for it.

It will be fun! :)

I felt the QXC was my first real flight... Finally getting to do what I wanted the license for in the first place!

jxc
28th Mar 2009, 19:31
Take your GPS :E

I'm out of here

'Chuffer' Dandridge
28th Mar 2009, 19:48
When I did my QXC almost 30 yrs ago, I was taught how to navigate properly by an instructor who knew how to navigate properly, taught how to fly the route, preapred and then went out and flew the QXC route (one leg of which was Redhill-Shoreham, via the Gatwick OH). It's as easy as that. I dont think, even with an increase in CAS, that it's any different today. Asking the 'experts' here will only confuse you, but may possibly make you a better MS Flight Simmer in the process.

jxc wrote:

Take your GPS

Maybe this explains why we have so many CAS infringements these days?:ugh:

Genghis the Engineer
28th Mar 2009, 20:23
Do it exactly as you were trained, no tricks, no shortcuts, no experimentation - just as you were trained. It'll be fine - enjoy the longest time you've had yet in an aeroplane without anybody talking at you!

G

jollyrog
28th Mar 2009, 21:12
I feel if I asked' Repeat Last' too many times

Using correct RT will impress them. It's "Say again" or variants of:

Say again
Say again all after
Say again all before
Say again QFE
Say again runway in use

etc. But, if you need something said again, ask as many times as you must. If you haven't got it on the 5th transmission, ask again and again. You need that information and they know you need it. Don't feel guilty, nobody will think badly of you.

Keep the radio as simple as you can. Don't talk to anyone you don't have to and don't ask for services you don't need. All that extra radio just increases the workload. Save it for another day.

Don't get stressed, just enjoy it. I expect you're doing Goodwood - Lydd - Headcorn? It's easy, it's fun, you won't have any trouble finding any of them if you do the things your instructor has taught you to. Choose good food at Goodwood, sit outside in the sunshine and watch the aircraft, don't drink too much lemonade and remember to wee before you leave. Twice.

I hope you have fun.

Gertrude the Wombat
28th Mar 2009, 22:15
But, if you need something said again, ask as many times as you must.
On one occasion after several attempts I gave up trying to understand what an American controller was trying to say to me over a lousy radio and just told them blind what I was going to do in their MATZ, and told them when I was clear of it.

JohnRayner
28th Mar 2009, 22:16
If your instructor thinks you're ready, then you almost certainly are!

Therefore you have all the skills required to do QXC, and should need little by way of extra coaching.

Did mine in November, and had a great day out. It's a test, yeah, but bloody good fun too.

Enjoy. I know I did, ESPECIALLY after I had the first field in sight.

JR

Whopity
28th Mar 2009, 22:24
LEW747
Is this the revised form you are talking about?http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG2105FF.pdf
Yes, that appears to be it!

jxc
28th Mar 2009, 22:40
Ok I'm back the Gps is was a joke and the words of Genghis the Engineer is spot
I had a grin on my face the whole time couldn't believe i was let loose on my own

Enjoy

BroomstickPilot
29th Mar 2009, 08:17
Hi Lew747,

My words of wisdom would be these.

Above all avoid hurry or rush. Be organised, deliberate and orderly and don't get sidetracked by friends or other club members and waste time.

Therefore: -

1. Get to the departure aerodrome at least two hours early.

2. Take time to relax from your journey. Sit alone and to have something to eat and drink while you think about your QXC. Make a written list of all the flight planning elements you need to accomplish before you depart.

3. Prepare the aeroplane. (If she's going to 'go tech' you want to know before you do your flight planning).

4. Do your flight planning, (including 'phoning your destination as advised above,) working through the list you have made crossing off each item one by one as you do it.

5. Get your instructor to check your flight plan, brief you and authorise your flight.

Then, go and fly the trip exactly as you have planned it.

Good luck! Tell us how you get on.

Broomstick.

KandiFloss
29th Mar 2009, 09:58
You will feel like a 'proper pilot' when you've done your QXC ... I know I did! Going 'solo' in the circuit was not as amazing as doing your first solo XC, then you get a real sense of achievement.

Enjoy!

flyvirgin
29th Mar 2009, 10:01
Hi Lewis, I wouldn’t worry to much, it happens everyday, Atc will be used to it, plus they will no its your solo x/c,
Radio will come with practise, I done my PPL out of Bournemouth which is controlled airspace, when I first started I was rubbish, but over time it get’s better and now I have no problem’s.
Course you will be nervous, but once your up there them nerves will disappear and you will enjoy it.
If it helps write out everything on your kneeboard so when your up there you will have half an idea what to say if you mess up.
Don’t worry to much what the ATC will write on your bit of paper, providing it’s a half decent landing you should get a satisfactory or a good remark.
When I did mine I flew to Bournemouth to old Sarum then on to Exeter, back to Bournemouth.
Good luck and let us know.
Cheer’s, Adam.

Woodenwonder
30th Mar 2009, 15:02
As soon as you can, change to the next airfield's frequency.
Just listen, and write down the joining instructions bit by bit as you hear them given to other pilots. Perhaps you won't get all the details, but then when you call, you will be comparing all but one or two, and ticking the rest on your note.

If you cannot dream up the correct ATC lingo for a query, just put it in simple clear Engish!

IO540
30th Mar 2009, 17:50
I flew my entire QXC on FS2000 (as it then was) the day before, so I could get some kind of feel for the terrain, scenery etc. I also had the airport scenery add-on.

Lew747
30th Mar 2009, 18:54
Hey all!

Thankyou so much for your advice and encouragement. It really helped me out :):)

I finally did it! My routing was one that has been performed numerous times before at Lydd. Route was from Lydd- Seaford VOR, Detling VOR, Southend- Canterbury, Manston, Ashford and back to Lydd. Approx 163nm with a flight time of around 1 hour 40 mins.

I ended up having the AOPA form to fill out. Both landings and airmanship at both aerodromes was 'GOOD GOOD'. Would of liked an excellent thrown in there somewhere but thats good enough I suppose! :rolleyes:

Weather was very nice. One chap mentioned the vis being approx 25/30km's, Cloud base of around 4,000 feet, but a few I had to dodge that were hanging around 2,000.

Hmmm, what else needs to be ticked off the list...

Lewis:ok:

honda cbx
31st Mar 2009, 07:30
Well done mate!! Not much left now, keep it going and remember that you are good enough or your instructor would not let you do it.Bring it on!!:ok:

Andy_20
31st Mar 2009, 13:48
well done matey :ok:

cirruscrystal
31st Mar 2009, 14:08
My two pennines worth - Main thing is relax as far as possible and dont get too stressed out by the prospect.

It is worth just remembering that the plane wont fall out the sky if you forget the odd Freda check or delyaed in switching the tanks (might do for too long on this point). Just remember your fall back line features to check against should you get lost, i did mine around the South West so had plenty of coastal features as backup. I think for peace of mind even a basic GPS like an etrex will be a bit of a comfort blanket.

I wish you all the best with it and i am sure you will find it exhilirating, dont get too hard on the brakes after touch down, like i did and lock the blighter up for a stretch!

jonburf
3rd Apr 2009, 21:43
hi.
The best advice i can give it to be prepared. have all your aerodrome charts ready, and if your really nervouse make notes, for example draw the circuit on it for the expected runway. You could also try and write down on your kneeboard
QFE _______
QNH ______
and simply fill in the blanks as you hear them. it's much easier than writing it at the time and it illiminates any confusion.

Dont for any reason be tempted to take a GPS. if you couldnt do it you wouldnt be doing it.
In my opinion the GPS has a single role in GA and that is to be used as such things as DME's (of course not for use in IFR, but the information is allways usefull. and at a fraction of the cost.)

All the best. You'll have a ball and it will feel so good when you park back up again at the end.
J

englishal
4th Apr 2009, 12:35
When i did mine in California, I just got my camera out and took a million snaps. Forgot all about boring checks and the like. Had a bit of a shock when a War Bird flew past about 100m off, opposite direction, same level - I suppose I should have been keeping a better look out but hey, this was fun! I distinctly remember thinking "that was close" but that was in the days before other traffic scared me.

When I landed at the first airfield, there was no one there, so I went to the Cafe, I walked in, the place went quiet and I said "anyone here with a pilots licence". Some old boy replied "sure do sonny, ATP"...."Can you sign this please mate"....and he did.

Next airfield I collared an ATC bloke as he was entering the tower. "How was your landing" he asked "Excellent" I said...and thus it was so :}

it was a great day out, the return leg was along the coast so I just enjoyed the view....

When I did my QXC almost 30 yrs ago, I was taught how to navigate properly by an instructor who knew how to navigate properly
Now where did I put my Violin......

Pull what
4th Apr 2009, 20:38
You can see by two of the last three posts that people do not really read posts before they reply!

-GQ-
4th Apr 2009, 21:05
Then again, other students about to do their QXC (that'll be me:uhoh:) might come and read the link, so no harm in more advice being added.

Pull what
4th Apr 2009, 21:20
Ok GQ you have a point so my 3 pieces of advice based on a lifetime of flying would be

1, Be very wary of any advice given in an internet forum

2, Always identify each waypoint with at least two unambiguos independent features and align them by bearing to the way point.

3, Read one again

Lew747
8th Apr 2009, 16:47
Since me and my mate first started driving when we was 17 we drove all around the UK and went up to inverness in his classic Mini and i insisted on using maps. 2 years later and still use the map and pencil when it comes to journey planning, (i've turned down a GPS...or as the commoner's call it 'sat-nav' as a present many-a-time!) as good old fashioned navigation never would do you any harm and is good practice for when your airbourne i think. At least you won't be driving over a cliff as some people do :}


I think once I have my PPL or CPL in the bag I may however invest in a cheapo unit so that I can get some spatial awareness with regards to airspace and will stop me looking down at that damn map :rolleyes: