LESSON FOUR
Lesson four was on Sunday just gone. This session is the first of two hours of navigation training. All navigation for this part of the course is to be done visually, i.e. without the use of Radio Aids.
Route planning is exactly the same as always - drawing lines on the map, measuring track/distance and using the triangle of velocities to calculate headings and times. In the planning I looked carefully at obsticals on our route, but lit and un lit, as these pose a greater danger at night. However, to be on the safe side, I planned the flight for 3000', which kept us on the 'friendly' side of IFR and well clear of the ground.
Then it was out to the aircraft. After a normal 'night start' and departure we commenced our S-VFR clearance out of the zone. We were nicly level at 3000' passing over Trowell services, the first point of the plan. From here we should have taken 15mins to reach Chesterfield.
Flying conditions were excellent - not a cloud in the sky and smooth air above 1000' AGL. The aircraft felt like it was 'on rails'.
After about eight minutes my instructor asked "The town to the left of the nose. Where's that?" Consulting my map I decided it couldn't possibly be Chesterfield as we should only be half way there. Trouble was, there were no towns that big on track to Chesterfield. After a couple of guesses he told me it was indeed Chesterfield. So much for the wind-aloft forecast! We arrived overhead at 11 minutes - four minutes early! First lesson learnt - distance is deceptive at night. Overhead Chesterfield we turned for Gamston (without the VOR tuned!). This leg took us back over the M1 and towards much less densely populated ground. This actually made navigation easier since the lessened frequency of the towns made them easier to corrolate to the map. Again, the time was quicker than expected and I didn't fall for the same mistake as last time. "Where's that?" It looked very close but was the right shape in the right position next to the A1. "Retford". "Correct".
Gamston was closed and the only evidence of the airfield was the floodlights on the apron and the guy locking the main gate up on his way home. There was no indication of the runway enviorment as there was insufficient moonlight.
We turned overhead and this time the lack of wind messed up our track. We ended hitting the M1 on track about three miles north of our intended position, Trowell. Easily spotted from local knowledge so easily corrected.
One interesting aspect was that when we tried to get a zone clearance we were told to hold at the nothern zone boundary. This was due to an inbound 737 on five mile final. Normally, in those conditions, we'd be cleared into the zone then asked to hold on right base (for 27). I wondered if this was due to rules imposed by the issue of a S-VFR clearance?
A standard S-VFR join to the circuit was followed by a landing in strange winds that turned my landing into three quite distinct ones! Successful none the less!
Next stop - solo Nav, err tomorrow!
Jez