The most protracted PPL ever?........

[kevmusic]

Oh cr*p. Issues.

I've been here before. When I was learning to glide as a prospective C.I. with the Space Cadets at Manston I had a problem with what we called 'medium' cable breaks, or the procedure for recovery from a cable break at medium level, 200-400 feet. The size and shape of the field meant that an S-turn was necessary, and I just couldn't hack it. I was at it for ages. The days in between each weekend were full of self-doubt and angst. The Boss was my instructor and the less I could do it, the more exasperated he became. The more exasperated he became the worse I became, and so on. The classic vicious circle. Well, I cracked it eventually - I forget how, but it got to the stage where I could do it in my sleep.

Fast forward to now and the same situation is developing, but on a larger scale.

The day started well. I've just got my little Spit through its MOT and we had a bracing run through the countryside down to Headcorn with the breeze in my face (and down my collar!). I was there bright and early to check out 'LY and with my planning all ready from work I'd done over breakfast. We briefed for the flight, strapped in and started up. That's when things started ever so slowly to slide.

I overlooked priming before start-up. I've never done that before! She still started. Never mind. Oops! that was close - nearly clipped a holding point sign with my wing tip. Had two goes at lining up properly before take off (I mean - how many years have I been flying? ) Climbed out to Staplehurst which we attained at 1800 feet - my planned cruising height - but I elected to do a 270 to get myself properly sorted over the town. Good decision, except I started to turn onto course for Lydd before I was over the town. Why'd I do that?

Heading off To Lydd my track-keeping wasn't great. Noticed the track error but Bruce had to work out the correction for me. There was scattered low cloud over Lydd and when we got onto downwind we were quite a long way out and about 700 feet. I defaulted to a long, low flat approach. Wrong! I should have maintained my level until I 'bumped into' the normal approach profile, silly!

Now to deal with the all the R/T for a major international airport . Well, it's different to Headcorn, the latter being a radio service only. "Read back anything with numbers in it", insisted Bruce. He was to insist this several times, and with more exasperation, during the next half-hour.

We went to the flying club, I paid the landing fee; I thought, 'Well, there's a chance to redeem myself on the return trip'.

As we taxied out again, I had difficulty hearing Bruce over the R/T chatter. This was getting a major problem. At one point I misheard the controller addressing "Lima Yankee". I had started a response when I got a slap on the wrist - literally - that pushed my finger off the button. I then got a talking-to from Bruce about I can't remember what. I only remember that the controller had in fact been talking to "Mike Yankee".

The journey back - well, because we had left the south coast to fly north to Headcorn, I expected to see the airfield in front with 11-29 orientated across my field of view. Imagine my astonishment when Bruce patiently pointed out the airfield to me, the runway a few miles off our starboard wing tip.

The crosswind approach I could somehow still do but the cocked-up touchdown brought an end to the comedy of errors. A pretty miserable sortie.

I've been getting by on not too much sleep of late. I'm working 6-7 days a week and things are pretty distracting at home. Settled, and basically happy, but busy and distracting. Plus, when my confidence starts to go, it goes. I get a confidence vacuum. When we debriefed in Bruce's office I was aware of an ache in my neck which felt like tension. It took two days (until now) to get rid of it.

Thanks for reading this cathartic account. I've got to keep at it until I crack it but I have to work on keeping my confidence up. I will face an examiner before too long..........

[Cusco]

Kev: are you in a position timewise and financially to book one (or two) week(s) off to fly every single day: Reading your story it seems you suffer from the between flight gaps and end up in a two steps forward, one step back situation.

Do you think an episode of constant immersion for a week or two might help 'burn in' the stuff you forget into your cerebral hard drives.

If the time could be coordinated with a visit by the examiner at the end I'm sure you'd wing it.

Keep at it and good luck

Cusco

[kevmusic]

G-EMMA, thank you for that post! There you go, blundering through the blue, making cock-up after cock-up, thinking you're the only guy in this Mile High Duffers Club you've created for yourself; when someone chimes in and says, Hey, I did that, too! And over the same bits of countryside!

Anyway, congrats on your nav skills test. It says a lot for you that your nerve held together after all that.

My problem is that I seem to fly so much better on my own. The minute my instructor jumps in with me I go to pieces.

Hope your back sorts itself soon. As a fellow sufferer I sympathise.

[PompeyPaul]

It never goes away

My problem is that I seem to fly so much better on my own. The minute my instructor jumps in with me I go to pieces.

That never goes away. Even now, a year after getting my license I still feel nervous when I hear my instructor come on frequency!

[kevmusic]

A couple of weeks ago I did the second practice leg, to Goodwood. This went much better - more relaxed, not dwelling on small mistakes, allowing confidence to build etc.. Couldn't write it up straight away 'cos I was off on hols to the Lakes - which was excellent.

Tomorrow it's the QXC. I'm mentally reheharsing the route right now, and hoping for good weather.

[Lister Noble]

Kev
Good luck
Lister

[vanHorck]

Good luck from all of us!

[kevmusic]

Too windy!!

Bruce phoned tonight and said it would almost certainly be too windy for the exercise tomorrow.

Climbing down now from my psyched-up state and comforting myself by watching 'Zulu' with the family and a few Boers.........er, I mean, beers. Roll on next Thursday!!

[Alogan]

I've really enjoyed reading about your trials and tribulations kev, it's certainly put my mere three and a half years (and 13 instructors) to get the ppl into perspective. i passed my skills test about a month ago at netherthorpe and received my licence two weeks later. I thought that day would never come but in the end it all came together pretty quickly. I found the QXC very nerve-wracking beforehand but once I was underway it was fine, and I flew the last leg from humberside to netherthorpe with a huge grin on my face the whole way. The sun even came out! Keep persevering, as I said, the end sneaks up on you! Good luck!

[kevmusic]

Getting keyed-up.

Last Thursday's lesson was a short dual navex to bump up my currency a bit. The weather wasn't suitable for the QXC anyway. The detail was a good one: not because I didn't make mistakes - plenty of those! - but because I didn't let them bug me. Stayed focused and relaxed and felt good after landing. And Bruce said it was, "....quite good", so I must have done well!

So, tomorrow. Looked at Sky weather first thing this morning and if those ditsy girls are to be believed (come back Frances, all is forgiven) it will dawn bright and clear with nil wind. That concentrated the mind somewhat, and all day I have been mulling over all the procedures for Goodwood and Lydd. We'll phone Goodwood before departure and get the runway but will it change en route? Will I be able to pick up which ATIS I'm listening to for Lydd?

I'm already getting butterflies. No question.

[kevmusic]

The QXC

So off I went; mentally calm and with my mind on one thing only - the forthcoming flight. As I was driving I was aware of a bit of haze around but not so much as when I reached the top of Blue Bell Hill - my usual "what's today really going to be like?" point, and the Weald of Kent before me was like a bowl of dishwater. Oh, crap. But Bruce was fairly upbeat, downloading TAFs and actuals as we briefed and the situation was looking acceptable for my destinations.

Some responsibility was laid on my shoulders. 'Always give yourself the option to turn back' was drummed into me. I did the walkround of 'YL in hazy sunshine and meditative contemplation. Then I was ready.


'YL before my QXC

The climb-out gave me an idea of what I was going to be up against. I peered up over the nose into murk and looked out over the side at it. Only when I levelled off at 2,300' did I realise I could see further than I initially thought. But not much further. I groped my way to Staplehurst (my departure point), the criterion being that if I could see Bewl Water, 8 n.m. from there I could go.

I was over Staplehurst and I looked hopefully south-west for Bewl. There was a distant gleam, barely separable from the grey, and I took my leap of faith. I turned onto heading, comitted.

I crossed Bewl, a little off track, and adjusted enough to get to my turning point at Uckfield, with any luck. And, of course, as I flew on, so the haze rolled back to reveal more of the countryside and its precious landmarks. I reached some large towns and I couldn't decide if I was over Uckfield with Crowborough on my right or whether I was over Heathfied with Uckfield on my right! Either way, it was time to turn onto my new heading. It should be said that accuracy of navigation on this trip is not essential, thanks to the proximity of the south coast and the Downs, although one obviously does one's humble best. So I ploughed on, keeping the by-now-visible coast a respectable distance to port and thereby avoiding the attendant embarrasment of overflying Shoreham without saying hello to BRL!

I furiously read map-to-ground (and yes, ground-to-map - slap my wrists) without having a great clue of my whereabouts, so it was with a mixture of pride, relief and a little surprise that Goodwood suddenly appeared out of the murk bang on the nose, like a gorgeous lady from a puff of smoke in a magician's trick. Well okay, I had been following the dual carriageway from Arundel and it don't lead nowhere else but still, it was a sight for sore eyes!

We'd got PPR from Goodwood so I knew it was 06 and Bruce had briefed me on the join. The RT, join and circuit went like a dream; the approach was nice, now for a show-off landing: oops, a bit too much hold-off (slight balloon), gently now...there. Trundling down the runway I call for parking instructions. I notice the place seems to be full of tents and marquees. "Yankee Lima, exit right and park in front of the tents next to the second aircraft".

I make my way. As I get closer I notice that there appears to be a fenced compound in front of the marquees and that the aircraft are within it. There's a Luscombe and a T21 Sedbergh in Air Cadet colours. Mmm, happy days. I trundle towards the gap.

"Yankee Lima, stop!!". Chop throttle and brakes on, quick as you like. "Yankee Lima stopped". "Yankee Lima, please taxy to the front of the fence and park beside the other two aircraft".

. Did you know a 152 could turn in its own length? Neither did I but I find out it could all by myself!

When I was last at Goodwood with Bruce it was straightforward just to walk to the flying club, pay the landing fees, dawdle a bit and go back to the aircraft. Today, the place was a hive of activity with marquees, portacabins and fenced enclosures. It took me ages to find the flying club and then the tower to get my form signed. But what sights on the way! I drooled over the classic racing cars being lovingly worked on, tuned up, revved up & polished up. Classic cars and vans as support vehicles. And, as I made my way back to my humble Cessna, the thundering arrival of the ex-Eagle Airways DC6. As I'd done the walk-round, strapped in and did the start-up checks a Spit and a Fiat arrived and taxyed in. I was just about to call up for departure when a Dakota dropped in! In case you hadn't guessed, I had arrived for the preparations for the 2008 Goodwood Revival (Goodwood - Revival) and an excellent event it promises to be!


The DC6 landing


Another shot of the DC6

Time to say goodbye to this lovely grass airfield but not without another gentle Kev-type faux-pas for those who might have missed the first one. Control advised me that the runway had been changed to 14 so I looked on my Pooley's plate and it was quite clear - turn left from my parking place and the runway was in front of me. But strange, as I'd just seen the Dakota come in from my right. However, these big aeroplanes seem to land on whichever runway they want. Probably make it up as they go along.

So I turned left down beside the long runway and arrived at the end....to be met by the holding sign which said 32. More . More u-turn. I taxyed slowly back up to the other end and the welcome holding sign for 14. Funnily enough, the R/T had remained strangely silent during my lonely perambulation; though it wasn't what the tower might have said to me that made me squirm: it was was what the controllers probably said to each other! Fill that in for yourselves!

Anyway, I got away but the Revival had one last thrill to impart to me. As I settled on course for the long (64 n.m.) leg to Lydd I was looking around and just happened to glance down just in time to see the Vickers Vimy replica floating serenely by 1,000' below me! What a privelege.

Bruce had said that if I wanted I could just dispense with all the calculations and dead reckoning and drop down to the coast and find my way to Lydd from there. But the vis. had cleared up by magic so I decided not to do that and to try to follow the line as best I could. I found I kept going to the right of track however and having to adjust things accordingly. Therefore, whilst I kept tabs on the major coastal towns I found villages, roads and rivers passing beneath me in a rather helpless blur, though I did get occasional fixes. enough to avoid South Downs GC, at any rate. And by this time and remembered how to use the VOR and picked up Lydd. Momentary panic as I tried to tune in the Lydd ATIS and got nothing. Then I remembered I was probably out of range and left the radio on frequency, to be rewarded by a gratifying burst of automated information a few minutes later.

I had another moment of concern as I was passing hastings. Rye should have been visible and it was there that I had to call Lydd inbound, but I couldn't see it. Frantic searching now....ah, that kinky railway line on the chart....there it is! - right in front. Happy again. Call Lydd again when four miles to run. That was by the lakes. Up came the lakes but no sign of the airfield. Hmm. If the lakes are only 4 miles from the airfield I should be able to see it! I really had a problem now! Boring on like this getting nearer and nearer; I should be on top of the bloody thing!

There it was, a couple of miles off the starboard wing. Lovely! The landing, despite the crosswind, was really nice and I read back all the controllers instructions with measured aplomb. Mr. Confidence.

As it was, the rest of the trip with the short hop back to Headcorn took on something like the measure of routine and it was a much more relaxed and slightly more experienced KM who arrived back.

I did feel that I've never been in a such a situation where I had to survive on my training and wits for so long. But I feel really proud and pleased.......even if I did somehow seem to 'blag' my way across half my route!

[christimson]

Congrats and a great read. Really looking forward to my QXC which is coming soon.

Thanks for the write up.

[kevmusic]

Update.

Well, it's been a while since I've written anything but there have been things going on; so here's a brief resume.

Had to madly catch up on ground exams so I did Nav and Flight P & P in short order. A couple of ground school sessions with Bruce got those in the bag; only R/T written left to do. However, thanks to weather and other availability issues there have been large gaps in my flying, and I've been averaging about one session a month lately. It's now down to a lot or revision for the skills test: and it's amazing how much I've forgotten! Steep turns, the three stalls, PFLs and glide approaches....I thought I could fly!

So, several sessions of revision are in train, continuing tomorrow. That's if my current sore throat and runny nose don't turn into a full-blown cold and cause another cancellation! Ah well, I could always do ground school for R/T......

Kev

[kevmusic]

Nope. Full of bloody cold, today. Another week down the tube.

[tg835c]

Have you done any flying since last post? I recently passed my PPL and it took me over 2 years to finish. The last 2 summers have been terrible and poor weather really held me up. I had many 3 or 4 week gaps which means you are playing catch up all the time which costs alot of money without progressing (but gaining experience). I waited for ages for good weather to do my Xcountry qualifyer, had each slot week after week cancelled due to poor vis, low cloud base or wind. There were some good days of suitable weather but frustratingly never when i was due to fly, which resulted in more recapping and lessons to keep me up to standard. In the end my club agreed to put me on standby, i took my flight bag to work with me every day and waited for a phone call when a plane was available and weather was good enough.
You will have your licence soon enough as you are nearly there. This is a great thread about your training so far.

Good Luck!

[kevmusic]

Have you done any flying since last post?

I haven't flown since the beginning of December. The reasons are weather, a/c unserviceability, Christmas and a couple I had to cancel. I'm booked in for this Thursday but the forecast looks pants - again!

[nickyjsmith]

keep your chin up !

Kev,

I can relate to your story, not quite as long as you though. Just had to retake all my exams as they ran out, spent last year trying to get a test in while trying to keep current in the good old British weather ! Now i have my FRTOL and medical so as soon as i can get the weather and a lesson together its back to getting up to speed for a test, had it cancelled atleast 10 times last year, which ment a lot of currency flights and money !
My choice though, i could have done the USA thing in 06 and come back for some UK training but i didn't give the weather enough respect, ahwell, it will probably be a 90hr PPL instead of the 50 hr i was told to get ready for my test at.
All the best and keep your chin up.

Nick.

[kevmusic]

Back in the air at last - after 6 weeks!

I must admit, these long delays between lessons - and the attendant degrading of flying finesse and skills - tend to make me look forward to a flight more with trepidation than excitement. I look at the forecast and am almost disappointed that it shows as good for flying, and not so good for a lie-in, a leisurely breakfast and the never-ending list of chores.

Well, there was low cloud and haze but I shot off to Headcorn and spirits definitely lifted as the 45 minute journey drew me closer to the airfield.

"We can go over the salient revision points again", said Bruce. "Slow flight, the three stalls, the PFL, but circuits might be out".

The haze and low cloud remained but we taxied out over the soggy airfield to 11 and clattered off. "We'll climb on top", said Bruce. Well, this was going to be my first experience of that fabled land, VFR On Top, and I was not disappointed. We burst out at 1500 feet into the crystal blue and the brilliant white sea of cotton wool was there - just like in all the books! "See our shadow on the left", said Bruce. I looked round and there indeed was our shadow streaking over the cloud tops a couple of hundred yards away. "Well, watch this". We turned to converge, chased our shadow up to an enormous cloud bank, got the sun behind us and flew right into it! Fun, or what!

Anyway, we then set about the business of brushing up my skills, and I have to say the lesson was the most enormous fun. Yes, the spins I recovered from incipient and fully developed, the PFL was a laugh - my original field disappeared from view (upwind was up-sun, in a wicked haze), I was close and high to the next choice, so there were lots of very tight turns to lose height, and a steep angled climb away to clear the houses, and a descent back to the airfield in IMC.

Bloody brilliant.

[kevmusic]

More reasons than just finance to curtail your flying

- as I am discovering. Weather and serviceability have all taken their toll of my weekly flying slot but they are nothing to the huge inroads made into my life by my wife's much-increased illness and disability. Precisely what the illness is, no-one seems too sure as yet, though something neurological may be on the cards. She is currently subject to a lot of investigation, with MRIs, biopsies, EMG and what have you; and hopefully, a diagnosis will bring some strategy for treatment. In the meantime, I have one extremely weak (muscularly) and disabled wife who is wheelchair-bound and needs constant round-the-clock care. Six months ago she could still walk with difficulty, now she can't. She's very brave and keeps her spirits up (mostly - she's also a woman of a certain age!! ) and she still works! She gets wheeled in to her teaching room and teaches the piano!

However, sometimes she just feels too ill for me to leave her and I've had to phone up Bruce at the very last minute to cancel, some 3 or 4 times now. But now we've got a carer coming in and I'm hoping to get away this Thursday. I know I won't be taking the Skills Test until I'm ready, but at the moment that readiness feels a long way off.

[stiknruda]

Really dreadful news about Mrs KM - I can not imagine what it must be like for either of you.

Do keep your spirits up, do the skills test when you feel ready and when you have passed, don't forget my promise - contact me for a ride in my Pitts.


Stik