I have recently started solo x-country training, and while I enjoy the peace and quiet (and the now rocket-like performance of a C152
) I find I am really missing the second pair of eyes. Not so much for monitoring me, as I’m fairly confident in my basic ability, but for looking out for traffic.
I’m fortunate in having Southend’s LARS near my training area, so an RIS is almost always available. This is very reassuring (although I’m well aware that separation is still my responsibility) but when I get back to the circuit, I become obsessed with looking out for traffic, to the point where I feel I’m letting it take priority over my own flying.
Its extremely busy airspace, with the LTMA at 2500’, so any overflying traffic is sandwiched into a 400’ band above my overhead join, which makes me very uncomfortable, and on previous flights my instructor has calmly asked me if I had noticed ‘that one that was a bit close’ (I hadn’t).
I only have 25 hours, so its very early days, and I appreciate that the AAIB’s pages are full of C152s with bent nose-wheels rather than mid-airs. I also realise that there’s little point in having the world’s best traffic scan if I let the carb ice up, but I’m still not sure as to what extent the danger is real or imagined.
Does everyone else go through this stage? And if so, what techniques do you use to improve your scan – is it just something that comes with experience?