Mock Test Report (9th June).
Not since asking my wife's parents for permission to marry (over 17 yrs ago), have I felt so nervous. It's not that I really doubt what I can do, it's that I don't want to let people down. Hopefully, I'm close to the final GST and having to show the CFI how I could perform, played on my nerves. The mock test was to be today at 5pm. I was wide awake this morning at 6am thinking about what I should do, the order to ensure that the flight goes smoothly. The day looked promising and the forecast too looked good for Friday evening. Sun was trying hard to burn off the mist but it was already nice and bright with temperatures rising towards 70 degrees.
At lunchtime, I checked the 'Avbrief' reports for the wind strength and direction. With this I drew a compass rose on the map and added wind speeds and allowances for drift, heading in different directions. The booked aircraft was 'India Foxtrot' and I knew it cruised at around 100 knots with nil wind. By 2.30pm the 'pull' towards the airport was too much and I left for the Club. Somehow, I felt more comfortable there knowing that any car problems, traffic etc wouldn't delay my preparations for the flight, should they have happened. Travelling towards the airport the mist on the horizon was evident and the first nagging doubts entered my mind.
On my arrival at the Club the ATIS was giving the visibility at 8,000 metres. My minimum would be double that and I just hoped that it would improve over the next couple of hours. With the weather out of my control, the pre-flight preparations were done and the flight case arranged to make it easy to get things once airborne. The wristwatch came off to be replaced with the stopwatch and on the other arm went the larger wristwatch with the adjustable bezel, ideal for setting at take off and a back up for the stopwatch. With a few people around to talk to, time literally flew to 4pm when John the CFI summoned me in to his office. Unfortunately, 'India Foxtrot' had been taken by someone else and we had to go in 'Uniform Zulu' not ideal preparation as the plog had been prepared for a quicker aircraft.
John told me what the briefing would include and how the flight would be done including responsibilities and what notes should be recorded and things not to worry so much about. John asked if I was happy to proceed and I said, "No, as the visibility is 8k and I'd want at least 15k to go". As this was a mock test, JC over ruled me and told me we would fly but the viz would be taken in to account where necessary. So after being told to route from Newcastle to Milfield (north of Wooler) then to Lockerbie before heading home via Carlisle, JC checked my plog and off we went.
On the climb out from runway 07, the visibility quoted as 8k seemed to be optimistic as it looked to be about 6k. I couldn't see the coast or Morpeth ahead at all. The plog was to commence at Morpeth on the east hand side. We were quite close before Morpeth loomed out of the mist and I had to turn right to get to where I wanted to be for the start of the navigation leg. With the stopwatch running, I turned to my designated heading and climbed to 3,000 feet. Once trimmed, with no horizon at all and limited sight of the ground I told JC that we'd descend to 2500 feet to give me a chance of seeing more. The airspeed was all over the place as I tried to recognise landmarks and roads to the north of Morpeth. With dipping my wing, the heading was hard to hold and for some reason it was difficult to fly straight and level too. This was hard work. Even though I had spent many hours up here and knew roughly where places were, this was not much fun at all.
Just before Wooler, I changed course as I was half a mile west of where I should have been. On regaining course, the altitude was 500 feet lower than it should have. Up we went again and the new height nominated. Not long after this, as I pointed out a small village with a stream running through it, JC asked for a diversion to Amble on the coast. Normally from here Amble would almost be in view, not today. With the line drawn and the information divulged, we headed towards the east coast and a lot of very low cloud.
The diversion went well, John asking me to continue over the cloud until we could look down and hopefully spot out target. Right on 9 minutes, there, through the clouds were caravans, a well known site just outside Amble. With John happy we headed in land climbing to 3000 feet started the upper air work. Stalls first, flaps, flapless and simulated base to final turn with flaps. Everyone was yawed with the power, not too good at all as not enough right boot of rudder was applied. The steep turns went well, despite no horizon and the PFL also went according to plan but I had to push the nose down a little to get the right approach and we'd have got in, despite a few sheep.
Heading back to base, I called in at Morpeth and was told the circuit was busy and to report at Stannington. Only by following the A1 road could I find it at all. We orbited a few times before having to report and start of downwind, before base and then again on final. John asked for a short field landing and wanted me to land on the 'piano keys'. With full flaps and a good approach, that's exactly what I did! At last the experience ended on a very positive note.
Once inside the building, John sat me down for the de brief. Mostly things had gone well, apart from the height and directional issues on the Navigation leg which, would have been only a partial pass. John said that allowing for the weather, he wasn't too disappointed with it and the diversion was spot on. The yaw on the stalls was simply a right rudder to put right and again in the steep descent, rudder should have been firmer. The rest went well and the landing was just as required. I asked John if I should book another hour with an instructor and he said that I should do my half hour of solo to get me to 10 hours and then decide what I wanted to do after that. Personally, I blamed the poor viz and if that had been improved, I'd have been ok. If today had been the scheduled GST, I'd have cancelled. With the solo time booked, I think the GST won't be too far away.
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