A busy day over Scotland...where did you go today?
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A busy day over Scotland...where did you go today?
Just finished my day shift at Scottish Information (119.875).....great weather over Scotland and a flyin to Castle Kennedy meant the frequency was pretty non stop for most of the day.....sorry to those that could not get a word in..!!!....that said it would be nice to share YOUR experiances and tales for today 
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I went to Tesco, and bought chocolate biscuits among other things. I did try to go flying but I'd left it too late to book the aircraft, which are now busy all day today and tomorrow.
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Exeter - Oban - Collonsay
Beautiful day for it! Couldn't get a word in on Scottish info, so switched over to Scottish control (we were a little higher up anyway) and had the most friendly and helpful service I've encontered in my measly 120 hours.
We'll be returning to Exeter tomorrow, hope to get the chance to talk to you then FSB.
Beautiful day for it! Couldn't get a word in on Scottish info, so switched over to Scottish control (we were a little higher up anyway) and had the most friendly and helpful service I've encontered in my measly 120 hours.
We'll be returning to Exeter tomorrow, hope to get the chance to talk to you then FSB.
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Exeter - Oban - Collonsay
Thats pretty ballsy with 120 hours, well done. I bet its beautiful flying around Oban today, talked to my dad he was going round Mull on the boat today, says its the best weather ever.
Thats pretty ballsy with 120 hours, well done. I bet its beautiful flying around Oban today, talked to my dad he was going round Mull on the boat today, says its the best weather ever.
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Pb84 - thanks! To be honest, the distance isn't the issue (3 and a bit hours after spending some time sightseeing around mull), and the nav isn't particularly difficult (plan it on skydemon, fly a bunch of straight lines, and cross check map to ground to GPS).
However I agree with some of the posters on here that a PPL just doesn't prepare you for doing longer trips.:There's no way you can do this just by dead reckoning, PPL fuel planning (at least in practice) seems to involve checking that we'll have half a tank left and saying OK, and no one ever taught me to use the red lever as anything more than an on-off switch.
I've been lucky to fly with some excellent instructors, who have taught me a bit about how to deal with mountains, red levers, GPS and other such esoteric topics...
On a completely different topic, I encountered mountain wave for the first time today. 30kt winds over the welsh hills, there was at least a 500fpm rate of climb/descent. I was surprised that each wave seemed to last for about 10 miles - I'd always thought they were less than a mile wide.
However I agree with some of the posters on here that a PPL just doesn't prepare you for doing longer trips.:There's no way you can do this just by dead reckoning, PPL fuel planning (at least in practice) seems to involve checking that we'll have half a tank left and saying OK, and no one ever taught me to use the red lever as anything more than an on-off switch.
I've been lucky to fly with some excellent instructors, who have taught me a bit about how to deal with mountains, red levers, GPS and other such esoteric topics...
On a completely different topic, I encountered mountain wave for the first time today. 30kt winds over the welsh hills, there was at least a 500fpm rate of climb/descent. I was surprised that each wave seemed to last for about 10 miles - I'd always thought they were less than a mile wide.
Inverness -Oban via Aviemore, Loch Ericht and Loch Awe. Didn't speak to anyone between losing Inverness and calling Oban. Never heard anything clearly on 119.875. Returned as pax via Kyle of Lochalsh, working 127.275
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I was surprised that each wave seemed to last for about 10 miles - I'd always thought they were less than a mile wide.
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Depends how parallel you were flying to them
Gave me quite a shock on the first area of sink - was trying to figure out why the engine was losing power, then we hit the next bit of lift and it was immediately obvious.
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To attempt a steer back on track...
Castle Kennedy in a stiff wind, fortunately pretty much down the runway, although it did make for some interesting approaches. Good spectator sport
Fine buffet and chat with our host, who is always a pleasure to meet, then depart back to Prestwick with speed up til v short final and a landing in a gusty crosswind with a B737 up my chuff
Thanks to Prestwick ATC for having faith in me not cocking it up, and also to the fine chaps working the FIR
Castle Kennedy in a stiff wind, fortunately pretty much down the runway, although it did make for some interesting approaches. Good spectator sport
Fine buffet and chat with our host, who is always a pleasure to meet, then depart back to Prestwick with speed up til v short final and a landing in a gusty crosswind with a B737 up my chuff
Thanks to Prestwick ATC for having faith in me not cocking it up, and also to the fine chaps working the FIR
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I guess so. The wind was quartering from behind (about 120 degrees off our track) - am I right in thinking the waves are always more or less perpendicular to the wind direction?