From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
Spicy Meatball
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Join Date: Jan 2004
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Left rudder never needs more than a feather-light dab, and right rudder needs constant pressure with a hefty shove if I want to actually bank in that direction. I understand that the propellor slipstream introduces some bias, but do you think that's normal for a C172 at moderate power settings?
One more thing - next time you are doing the walk-around, stand in front of the spinner and notice how the engine is 'off-set'. This means that the engine is mounted in such a way as it points to the right (looking from the cockpit). This is again to counteract the 'pull' to the left when you are flying!
Hope that helps - and remember, have a look at the slip indicator (Turn Coordinator) - ball to the right means right rudder needed and so on.....
Lee
Join Date: Jan 2006
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rudder co-ordination
Thanks for that, Lee! All makes sense.
Had another good lesson today. This instructor is demanding, not great at communicating, and sometimes a little presumptious - but what he teaches is solid gold. I still didn't quite have the rudder co-ordination sorted, so we did a bit more of the banking exercise. Turns out that I hadn't been looking at the correct thing at all, when I was doing it before, which was why it was going wrong! After a bit of discussion with the instructor, to try to understand what I was doing wrong, everything fell into place. Now, I can make co-ordinated turns! A very rewarding outcome.
The remainder of the lesson was dedicated to identifying attitudes visually, instead of by reference to the instruments. It makes flying so much easier to know 80 knots straight and level, 100 knots 50 fpm descent, 70 knots climb, etc. - by the view instead of the dials. Very, very helpful.
So we had an extremely circuitous route in the zone, with various holds, until we finally got onto approach. Holding 100 knots, 1000 ft and making the manoeuvres is fairly easy now. On short final, the instructor grabbed control, and made what turned out to be an extremely hairy crosswind landing. I have a hunch it was outside the limits. Oh well, I'm still alive.
More tomorrow...
Had another good lesson today. This instructor is demanding, not great at communicating, and sometimes a little presumptious - but what he teaches is solid gold. I still didn't quite have the rudder co-ordination sorted, so we did a bit more of the banking exercise. Turns out that I hadn't been looking at the correct thing at all, when I was doing it before, which was why it was going wrong! After a bit of discussion with the instructor, to try to understand what I was doing wrong, everything fell into place. Now, I can make co-ordinated turns! A very rewarding outcome.
The remainder of the lesson was dedicated to identifying attitudes visually, instead of by reference to the instruments. It makes flying so much easier to know 80 knots straight and level, 100 knots 50 fpm descent, 70 knots climb, etc. - by the view instead of the dials. Very, very helpful.
So we had an extremely circuitous route in the zone, with various holds, until we finally got onto approach. Holding 100 knots, 1000 ft and making the manoeuvres is fairly easy now. On short final, the instructor grabbed control, and made what turned out to be an extremely hairy crosswind landing. I have a hunch it was outside the limits. Oh well, I'm still alive.
More tomorrow...
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Been a little while since the last update - but it's all good! Had a couple of lessons at Oxford since I came back from Spain, and yesterday, it was my first time in the circuit.
This is quite hard! I haven't yet managed to free up enough brainpower from trying to keep the aeroplane pointing in the right direction, to be able to concentrate on getting the round-out right. It's very, very intense...
http://mp-technical.com/ftd/?cat=1
But got plenty of lessons booked over the next couple of weeks, so hopefully things will fall into place with the concentrated practice.
happy landings...
mtw
This is quite hard! I haven't yet managed to free up enough brainpower from trying to keep the aeroplane pointing in the right direction, to be able to concentrate on getting the round-out right. It's very, very intense...
http://mp-technical.com/ftd/?cat=1
But got plenty of lessons booked over the next couple of weeks, so hopefully things will fall into place with the concentrated practice.
happy landings...
mtw
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This thread has been quiet for a while, so I'll throw in an update.
I took a month off work between jobs in the hope of getting in a reasonable amount of flying....as can be expected the weather gods decided to break a ten year drought and the weather has been terrible. Still I've managed to squeeze in a few hours between storms which have been going reasonably well.
Spent a couple of hours over the last two days getting a basic introduction to instrument flight which is the last mandatory requirement before I can attempt the GFPT flight test which will allow me to carry passengers within the training area.
Conditions were a little interesting this morning - the TAF sorta speaks for itself really.
Due to the conditions we opted to leave the Citabria in the shed and take a Warrior up instead and spent a bit over an hour under the hood being bounced around all over the place.
I'm finding the instrument flight tricky - it is really an exercise in spinning plates, too much time spent looking at any one thing results in lots of crockery getting away from you. It was trickier today than normal as the DI was U/S, the compass was out of sight when wearing the hood and the AH didn't seem happy either.
If the weather calms down a bit then I'm hoping to get another flight in tomorrow, then back to work again next week.
I took a month off work between jobs in the hope of getting in a reasonable amount of flying....as can be expected the weather gods decided to break a ten year drought and the weather has been terrible. Still I've managed to squeeze in a few hours between storms which have been going reasonably well.
Spent a couple of hours over the last two days getting a basic introduction to instrument flight which is the last mandatory requirement before I can attempt the GFPT flight test which will allow me to carry passengers within the training area.
Conditions were a little interesting this morning - the TAF sorta speaks for itself really.
CAMDEN YSCN05:02 UTC, 05/07/2007TAF YSCN 050502Z 05061827025G40KT CAVOKFM12 25015G25KT CAVOKRMK FM06 MOD/SEV TURB BLW 5000FT TILL 12FM12 MOD TURB BLW 5000FTT 12 09 07 07 Q 998 1000 1002 100405:43 UTC, 05/07/2007SPECI YSCN 050431Z AUTO 28025G41KT 9999NDV // ////// 14/01 Q0997 RMK RF00.0/000.0
I'm finding the instrument flight tricky - it is really an exercise in spinning plates, too much time spent looking at any one thing results in lots of crockery getting away from you. It was trickier today than normal as the DI was U/S, the compass was out of sight when wearing the hood and the AH didn't seem happy either.
If the weather calms down a bit then I'm hoping to get another flight in tomorrow, then back to work again next week.
Join Date: May 2003
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'Allo Miraz. Good to run into you out at CN the other day... some interesting winds aloft that day!! And not forecast to get any better for the next few days either... I was crewing on a job in an R44 this afternoon and oh boy did we get whalloped. 45kt on the nose at one point; ludicrous.
Meanwhile... I should be signed off for basic aerobatics (in said Citabria) in the next few weeks. Woohoo!
Meanwhile... I should be signed off for basic aerobatics (in said Citabria) in the next few weeks. Woohoo!
Join Date: Apr 2006
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Citabria at YSCN
Kookabat - aerobatics endorsement? Now that makes me jealous.
Miraz - good choice of aircraft and instructor. I see there are now *two* orange Citabrias there.
I've been absent for the last few months for reasons largely outside my control, but looking to slot in a few lessons in August. I was one area solo away from sitting my GFPT, so hopefully I haven't forgotten everything I learnt.
I did borrow a 182 with a mate a couple of weeks ago and we flew out to Cootamundra for a pie. We picked the one perfect cloudless calm day in weeks of rain and wind so feel pretty lucky!
Miraz - good choice of aircraft and instructor. I see there are now *two* orange Citabrias there.
I've been absent for the last few months for reasons largely outside my control, but looking to slot in a few lessons in August. I was one area solo away from sitting my GFPT, so hopefully I haven't forgotten everything I learnt.
I did borrow a 182 with a mate a couple of weeks ago and we flew out to Cootamundra for a pie. We picked the one perfect cloudless calm day in weeks of rain and wind so feel pretty lucky!
Join Date: May 2003
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Noice work Geoff!!!
Said blue Citabria is getting some sort of mod on the wings from what I hear. This is good because it means they won't fall off in a loop....
Back out there in a week or so... stall turns here I come!
Said blue Citabria is getting some sort of mod on the wings from what I hear. This is good because it means they won't fall off in a loop....
Back out there in a week or so... stall turns here I come!
Join Date: May 2006
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Fly in Spain
Hi ,
Not knowing one flying school from the other , take my reccomendation as being from somebody slightly " naive " in terms of how things should be done . That being said I am very glad to have chosen FIS , Jerez , which despite some " charms " does what it says on the tin in a fairly relaxed manner with instuction that for me has been clear ( although you do have to push a little to get a good brief before getting in the plane which i think is pretty much a common complaint in many schools ) . I just completed my first 13 hours in 10 days and this morning managed an entire flight from start to finish including the landing ( which i was a bit apprehensive about )
, such a huge confidence boost . I cant claim any great natural ability since on my first take off a week a go i seemed determined to give it a bootful of rudder that wanted us of the runway !
They like a lot of flight schools are tight for instructors but very positively i have seen some people come to get " checked " and despite their existing team going flat out ( there have been some instructors depart recently ) they are not filling empty slots with anybody and have told us they would rather not fly than send us with somebody they werent entirely happy about.
So far i can only pass the advice to people to watch the time of year when you come here, FTE next door are well behind due to rain for the months of March / April and now its hot and bumpy ( im told if i can manage this ill manage most things ). What this has meant there was a " rush " to get the morning slots before it became too bumpy for people in their early hours with the odd sortie coming back in because it was impossible to learn. Then in the afternoon some of the guys who would have gone solo if it were calm had to take instructors with them ( as insurance I guess )
The other thing I would say to anybody whos looking at attractive adverts to do your PPL in the sun in 3 weeks ( from some flight schools in Florida in particular ) , seems to me that it would be extremely hard work esp if you were doing exams aswell. I reckon with the exams ill be done ( all things going well in about six weeks which i have allowed ( gives me the odd day off which is for me important to assimilate and come to grips with so many new experiences).
I cant believe im sitting here typing this , for me this is a childhood dream come true and very often I have to pinch myself. Did I really do the lot this morning , do an echo VFR departure , communicate with Seville approach , practice landing procedures, go back to Jerez tower and rejoin the circuit and pull of an / approach landing that didnt have the instructor turn pale ( although I did go to hold off a little high ) ??
Yup , and i get to have another go at it tommorrow ,, now for Air Law
.
Not knowing one flying school from the other , take my reccomendation as being from somebody slightly " naive " in terms of how things should be done . That being said I am very glad to have chosen FIS , Jerez , which despite some " charms " does what it says on the tin in a fairly relaxed manner with instuction that for me has been clear ( although you do have to push a little to get a good brief before getting in the plane which i think is pretty much a common complaint in many schools ) . I just completed my first 13 hours in 10 days and this morning managed an entire flight from start to finish including the landing ( which i was a bit apprehensive about )
, such a huge confidence boost . I cant claim any great natural ability since on my first take off a week a go i seemed determined to give it a bootful of rudder that wanted us of the runway ! They like a lot of flight schools are tight for instructors but very positively i have seen some people come to get " checked " and despite their existing team going flat out ( there have been some instructors depart recently ) they are not filling empty slots with anybody and have told us they would rather not fly than send us with somebody they werent entirely happy about.
So far i can only pass the advice to people to watch the time of year when you come here, FTE next door are well behind due to rain for the months of March / April and now its hot and bumpy ( im told if i can manage this ill manage most things ). What this has meant there was a " rush " to get the morning slots before it became too bumpy for people in their early hours with the odd sortie coming back in because it was impossible to learn. Then in the afternoon some of the guys who would have gone solo if it were calm had to take instructors with them ( as insurance I guess )
The other thing I would say to anybody whos looking at attractive adverts to do your PPL in the sun in 3 weeks ( from some flight schools in Florida in particular ) , seems to me that it would be extremely hard work esp if you were doing exams aswell. I reckon with the exams ill be done ( all things going well
in about six weeks which i have allowed ( gives me the odd day off which is for me important to assimilate and come to grips with so many new experiences). I cant believe im sitting here typing this , for me this is a childhood dream come true and very often I have to pinch myself. Did I really do the lot this morning , do an echo VFR departure , communicate with Seville approach , practice landing procedures, go back to Jerez tower and rejoin the circuit and pull of an / approach landing that didnt have the instructor turn pale ( although I did go to hold off a little high ) ??
Yup , and i get to have another go at it tommorrow ,, now for Air Law
.
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Get in Wibble, I'm chuffed for ya! We'll have to have a chat soon and you can tell me all about it! Well done!
What's the crack with "an instructor" going to the airlines, too? I'm missing everything over here!
And lee, sorry about the lack of communication. What's yer skype address, I'll give you a buzz sometime and tell you everything you need to know about it over here!
What's the crack with "an instructor" going to the airlines, too? I'm missing everything over here!
And lee, sorry about the lack of communication. What's yer skype address, I'll give you a buzz sometime and tell you everything you need to know about it over here!
Join Date: Oct 2006
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Cheers John, I'll give you the full scoop on MSN soon
definitly one of the best experiences in life so far! i wasn't singing, I was just grinning from ear to ear , and still am i might add!
can't wait for my next lesson, the idea of going out of the zone on my own is a bit nerve wracking though.. (thankfully not for a while yet)
definitly one of the best experiences in life so far! i wasn't singing, I was just grinning from ear to ear , and still am i might add!
can't wait for my next lesson, the idea of going out of the zone on my own is a bit nerve wracking though.. (thankfully not for a while yet)
Join Date: May 2006
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PA28 Cross Wind landing
Hi,
I have now aquired 24 hours " block time " in FIS, jerez. ( To me the idea of logging block time when at a commercial airport seems slightly silly given the taxi times but i digress ). I did 12 landings in relatively calm winds and just before I started to get comfortable with it i was moved to an afternoon slot to start landing in cross winds which have me struggling a little bit. The average wind in the afternoon here seems to be 90 degrees off at about 12-15 knots. For two sessions now I have just told the instructor i wanted to stop after 5 or 6 circuits. Each time I have walked away from the school feeling slightly despondant questioning my abilities. The entire circuit and approach is fine , but crossing the threshold seems to precipitate a lot of huffing and puffing from the instructor. On your course did you find cross winds tricky ? What did you learn to use , crabbed or wing down ??
I have now aquired 24 hours " block time " in FIS, jerez. ( To me the idea of logging block time when at a commercial airport seems slightly silly given the taxi times but i digress ). I did 12 landings in relatively calm winds and just before I started to get comfortable with it i was moved to an afternoon slot to start landing in cross winds which have me struggling a little bit. The average wind in the afternoon here seems to be 90 degrees off at about 12-15 knots. For two sessions now I have just told the instructor i wanted to stop after 5 or 6 circuits. Each time I have walked away from the school feeling slightly despondant questioning my abilities. The entire circuit and approach is fine , but crossing the threshold seems to precipitate a lot of huffing and puffing from the instructor. On your course did you find cross winds tricky ? What did you learn to use , crabbed or wing down ??
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i must admit circuits can become quite tedious and tiring, ive done about 6 lots of 5/6 takeoffs per session and i found 5 was more than enough, around half of those where crosswind landings and these are what really tired me out afterwards & some days as you said i would walk away feeling quite despondant about my abilities in handling the ac in a crosswind landing, its a bit of a challenge crabbing her in then straightening up before touchown and throwing some into wind aileron in but you do feel accomplished when you can pull it off and the Instructor is happy enough, but any landing you can walk away from is a good one as they say 
, keep at it,
, keep at it,
Intelligent Idiot
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Havnt posted for a while and this years flying has been sporadic to say the least.
Was just about ready for my test at christmas but weather, work and instructor illness intervened to make sure that the undercarriage stayed firmly on the ground.
Sooo, with only 5 hours flying this year which included a couple of hours revision work, I took my test yesterday (sat 14th).
Passed, ..........
Was just about ready for my test at christmas but weather, work and instructor illness intervened to make sure that the undercarriage stayed firmly on the ground.
Sooo, with only 5 hours flying this year which included a couple of hours revision work, I took my test yesterday (sat 14th).
Passed, ..........
Spicy Meatball
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Well, what good news I see from so many posts!
Miraz - congratulations mate, enjoy the buzz, it never wears off
Wibble - same to you, don't forget it's more dangerous driving home, when your mind is still "up there"!
JWF - how offended
Just kidding mate - I'm on [email protected] (anyone can add me)
BJ - Good work - nice to get it done isn't it, especially when it's not been plain sailing all the way (like most things in life).
In 2 days time, this thread becomes 3 years old - I am still well chuffed - thanks guys.
The next miracle is me getting an FI rating/CPL - anyone got a spare 25k so I can follow my dreams? Looks like I am stuck in a desk job the rest of my life
Have fun all and safe flying (especially you kook)
Lee
Miraz - congratulations mate, enjoy the buzz, it never wears off
Wibble - same to you, don't forget it's more dangerous driving home, when your mind is still "up there"!
JWF - how offended
Just kidding mate - I'm on [email protected] (anyone can add me)
BJ - Good work - nice to get it done isn't it, especially when it's not been plain sailing all the way (like most things in life).
In 2 days time, this thread becomes 3 years old - I am still well chuffed - thanks guys.
The next miracle is me getting an FI rating/CPL - anyone got a spare 25k so I can follow my dreams? Looks like I am stuck in a desk job the rest of my life
Have fun all and safe flying (especially you kook
)Lee
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Mazzy, is it instructing you're wanting as your career, or airlines after a little bit instructing? CTC may well be an option if it's the latter you're aiming towards.
Chat soon about it all.
Chat soon about it all.
Spicy Meatball
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JW - 99% towards instructing (proper flying )
CTC is very a very tempting goal, but months away with no job, won't pay the mortgage
)CTC is very a very tempting goal, but months away with no job, won't pay the mortgage