Evening All!
Flew my PPL cross country qualifier yesterday and made it back to base safely!
Leg 1, EGPK-EGPN
Uneventful takeoff, despite a last minute runway change by ATC (no real drama as I've worked at EGPK for 10 years).
Proceeded to the zone departure point and set my heading, luckily EGPN is on a direct 45 degree track from EGPK.
Wind conditions weren't ideal (010/35x @ 2000') but the rest of the weather was perfect.
Busted the EGPH zone en-route due to confusing one of the bridges over the River Forth with another one. Once corrected by the nice lady at EGPH Radar, It was onwards to EGPN, where it was a straight in approach to Rwy 09.
After quite a wrestle in the descent, and being asked to report abeam a village I couldn't find on my chart, I made not one of my better landings and parked up.
The guys a Tayside Aviation sorted me out and I got back on my way.
Leg 2, EGPN - EGPT
Short hop this time.
Bumpy climb out and 180 onto the downwind leg, departed the circuit and headed straight for EGPT, where the choice of 3 runways meant an almost into wind landing, and after my embarrassing attempt at EGPN, this one was almost perfect.
Helpful directions to the parking from the guys in the tower, then on to pay my fee and pick up a bacon roll from the Touchdown Cafe!
Leg 3, EGPT - EGPK
Took off from EGPT, LH turnout and picked up my heading towards my first waypoint.
A beautiful sightseeing tour over to Dunblane and then turned and headed towards home!
After over-flying EGPG and a (scheduled) transit the EGPF zone, I re-entered EGPK airspace and landed!
On reflection, delaying the flight to wait for better wind would have made for a more comfortable flight, but perhaps it made for a more realistic flight.
Despite having my SkyDemon loaded in my pocket (it would be silly not to), I was adamant I wasn't going to use it, and was proud of myself that I didn't.
I would rather have made an a**e of it on my own (which I did), than have completed it successfully with assistance.
I watched a video once by FlightChops on YouTube where he "earns the right to use his iPad", which was an inspiring view on technology in flying.
Onward now, skills test in the next couple of weeks (weather permitting) and the last couple of written exams to squeeze in before the last couple of solo hours!
If anyone else cocked it up a bit on their qualifier, hearing about that would relieve me a bit!
Doug