When you almost became... "Another Statistic"

[Circuit Basher]

Circuit Bashers List:

• Have previously told of an inadvertent spin in a C152 whilst solo pre-PPL (flying the last hour to make the total solo time of 10 hrs) - was just told by instructor to 'do what you want, but don't crash it!' As most of my early PPL flying was in a C172, I'd started flying the 152 for circuits and NAVEXs and had also regularly used a PA28. I'd never done a full conversion onto a 152 and had only ever done power off stalls. Decided to climb to 5k and practice the full range of stalls...!! All went fine and dandy until the last one, which was a full power stall - the wing dropped extremely quickly and was straight into a fully developed spin! (no smileys for 'change of underwear required' ) Luckily, I'd done the first half of my PPL in Canada and had about 3.5 hrs of full spin training, so recovered and flew some very sober S&L until I'd built up the required hours. Just to cap it all, I returned to EGHH for circuits and could see this black cloud approaching from the West - held my nerve for as long as possible until the rain shower started to hit and the vis went down to 3k. Landed in off the circuit I was on and was 6 mins short of the required time - did a very leisurely taxi and shut down (plus I misread my watch by a few minutes!!).
  
• JohnnyPharm
  Also have lined up with the taxi way on a straight in at Gillespie Field in San Diego, should have been lined up on that tiny runway if anyone has been there but lined up with the taxi-way, realised my mistake about half a mile out

  Believe it or not, that was me on Sat at Kinloss during an IMC Rating lesson! Had done a great ILS approach, really proud and then the instructor removed the foggles at 500 ft so I could go visual. Managed to visually acquire the parallel taxiway before the runway, so started to line up on that!!
  
• Have also done the 'creeping IMC' bit - above a FEW cloud layer, which becomes SCT, then BKN, with cloudbase below the high ground around you!! Before you know it, you're VFR on top, just trying to press on 'because this only looks like an isolated cloud'!!
  
• Always an inherent wish to carry on (like going to the PPRuNe Flyin at Sherburn last year - I should have landed back 15 mins after take off, as the Wx / Visibility / Cloudbase in heavy rain showers was below my minima) rather than divert is my problem - these days, I can usually recognise the conditions that I can cope with and am prepared to accept when I can't cope (usually due to gusts / turbulence).
  
• Have had the 'Cessna Seat Rail Syndrome' on climbout from Compton Abbas (just weeks before another C172 had the same and spun in, fatally injuring all on board ) - had bounced up and down / backwards and forwards to ensure the seat was locked. On take off from Compton, hit a bump in the grass as I rotated and the seat went rearwards! Luckily, I had a pax with me who was ex Nimrod pilot / 737 jock, so I just gave him control to maintain heading / airspeed whilst I sorted it. I'd also previously discussed this with a PPL friend and we'd agreed the best course of action was to extend the arms forwards as the seat moved backwards - plan worked great!!
  
• Haven't yet done the mixture / carb heat one yet (but I've only flown as a PPL for 8 yrs - plenty of time for that!! ).

[Edited to add Cessna seat rail episode]