11 - Circuits and spice (and Things Not Nice)

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="045085a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Golf Mike Bravo going around...</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Golf Mike Bravo going around..."><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Golf Mike Bravo going around..."><U><B><IMG SRC="03b0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Tyre"><U><B><IMG SRC="03e0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="down" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>     </B><A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="10 Golf Mike Bravo Going Around. Again!"><U><B><IMG SRC="02f0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="12 More circuits (and brain fade)"><U><B><IMG SRC="0300e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="046d2e83.jpg"> <div>     <IMG SRC="53da0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1 Trial Lesson"><U>1 - Trial Lesson</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id62.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2 Effects of Controls"><U>2 - Effects of Controls</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3 A trip to Henstridge"><U>3 - A trip to Henstridge</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id64.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="4 Straight and Level"><U>4 - Straight and Level</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="5 Or not!"><U>5 - Or not!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="6 Up, down and around"><U>6 - Up, down and around</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="7 Stalls and Slow Flight"><U>7 - Stalls and Slow Flight</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="8 More stalls and PFLs"><U>8 - More stalls and PFLs</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id70.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="9 Into the circuit..."><U>9 - Into the circuit...</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="10 Golf Mike Bravo Going Around. Again!"><U>10 - Golf Mike Bravo Going Around. Again!</U></A></div> <div> 11 - Circuits and spice (and Things Not Nice)</div> <div> <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="12 More circuits (and brain fade)"><U>12  - More circuits (and brain fade)</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="13 Developing a flair for the flare"><U>13 - Developing a flair for the flare</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="14 Close But No Cigar!"><U>14 - Close But No Cigar!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="15 Still no cigar"><U>15 - Still no cigar</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="16 Solo"><U>16 - Solo</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="17 Getting the hang of it again"><U>17 - Getting the hang of it again</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="18 I Follow Railways"><U>18 - I Follow Railways</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="19 Head in the Clouds"><U>19 - Head in the Clouds</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id81.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="20 Second Solo"><U>20 - Second Solo</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id82.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="21 Reach for the Pie!"><U>21 - Reach for the Pie!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id84.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="22 Into the Zone"><U>22 - Into the Zone</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id85.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="23 Back to the Circuit"><U>23 - Back to the Circuit</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id86.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="24 Another Navex"><U>24 - Another Navex</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id87.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="25 First Solo Nav: The going gets tough"><U>25 - First Solo Nav: The going gets tough...</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id88.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="26 Divers Diversions"><U>26 - Divers Diversions</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="27 Diversions, in a roundabout way"><U>27 - Diversions, in a roundabout way</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id109.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="28 Landaways"><U>28 - Landaways</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id110.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="29 Solo Landaway"><U>29 - Solo Landaway</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id111.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="30 QXC"><U>30 - QXC</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id112.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="31 Where do you want to go today?"><U>31 - Where do you want to go today?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id113.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="32 Revision"><U>32 - Revision</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id114.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="33 Finals"><U>33 - Finals</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#CCCCE4" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>11 - Circuits and spice (and Things Not Nice)</I></div> <bR> <div> Preamble - the non-lesson</div> <div> A two week gap since my last lesson, although not for want of trying. Firstly, last Sunday there was a scheduled fly out to Duxford (the second attempt!), but it got cancelled due to "lack of interest". I only discovered this an hour before the scheduled meeting time, and was ready to go out of the door, so naturally I asked if we could have a lesson instead, but discovered to my dismay that Mike Bravo was already booked for the entire day! However I did manage to book a lesson for Bank Holiday Monday afternoon. And so I duly turned up, had the briefing and went out to pre-flight the plane. During the check I noticed the front tyre was looking rather bald, so when Alistair came out we rocked the plane to get a better look (the spats on the wheels make inspecting the tyres somewhat tricky). It soon became evident that it was not just bald but badly flat spotted, and worn through three layers of fabric! (see pic) Being a bank Holiday -- and nice weather to boot -- there was nobody around to fix it, so that was the end of that! We spent the rest of the afternoon drinking coffee and eating cake, and being glad it hadn't burst and stranded us at Wellesbourne.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Tyre"><U><IMG SRC="53ba87e0.jpg" border=0 width="168" height="126" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> Click on the thumbnail to see a bigger version.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> 6th June</div> <div> Circuits again. The weather was really nice again and although there wasn't a lot of blue sky about, the cloud bases were between 4000 and 5000 feet, making it good flying weather. As I drove in through the gates for my 10 o'clock, I watched the Katana landing from the previous lesson, and mentally thought to myself "Ahh, runway 26 today". Guess I'm starting to get the pilot's mentality!</div> <bR> <div> A quick brief, and examination of last week's tyre and it was off to do the preflight. Strangely the wheels got an extra-thorough check! But all was well, and off we went. Thanks to Alistair's tip from a few weeks ago, I'd already worked out the QFE and QNH, and I'd seen Mike Bravo land so I knew the active runway. Thus I was set up for the response to the initial radio check. The guy on the radio came back with the expected numbers plus the current weather, plus the current movements of a whole load of traffic and the fact that they were operating a displaced threshold due to rally cars practising at the far end. Alistair was quite pleased that I could separate the important bits for the read back lane leave out the rest.</div> <bR> <div> Another hot start though, and as usual, the hot start procedure in the check list didn't work. We eventually got it started by setting the mixture to ICO and advancing full throttle. Then as soon as the engine started to catch, advance the mixture and pull back the throttle. There was various jiggling offuel prime and pump switches but I don't know how much that contributed. Anyhow, it still took Alistair to start it, which makes me safe from the dreaded solo for a while yet (after all, if I can't even start the plane by myself...)</div> <bR> <div> We climbed out, and once clear of the nearby villages, we did a FREDA check and turned to heading 330, aiming for the hill with the trees on the top (I really must find out what that hill is called!) and Shipston-under-Witchwood. Contact made with Wellesbourne Information, we turned North and headed straight towards the airfield. Today we were operating from runway 18, with a right-hand circuit, which is the first time I've flown that particular circuit, although we'd done some of our early touch and gos (the ones that Alistair flew) on 18.</div> <bR> <div> The overhead join was exactly the same as last time, except backwards. We flew at 90 degrees to the runway at 2000 feet QFE, straight over the 18 numbers heading east and called overhead on the radio. We then descended 'dead side' in a 180 degree turn to bring us at 90 degrees over the numbers at the other end of the runway and at 1000 feet. We're now in the circuit, flying the crosswind leg.</div> <bR> <div> My first landing was actually quite good. Nice approach and pretty much on the numbers, and straight down the centre line. Knock off a stage of flaps and off we go again. The second landing reminded me of last time -- too high, too fast. The third was better, at least the initial approach, but by late final, the ground starts rushing up and I kind of bottled out, causing me to be high, and then come in too steep. </div> <bR> <div> After this landing Alistair threw another spanner in the works - an EFATO (Engine Failure After Take Off). Once we were well established in the climb, with flaps up, Alistair called "Fanstop" on the radio and pulled back the throttle to idle. He then trimmed the plane for 75kts best glide speed, and we searched for a field ahead to land in. The things Alistair impressed on me compared to a 'normal' PFL are that since you're so much closer to the ground, there isn't the time for checks and other faffing about. Just fly the plane, pick your field -- no more than 30 degrees either side, use the flaps for the approach if you need to, but DON'T try to extend the glide.</div> <bR> <div> Next time around and it was my turn. As before, once we were established in the climb, Alistair called "Fanstop", and I set about the job of trimming for 75 kts. This done and I was looking about for somewhere to land... A line of trees dead ahead -- urk! not there! Veer off towards what looked like a field next to it. I hope it was suitable -- I didn't really get the chance to study it. Then it was apply full power and "Golf Mike Bravo climbing" over the radio. When Alistair did it, it seemed almost leisurely, at least I had time to follow what was going on and the explanation. When I did it, it was just so quick there was no time to think about what to do.</div> <bR> <div> Another circuit, then we did a flapless landing. There was no demonstration for this, Alistair just said "Imagine you've had an electrical failure and the flaps are not working". You'll come in flatter and about 5 knots faster. So of course I was high and fast, and had my first go at side slipping. Boy was that unintuitive! I've just about got the hang of coordinating rudder and aileron in a turn, and so to 'cross contols' (shades of Ghostbusters!) seems quite unnatural, and took some effort. But the result was impressive -- we shed altitude like a brick, and were soon back on track, straightening up for the touchdown.</div> <bR> <div> A few more circuits followed, with some pretty poor landings, including a couple of bounces. I learned very quickly not to try and recover it; just immediately apply full power and go around. There were several other planes in the circuit and others kept joining and leaving, plus helicopters whirling about (I did wonder whether Whirlygirl was flying, but I think she usually flies later in the afternoon). I then got distracted by a joining plane telling the FISO his life story, preventing me calling downwind until very late, and completely forgetting to do the BUMPFITCH checks. Alistair said nothing until we were going to turn nbase and just said "What have you forgotten?" AArgh! This had me flustered, and I was thinking to myself that this landing was now a disaster, so just fly round and set up for the next. Oddly enough, that turned out to be one of the better landings!</div> <bR> <div> Then Alistair said "okay, make this the last one", and once again I came in too high too fast and bounced. Aargh! "You'd rather finish on a goood one wouldn't you?" Yes", "Okay go around again"... And fortunalely it was a good one (phew!) We climbed away and instead of turning crosswind, kept going South and climbed to 1800 feet for the trip back to Enstone. </div> <bR> <div> Getting back, we could see what looked like smoke  rising from the airfield, and Alistair assured me it was just the rally cars practising. Enstone Radio reminded us that the displaced threshold was in operation and we should land short of the painted runway markings. We descended to 800 feet and joined the circuit downwind. Again a right hand circuit, and fairly tight, so a 180 degree turn over the pig farm and lined up with the runway. Actually quite a good landing. After all the touch and gos it seemed a bit strange to be braking and not applying full power, but we were down. Taxi back to the Echo for the After Landing checks and then round to the fuel pump to fill up ready for the next victim.</div> <bR> <div> Getting out of the Katana is always an effort, and today after two hard hours in the flying goldfish bowl I realised I'd been sweating buckets, and just squelched off back to the club house! Debrief. 14 takeoffs and landings, some good, some bad. Although the approaches are improving I'm still tending to lose it on the flare, and a bad habit of getting too slow, tripping the stall warner and then over compensating and coming in too fast.</div> <bR> <div> Better than last time though, but still a long way to go...</div> </td> </tr></table></body>