Now that does sound impossible - but then again, so did the thought of flying an aircraft by myself for the first time :)

Thanks Beagle :cool:

I said get him to show you.

He never demonstrated it ,please read before you post comments
and malign people you dont know.

Subject closed.....

Subject NOT closed - don't encourage any idiot to show off! Ever!

It seems you've decided to delete that post?

Now then ! :8

Let's look at it another way. Let's just say that one day, I woke up 'Quantum Leap' style, to find myself doing 120 knots over the fence in a PA28. There is only one thing I could do, given that the average runway doesn't last forever, the only thing I feel would be appropriate would be to raise the nose, let the speed drop a little, apply full power, and go around. But that's the end of that one anyway........:ooh:

I am lucky enough to be in an empty office today, with lots to do (honest) :{

That's it mazzy, you tell 'em, there's to be no nastyness on this thread.

Yes I deleted it. It seems that a misunderstanding of the written english language is a problem here.

But it is a free bandwagon....

And I whole heartedly agree that any attempt to show off is foolish and indeed a dangerous practice, once again that was not the case of showing off .

I very much appreciate anyone's posts on here, and a bit of whole hearted debate never hurt nobody. The problem with things like this, is that it is difficult to express tone - if we were sat at a bar, having a laugh and a few drinks, I am sure the same subject would receive some different responses, however, when you are limited to writing it can be difficult.

I remember about a year ago, when I met up with some pruners in Blackpool - one of the chaps thought I was a 16 year old kid, due to my writing style on pprune, he thought I was a totally different person when he met me!

:=

And way, way back, when I went to my first bash, I introduced myself to someone with whom I'd had long chats on the forums and in the chat room and who I felt I really knew, and he looked at me in amazement and said, "I thought you was a bloke". :confused: :)

Whirls - was he upset about the fact?

Its like when I met DiscoChocolate, he is a complete :mad:

Haha just kidding mate - I am just testing to see if you still read this :D

Mazzy,
I thought you were young,pretty, and drove a fast red car on the A1026.
Sorry mate,wrong girl!
lister
;) ;)

I am all but one of those (I drive a blue Peugeot) :E

And I am not a LAYDEE

Lee,
Nothing wrong with a Peugot,my wife drives one and a lot more reliable than a Masserati.
I didn't really think you were a laydee,did I?
Lister
;) :D

Hehe bet your gutted now :E

Point well made Mazzy.


Get that GFT done...............


Happy New year one and all ( yes all !)

Unlikely I'll get a chance to say this tomorrow - so happy new year everybody! Hope 2006 goes well for everybody!

Lot's of people in the run for "class of 2006", I hope to see some qualified pilots soon!!

As for myself, need to get a move on with these exams. The target's still June '06, but if I can get the theory done sooner then could be before, though!

Happy new year everyone! :ok:

HAHAHA!!! Yup i am still reading this, in between my festive alcohol abuse...
'bout time you took that GFT, i want that free flight you owe me ;)

Happy new year one and all and lets hope 2006 gives us all some great flying!

:D

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Cheers Neil - don't worry, you shall be receiving your flight, in return for your generosity :cool:

Hope you all had a great new year, I certainly did! And now that I am sober, I thought I would keep you updated - I am due to be flying a solo flight of approximately 1 hour within the next few weeks, to meet the license criteria - then I will fly a mock test with my instructor, before going onto the final skills test!

Lee ;)

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Good luck with everything mazzy! Sounds very exciting!

I managed to get a flight in today. Needed a quick dual check before being sent off by myself so we did one circuit. It all was fine, apart from forgetting to level off at 1000 feet! Thus resulting in being downwind at 1200 feet! Never mind, other than that everything was ok!

I dropped my instructor off, and called for departure clearance. The plan was a short solo navigation exercise to the south of Newcastle. As soon as I was at circuit height I could see the VRP in the zone, which I was going to navigate from.

Once I got onto my heading and contacted radar, things settled down a little, and I had a quick chance to admire the view! This leg of the trip, to Barnard Castle, was fine. I reached my point when expected, and I did some estimation work (1/3 and a 5 mile thumb), just for practice really. And it worked!

Next leg was a little less standard. Pretty quickly I was off course, and because I wasn't farmiliar with the area there was a lot of frantic searching for something which didn't look like everything else in the area! There wasn't a lot, excpet a windfarm towards the coast, slightly north of where I needed to be. I set off in that direction, being careful not to bust a restricted zone, and steer clear of a parachute drop zone! Both of which I managed (after some zig-zagging!).

As soon as I was overhead Seaham Harbour I called for clearance to enter the zone and rejoin instructions. I was still pretty far away, but wanted to have everything done with plenty of time! I flew past Sunderland and the Stadium of Shi...I mean light, and I was quickly overhead 'the bridges' (VRP), and being told to join left base!

Newcastle airport sudenly became rather busy - lots of inbounds, helicopters buzzing around, lots of airliners waiting to depart, and what I can only assume was a training flight in which an airbus (I think) wanted to depart on the opposite runway to everyone else! But anyway, I was asked to orbit by tower, in present position, which luckily enough was overhead St James' Park - which was very nice! I was then told to proceed to left base, where I orbited for ages, until evuntually being cleared to finals!

At 500 feet on final, you'll be pleased to know I selected the third stage of flap! :} A nice flight was ended with a good landing.

A very good flight overall I think. First time where I've doubted my position a little, but I think I dealt with it fairly well. Total time 23 hours now, so half way there, at least that's the theory!!! Bring on my first landaway (which might be tomorrow!)

Thanks all, and good luck! :ok:

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Cheers John - some very good experience there :ok:

I am no longer able to access Pprune at work since the website was updated, our web blocking software now blocks it :{

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Sat and passed the written navigation exam today which is a relief,and I'm now starting on the Meteo which should not take too long.
That will then leave Aircraft perfomance and the R/T.
I have not been flying since 18th December as the airfield has been closed for Christmas and am now getting severe withdrawal symptoms,I have six lessons booked from Friday to Sunday but unfortunately the weather does not look that promising.
On a more positive note, I'm sure I've already noticed a slight increase in the day-length.
Lister:)

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Well done Jon

That first solo nav is daunting and Barnard Castle is very easy to miss.

Keep's you on your toes when there is plenty of traffic about, but ATC is always on the ball at NCLE .

Orbiting is fun (not) did 40 mins on my first solo all 4 corners of both ends of runway,must of upset somebody ?




Chk pm

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Cheers!

I had a rather interesting flight (and first landaway) today.

We basically planned to Teesside, knew the weather was a bit dodgy. By the time we got to Teesside it was seriously dodgy. Lots of cloud which was low. No way we could land VFR. The choice was to turn back, or the FI would show me a nice ILS approach. Decieded on the latter, and at 500 feet or so, the runway suddenly appeared! My FI said "you have control" and I finished a good approach by him with a very nice (my best so far since begining) landing. (With full flap!).

Anyway, we couldn't fly VFR out of Teesside's zone, so again he took us out IFR, but once a bit further north we were in VMC and all was fine.

My navigation was ok, but I will have to do that flight again dual. Didn't get much chance to find the airport on the way down!

Got back to Newcastle fine, after a quick look at the Angel of the North, and the Quayside!

My flight yesterday was some more solo nav - MUCH more straight forward in perfect conditions.

Just a very quick post tonight, as I am shattered! Well done Lister! And cheers all.

John.

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

John - your making some very good progress at the moment, a lot more than me! I am envious of your ILS approach, I wouldn't mind having a go (and making a total cock up) or being shown a demonstration :cool:

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Dont put yourself down Mazzy the first one is always the hardest,we all have to learn !

All part of the learning circle/curve.

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

A few days ago Mazzy wrote:

I thought of this and so tried to access from work (as I am now) - and bizarrely I now CAN access PPRuNe since the software update - previously it was a 'banned' site.

On the flying front: well done to those with exploits to report. I've been grounded since my GFT back in Mid November! Even though I got my ticket on Christmas Eve I was let down by the weather over the holidays. So fingers crossed for this Saturday PM when my next flight is booked - but the weather doesn't look promising. Low winds but poor visibility. However I'm planning to get some revision time in before taking friends and family up as I feel a bit rusty so I've booked an IMC lesson and the weather might actually be favourable.

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Visibilty here a bit dissapointing today.
We manged a few practice short field take offs and landings and simulated forced landings, then had hoped to do some low level navigation towards the east coast but the vis kept coming and going,now I'm home it's improved again but that's flying for you!
I've learned that the experienced call these short intervals of improvement "The sucker's gap" which is quite an apt term.
Anyway I hope better luck tomorrow or Sunday.
Lister:)

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Lister - bad luck with the weather, something we need to get used to I suppose! As many people have said "It's better to be on the ground wishing you were flying, than flying wishing you were on the ground" - or words to that effect.

I'm hoping there may be a free slot tomorrow, (not holding my breath though). Want to get some more landaways done in preperation for the QXC!

And the ILS approach was fantastic! Obviously my FI got us established, and at 700 feet I had lost all hope of us finding the runway, but at 500 or so it popped up in front of us, and I was allowed to take us in to land (once visual). Something very high on my priority list once passed, the IMC. Not only fun, but may turn out to be very useful one day...

One thing I did realise when flying in instrument conditions is my confidence when flying has greatly improved, and I felt like a co-pilot, not a passanger, which could have quite easily been the case.

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Sorry for the lack of posting guys - we have had some incredibly unlucky times in the family recently - my dad is not very well at all, so my life has kinda grinded to a halt at the moment.

I am going to continue my flying this month, as intended - so there will be in update in a couple of weeks! Again - apologies for the lack of posting, I don't get much chance now with visiting my dad.

Best wishes,

Lee :ok:

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Hope he's better soon Lee

Family is more important believe me !


Best wishes

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Lee,
I'm very sorry to hear about your father,and hope all goes well.
On the flying front,(or non flying front) ,six hours booked this weekend and a total of 35 mins flown!
It is January and I must be patient.;)
How does that song go?
"Things can only get better"

Lister:)

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Mazzy, I'm sorry to here that. I've been there myself and everything does indeed take a back seat.

Hope he get's well soon,

Best wishes.

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

I spoke to Lee today and he is hoping to start flying ASAP, so an update will be coming soon :ok:

Safe flying guys.

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

My dad has also been a bit unwell recently. Very sorry to hear that mazzy.

Flying-wise, it's been an age since I posted in this thread but I did manage to get up on Tuesday morning, after an epic time away from my stead, to re-aquaint myself with what a wing was and why that whirly thing at the front...whirls. Just some circuits, short-field, glide approaches and some x-wind stuff. Been lucky (?) to not have had to deal with much x-wind so far but Tuesday was an eye-opener, crikey.

20 knots surface wind, a large part of it across the rwy in use - instructor demo'd a lovely approach and landing (crab method) despite the gusty conditions. My turn was, ahem, a little more "sporty". Definately a real challenge but I'm itching for more exposure to get me up to speed smartish.

If the wx holds out, my first little real nav flight will happen this coming Saturday. A little triangle between Leicester, Kettering and Rugby. If it goes well, there's the possibility that I can have a go myself the following weekend :) Having only got as far as some departures/re-joins on the solo front, I reckon this will be (if it happens) a GREAT experience :ok:

Bye for now,

V1R

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Guys:

Thanks for your posts.. I have managed to grab a few mins to come on pprune. Been a lot of bad news really, firstly about a month before Christmas, my Grandad was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma - something which shocked me a lot and upset me quite a bit. He is doing fine and responding to treatment well so fingers crossed.

The thing which knocked me for six though, was seeing my dad in pain for months (aching joints) etc and coming out in rashes all the time, then to discover about a week ago, that he has "Acute Myeloid Leukaemia". He is in intensive care at the moment and is hoping to return to his ward tonight to continue treatment. He was really bad, but has improved a little. There is only 1.7% of the population that will get this condition, and it is not hereditary - yet his Dad (my Grandad) died of it about 15 years ago, over the age of 60. My dad is 47.

As you can imagine, I can think of nothing else but the above at the moment, so pretty much everything in life has taken a back seat. I am looking after my Mum, who has seen better days.

I am determined to continue as normal as possible, including the flying, and so will see what I can conjure up next week - in the meantime, all my thoughts and time are with my family.

Sorry for such a morbid post - just didn't wanna leave any of you in the lurk, having been so good.

Lee :ok:

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

I've had a brilliant days flying!
Very poor vis so we did low level (750ft) navigation out to Orfordn Ness via Framlingham then vis improvd so up to 2000 ,past Woodbridge and around Ipswich across to Wattisham for a MATZ penetration,then a diversion,eventually around Bury St Edmunds then back home.
Around 1.5 hrs flying,a lot on instruments as the vis was poor and I had no horizon.
Strong crosswind take off and landing,and it went to plan.
No flying tomorrow as I'm meeting up with a band to practice for a re-union party/concert at Hylansds Hall nr Chelmsfrd tomorrow night!!!
They have been trying to track me down for months and found me via Friends Re-united a couple of weeks ago!
I haven't played bass guitar for over 40 yrs and haven't seen the other members since 1965,I have borrowed a Fender bass and Laney amp ,and have been practising furiously for last ten days and it's all coming together.
It's really exciting as I haven't met them yet so will meet tomorrow morning for a short practice and I will report back after flying on Sunday.
life in the old dog yet.;)
Lister:)

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Good morning of flying for me too :)

Plan was a short jaunt between Leicester, Kettering and Rugby but wasn't going to happen with this wx so my instructor suggested some instrument flight in the murk. This was something new and it sounded like fun! After a short intro to VORs, OBSs, NDBs and ADFs (with the help of a cunningly-designed cardboard instrument panel!) we were off.

Lost the ground at about 600' agl and didn't see it again 'till about the same on descent but in between we tuned in to the Daventry VOR, got a bearing and tracked inbound to it. Once above, we tuned into HON and did the same towards that as well, before flying the 010 radial outbound to take us back overhead Leicester. Made full use of my newly-learned TITS acronymn! One for the gents methinks...

We were up to 4500' QNH at one point and only just above the murk - it was basically all instrument flight. A real eye-opener - keeping S+L and tracking the VOR definately involves being fairly awake! Challenging but seemed to twig it and start to enjoy it up there in the white. Quite therapeutic! Heard a Thomson jet not too far away chatting to Coventry as well, nice (and disconcerting?) to think it was out there in the clag somewhere nearby.

All in all, a great learning experience and it has really given me a flavour of instrument flight. For anybody who hasn't done much yet, all I'll say is:

1. Scan scan scan. Don't get complacent. You're AI is the most important instrument. We had beautifully smooth conditions but it was still amazing how much slow roll you can get in a small a/c like the 152. When you have a real horizon, the keeping level bit is done without thinking as you're eyes see it straight away. Not so in cloud, it's a lot more subtle. Definately an increased workload!

2. As all books and pilots say, trust your instruments above your senses. We were S+L and instructor pointed out that, to him, it felt like we were in a right banked turn but he knew we weren't due to the instruments. I hadn't suffered any body-instrument contradictions up until now but the minute he said it I suddenly felt we were in a turn as well! All very weird...

Anyway, bye for now,

V1R

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Just to say... I managed to get into the skies yesterday for the first time since my skills test. What a relief. I was getting concerned that I'd forgotten everything.

I wanted to go up with an instructor just to get me back in the swing of things. To make best use of time I had my first IMC lesson, and landed back in the dark - although the time doesn't count for night flying.

Today is looking good too - I'm going for a conversion flight in a Diamond DA40.


Edit for an update: Diamond DA40. mmm... very nice. A bit odd for taxying as you have to use the brakes to turn but it soon all comes together. 60kts for rotate with the stall warner blaring!!! The 'wobbly' take off run reminded me of my first ever take off as a student. The stall warner comes on at rediculously high speeds, but it is nice to know it is there. So fast, so smooth, and with all the kit in the cockpit it makes a nice change from the usual level of kit in a trainer. Full avionics stack with twin Garmins and an autopilot which was fun to mess around with. Slowing down is difficult, think about cutting power to idle on the turn from downwind to base and glide in. I've passed the check ride now I'm looking forwards to flying this beast in the near future..

Re: From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary
 

Lee,

I just got my PC up and running after the mammoth house move to the Peak District...how did I acquire so much stuff?? Anyway, got back on PPRuNe, and heard the news about your dad. Really sorry to hear it, and I just wanted to say I'm thinking of you both (and your mum), and I hope maybe things are looking a bit better by now. Don't worry about not posting; flying can wait, family come first.

Best wishes,

Whirly

Many thanks Whirls ;)

Well I booked in for my mock test next week - hope all goes well! Nearly there!

Data - you lucky :mad:

:D ;)

Wow good luck with the Mock test Mazzy. Looking forward to a thorough write up afterwards :ok: