From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
The Original Whirly
Join Date: Feb 1999
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Maz,
It gets less tiring as your skills develop. But it can still be totally exhausting, at any stage, if you're close to your own limits. It's one reason to be reasonably careful, once you've got your PPL, and make haste slowly, as it were.
But we can talk more about that when you're a little nearer to that point, as you soon will be.
It gets less tiring as your skills develop. But it can still be totally exhausting, at any stage, if you're close to your own limits. It's one reason to be reasonably careful, once you've got your PPL, and make haste slowly, as it were.
But we can talk more about that when you're a little nearer to that point, as you soon will be.
Join Date: May 2003
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Sounds good maz, I've not flown for a week. With ur obit direction I think I prob would have turned right at the beginning of downwind, with a left turn you end up flying the wrong way down downwind for abit. Just my opinion.
Nav is cool, but my experience so far is that you fly far less because the weather generally needs to be better
I hate the british weather!!!
Nav is cool, but my experience so far is that you fly far less because the weather generally needs to be better
I hate the british weather!!!
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Mazzy, Blinkz,
Quote from GASIL2001/4:
Rgds,
TPK
Quote from GASIL2001/4:
Once in the vicinity of the aerodrome (usually accepted as being within the ATZ or what it would be if it existed), all turns must be made in the circuit direction. Air traffic controllers, and only they, may issue conflicting instructions within an ATZ, but otherwise pilots must follow the rules. It is also important to know where everyone else is in a busy circuit.
TPK
Spicy Meatball
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It's one reason to be reasonably careful, once you've got your PPL, and make haste slowly, as it were.
all turns must be made in the circuit direction
An example where a turn would be in the other direction could possibly be at the end of the downwind, i.e. to the right, as if it were left, then you'd be on base....
Thanking you's
Lee
Join Date: May 2003
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Hey guys,
Took my air gen and pof today, got 92%
My next flight will be my first solo from edinburgh, all i need is some decent weather maybe tomorrow if the mist doesn't stay long (but it will 
)
Took my air gen and pof today, got 92%
My next flight will be my first solo from edinburgh, all i need is some decent weather
maybe tomorrow if the mist doesn't stay long (but it will )
Join Date: May 2003
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Hey guys,
This will be the last update before xmas since tomorrow I'm off home down south until january.
Today was a great day, woke up and saw gorgeous clear weather So I managed to finally get my first solo from edinburgh! It was sooooo good. A proper flight out into the lothians and just flying about. I also did 2 PFLs and some steep turns. Am still buzzing
After I got back I took my Human Performance & Limitations exam, got 100% (tho I don't think it counts since its possibly the easiest thing I've ever done
)
Hope you all have a great xmas!!!
This will be the last update before xmas since tomorrow I'm off home down south until january.
Today was a great day, woke up and saw gorgeous clear weather
So I managed to finally get my first solo from edinburgh! It was sooooo good. A proper flight out into the lothians and just flying about. I also did 2 PFLs and some steep turns. Am still buzzing After I got back I took my Human Performance & Limitations exam, got 100% (tho I don't think it counts since its possibly the easiest thing I've ever done
)Hope you all have a great xmas!!!
Spicy Meatball
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Great news Blinkz - sounds fantastic 
I have cancelled a 0900 flight today as we are expecting 40kt gusts - twice in a row I have cancelled now, looks like the flight sim will be getting loaded up soon
Have a great Christmas people, hope all goes well and you dont put too much weight on (like I will)
Best wishes,
Lee
I have cancelled a 0900 flight today as we are expecting 40kt gusts - twice in a row I have cancelled now, looks like the flight sim will be getting loaded up soon
Have a great Christmas people, hope all goes well and you dont put too much weight on (like I will)
Best wishes,
Lee
Spicy Meatball
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Circuit? WHAT CIRCUIT !
I never knew I would make such good progress today, as I was thinking I would need at least another circuit session before I am on nav, but I was wrong! I was a little cheeky though, I agreed to get back to the office for 1330, but as my last landing (or supposed last landing) was bang on 1330, I just couldnt resist one more. And it paid off. The weather was totally superb, CAVOK and not a cloud in sight. There was about 7 knots of wind which made it interesting, as it was changing direction quite quickly and was, at times, a little bumpy.
The first circuit we done (to get checked out) was a left hand one on rw09. This was new to me, in terms of runway and circuit direction. My first solo was a right hand circuit on 09, so we done two left hand circuits, then I dropped my instructor off.
Now was sat on the apron, ready to go. Mistake number one
GLF## at kilo, with delta, ready for departure, QFE
GLF## this is approach, contact tower 12 ..
Sorry about that, will contact tower on ..
Ah well, first time I had done that, and hopefully it will be the last! I did feel a bit stupid, but I reckon everyone must have done something like that at some point! We were having a discussion about mistakes back at the office, and I came to the conclusion that everyone has made even the silliest mistake, and the good thing is, every mistake that I have made I have remembered, and I make a conscious decision to check that I dont do it again, for example, after leaving the harness out the door during power checks a few months ago, it made a really loud rattle as you may recall from a previous post, so every time I close the door now, I check that it aint out the door!
On one of the downwind legs I was given number two to an easyjet which was on 4 mile final, I could see it coming in and was aware of the vortex spacing, so I slowed down to 80 knots to allow more time was I wrong in doing this? There was nobody else behind me or in front otherwise I wouldnt have done it. I had a great time, and clocked 55 minutes, which is exactly what I needed to hit the 3 hour mark, I am now exactly on 3 hours solo and can begin navigation! I have one lesson in January with another chap, as my regular instructor is on leave. We are going over PFLs and precautionary landings, and maybe the odd sideslip too, as I wanted to revise them.
I am amazed at how much I have progressed. I was reading the first few pages of my diary the other day and couldnt believe the stuff I was saying, i.e. how the hell will I ever fly that thing by myself? Now I will say the same thing about nav how the hell do I get to Wolverhampton, to Blackpool and then back to Liverpool without getting lost?!!
Regards all and have a nice Christmas,
Lee
The first circuit we done (to get checked out) was a left hand one on rw09. This was new to me, in terms of runway and circuit direction. My first solo was a right hand circuit on 09, so we done two left hand circuits, then I dropped my instructor off.
Now was sat on the apron, ready to go. Mistake number one
GLF## at kilo, with delta, ready for departure, QFE
GLF## this is approach, contact tower 12 ..
Sorry about that, will contact tower on ..
Ah well, first time I had done that, and hopefully it will be the last! I did feel a bit stupid, but I reckon everyone must have done something like that at some point! We were having a discussion about mistakes back at the office, and I came to the conclusion that everyone has made even the silliest mistake, and the good thing is, every mistake that I have made I have remembered, and I make a conscious decision to check that I dont do it again, for example, after leaving the harness out the door during power checks a few months ago, it made a really loud rattle as you may recall from a previous post, so every time I close the door now, I check that it aint out the door!
On one of the downwind legs I was given number two to an easyjet which was on 4 mile final, I could see it coming in and was aware of the vortex spacing, so I slowed down to 80 knots to allow more time was I wrong in doing this? There was nobody else behind me or in front otherwise I wouldnt have done it. I had a great time, and clocked 55 minutes, which is exactly what I needed to hit the 3 hour mark, I am now exactly on 3 hours solo and can begin navigation! I have one lesson in January with another chap, as my regular instructor is on leave. We are going over PFLs and precautionary landings, and maybe the odd sideslip too, as I wanted to revise them.
I am amazed at how much I have progressed. I was reading the first few pages of my diary the other day and couldnt believe the stuff I was saying, i.e. how the hell will I ever fly that thing by myself? Now I will say the same thing about nav how the hell do I get to Wolverhampton, to Blackpool and then back to Liverpool without getting lost?!!
Regards all and have a nice Christmas,
Lee
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GLF## at kilo, with delta, ready for departure, QFE
GLF## this is approach, contact tower 12 ..
Sorry about that, will contact tower on ..
GLF## this is approach, contact tower 12 ..
Sorry about that, will contact tower on ..
--best one was heard rather than made by me though: call went out "Sydney Radar, ABC, request..." - reply: "I'd love to approve you, but this isn't Radar - try 12x.x", followed by "oh... BOTHER!!!".
(well, we laughed...)
Meanwhile no flying for me until instructor gets back from holidays
, I'm gunna take a full week off work early in the new year and spend as much time as I can at the airport - I figure I've got to get at least ONE day of decent flying weather in seven!!!Anyhoos... all the compliments of the season and all that to all...
Adam
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hehe, yea most people make that kinda mistake. I've never broadcast on the wrong freq but after my first solo when I stoped to pick up my instructor for 2 more dual cirtcuits I managed to not turn the radio on. I realised just before I taxied onto the active lol. Like you say lesson learned and now I always check 
Glad things are going well tho maz, good effort! I'm just stuck in hampshire being depressed because the weather yesturday was so nice and I couldn't go flying!!!!!
Glad things are going well tho maz, good effort! I'm just stuck in hampshire being depressed because the weather yesturday was so nice and I couldn't go flying!!!!!
Spicy Meatball
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Greetings all!
It's been a while since my last post, as obviously over the xmas period, I aint got any flying done!
I was booked in today, but it was too windy, and as I am now officially on NAV, it was to be my first groundschool lecture for this subject. We went through the syllabus and summarised what I had done and what I had left to do etc. Then we basically brushed up on everything so far, looking at RT, circuit detail, PFL's etc and then went on to talk a little about the aviation charts and the AIP (thee Bible!!)
I got all my equipment out that I received in the AFE pack, and we went through some bits and bobs, then looked at the charts and what some of the symbols meant. Then, we went onto what would be my first solo out of the zone, and went through it step by step. I learned a great way of remembering the emergency transponder codes - see what you think of this:
7500 (seventy five - taken alive) - HIJACK
7600 (seventy six - need a fix) - Radio broken
You can guess the last one right?
7700 (seventy seven - gone to heaven) Mayday
I also learned a fantastic way to work out the crosswind component. At first look, I thought "what the hell?" then it sunk in pretty quick. It's hard for me to explain but you basically take the angle between the runway and the wind (so for runway 27, wind of 230 degrees, the difference is 40 degrees). (Lets say the wind speed is 30kts) Then you count backwards from 40 using the 4 i.e. 3....2 - and this reversed gives you 2 over 3 (or two thirds). Then, two thirds of 30 is 20, so the xwind component is 20kts. I reckon that had to be the worlds worst explanation, so if someone knows what the hell I am on about, please feel free to come and expand a little!
Very much looking forward to my next flight, and once again (that same old feeling) I am wondering:
"How am I going to be able to fly the thing by myself away form the airport?"
And once again, I am hoping to be looking back in a few months time, wondering why I asked that question.
Happy new year everyone, and enjoy the flying,
Lee
It's been a while since my last post, as obviously over the xmas period, I aint got any flying done!
I was booked in today, but it was too windy, and as I am now officially on NAV, it was to be my first groundschool lecture for this subject. We went through the syllabus and summarised what I had done and what I had left to do etc. Then we basically brushed up on everything so far, looking at RT, circuit detail, PFL's etc and then went on to talk a little about the aviation charts and the AIP (thee Bible!!)
I got all my equipment out that I received in the AFE pack, and we went through some bits and bobs, then looked at the charts and what some of the symbols meant. Then, we went onto what would be my first solo out of the zone, and went through it step by step. I learned a great way of remembering the emergency transponder codes - see what you think of this:
7500 (seventy five - taken alive) - HIJACK
7600 (seventy six - need a fix) - Radio broken
You can guess the last one right?
7700 (seventy seven - gone to heaven) Mayday
I also learned a fantastic way to work out the crosswind component. At first look, I thought "what the hell?" then it sunk in pretty quick. It's hard for me to explain but you basically take the angle between the runway and the wind (so for runway 27, wind of 230 degrees, the difference is 40 degrees). (Lets say the wind speed is 30kts) Then you count backwards from 40 using the 4 i.e. 3....2 - and this reversed gives you 2 over 3 (or two thirds). Then, two thirds of 30 is 20, so the xwind component is 20kts. I reckon that had to be the worlds worst explanation, so if someone knows what the hell I am on about, please feel free to come and expand a little!
Very much looking forward to my next flight, and once again (that same old feeling) I am wondering:
"How am I going to be able to fly the thing by myself away form the airport?"
And once again, I am hoping to be looking back in a few months time, wondering why I asked that question.
Happy new year everyone, and enjoy the flying,
Lee
I don't know about anyone else but I have trouble adding 4 mins to 29 mins when I'm flying, let alone subtracting 170 degrees from 240 degrees!
I guess it will get better but still not a lot of spare capacity during complex manoeuvres.
I guess it will get better but still not a lot of spare capacity during complex manoeuvres.
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Hi Mazzy,
very interesting read . Alot of the issues / experiences you have had, I've also had. I trained in the Tommy and now have 80 hrs, I gained my PPL last March.
Re the crosswind I tend to think of it as if it's 30deg off of the Runway then you get roughly half of wind component, if it's 45deg off you get roughly 3/4 off the wind component, at 60deg off I just call it full crosswind
i.e. Runway 23 wx 260/12, your cross wind would be 6kts,
Wish you all the best with your NAV work.
Apriana
very interesting read
. Alot of the issues / experiences you have had, I've also had. I trained in the Tommy and now have 80 hrs, I gained my PPL last March.Re the crosswind I tend to think of it as if it's 30deg off of the Runway then you get roughly half of wind component, if it's 45deg off you get roughly 3/4 off the wind component, at 60deg off I just call it full crosswind
i.e. Runway 23 wx 260/12, your cross wind would be 6kts,
Wish you all the best with your NAV work.
Apriana
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Hi Mazzy, c-bert and all. Happy New Year!
Well, my last lesson before Christmas was far from good. I went back to flaring too early or too late and generally scaring the life out of my instructor. After a very good previous lesson, I'd expected to go solo, but instead ended up frustrated and cross at my apparent regression. At nearly 20 hours, I am beginning to feel bad about my lack of progress and I think it's frustrating my instructor too.
Booked to fly again tomorrow, but the weather looks questionable.
HH
Well, my last lesson before Christmas was far from good. I went back to flaring too early or too late and generally scaring the life out of my instructor. After a very good previous lesson, I'd expected to go solo, but instead ended up frustrated and cross at my apparent regression. At nearly 20 hours, I am beginning to feel bad about my lack of progress and I think it's frustrating my instructor too.
Booked to fly again tomorrow, but the weather looks questionable.
HH