16 - Solo

<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><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>     </B><A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="15 Still no cigar"><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="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="17 Getting the hang of it again"><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="550a0780.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> <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="11 Circuits and spice (and Things Not N"><U>11 - Circuits and spice (and Things Not Nice)</U></A></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> 16 - Solo</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>16 - Solo</I></div> <bR> <div> 20th July</div> <div> Originally, Peter from the Cix VFR Club was going to be flying down to Enstone from Liverpool, and I was going to meet him at the airfield. Unfortunately, he'd been informed that morning that the school from whom he was renting the plane now had a policy that did not allow landing at unlicensed airfields, so unfortunately the trip had to be cancelled. As a result, I was left with a free afternoon. A quick call to the school... yes, the plane is available, and yes, the instructor's also available. Cool, be there in an hour. </div> <bR> <div> A very quick briefing, since the procedure was going to be the same as the last two lessons. Departure was from runway 08, the first time we've taken off from that runway. It involved a certain amount of dexterity, turning the other way into the wind for the power checks, then weaving around an incoming aircraft before backtracking down the runway. There is a large hump in the middle of the runway; such that from one end of the runway you cannot see the other. More than that, it became apparent as we reached the 08 threshold that you can't even see the tower from that end of the runway. Apparently that is the main reason that Enstone is unlicensed, since the tower needs to be able to see the whole runway.</div> <bR> <div> After take off we joined the circuit, and left the pattern at the end of the downwind leg. We could then follow our normal routing towards Wellesbourne (routing direct from the other end of the runway would have placed us too close to any gliders for the PFL. After a successful PFL, we contacted Wellesbourne Information for joining instructions. Our hope had been to join downwind, but the presence of other traffic in the circuit precluded that and we elected to join overhead as normal.</div> <bR> <div> We started off with a couple of normal circuits, followed by an EFATO and flapless landing. On the next circuit I flared a little high and bounced, although it was recoverable. Then my FI said "make this next one to land." Well, of course the approach went completely to pot and was way too high and fast. Go around! Next time around - still to land - and the approach was much better, but again the flare was messy and we bounced once, but recovered and landed.</div> <bR> <div> “I'm not happy that the last two landings were bounces, so let's just do a couple more good ones”. Okay, so we taxied all the way round back to the 18 hold for another take off. The next landing was fine, so Alistair said “Make this one to land again!” And so we landed and parked up on the grass opposite the tower.</div> <bR> <div> A quick “pit stop” while Alistair had a chat wit the chap in the tower, and meet back at the plane for a brief, er, brief. Alistair hung around while I went through the checks and started the plane (the Katana is notoriously hard to start hot - we've even done “hot start practice” - and indeed it took three goes!) So now I'm sitting in the plane on my own, and the right hand seat looks very empty! Still, get on with it!  Alistair disappears back up to the tower and I get on the radio. Runway in use 18 Right Hand, wind 180/5. You couldn't ask for better! And I start to taxy round to the hold. </div> <bR> <div> It was at this point that the "Lo Volts" warning light came on. Bugger! So I turn off the taxiway onto the disused area by hold Bravo and get on the radio "Golf Mike Bravo stopped with a low volts warning" Alistair  then comes on the radio and we go through some checks. Everything else seems okay, but the light won't go out, even if I run the engine at high revs. "It's probably okay" says Alistair, "It does that sometimes! Continue on to the hold and go through the power checks and report back" </div> <bR> <div> Now at the hold, I go through the power checks and this time, at high power the light goes out. Back at 1200 it's just glimmering, and no longer full on. I report this to the tower, and Alistair I says "It was probably just complaining about the number of tries you took to start it." -- Thanks mate! -- "I think it's okay, but it's up to you if you want to go or not." Since there's no other sign of a problem, I respond "Go!", and immediately the light goes out and stays out! </div> <bR> <div> Cleared to “At My Discretion”, I taxy out onto the runway and apply full power. Immediately I notice that the plane is much brisker and it seems that we (we? *I*) get to 55 knots in no time flat! Rotate, and she fair leaps of the ground. Once in the air the plane doesn't feel any faster or appear to be climbing any steeper, but I'll swear it was at 800 feet before the end of the runway! Crosswind -- fine. Downwind -- call, then run through the checks, no problems and no nasty lights. Turn base -- power back, trim, flaps, check speed, trim again. Turn final -- full flaps, trim, speed 60kts on the button, approach is good, call final, in over the threshold looking good, flare.. too high! bounce! Damn! Full power! "Golf Mike Bravo going around!" </div> <bR> <div> Next go... Again a good approach: speed on the nose, although I'm slightly low in the later stages. Once again I flared a bit too high, although with my few remaining wits I managed to hold it off for a slightly heavy landing, but NO BOUNCE, and down safely! </div> <bR> <div> Once clear of the runway (a nice "well done " from the FISO on announcing Vacated), I taxied back to the grass in front of the tower, and Alistair got back in for the trip back to Enstone, where we all had tea and medals. </div> <bR> <div> Typically, after having had it drummed in time after time "if you bounce on your solo, go around", Alistair said in the debrief "You could have recovered that, no problem”. Sigh!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.arnot.flyer.co.uk/flying/images/solo.jpg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.arnot.flyer.co.uk/flying/imag"><U><IMG SRC="550a0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> Click on the image to see a larger version</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>