I'm not very sure where this thread is supposed to be in, this is my first thread so I'm sorry if I put it in the wrong forum. Anyway..
I have started my flight training a couple of months ago, and I am flying about 1-2 hours every month, (I'm 15 I don't want to fly too much before I can fly solo). Last time I flew though, I had a new instructor and he taught me a whole load of new stuff. And most of the stuff I tried really hard to understand, but he seems to think I'm a professional.
He was teaching me something to do with checks during cruise flight, not sure of the name of the checks and the sequence but you do engine checks, and check the fuel gauge for full then you will check the transponder is squawking the right code.
Does anyone know what this kind of checks is called and tell me exactly the right sequence that you go through.
I'm learning towards a PPL then I will quickly continue towards my CPL to get my ATPL, I have got everything planned.
(Moderators I'm sorry if this thread is in the wrong place, I'm sure it won't take much trouble to move it)
Thanks
PS, does anyone else with 6hours flight time find taxiing tough?
most of the stuff I tried really hard to understand, but he seems to think I'm a professional.
He was teaching me something to do with checks during cruise flight, not sure of the name of the checks and the sequence but you do engine checks, and check the fuel gauge for full then you will check the transponder is squawking the right code.
I think you need to speak to this instructor and say that the way he is doing it is not right for you and he needs to explain things a little more clearly, the checks you are talking about sound like the cruise checks which should be done every 10 mins or so, this can vary from school to school (and with some schools can vary between instructor though this should not be so) but I teach FEMDO - Fuel - quantity and balance, Engine - Ts & Ps, Mixture - set, DI - syncronised, Orientation - happy with position
Sounds like he might be using FEDRA instead with R = Radio or Transponder and A = Altimeter.
Thanks a lot foxmoth, I will speak with my instructor as soon as I go flying again. I think it is FEDRA because we do check the transponder. Just another question, why does it vary between instructors?
Thanks anyway
If you're flying something with a yolk (eg Piper PA28 or Cessna 150/152, there is a huge temptation to "steer" it - as if it were a steering wheel. On a calm day - and with an instructor if you discuss it first - you could try keeping one hand on the throttle and the other on your lap. It's not good practice normally since you need to use the control surfaces even on the ground, but if "steering's" your problem it might just help.
OTOH, given your age, it may just be that you haven't got the knack of steering yet. I remember when I learned to drive that it took quite a few lessons to stop myself "sawing" round bends. You don't taxy that much if you're learning to fly at a smaller field and I can well believe that it would take a few lessons to get smooth turns going on the ground.
(Oh, and some planes can just be hard to steer!)
You should be taught a number of drills whilst you're learning to fly possibly including "FREDA", "APT", "PAT", "BUMPFICHH", "HASELL" and "HELL" (there are probably more) and variations thereof. Have a look in your Trevor Thom Book 1 or equivalent to find these. As your flying develops, some of them sink in better than others, but by the time you qualify you're likely to find that they're almost instinctive. When you change instructors (for whatever reason) there's usually a discontinuity which leads to some things being done twice and unfortunately a different set of expectations or worse, some things being missed out.
I had a few problems taxiing when I had the same amount of hours, my instructor made me do a figure of 8 on the taxiway for about 30mins just to get me used to it all.
Flying is a lot of hard work at the start, you're learning a lot of new skills within a short period of time. I remember thinking on one of my flights that I would never even get to solo with my rubbish flying and as I began taxiing back to the flying club the instructor jumped out and told me to do a circuit... such an amazing feeling.
Actually, with regards to the transponder, I think the general rule is:
Transponder OFF/STDBY during startup, taxi, runup.
Transponder ALT (mode A+C) when entering the active runway for take-off,
Transponder OFF/STDBY when vacating the active runway after landing.
This is what I was taught, and what's in our checklists. I fly from a fairly large controlled airport and I have had no complaints yet.
The grand exception to this is major international airports with ground radar, who want to see mode A exclusively (no mode C, so select "ON" on the transponder) while you are taxiing or being pushed back.
Furthermore, for various reasons (usually related to TCAS alerts or clutter on controllers screens of nearby airports), individual airports or airspaces can make their own exceptions, for instance requiring that no transponders are to be used within an ATZ. But I don't think it's a general rule that transponders have to be off in any ATZ.
For the curious, read up on what the Dutch did in the SRZ Schiphol.
The difference between the OFF and the STDBY setting on modern transponders is virtually nil. The only thing I can think of is that you are able to set a squawk when it's in STDBY and not when it's fully OFF. But the earlier generation of transponders you put in STDBY once you had stable power, so that they could heat up the radio tubes or whatever, without transmitting a signal.
Since you are only 15, have you considered joining the ATC?
With them, you will get some useful extra training, (both ground and flying training,) free of charge and, perhaps equally important, you will be in a flying milieu where aviation is the constant subject of conversation.
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