20 - Second 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="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="19 Head in the Clouds"><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="id82.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="21 Reach for the Pie!"><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> <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> <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> 20 - Second Solo</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> <div> <A HREF="id82.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="21 Reach for the Pie!"><U>21 - Reach for the Pie!</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#CCCCE4" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>20 - Second Solo</I></div> <bR> <div> 4th September</div> <div> We're starting to get a bit of an Indian Summer, after weeks of generally poor weather, and consequently Enstone was very busy today, and I was lucky to get the last parking space. There had been a number of trial flights taking place during the morning, and both Mike Bravo and Echo Delta were out when I arrived. I busied myself with the usual business of coffee and a slice of cake, catching up with the latest gossip while waiting. Echo Delta was first back with a student doing last minute revision for his skills test tomorrow, and Mike Bravo, with Alistair aboard came in about 10 minutes later.</div> <bR> <div> While the plane was being refuelled, Alistair asked me if I'd mind flying with Ben, the other instructor today. It'd give me an alternative perspective on my flying and hopefully help me in one or two problem areas. </div> <bR> <div> We started off with an EFATO on the take off from Enstone (I hadn't done one there before, but I guess it can happen anywhere or any time). As with Alistair, I basically trimmed for 75 knots, picked a nearby field and went for it. Ben of course picked me up for skimping on procedure and poor choice of field. I'd been getting complacent with my emergency drills, and this was going to have to change.</div> <bR> <div> We flew the rest of the way to Wellesbourne low level, because "the cloud base was really low". Last time I did some low level flying, it was really quite easy because we were following a railway, but this time there were not such obvious landmarks, and even though I knew the way, the normal landmarks were actually quite hard to recognise. Add to this the fact that we were a fair bit further West than usual, as a result of the EFATO.</div> <bR> <div> We joined Downwind at Wellesbourne for runway 18, and did a couple of circuits in normal configuration. The first had me wide of the centre line, although the landing itself was okay (this took me a bit by surprise as my first landing of the day is usually pretty awful).Ben explained that the reason I was missing the line was (a) being sloppy about getting lined up with it in the first place and (b) kicking straight too high, thereby allowing the plane to drift. A flapless approach had me on the centre line, but I let the speed creep up in the last 200 feet or so, resulting in a slight balloon and bounce. However I did manage to recover it, and so we were off again. Another in normal configuration, showing speed creep again at the last minute and a landing that was very flat; it may have even been nose wheel first. The next one, however was to land.</div> <bR> <div> We taxied around to the parking area, and stopped on the grass for a quick break and a briefing. I hadn't noticed how hot and thirsty I'd got, and a glass of water and a stretch was certainly a welcome relief.</div> <bR> <div> It took three goes to start the Katana, the engine eventually coming to life with the full throttle/ICO technique. No drama this time with the LoV lamp, and I was cleared to taxy to the holf for the engine tests. Then "Take off your discretion, winds light and variable". Ben's a bigger bloke than Alistair, and so the difference in the feel of the plane solo was more marked. Three solo circuits; two normal -- and passable -- and one flapless. With the flapless landing I flared high and fast, and sailed merrily down the runway, finally landing with a bit of a bump almost halfway down. Fortunately this one was 'to land', and so I coasted to a halt just beyond the turn off, and the FISO "kindly" suggested I continue to the turn off at the far threshold. But Hey, I was on the centre line! </div> <bR> <div> On the way back, we did a PFL, and Ben was quite critical of both my choice of field and procedure. Must go back and study these again as I'd obviously got complacent with them. Getting back to Enstone, we did a glide approach and landing for a touch and go, to simulate the bottom half of the PFL, and then on the second circuit we landed on the south side grass runway -- my first soft-field landing. Memo to self though: Next time, actually closing the trottle as you land might be a bonus! (coff!)</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>