6 hrs up

[Compulsion]

Well yesterday saw me clock up 6 hours in RA aircraft. I am now flying a Jabiru 160 and have 4 hrs in this aircraft. I am a lot more comfortable in the 160 than the LSA55 which was just too small for me. I have flown with nearly all of the instructors and CFI at RPA Murray Bridge now and I have to say they are great instructors and a good fun bunch of guys. To be able to teach a slow learner like me they have to be good.

 

The first 2 hrs in the 160 a week ago where spent doing circuits and glide approaches. Also engine failures at height and on take off. At the end of my 2 1hr sessions I was exhausted. I was also pretty disappointed with my feeble attempts to land the aircraft. I really miss my air brake in the glider at this point.

 

So yesterday was take 2 at circuits. Ian was my instructor and I first met Ian when I did my TIF a few weeks back. Ian would be one of the nicest guys you could meet and put everything into simple terms that even I could get my head around. I find sometimes that an instructor will tell you to do something and you blindly obey but you don't really get why you had to do it. I know you are going to say why don't i just ask but i hate looking stupid all the time. We took off to start our first 1 hr session but my head just wasn't in it. I felt totally uncoordinated and wasn't thinking straight so Ian said lets go do some practice on out landings and engine failures at height. This took my mind off having to embarrass myself doing more landings and before long I was back in the groove and really enjoying myself. We scared a few sheep and looked closely at a few power lines but it all went very well. Then Ian said we would side slip into a paddock from height. When flying gliders I hated side slipping and never really got the hang of it especially on cross wind landings. I was surprised at how easy it was to side slip the 160 and it was relatively easy to control speed and decent. We flew back to the air field and side slipped into runway 27. My first landing on grass in the 160 and it all went really well. I have to say though that Ian had a huge input into getting it right. We taxied back and had lunch.

 

After lunch we took of again to do circuits. My mouth went try and my palms sweaty. I have up until now been glued to the runway on decent and not looking at anything else. Ian told me in the classroom before we left that he would make me get out of that habit. On the first approach Ian kept repeating Sock Speed Runway. It actually worked and I felt great at getting it at least half right. I still need to get into the centre of the runway but hey I can't get everything right at once. We did a couple of touch and goes and I was really starting to get the feeling that everything was slowing down and not happening at light speed. Ian then said lets do a glide approach from the downwind leg. All i can say is if I have to glide then give me a glider. I completely stuffed it up and we where never going to make the strip. we powered up and went round. I did one last landing for the day and once again the last landing of the day was the worst. Still it left me wanting to get back next week to do better.

 

Ian had to control himself during the day as I constantly got my radio calls wrong. In gliders we hardly ever used the radio but that was 16 yrs ago so everything has changed. I am sure he wanted to hit me at one stage.

 

I walked away from the day over the moon and happy that I was actually getting the PICTURE on approaches and feeling good about landings. Ian is a great instructor and I am looking forward to next week. More circuits and engine failure practice. We also have to do stalls. i love stalls and in gliders you actually get to spin the plane. I don't think I want to loose the wings so I won't try that in the 160. Well another week of watching YouTube landings and reading everything I can find on flying.

 

 

[Guernsey]

Hi John, It is not your fault that you cannot line up with the centre of the runway, when they designed the airfield the runway was accidentally located three metres to the left of where it is supposed to be. .

 

Alan.

 

 

[Compulsion]

Hi John, It is not your fault that you cannot line up with the centre of the runway, when they designed the airfield the runway was accidentally located three metres to the left of where it is supposed to be. .Alan.

See it isn't my fault after all.

 

 

[flyerme]

well done John,and I like the fact your studying in-between.thumbs up mate all the best

 

 

[Scooby]

Good on ya mate! Alot of what you said in your post brings back the memories of my training. Some days nothing went right but when it eventually comes all together, it's a great sense of achievement! Welcome to the world of aviation. Best of luck with the rest of your training!

 

 

[facthunter]

You are using the word Mate as a noun. I thought it was a verb. Nev

 

 

[Yenn]

Good little write up. It reminds me of once when I flew my Thruster to a glider strip and did some time in the glider with an instructor. Coming in for the landing I kept getting it lower and lower until I knew a Thruster would land about a mile short and that was just right for the glider.

 

 

[Compulsion]

Went up to Murray Bridge today. Unfortunately a real winters day with low cloud and drizzle. Taxied out but decided not to bother and taxied back to the hanger. I used the downtime to do my radio licence exam. I will do some study this week and take the solo exam next week maybe. Booked for 2 hrs with Ian at RPA next Saturday so hopefully the weather is better.