Rectangles aka learning circuits.
Due to the cloudy conditions we weren't able to do advanced stalls again this week. I suppose me and incipient spins just aren't meant to be. As long as I can get in the air I'm happy, because before this I'd only been flying once in the past month due to weather.
Instead I was to be introduced to flying the circuit pattern. In case you dont know, the circuit is a 3D flight path around a runway that is used for keeping the traffic flow arriving and departing from an airport orderly and safe. It is essentially rectangular in shape, usually with turns to the left, and the downwind leg is usually flown at 1000ft above the surface.
For training purposes the circuit pattern is used to practice takeoffs and landings, and to stitch together the basic manouvers learned so far into a more realistic sequence of events. Although a challenging prospect, I've been keen to get into this process because it feels like a next-step of sorts, and will give me the opportunity to practice and practice my flying skills until I hopefully become very comfortable at the controls.
To get started we went out to the training area to fly an imaginary 'circuit'. My trusty instructor told me that this was his preferred way of introducing the circuits, as opposed to flying it around the actual airstrip the first time around. The reasons for this are many. Not only is the actual circuit busy with traffic, but radio calls will have to be made, as well as actual landing approaches and takeoffs, all of which will distract the student from the basic task of flying the correct headings and altitudes during climbs, turns and descents. Also, if you much up your circuit pattern and drift too far away from the runway (which I would have done for sure) you have to fly away from the aerodrome and come back via a reporting point.
So off we went to the training area. My 'ground level' was to be at 2000ft and my 'runway' on a North/South heading, so that my initial climb would be to the north, then 90 degrees left to West at 500ft, then 90 degrees left to head South for the downwind leg at 3000ft. Toward the end of the downwind leg I had to perform a pre-landing check, then slow the Skipper down by reducing throttle and lowering the flaps. Then as I descended I turned 90 Degrees to the East on the base leg, then turning North at 500ft above and in line with the 'runway' and hopefully ending the final leg at 2000ft and levelling out.
It was busy, and very challenging. I did feel like I got the hang of it, and it was helpful to be able to repeat the pattern a few times over to improve my co-ordination and practice getting the turns and altitudes accurate. It was also good to be able to do it away from the airstrip so that hopefully next week I won't make a total fool of myself when I practice in the real circuit.
Monday, 29 October 2012
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Thursday, 18 October 2012
Lesson 7
Doing circles in the sky
After being grounded for the last two weeks due to rough air I was busting to get up in the sky again. I'd been keenly watching the weather forecast all week, which had been saying 'patchy showers clearing in the morning, light winds'. I had my fingers crossed that I might just make it.
The first thing I did when I woke up was look out the window at the broken cumulus clouds. Driving to the airport I was guessing with myself about my chances of getting in the air. I was due to either go through advanced stalls, or revise my turns like I had requested due to not quite feeling proficient enough before I get into the circuit. Due to the safety requirement of recovering from stalls above 3000ft and the airspace ceiling of 4500ft in the training area, I didn't expect stalls to be a possibility because that part of the sky was occupied by all that cloud.
When I arrived at the school my instructor informed me we'd be practising turns, due to the cloud base preventing us stalling. I went out and did the preflight checks, which I can perform efficiently now. I even went through them twice for practise before my instructor arrived. I'm not accidentally skimming over parts of checklist instructions any more ('carb heat check and set cold for takeoff' being the usual culprit), however I remembered on the way home that I haven't been yelling 'clear prop!' out the door like I should be. Although my instructor hasn't pulled me up on it, and I know that there is nobody kneeling down there or anything, I still want to get into the habit.
After comfortably taxiing out we got into the air and I set us up first into a steady climb, then straight and level at 3500ft. It was bumpy from lots of updraughts as indicated by the puffy cumulus clouds, but man did they look beautiful! I always like looking at big clouds from the ground, but up close they're even more spectacular, and you get a sense of how fluid and alive they really are. I pretty quickly had to remind myself I wasn't up there to look at the clouds though.
We went through various types of turns - level, climbing, descending and gliding. Climbing and descending turns were fine, but I really wanted to get comfortable with my level turns. During my first turning lesson I couldnt hold them level, and kept losing heaps of altitude. I think this was a combination of looking at the instruments too much, and needing practise to get the feel of the back pressure required to keep the nose up and compensate for the tilted lift. After a few goes this time I feel much more comfortable, and I'm further etching the view of the horizon into my brain for each manoeuvre.
I'm excited to be getting into the circuit soon, and learning to operate the radio. I still have to get advanced stalls out of the way, which I'm told involves reading the signs of an incipient spin and preventing it from developing, but not actually getting into a spin. There is rain forecast for Sunday, but I really hope I'm not grounded again!
After being grounded for the last two weeks due to rough air I was busting to get up in the sky again. I'd been keenly watching the weather forecast all week, which had been saying 'patchy showers clearing in the morning, light winds'. I had my fingers crossed that I might just make it.
The first thing I did when I woke up was look out the window at the broken cumulus clouds. Driving to the airport I was guessing with myself about my chances of getting in the air. I was due to either go through advanced stalls, or revise my turns like I had requested due to not quite feeling proficient enough before I get into the circuit. Due to the safety requirement of recovering from stalls above 3000ft and the airspace ceiling of 4500ft in the training area, I didn't expect stalls to be a possibility because that part of the sky was occupied by all that cloud.
When I arrived at the school my instructor informed me we'd be practising turns, due to the cloud base preventing us stalling. I went out and did the preflight checks, which I can perform efficiently now. I even went through them twice for practise before my instructor arrived. I'm not accidentally skimming over parts of checklist instructions any more ('carb heat check and set cold for takeoff' being the usual culprit), however I remembered on the way home that I haven't been yelling 'clear prop!' out the door like I should be. Although my instructor hasn't pulled me up on it, and I know that there is nobody kneeling down there or anything, I still want to get into the habit.
After comfortably taxiing out we got into the air and I set us up first into a steady climb, then straight and level at 3500ft. It was bumpy from lots of updraughts as indicated by the puffy cumulus clouds, but man did they look beautiful! I always like looking at big clouds from the ground, but up close they're even more spectacular, and you get a sense of how fluid and alive they really are. I pretty quickly had to remind myself I wasn't up there to look at the clouds though.
We went through various types of turns - level, climbing, descending and gliding. Climbing and descending turns were fine, but I really wanted to get comfortable with my level turns. During my first turning lesson I couldnt hold them level, and kept losing heaps of altitude. I think this was a combination of looking at the instruments too much, and needing practise to get the feel of the back pressure required to keep the nose up and compensate for the tilted lift. After a few goes this time I feel much more comfortable, and I'm further etching the view of the horizon into my brain for each manoeuvre.
I'm excited to be getting into the circuit soon, and learning to operate the radio. I still have to get advanced stalls out of the way, which I'm told involves reading the signs of an incipient spin and preventing it from developing, but not actually getting into a spin. There is rain forecast for Sunday, but I really hope I'm not grounded again!
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