To get us back on the front page......!! Had a double lesson today, so did a nav over the Derbyshire Peak District to Ladybower Resovoir, then East to Ossington, and back to Hucknall. I messed up the first leg, having failed to align the HI with the compass once en route, and it was some 20 degrees out!! Realising my first checkpoint was not coming up as it should, the error was pointed out to me and I make the necessary course adjustments. The rest worked fine. Having arrived overhead Hucknall, we peeled off and did some stalling, steep turns (I'm "sort of" OK with those now as long as it's ME doing them!), and PFL practice. It was very busy, and I find that it is much easier to keep on top of all the ATC chatter when I'm solo. I think I lose concentration if the boss takes some of the radio work load - for example, having been receiving FIS from Waddington, he took the radio to try to assist the controllers make contact with another aircraft. Having done all that, I thought he had made contact with East Midlands approach already ('cos I wasn't listening properly), but no, he had not!! I therefore screwed up the initial call proceedure for zone rejoin. I should have checked the frequency of course, but I was a bit distracted by the huge amount of chatter to other aircraft. Hey ho, another lesson learned.......
We then had to orbit before rejoin. It's a bit chaotic at EMA at present, for they are resurfacing the main taxiway, so all the commercial traffic is having to backtrack, and cause some delays.
I'm at 37 hours now, solo consolidation is all done, and the nav seems to be coming on OK - however, I seem to stiill have some way to go. I often wonder how many students actually achieve their PPL in the minimum 45 hours required. If they do, they are obviously a lot brighter than me!! More nav tomorrow, and next week I'm evidently off out of the zone for solo stall, PFL, and steep turn practice. Hope I don't get lost!!
Safe flying all....