Circuit? WHAT CIRCUIT !
I never knew I would make such good progress today, as I was thinking I would need at least another circuit session before I am on nav, but I was wrong! I was a little cheeky though, I agreed to get back to the office for 1330, but as my last landing (or supposed last landing) was bang on 1330, I just couldn’t resist one more. And it paid off. The weather was totally superb, CAVOK and not a cloud in sight. There was about 7 knots of wind which made it interesting, as it was changing direction quite quickly and was, at times, a little bumpy.
The first circuit we done (to get checked out) was a left hand one on rw09. This was new to me, in terms of runway and circuit direction. My first solo was a right hand circuit on 09, so we done two left hand circuits, then I dropped my instructor off.
Now was sat on the apron, ready to go. Mistake number one………
“GLF## at kilo, with delta, ready for departure, QFE………”
GLF## this is approach, contact tower 12…………..”
“Sorry about that, will contact tower on …..”
Ah well, first time I had done that, and hopefully it will be the last! I did feel a bit stupid, but I reckon everyone must have done something like that at some point! We were having a discussion about mistakes back at the office, and I came to the conclusion that everyone has made even the silliest mistake, and the good thing is, every mistake that I have made I have remembered, and I make a conscious decision to check that I don’t do it again, for example, after leaving the harness out the door during power checks a few months ago, it made a really loud rattle as you may recall from a previous post, so every time I close the door now, I check that it aint out the door!
On one of the downwind legs I was given number two to an easyjet which was on 4 mile final, I could see it coming in and was aware of the vortex spacing, so I slowed down to 80 knots to allow more time – was I wrong in doing this? There was nobody else behind me or in front otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. I had a great time, and clocked 55 minutes, which is exactly what I needed to hit the 3 hour mark, I am now exactly on 3 hours solo and can begin navigation! I have one lesson in January with another chap, as my regular instructor is on leave. We are going over PFL’s and precautionary landings, and maybe the odd sideslip too, as I wanted to revise them.
I am amazed at how much I have progressed. I was reading the first few pages of my diary the other day and couldn’t believe the stuff I was saying, i.e. “how the hell will I ever fly that thing by myself”? Now I will say the same thing about nav – how the hell do I get to Wolverhampton, to Blackpool and then back to Liverpool without getting lost?!!
Regards all – and have a nice Christmas,
Lee