Plodding the circuit doing my night rating solo consolidation at EGTF many years ago.
Crisp evening, cold and dry with endless visibility. I had the circuit to myself, with the only company being a helicopter operating to the south of the runway doing what ever helicopter pilots do practising all that hovering nonsense.
I was feeling quite the pilot as I seemed to have mastered this taking off, flying an landing business, even at night. My little Piper was co-operating, sounding as sweet as a nut and handling crisply in the still night air.
OK this will be my last circuit, on the PAPI's, nice touch down, power on with a little rudder, rotate and head down to scan instruments whilst we negotiate the initial dark zone.
I was hit by something I never saw coming. The controls had a mind of their own and for probably 5-10 seconds I was a passenger. Then the horizon appeared and all was calm again, except my mouth was dry and my heart racing. I rushed my last circuit and was not sure what my radio calls sounded like...I just wanted to get on the ground.
Downwind helicopter blade wash....I was enjoying myself so much, I missed the obvious gotcha.