Hi All... new to the sport

[CrayonBox]

I got an hour in on Sat and another hour on Sun.All circuits and touch and go landings on grass - the air was very smooth, so was easy to get right.

A few landings unassisted

 

Next radio calls

 

Sounds like we are at a similar point.

 

8.1 hours for me to date flying and I've finished most of the theory during winter

 

Mark

Hi Mark,

Yes sounds like we are at similar stages in training.

 

Our runway is 11/29.

 

The trouble here is that we often have a crosswind from South east, which on one hand makes it hard to perfect the landing technique because every approach has variances, but on the other hand, helps me to learn the skills for adjusting the approaches roundouts, holdoffs and final landing. Bitumen requires greater skill and accuracy due to tyre grip, which we have practiced when conditions are right.

 

My instructor wants me to practice in the afternoon next, when we have a straight-on headwind. Crosswind will be one thing less to think about and correct for.

 

When are you flying again?

 

 

[Mark11]

Next lesson on 24th nov

 

 

[Mark11]

YWOL is 16/34 and 08/26 so haven't had to try any real cross wind landings

 

In fact, the airfield and runways are so big that you could always land into wind, even if this means diagonally across the intersection.

 

We land on the grass to save the tyres from wearing out....

 

I have gotten used to the grass and the Tarmac just looks so hard!

 

I'm sure we will end up doing some cross wind and Tarmac landings eventually

 

 

[CrayonBox]

Up early for some smooth air landings this morning, and I completed 5 tarmac landings with assistance, plus one on grass at our hanger strip.

 

Things are ssslllllooooowwwwly coming together. Every landing I did something different wrong - early round out or overshoot or not holding off long enough or over-correcting or under-correcting or too slow to correct. A tidy circuit reduces the workload during the landing phase!!

 

To much brain fade going on... WAKE UP!!!! SLAP ME! It's only at this stage of our flying careers that we have to do the hardest part so many times in a short space of time more than a qualified pilot - LAND! It's quite tiring on the old brain cells. But we all have to do it.

 

I must learn to keep 'flying' the aircraft until we are safely on the ground. I am learning at least what not to do. My instructor says I am so close. It should all just click into place soon.

 

Logged time was a total of 0.7hrs, and the wind quickly increased from 2kts to 7kts during that time. There was also some rough air - light turbulence. None of this is making it easy for me, but it is all good training none the less.

 

No. Landings = No. Takeoffs : CHECK.

 

Tomorrow is another day!

 

 

[Jayjd12]

Hey Stewart, watching this conversation closely. Sounding like excellent fun!

 

 

[The Therm]

Am looking forward to:bounce: joining you all on your adventures

 

 

[CrayonBox]

Am looking forward to:bounce: joining you all on your adventures

Mark was telling me this week about someone who knows me and is about to start learning to fly. Is that you?

 

 

[The Therm]

Yes, hopefully. Think this weather may need to change first though! How is your training going, are you learning in yours now or Marks?

 

Was hoping for a flight out tomorrow am but forecast isnt good at the moment.

 

 

[CrayonBox]

Yes, hopefully. Think this weather may need to change first though! How is your training going, are you learning in yours now or Marks?Was hoping for a flight out tomorrow am but forecast isnt good at the moment.

I am using my xt912. And am hoping to fly again asap - but the weather and the wind aren't helping.

 

 

[The Therm]

Very nice machine CB, Had my first flight out today, exhilaration, nerves and a real slap in the face question, can I accomplish this? Hopefully the answer will become clearer the more hours I get in! All the best.

 

 

[CrayonBox]

Yes it was an awesome morning for a fly. Where did you go and what did you do?

 

 

[CrayonBox]

Yesterday I had another lesson - 1 hour added to the log book. The wind has not been kind as the 6-7kts crosswind at our airstrip are making it difficult for me to accomplish my first unassisted landing. At this stage of not actually landing the a/c without assistance - I seem to have too many things to deal with at the point of settling and hold-off. I keep getting crossed up just prior to landing. I am not yet instinctively understanding everything that needs to be done to prevent landing sideways (due to the cross-wind). I am waiting for that special day when the winds are in my favour... and we have (unassisted) touchdown.

 

So after half an hour of that.... rather than head back to the hanger - we continued our lesson at the training area, and learned about setting up for forced landing and choosing suitable landing sites - in the swamp area and paddocks. I enjoyed this - it was a break from the frustrating circuits and lack of being able to land.

 

 

[The Therm]

CB, I can imagine the frustration, it felt blowy when I was out (apparently there was no wind) lol :-)

 

We went over to the Airport, landed, changed seats :-) and went for a jolly round River Heads paddock. Got to say Mark is a great, puts you in the 'know' straight up, the aircrafts capabilities, how it handles etc. All new to me! Was expecting to have gone up again since but no call.

 

Am putting it down to the wind!

 

PS Thats a nice machine you have in the hanger!

 

 

[503]

Hey therm not going to give powered chutes ago??

 

 

[The Therm]

I certainly am! I want to experience all forms of flight:poke_tongue_out: What's your poison 503?

 

 

[CrayonBox]

A video from my last flight - this week. There is 1 out of 5 circuits at the airport, and 3 practiced forced landings. See the scenery of our training area, and a landing at our hanger over the powerlines.

 

 

 

[CrayonBox]

I had been watching the weather all week for today - it was looking great to continue my landing practice and nail my first unassisted. Today at 0530 was ESE 3kts. Awesome!!

 

There are only two certainties in this world - Death and Taxes.

 

Today's Lesson! Logged time = "0.00".

 

So:

 

1. Get up early

 

2. Arrive early at Hanger

 

3. Perform all preflight checks.

 

4. Kick her in the guts for warm up.... kick her in the guts... KICK IT!!!!!

 

What - crank but no fire? It ran perfectly the other day.....

 

So what's doing?

 

Time for some fault tracing - no spark what so ever, and the plugs are getting fuel!

 

Returned home - got some tools etc, returned to field. Pulled the wiring to pieces and checked ignition switches and connections at modules.

 

Checked stator coil earths and resistances (3.3ohm each, 6.6ohm in series), voltage from power stator to modules - cranking both = 6v.

 

Checked module grounds and supply connections - great.

 

After exhausting all my wiring checks - reassembled to give it another go and ensured everything was connected nice tight and correctly.

 

Crank it... and away we go! So what is it - a connection????

 

Carried out all engine warmups, choke checks, RPM checks (switching off one ig. sw. at a time). Sweet!

 

So, today's lesson... Engine operation theory and familiarisation.

 

By the time I was ready to go it was 930am, the wind was 090 6/8kts (would be using runway 11 so would be ok, but with the thermals and cumulus - maybe not good for landing practice).

 

Now I wait for the next sweet air window........ . . . . . .. .

 

 

[The Therm]

That is bad news CB, at least you have it going eh? Wait for the weather to come good now!

 

 

[CrayonBox]

Today all i can say is... So close!

 

Landing is a skill....

 

Added 1 more hour to the log book.

 

 

[CrayonBox]

And we're there!....

 

5 unassisted landings. Oh yeah.... on bitumen too!!

 

Now somehow I am not supposed to get cocky

 

Back for more tomorrow.

 

 

[The Therm]

Hey well done CB, I can really appreciate the work and the excitement of it all coming together:cheers:

 

 

[CrayonBox]

Lesson 16... 10 more successful landings - one I was told was perfect. But only one lol. The rest were good to not so good.

 

Today was really about landing technique and finessing and perfecting it.

 

The weather has been so kind this week. Another lesson coming tomorrow.

 

 

[metalman]

Really good to hear about YHBA guys, I did my PPL in the bay and my RAA cert at YMYB, I even did a couple of hours with mark in a drifter a while back, does mark c still have his 912 trike , he'd just bought it when we moved on. If you want to try 3 axis then Russell at YMYB is a top guy. YHBA can be a challenge with cross winds, I spent most of my PPL looking at the runway through a side window on PMA

 

Loving the posts cheers Met

 

 

[CrayonBox]

Really good to hear about YHBA guys, I did my PPL in the bay and my RAA cert at YMYB, I even did a couple of hours with mark in a drifter a while back, does mark c still have his 912 trike , he'd just bought it when we moved on. If you want to try 3 axis then Russell at YMYB is a top guy. YHBA can be a challenge with cross winds, I spent most of my PPL looking at the runway through a side window on PMALoving the posts cheers Met

Hi Met,

 

I believe Mark c sold the 912.

 

Mark H moved (got moved) out of the airport hanger and operates from a private field.

 

Space is limited and so the drifter had to go.

 

Yes ----- the cross winds at YHBA!

 

More posts to come soon - (tomorrow looks real good again and then the weekend turns it all to wind and rain!).

 

 

[planedriver]

You''re going well Stew.

 

Looks like I might have to book another holiday up in the bay, to check that your'e not b'sh--ting us, and to add a bit of ballast to reduce your ROC