just an earthbound misfit i

[Hildy]

but hoping to change that! i am working in the hunter valley next year (currently in sydney) and I finally have the money to indulge my dream of learning to fly. will not be giving up the day job - I love it too much - but perhaps my weekends will be spent doing something else!

 

 

[sfGnome]

Hildy, nice choice of subject! Back when flying was still a dream, I'd listen to that song and kind-of disappear inside my head for a while...

 

...and for those of you who haven't got a clue what we're talking about...

 

a fatal attraction holding me fast, how can I escape this irresistible grasp?

can't keep my eyes from the circling sky

 

tongue-tied & twisted just an earthbound misfit, I

Welcome. The hunter valley is a nice place to look down on from up there!

[dazza 38]

Welcome Hildy, i hope you enjoy your flying journey.

 

 

[EagleTrike]

Welcome Hildy

 

Wish I could say the same about the day job, still haven't worked out what I want to do when I grow, being 48 yo there still maybe hope you never know. While you are waiting to live the dream indulge in all this info, it is great. Hunter area great place to be moving to.

 

David

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Hildy.

 

Tell us about what you want to do in flying... RAA / PPL aircraft type(s) you are keen on, local versus longer distance flights, etc..

 

 

[Hildy]

Hildy.Tell us about what you want to do in flying... RAA / PPL aircraft type(s) you are keen on, local versus longer distance flights, etc..

I've now hit hour 3. My instructor is being very intensive and I'm basically going to learn full time this week.

 

I'm quite keen on the amphibian foxbat, and air touring.

 

 

[kaz3g]

Hi Hildy

 

Welcome ... it's not all blokes here. What are you learning in?

 

kaz

 

 

[Hildy]

I'm learning in an LSA-55. A handful to fly, but my instructor says that if I fly this, I can fly anything. I'm basically trying to learn to fly full-time in my weeks off work (I work week-on, week-off).

 

 

[Hildy]

and I am no longer earthbound.

 

4.9 hours of solo time. I had to come in when the rains hit our airfield, and my pilot cert flight check was cancelled by the heavens.

 

planning that 0.1 hour (one circuit, then stop to pick up CFI and become certified.)

 

 

[JIMMYTWO]

Bad luck that the weather beat you, OOh so close

 

 

[Hildy]

Rescheduled for tomorrow morning. Currently YSCN says it's blowing 13 knots from 30 - so 6.5knot headwind and 11knot crossswind. Sounds like a great wind to do the fast half-flap approach on.

 

 

[Hildy]

That's twice it's been cancelled. Hopefully tomorrow morning's the charm, eh?

 

 

[sfGnome]

A watched pot never boils Hildy... :nonono: (but geez, the waiting's a bummer, eh?)

 

I drove 1 1/2 hours yesterday to fly, got to the strip only to turn around and go home again (there goes 3 hours I'll never get back). Still, it was the right decision. Strong, gusty wind 90 deg to the strip, and no suggestion that it was going to get any calmer. The joys of having a weather-dependent hobby.

 

Please, please, please have nice weather over Easter...

 

 

[Hildy]

the YSCN metar at the moment says 8 knot headwind. do you think it can swing 90 degrees overnight?

 

 

[sfGnome]

the YSCN metar at the moment says 8 knot headwind. do you think it can swing 90 degrees overnight?

That was the interesting thing about Friday morning. YSCN metar claimed 3kts, taf predicted a little more, and the windsock told a very different story. Pity the windsock isn't available on-line

Kicking myself now that I didn't grab the opportunity to do some circuits with an instructor...

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

If you want closer to real-time wind information, I've found WeatherZone quite good.. here's Camden's general page, from which the "24 hour graph" page gives you an ability to analyse the trend. You can often get measurements that are between 10 minutes and 30 minutes old. Combine this with looking at the BOM Mean Sea Level Pressure Chart and the BOM rain radar (Pick a radar Site page) (National page) (Sydney Radar Page - appropriate for Camden).

 

With practise you will learn to interpret the information fairly well. Virga and light rain can often appear the same on the radar, so you do have to look out the window as well. The Sydney radar also has "doppler wind" detection, so that too can add to your available predictive information. Ask your CFI to help you interpret the information, until you gain some familiarity with it.

 

Apart from the fact that I've provided some links that are specifically appropriate to Camden above, I consult all these sources in addition to NAIPS every time before flying, as part of my planning. For example, if I plan to fly after work in the afternoon, I'll check these sources after 16:00 EST (get to know the times that the BOM update their forecasts). If all looks ok for flying, I go to the aerodrome and look at the wind sock and the sky.

 

Remember that conditions can change quickly if a front or trough is passing through your location, such as in the attached photos. I landed in the shower to the left of the photo, which wasn't the first to pass through the area. As I was on final, I could see the gust front approaching over the town and figured I probably had enough time to get onto the ground ahead of it, but being prepared for a go-around if it beat me to the runway. Just as I taxied off the runway, the wind changed from a 10kn headwind to a 15kn tailwind. Had I been 40 seconds later arriving, I would have been going around, riding out the wind change turbulence at circuit height and then landing from the opposite direction or alternately flying east of the line of rain showers and waiting for them to pass or to fly to and land at Corowa, which was north east of the weather event.

 

The photos depict a line of showers, photographed from the east side of the line and approaching Yarrawonga, Victoria on 12th March 2011.

 

* Attached photos are Copyright David Hunt 2011.

 

 

 

 

[sfGnome]

Thanks David. I use the weatherzone pages a lot in planning when to book an a/c, but I'd missed the 24hour graphs up till now (and I've tended to rely only on the BOM forecasts - TAF & Area - for the flying days). One more for the armoury!

 

 

[Hildy]

the other problem is that the oaks is 600ft higher than camden and 10nm closer to the mountains.

 

yscn says calm and 5000 ceiling. next attempt: tomorrow.

 

 

[Guest Jake.f]

.

 

 

[Hildy]

... and it's done. how long does it take for the card to come in the mail?

 

 

[Acky]

congrats :) good stuff.

 

all my cards have taken 1-2 weeks to arrive. i think i'm on my 3rd card for the year :)

 

 

[Hildy]

thank you. my first card took 3 days.

 

 

[sfGnome]

Good on you, Hildy. Now it's time to change the 'Airstrip' and 'Aircraft' entries over there on the left...

 

 

[Hildy]

except that I am going to stalk you and move to YWVA for my xc.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Congrats Hildy. No longer earth bound!