The objective seems to be clock up 2.5 hours solo circuit flying, as fast as possible. As a result every recent lesson has been signed out with anticipation for being sent solo. To that end though, the morning of this lesson was a no go. The cross wind was to high for solo flying. Computer #1 was showing Max. 11 knots, right on the limit of solo. To my instructors credit he did check the Met Office again and then resort to looking at computer #2 to see if it was some how showing a different number…….but if anything it was getting worse, computer #1 was now at 14 Knots, computer #2 was even less forgiving. Oh well, time to call it quits.
In a glimmer of hope, another instructor asked if I was around all day, just in case the weather improved and they could fit it in? Sure why not.
The Phone Rings….
Around mid-day the aero club’s number appeared on my phone, could I come in, immediately? No problems…….well it was no problem after a little negotiation with my better half 🙂
Fastest Plane Check Out Ever.
G-SHWK
On arrival I was told the plan basically consisted of:
- Instructor is doing a check flight now, will be down in ~10 min.
- Go check the plane.
- Instructor will then come fly with me for a few circuits
- We land…….hopefully instructor signs off for sending me solo
- Instructor goes and takes his 2pm lesson.
- I go flying solo.
Roughly translated into: A scramble to squeeze it all in. All credit to the aero club for pulling out the stops to get my last 40 minutes of solo circuits done.
Hi-Viz jacket on, I’ve never checked a plane out so quick in my life (all the time watching a C172 touring round the circuit as my guide for time remaining). It was all checked, even down to cleaning the windscreen, but it did prove I could do this faster than normal, when I wanted to.
A quick brief of the general plan: Go do some circuits……..and then time to get going, the instructor was due back at 2pm and it was already heading for 1:10pm!
Even Faster Taxi
“I know you know how to do all these checks, so I’ll just get us going…..”
My instructor just blitzed the checks, engine start and everything else, I got our taxi clearance and we were off taxing at pace to holding point Alpha.
Circuit #1 : The Pressure is on.
This trip out shouldn’t be viewed as a lesson as such, but as an experience generator, the whole point was to get minutes on the clock flying solo. The only way to get that time though is to get a tick in the box from an instructor that on this day, at this hour, I was flying decent enough to be approved to go and fly solo……and I had a little under 45 minutes remaining to prove this. Every circuit, right from the start, were going to have to be ‘good enough’.
Because we’d blitzed our way though all the checks, one last check with the instructor he was happy to go as we lined up with the centre line and we were off, tearing down the one mile runway.
Very conscious on the climb up not to overshoot the circuit height and once there absolute determination to keep it, with my last trip out with Whiskey Kilo firmly in my mind. I’ll admit I wasn’t letting anything drift out through bad trim, when I wasn’t in trim I was just holding the plane with force to 1000ft, then bringing it back in trim.
A decent enough circuit really, no doubt it had rough bits from an instructors perspective, but it was on the better side of the ‘good enough’ curve I’d say.
Landing was looking really nice, but the last ten feet were just not quite perfect, in an effort to do a better flare, I came down harder on the rear wheels, got a bit of a bounce (I honestly didn’t think at the time we’d bounced) and then landed flat. At the time I was convinced we’d landed on the main wheels ok, then I’d lowered the nose to hard/quickly – but my instructor knows what he’s talking about so I’ll go with his version of what happened.
Circuit #2
Second circuit, consisted of a lot of thought to make absolutely sure we were going nowhere but holding 1000ft. Better on the landing, but not dead straight, just got blown off a bit by the wind on the last 50ft or so but a smoother touchdown. Flaps up, power on….
Circuit #3
My instructor said we should make this a flapless landing, no worries…….at least until ATC had to try and free up 23 Main for another plane, so we got asked if we could accept a grass landing. I’ve done 23 grass a few times so was more confident about landing it, but I always check with the instructor before accepting a grass landing. We were on for the grass.
It had meant to be a flapless landing, but almost subconciously once we accepted grass, I went about taking flaps on the base leg. Probably a good thing, there’s more friction on the grass, but I’ve never tried doing a grass approach flapless and it’s always bumpy when you’re down so who knows what it would be like landing even faster. All I could do was say over the intercom I realised it was supposed to have been flapless, but I’d taken the flaps.
The landing was good enough, always room for improvement, but considering how rare I land on the grass, I was quite pleased with it.
By this stage I was feeling pretty positive, the circuits had been good, the landings all no worse then I’ve ever done before when I’ve gone solo. Guess the next circuit would be the decider.
Circuit #4
I was told this time round we would do it with no flaps, but also to make it a ‘to land’. It was clearly all going well enough, I could go and get a few in solo and maybe tick the box.
Half way through the downwind leg, we were told over the radio the instructors 2pm slot had cancelled (funny really considering it was originally mine anyway and I’d cancelled it the week before).
No real problems, now to crack on and get a couple done solo…….
Solo Flight Number #5
I had 40 minutes solo flight time to clock before completing my circuit flying part of this course, and there was time to get it done. Once my instructor jumped out, as always I took a handful of short moments to stop and think about what I was going to do next: Consciously I told myself “No matter what, we’ve got to get 4 circuits done…..”
Solo Circuit #1
First solo circuit, bit windy, but kept everything fairly nice. I’d already decided to do this with flaps, so the base leg gave the party/fun fair/car boot sale thing below a bit of an air display (still perfectly legal in height, just they’d already seen this Cessna go round and over them 4 times, this one just happened to be at 900ft and descending over them).
Good approach, not quite as perfect a landing as I was after but got the nose up and it came down alright. Flaps up, power on.
As I started the climb I could see a wall of rain & miserable weather approaching in the distance of South Cambridge. My thoughts were now
“Oh, might just squeeze one more in if I’m quick…..”
Solo Circuit #2
That was the decision maker for doing the next circuit flapless, I wanted to get round the lap and down, fast to maximise the hope of getting a third circuit in before the rain hit.
Downwind, the plan of a third circuit (and of completing my solo circuit time this lesson) had to be chucked in the bin. Upon reporting “….downwind for Touch and Go.” Air Traffic Control came back and told me to make it to land due to CB’s in the area. “CB” stands for “Cumulonimbus”, it’s the type of cloud associated with thunderstorms!
Two minutes later a plane was requesting taxi and air traffic control was advising them of the bad weather they were about to get once airborne.
Extending past and turned base just behind the car boot / fairground gathering and turning on to final the whole world was going dark, quickly! I could now see the plane that had requested the taxi, it was what looked like a Piper Mirage and was now declaring ready for departure, only to be told to hold and line-up after landing cessna (me).
ATC asked again if he was aware of the CB ~2 miles away and said the’d just heard thunder in the tower, the Mirage replied saying that’s why they wanted to get going and wanted ‘this guy’ to hurry up and get down……..I’m coming in flapless at 70-75 knots, there’s no much more I can do in terms of landing faster!
On the final approach, rain drops were already starting to hit the windscreen.
I came in so fast and was very conscious the Mirage wasn’t going to hang about lining up behind me (and wouldn’t be massively impressed if I had to back-track or carry on rolling down the runway to Delta), that getting the C172 stopped in time for exit Charlie was a bit tight. I know if an instructor had been in the plane they might not have agreed entirely with when I chose to apply brakes, but all things considered, exiting at Charlie was the safest option for everyone – it was just a task to make it happen.
The parking was shocking though, the rope wouldn’t reach one wing, it was now tipping it down with rain. Growling thunder was starting to kick in. I gave up – the aero club needs to buy longer tie downs 🙂
Debriefing
Not much from the instructor, some background questioning between instructors on whether anyone had seen the massive horrid weather coming. To be fair, it had looked ok when we were doing duel circuits, so good I was convinced this was going to be the lesson I’d end circuits.
The picture below generated around the time I was flying solo, tells a slightly different picture of weather conditions:
Actual Lightning Strikes from Met Office
Hmmm, quite a few lightning strikes then – quite glad I got it landed when I did and didn’t go round for another lap (also quite pleased I got it landed when I intended to). The weather rolled in soooooo fast and the rain was so hard, with almost immediate thunder once I was on the ground that I suspect had I had to make the decision to go-around on that last approach, the circuit might have been an “interesting” one.
In the end it was all good……..but 20 minutes of solo flying in the circuit remains.
No to worry, I’m enjoying this all far to much to worry about how many lessons it takes.
Hi
Excellent blog. Still following this not sure if you remeber posted when you were first starting out. At the time hadnt started my PPL but started in Late may this year and just completed my first solo yesterday at Old sarum was amazing. Been using some of your experiences in my flying so thankyou.
Keep up great work.
Kev
Hi,
Yeah good to hear you’re still following my blog and if any of it has proven useful to you then even better 🙂
Great to hear you’ve started on getting your PPL, what are you learning to fly in? Clearly you’re not messing about with that rate of progress! Fantastic stuff, hope you’re enjoying the flying.
If I’ve quickly looked up the right place, Old Sarum just has a grass strip? That must have been fun to learn from scratch on. My opportunities to land on grass are pretty rare but they’re fun to do.
Sounds like you’re first solo was a good one (they say you’ll never forget it).
Cheers
-Phill.
Hi Phill,
Yeah love the blog thanks for the time and effort you are putting into it.
Love the flying finding the ground school tough as still not done any exams read air law 3 or 4 times still only gettting 55% on practice tests.
Based at lee on solent in portsmouth just went to old sarum to do circuits. YEah its a grass strip although bit hilly and short think its 650 metres but still managed to cope ok on my own. Thought it was part off the PPL having to do lanings on tarmac and grass? is there no grass stripes near you?
Was very memorable as never thought in a million he would make me go solo as I havent done airlaw but he did so happy now very big achievment.
Keep up great work love the blog! Happy flying be safe
Kev
Hi,
From what I’ve read at other clubs (inc. mine), sounds like you’re at one of the few that let you fly solo before you’ve passed Air Law. There’s quite a lot in the book to take in and I found there was always one or two lists I could never remember outright.
The deputy chief flying instructor at my club suggests getting some of the ground school out of the way sooner rather than later. I’d tend to agree with his advice, Air Law is a lot to consume and they say Human Factors is pretty straight forward, but I still spent a good 2-3 weeks reading before taking the exam……..then you realise how much there is in Meteorology & Navigation books. For me I wouldn’t want to get into Nav. lessons with a full set of exams still to face, for whatever it’s worth from me I’d recommend try and get at least Air Law out of the way fairly soon.
Cambridge has 2 grass runways and 1 massive (a mile long) asphalt runway, I’ve landed on the grass a handful of times, but typically everyone lands on the main runway.
Anyway great to know you’re still following my ramblings of progress 🙂 Good luck on the exams when you start to take them and at the rate you’re going it might not be all that long before you’re out of the circuit and into navigation, so good luck with the flying too. Feel free to post a comment or two on your progress etc. Always good to hear how others are getting on etc.