Day 10
Well yesterday was the best day ever, lay in bed until 2pm. Much needed sleep. However my day off was short lived as in the afternoon came more studying.
Today was the BIG day no not my check ride but my 170A. For the people who don’t know what a 170A is, it’s a mock check ride. I arrived early morning did my pre-flight checks. Can you believe it, the last 10 days not a single knot of wind and today gusting 16kts. Main runway 9-27 closed so used 14-32. Heading indicator sticking in slaved mode. You get the picture, everything going against me. But I thought ill tackle it head on. Met with the CFI and was briefed on what to expect, already for a 1130 departure.
Got into the aircraft with the CFI, was advised my ATC to take a right turn on take off when I required a left turn. I thought I would take a right turn, but after take off I started a right turn thinking what I should do. But then ATC for a left turn to take me on my 1st reporting point, which they allowed. I started my nav leg and got confused with a road which I thought was my 1st reporting point but quickly rectified this mistake, and advised my CFI of the new ETA. Got to my destination point on time, was given a diversion point also arrived on time.
Then did a simulated fire engine which went wrong, I got the procedure wrong. I thought I was doing steep turns but I should have had the gear down and flaps down. And aimed for a 105kts speed at 45 degrees turn.
So that was not good, I then had to do a engine failure and engine failure after take off both of them went well.
After that I was told to put on the hood and given unusual attitudes to correct, both went well.
I was then told to do some compass rose turns which I thought were ok but my CFI obviously thought otherwise. But he was correct when we spoke about it in the debrief. I have no excuse even though I tried saying the Heading indicator was stuck. But it’s a visual manoeuvre so….
I was then told to do a position fix for some reason went pear shaped and got a wrong position fix. My CFI was very helpful to show me how to use the instruments correctly after the debrief.
We then did some stalls which were fine no problem there.
We then went back to do some touch and go’s a normal approach and a flapless landing both great approaches and landed on the centre line very briefly before I went off the centre line.
My entry back into the circuit was poor I mixed up the runways aiming for a downwind for runway 32 which infact I was setting up for a downwind on runway 14.
I had my debrief with the CFI, who went through the flight point by point,
I still have some work to do so going flying tomorrow morning.
My stay at EFT has been great im not promoting it just giving my version on how I have been treated. Don’t get me wrong there have been up’s and down’s but a journey wouldn’t be a journey without them.
I find that EFT is a great school and treats people like people and not numbers. There has been an incident where I didn’t agree with my instructors debrief. However this was quickly resolved by the CFI. I have to calculate how much I was originally quoted and how much I was charged, I wont be giving a figure, I think that would be wrong just allot more or just right or less would be a good indication
To everyone who has sent me private messages about EFT, thank you. I will get back to everyone tomorrow or Wednesday.
I may have my check ride tomorrow so I will update you all when I get home.