GST, Monday 10 April
I was a bit worried waking up to a lot of snow in Sussex, but by the time I reported to Shoreham at 1030 it was rapidly disappearing.
I picked up the weather and stuff at home from Avbrief before driving to the club wondering where we would be going on this fine sunny day. The examiner wasn't going to be ready until 1100, so I went and took the cover off the Warrior. I had been advised by one of the club instructors that the previous afternoon someone had thrown up all over the pilot's back during a trial flight, and it might be an idea to open the window, even though they had cleaned it up! Fortunately there was no residual pong !,
JC (the examiner's very apt initials) then briefed me about the nav part of the test, leaving me to plan from Shoreham to a turning point at Clipgate (a tiny strip I had never heard of just north of Dover) and then to North Weald. He advised that we would be diverting on the second leg, so don't plan a full round trip.
The wind on the ground was 020/14, straight down the runway. At 2000ft it was forecast 040/20 and there was little cloud to worry about.
Planned the route, frequencies, fuel etc and Sir came and checked it. All OK. Then he explained the general handling part of the test and told me to go an start up the aircraft and he would come out and join me.
I felt daft briefing JC, but it had to be done. I told him that I would use him as a resource, so to look out for other aircraft and so on. I asked him if he wanted me to call out all my checks aloud, but he said no. That pleased me, as I have not been in the habit of doing that, although I know a lot of examiners do insist on this.
Chocks off at 1235, but a delay to get airborne due to a runway inspection after another aircraft burst a tyre on landing. Off at 1248 and heading direct to Clipgate 59 miles away. Fortunately, I have done a fair amount of my training to the East of Shoreham, so I knew area well for the first 50 miles to Ashford. Managed to keep on track and gained 2 minutes, so the wind was obviously not as strong as forecast. Then the problem of finding Clipgate. I knew that if I hit the M2 I had gone too far. I knew I should be in relation to the tall mast at Dover. Could I see Clipgate? Could I heck! I had to do 3 orbits to spot it, and then JC pointed out that there was a race track marked on the map very close to the strip. I had seen the track from the air, but I had not taken note of it on the chart. Doh ! Feeling a bit stupid, off we go towards North Weald.
My planned magnetic heading was not giving me the track I wanted, and this confirmed the lesser winds. I modified my heading and advised the examiner. He agreed with my assessment. We got up towards Sheerness, and he asked me to confirm my position using any two VORs of my choice. I used Detling and Seaford, which I already had set up on the Navbox.
Then he asked me to divert to Old Hay. This is another grass strip just south of Paddock Wood. I have flown over this a few times and knew exactly where it was. Plotted the route and calculated the heading, distance and time to reach it. All worked out fine.
JC then said it was time for a "tea break", so he took control and I had a stretch. Nav bit was over, and now it was general handling. I had control and up we went to 3,500ft. Steep turns was first on the agenda. I do not know why, but I can do a steep turn to the right as if I am on rails, but to the left is a total pig's ear. We started to the left and JC was not happy. I overbanked and lost height. Did one to the right perfectly and then straight in to another to the left. Same thing. This ain't going well, I was thinking. We levelled off and talked about it. I did another one, but spent too much time concentating on the AI instead of looking at the horizon. Angle of bank was OK, but I lost height because I did not pull back hard enough. Levelled off again and climbed back up to 3,000ft. Did all the stalls OK and then we went up to 4,000ft to do a steep gliding descending turn. This was just about OK. Then we go up yet again to do recovery from a spiral dive. I tried to level the wings before chopping the power, so I had to do that twice.
I am getting very tired at this point and worried that my efforts in this part of the test will not be good enough.
Some cloud has developed, and instead of using the foggles, he tells me to climb up into the base of the cloud. With some trepidation, I do so and reach it at just over 5,000ft. After a few seconds he then tells me to do a 180 on instruments, and that's OK. The outside temp was then minus 5 and we had picked up some rime ice on the wings, so we dropped down to 2,000ft fairly rapidly. I mentioned to him that I thought the test was supposed to be done in VMC throughout, but he said that what we did was OK. Fair enough I suppose...
He asks me to head back towards Shoreham and after a few minutes he chops the power for the PFL. I trim for best glide and call out the actions for checking fuel, ignition and carb icing. I select a field at 11 o'clock and start to set up. JC then asks what's wrong with a field he points out at 2 o'clock. I say "nothing, but my selection is better because it is on my side of the aircraft and I am not planning to do a circuit" He shrugs his shoulders and points out power lines running across my track about 1 mile from planned touchdown. I tell him I will be well above them on my approach. We get down to 150ft and he tells me to climb away, confirming that he believes I would have landed safely. Phew !
Back on track to Shoreham for a standard overhead join at 2,000ft and a glide approach to touch and go. This works out OK, flaps up, power on and climb away. 200ft and he chops the power again for an EFATO. Select field at 9 o'clock and call out the actions. Climb away back into the circuit and, as I am turning base, I am asked to do a flapless landing. I set myself up and JC comments that I am too high and too fast. I tell him that it will be fine! By this time I was really looking forward to getting back on the ground and I was in the left hand seat, so I decided that I would be in command and achieve a reasonable landing. He said I should have extended my base leg to lose height, but I ignored him I'm afraid and I did the best landing I have done for a long time. I know that's a bit arrogant, but on this aspect, I felt totally confident.
We taxi to the fuel pumps and then JC walks off to the club without telling me the score. Hmm! Not a good sign I'm thinking as the aircraft is fuelled. I park the Warrior and walk slowy into the terminal. My instructor is hanging out of the window gesticulating - thumbs up or thumbs down? I shrug to indicate I don't know.
Back inside I complete the aicraft log and JC tells me to go into one of the briefing rooms. He proceeds to go through the nav and berates me for not spotting the race track on the chart and using it to find Clipgate. He still passes me on nav, though.
We spend 10 minutes discussing the steep turns in particular, and he suggest I should try having my seat a notch further back. He also wants me to go up with my instructor and practise steep turns some more. Ah, a partial pass I am thinking.
Then he gives me the best news of the decade. I've passed! He is perfectly happy that I am a safe pilot, which is his and my primary concern.
So now I need to build up the hours and my confidence and start going places.
Once again, thank you to all, whose various comments, anecdotes and encouragement to others has helped my confidence no end.
Cheers and happy flying one and all
Lysander