I've done it, my licence is in the post :0)
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: UK
Age: 42
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I've done it, my licence is in the post :0)
Finally passed my skills test yesterday 
.
It's been a long road, two and a half years, 63 hrs, 23 cancelled tests (British weather), but finally I'm done 11 months after my first attempt which was cancelled after reaching the end of my first leg due to a rapidly lowering cloud base.
That was in Oct 09. I was hoping to get it re-booked ASAP, but was let down 5 more times due to weather over the next 4 weeks. In Nov I lost my job and had to put flying on hold for 4 months before finally getting back into it again. Due to lack of funds and what seemed like an eternity out of the cockpit, I required 4-5 lessons again to get back into the swing of things. My test was re-booked again and again and again, but trying to find the combination of a free aircraft, good weather, on my day off work, when the examiner was available almost seemed impossible. I even booked off the last week in July and two weeks in August, only to be let down a further 7 times due to low cloud base and light precipitation...
.
Finally, yesterday morning after only having booked my test the previous night after a last minute cancelation did I know it was actually going to happen. The weather was fantastic, visibility seemed almost unlimited, cloud base was non existant (at least for 95% of the route), and at > 2,000ft the wind was as still as a mill pond (which made the nav & diversion a piece of cake).
Things got interesting as I flew north of Cambridge into the Lakenheath MATZ. By this point we were just 5 or so miles from the end of the first leg and the furthest north the flight would take us before a tight left turn from hdg 023-264. Here we starting to meet some very tenous cloud hovering at around 1,800-2,100ft. It was barely noticable but I didn't dare fly threw it just in case. I told Lakenheath radar I was climbing to 2,500ft to avoid the cloud, which I did. Upon reaching 2,500ft I was suddendly told (by a very cute sounding female American) "Golf Foxfrot Foxtrot numerous heavies expected at your position from the south inbound to Mildenhall at 3000ft, please desend to below 2,000ft to avoid wake turbulence". I had a look over my right shoulder to see a Hercules heading straight for me....I dived like a submarine, only to be told there was now a KC-135 outbound below me...
and to keep updating my heading and alititude to avoid any issues. I needed to change direction about 40 degrees during the desent to avoid cloud and ended up zig zagging from 2,500ft to 1,700ft. Finally the conflict was over, I turned back towards Ely (first waypoint) and sorted myself out.
From there everything went perfect. If I don't mind saying so myself, I think I handled things very well considering I've only flown about 7 hours since January. We landed on runway 11 at Panshanger after a PFL from overhead and I heard those wonderful words "ok, you've passed, well done" while still doing 50kts down the runway.
I just need to book some time now to go flying on my own for the first time since my x-country nav ex in Sept 09. From here, things can surely only get better.
HAPPY FLYING
.It's been a long road, two and a half years, 63 hrs, 23 cancelled tests (British weather), but finally I'm done 11 months after my first attempt which was cancelled after reaching the end of my first leg due to a rapidly lowering cloud base.
That was in Oct 09. I was hoping to get it re-booked ASAP, but was let down 5 more times due to weather over the next 4 weeks. In Nov I lost my job and had to put flying on hold for 4 months before finally getting back into it again. Due to lack of funds and what seemed like an eternity out of the cockpit, I required 4-5 lessons again to get back into the swing of things. My test was re-booked again and again and again, but trying to find the combination of a free aircraft, good weather, on my day off work, when the examiner was available almost seemed impossible. I even booked off the last week in July and two weeks in August, only to be let down a further 7 times due to low cloud base and light precipitation...
.Finally, yesterday morning after only having booked my test the previous night after a last minute cancelation did I know it was actually going to happen. The weather was fantastic, visibility seemed almost unlimited, cloud base was non existant (at least for 95% of the route), and at > 2,000ft the wind was as still as a mill pond (which made the nav & diversion a piece of cake).
Things got interesting as I flew north of Cambridge into the Lakenheath MATZ. By this point we were just 5 or so miles from the end of the first leg and the furthest north the flight would take us before a tight left turn from hdg 023-264. Here we starting to meet some very tenous cloud hovering at around 1,800-2,100ft. It was barely noticable but I didn't dare fly threw it just in case. I told Lakenheath radar I was climbing to 2,500ft to avoid the cloud, which I did. Upon reaching 2,500ft I was suddendly told (by a very cute sounding female American) "Golf Foxfrot Foxtrot numerous heavies expected at your position from the south inbound to Mildenhall at 3000ft, please desend to below 2,000ft to avoid wake turbulence". I had a look over my right shoulder to see a Hercules heading straight for me....I dived like a submarine, only to be told there was now a KC-135 outbound below me...
and to keep updating my heading and alititude to avoid any issues. I needed to change direction about 40 degrees during the desent to avoid cloud and ended up zig zagging from 2,500ft to 1,700ft. Finally the conflict was over, I turned back towards Ely (first waypoint) and sorted myself out.From there everything went perfect. If I don't mind saying so myself, I think I handled things very well considering I've only flown about 7 hours since January. We landed on runway 11 at Panshanger after a PFL from overhead and I heard those wonderful words "ok, you've passed, well done" while still doing 50kts down the runway.
I just need to book some time now to go flying on my own for the first time since my x-country nav ex in Sept 09. From here, things can surely only get better.
HAPPY FLYING
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kent, UK
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Many congratulations, and well done on your persistance.
Sounds like you had fun around Mildenhall, I bet the examiner was impressed by your abilities.
Now to continue the fun, and have that £250 lunch in Le Touquet!!
Sounds like you had fun around Mildenhall, I bet the examiner was impressed by your abilities.
Now to continue the fun, and have that £250 lunch in Le Touquet!!
