My GA training - Lesson 4

[Tomo]

Well, todays (Thursday) plan was to tackle some instrument flying... and so we did!

 

Got to the airfield a bit early, so I grabbed the IREX manual off the shelf, and proceeded to to fill my head with confusion, though I guess it wasn’t to bad! Yeah I know I wasn’t doing anything that serious, but it didn’t hurt seeing what was kinda involved in it.

 

Time came around, so into the briefing - Basic instrument flying is what we were doing, so wasn’t overly hard, but something none of us Ultralight pilots experience. I kinda had an idea of the whole thing, but ran through it all etc etc...

 

Out to the aircraft - a different and newer 172 than what I was flying on previous lessons, due to the other one being out - checked off the aircraft, sufficient fuel, oil, etc...

 

Piled in, strapped up, pax brief to the instructor to make sure he knew what to do........ primed up, mixture rich and she spluttered into life. Taxied off towards the runway... runups... pre-take off brief, entered, lined up, and... away we went.

 

Tracked for the training area, on climb... then I put on the hood, and that folks, was the last I saw out of the window for the next little while! What a weird feeling, one thing is certain, you wouldn’t want to suffer from motion sickness, ‘cause I reckon it would hit you!

 

Relying on the instruments, tracking on a heading, and climbing to a particular height. He flew while I got used to watching the instruments only, and telling him what he was doing. Might sound simple, but quite essential to know!!

 

He than gave it to me, and I had to just hold it S/L and track on a set heading, it was very rough with thermals all around, so that was all the better to get me working. Keep the scan going................. it is very easy to fixate on any one instrument. He then called out various compass headings to which I turned to, doing the rate one turn etc... Then climbing, descending on the one heading. And remember you can’t see out side!

 

Picked it up pretty quick apparently, and was going well, so he then called a height and heading to go to, that was fun, and certainly tests your scan technique, or lack thereof if you aren’t focused ‘fully’ on the job. Did lots of this, up down, turning around, until I could nail it spot on. He then promptly blocked off my AH, or AI. And we continued without it, doing all this up down, turning on headings etc. Keeping S/L at different speeds.

 

He told me I was doing very well - which was nice to hear. Making sure I was still feeling ok, as he said a lot start to feel sick - and he doesn’t like that much. He then got me to look at my feet (and I closed my eyes) while he did all sorts of stuff. He then gave me the controls and got me to recover using instruments alone. (I have my AH back now btw). We did that a few times, getting the plane back to S/L and cruising happily again.

 

I took the hood off for a few minutes to have a look around, and have a breather (after being under that for half hr or more). We did a few other things, he getting me to descend and maintain a particular heading, with him doing the radio calls (and eye balls!) we joined circuit, slowed up, some flap, trim and we turn base... he then let me take my hood off and continue with approach to landing... Visual!! Came in, and landed with the horn going off, wanted to do another with him in this different aircraft just to make sure I got it down pat - (got the different trim switch in this one).

 

Landed, and taxied back. Then I asked If I could just do three landings on my own in this plane, just to get in the air again... this newer Cessna had a better view over the bonnet I reckon, and went a bit faster! Did my three landings, loving the 40 degree of flap!

 

Taixed back and packed up, tied down... etc etc... de-briefed on what we just went through.

 

Then I had to scoot to Twmba (couple hundred klms) for a meeting , and a music gig that night. Was a big, but fantastic day.

 

Can’t wait for next time, where we do compass turns, very limited panel, and timed compass turns.

 

 

[sseeker]

Great post Tomo, sounds like you're having a lot of fun. How are you finding the 172?

 

-Andrew

 

 

[Tomo]

How are you finding the 172?

Honest, probably covers it pretty well.

 

Not as much to do if you compare it with a Jab, or Drifter... but you have a significant amount more weight and inertia to settle it down.

 

 

[Relfy]

Good work mate, sounds like fun. :thumb_up: