Originally Posted by
admuffin
..... Wow that sounds very real! I hope I don't have to deal with this kind of situation or would be able to deal with it if it arises. ...
Hi
Admuffin, firstly, congratulations on the Pass! Mind you, the whole point of your training is to take what sounds a difficult situation and train you so it is semi-routine as, usually, it will happen when things are not going your way with weather etc! There is nothing mystical about this diversion work ... and please, if you feel it was a fluke, for your own sake, just check you are happy with it - it could save your life. You'll have seen my second PM which, I hope, explains a bit about the method I used. Even though qualified, ask if some other instructor could perhaps show you again using that bit of kit, or just have a bit more practice the way you do it. You only really start learning after the Skills Test!
Anyway, well done on the skills test. And, no doubt, you will find you will have to divert..... for many reasons and always unexpectedly! I nearly had to in France once when the aircraft ahead of me on Final crashed on landing, coming to rest in a cloud of dust with collapsed gear to one side of the runway. I thought "Sh1t, here we go - a diversion in France!". Ah, but for French pragmatism! "G-AB, continue weeth the approache ... you see le crached plane, Oui?" "Affirm, G-AB visual with the crashed plane!" "Rogeur, avex le crached aeroplane een sight, land over zat plane on Rhunway two-seeex!". Well, as there was no signs of a fire and it was a huge runway, I sort of flew the approach slightly high and a bit to the right (so I could see where "le wreckage" was at all times!) and landed sort of "over/after/in front of....."! ..... Saved having to sort a hotel out at short notice wherever I had diverted to! That would have been the real pain!
Only in France - et, merci beaucoup to l'ATCO on duty that day!".
Again, well done on the Pass! Enjoy!
H 'n' H