Newton's laws of motion as applied to me.

General Aviation focused journal, recounting the process of learning to fly and of achieving the private pilots license.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Lots of flying

7.10am I get a call from Cabair asking if I could get there as early as possible to do a ferry to Cranfield, I managed to get down to the airfield for 8am as promised. Unfortunately I had yet to plan to actual flight so spent the next 10 minutes writing a VFR flight log and examining the route. The Wx reports looked excellent although it looked likely I would have to remain around or below 2000AMSL due to cloud and also to skip under some controlled airspace.

The aircraft to ferry was another AA5 although this time the more powerful 180hp AA5-B 'Tiger', which I have limited time on (read two hours). Cranfield wanted to use the aircraft at 8:30am however due to having to refuel before departing I didn't leave until 8:44am!

The Tiger leapt on the ground eagerly with just me aboard and once in the cruise was happy at 125knts at 2300rpm. Flying this aircraft was fun. The route itself was simple enough and after 35 minutes I was near to Cranfield, the problem was I was not confident that my assesment of my position was entirely accurate, I could see a large town ahead but was unsure if it was the town I thought it was. There are two other large towns nearby therefore I decided rather than just assume my planned course was right I would dial in the VOR based at Cranfield and check with that. However at this point I realised this simple task was not proving to be as simple as I expected as G-JENN had a different set of instruments than I had ever used before. After several futile attempts to pick up the VOR radial I decided to just ask Cranfield Approach for a QDM which I could use to verify my exact position. It turned out I was where I had hoped to be so was therefore a wasted exercise, however at least I had allayed my fears.

The weather was gorgeous this morning although kept me under 2000AMSL the whole way with scattered stratus and a few cumulus. I could have gone on top but the altitude was also restricted in various places on the route by controlled airspace above and I figured be better to stay well clear of it.

After Approach passed me to Cranfield Tower I was asked to join on downwind for runway 24, lots of aircraft were in the circuit as this is a training college for commerical and airline pilots. At late downwind I was number one to land, on final I could see a queue of around 5 aircraft waiting at the hold for me. The runway is long here and I knew I would want to be towards the end of the runway in order to avoid taxiing for miles so I decided to deliberately land long, however I stupidly allowed myself to pick up a bit too much speed therefore making the landing longer than intended. I suspect my landing was condemed by many pairs of critical eyes of all the commercial pilots, bastards that they are! ;-p

Anyway enjoyable flight and I was satisfied that it went well despite my long landing. After dropping off the documents for G-JENN another aircraft had arrived to pick me up. J another instructor had also taken a ferry to Cranfield to drop off another aircraft so E picked up both up. I elected to sit in the back on the return to Blackbushe.

E took the aircraft above the cloud layer and J handled the radio, was fun just sitting in the back appreciating the sun on the clouds. At one point J had to grab controls to take evasive action with steep right turn to avoid another light aircraft on the nose. E had been checking instruments at the time and therefore missed seeing it, easily done. Evasive action was to be a theme for me today as it turned out, but more on that later.

At Blackbushe I grabbed a coffee than headed back home, I had another flight planned this afternoon to take a friend flying. Mike is interested in taking flying lessons himself although had yet to fly in a light aircraft, so I figured we could take a sight seeing trip down to the Isle of Wight (my favorite place), which I will post later about.

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