Cheers guys, it still hasnt quite sunk in...
So the test. It had been cancelled about 4 times due to the wx not being suitable, so i turned up to the FS expecting to read the latest wx and quickly get back in my car and go home. But no, i couldn't have asked for a better day weather wise and the test would be done.
The first thing to do was to plan out the nav, the route would take me out of the zone at chester, to LichField disused aerodrome across to Welshpool and back in the zone at Oulton Park. The plan was made a bit simpler by the fact the 2000ft wind was given at vrb/05 so the whizz wheel was needed here. While trying to do the Mass and Balance calculations it soon became apparent just how nervous i had become as i was flicking through the POH looking for the weight of the aircraft but didnt seem to be able to focus on anything on the page! Anyway, the log was complete - the tommy was overweight as we were carrying full fuel and 2 on board, i checked that the examiner was ok with this and he was. Now the botty twitching began, booking out to ATC was a messy affair, words were jumbled and mumbled but somehow the ATC person understood me and we were cleared to leave the zone at Chester.
External checks were completed as per the book, the aircraft was towed to a safe area for start up and I climbed in, quickly followed by the examiner. He seemed far to relaxed to be an examiner and it felt like i was with just another instructor. I carried on with my checks and turned the key to start the engine... splutter, cough cough cough splutter then nothing. bugger. I had never had such an unhealthy sounding engine before! it started on the 2nd attempt but still sounded rough, but i elected to continue on the grounds it was probably cold and not been used in a while... it was about this time i made my first blunder, during the mag checks i selected left mag then right mag and instead of selecting both i selected just the left mag. The examiner selected both mags for me. Thats it i thought, i've failed. I then tried to get the ATIS which was giving an illegiable instruction at the end of it, and i had to listen to it several times before i understood it. Another first, all departing a/c had to contact LPL ground, this had also never happened before. The nerves then vanished as i finally started to concentrate a bit.
We taxied to A1 for RWY 27, there was a Easjyet on long final which we had to wait for, which seemed like an age, but after it landed, we were rolling. I was calling out all the checks as I would do normally and we climbed up and made our left turn to leave the zone at chester. Upon leaving the zone I setup for my first waypoint telling the instructor height/heading/speed and an ETA... LPL Approach gave me an FIS and the Barnsley QNH as expected. I left the altimeter on the LPL Qnh as although we left the LPL zone we were still under the Manchester TMA, so it wasnt until we were clear of this did i put in the barnsley QNH.
The calm conditions were a big bonus as the plane was staying pretty much on the numbers which made a pleasant change to my usual standard of flying!
En route to my first waypoint i was making a point of getting in plenty of FREDA checks and emphasising the Compass and DI check and carb heat.
Part way along the first leg i had to change from LPL approach to birmingham Radar to tell them that i was going to be passing close to their zone and to get a FIS. My R/t at this point was poor, i told them that lichfield was our "Destination" which confused the poor girl in ATC as there is no active airfields in lichfield!! but she understood what i meant, and was very helpful.
We got to lichfield aerodrome as planned, although the examiner did try and confuse me by pointing out another disused airfield nearby and asking if that was lichfield, but lichfield was easily identifiable by the dual carriageway to the east of it. Once we set our next heading for a minute or two before i was given my diversion, which was Ellesmere...50 miles from my current position, it was difficult to draw a straight track line on my chart without a ruler so to estimate a heading was even harder!! THe light winds made the time estimate and heading calculation fairly easy to do mentally.
Once established on this leg i tuned into to LPL approach once more for a FIS, we were closer to RAF Shawbury but the kind lady at birmingham advised us that they were closed.
It was at this point that i really had thought i had failed as the examiner had given up on making any notes on me, so i thought he thought i was a lost cause!
After a few minutes he took control and handed me the foggles, for the instrument flying. he was now responsible for the look out and navigation. I was given a heading to steer to and was not allowed to lose height of speed. I managed to do a good job of this and kept pretty much 15 degrees AOB all the way through the turn and lost hardly any height. THis was a good confidence boost, which was quickly shattered when he asked where we were. Erm. Ah. I hadn't a clue. My brain had given up on nav once the foggles were handed to me, so i had the feeling of being lost. I studied the map for ages and finally figured out where we were, which was not far from where we were about 1 minute ago when he handed me the foggles!
Next were the steep turns, i was to put on >40 AOB maintain height and speed and level wings when instructed. The first turn was to the left, it was terrible, speed was high then slow and the height was all over the place. The turn to the right was much more polished, and i felt very satisfied with it.
Next we moved onto the stalls. A HASELL check was performed before the first one, a clean stall that was to be recovered when the instructor said. This went well, i held the control back and managed to prevent a wing drop by using the rudder pedals, a first for me! The recovery was from a dive bombers manual, a bit extreme to say the least! Next a stall with one stage of flap, in a turn, and recover at the first indication of a stall ie the stall warner. My recovery was good, level the wings full power without lowering the nose, once a positive rate of climb was established raise the flap. Perfect
I was feeling confident now as those were my weak spots. THe final stall was with full flap, and recovery at the stall warner. My recovery was again pretty good, got full power on, got rid of the drag flap, didnt lower the nose and got rid of the rest of the flap once positive rate of climb was established.
Next I was put in a spiral dive and instructed to recover to 90knots and wings level. Which was a fairly straight forward affair
We then moved onto the emergencies and did a PFL first. this was done from about 3500ft which was a lot higher then i had been practising them at, so it felt like i had enough time to plan my descent properly and get the checks and mayday call in as well as breif the passenger. I still cant believe how well this went as this was another of my weakspots. We did an EFATO while climbing away from the PFL, which went well. What made these two easier was the fact we were in area with an plethora of suitable fields. i think this took away a lot of the intial panic that i usually get with engine failures.
We then tracked the NDB at Whitegate and entered LPL zone, for the circuits. The first was a powered approach with flap. I managed to nail 70knots throughout the approach and made an absolute greaser of a landing!! i was delighted!! and the nerves returned as i realised the end of the test was near. We got into the downwind position of the left hand circuit and then another first, LPL tower let a small biz jet take off from the opposite rwy to the one we were using and it was doing right hand circuits which would position it towards us! The examiner took control and descended to about 500ft at 100knots...which was a bit scary! he gave me control again on finals at 70knots, and i was setup for the flapless landing. another greaser!! Woohoo! he took control again before letting me taxi us back to the apron, and a set of verbal questions about the Tommy, air law and airmanship. I was awful at the air law and forgot everything that i had learnt for the Air Law exam. I was embarresed by my lack of knowledge and was gutted as now i really thought i had blown it. I tied the aircraft down and went in to the FS and sat down waiting to be told the outcome...
still cant get the grin off my face!!!!!
All in all it took about 4 hours including the briefings and plannings and i was shattered, but estastic!
Well done to you poor folk who just read all of that!!! You may or may not realise that your postings have played a very important part in the past 18months, it has been great to read all of your experiences and to learn something from them.
PS anyone in the Liverpool area need a flying buddy...?