Christmas was well and truly over. Several lessons had been booked and all cancelled due to weather.
This morning did not look good – EGNJ 050850Z VRB02KT 5000 BR BKN044 03/03 Q1032. But a quick call to Soloflight and Richard assured me there would be something we could do, so off I went to Humberside airport to continue my training, and my first flight of the year.
On arrival at the club Richard my instructor immediately tuned the club radio into the ATIS. The weather had not changed and visibility was still 5000 metres. Still we decided to head out over to the west and practice my general handling skills; get my hand in so to speak.
Leaving the club house I walked over to the security office and joined the queue! There seems to be a large body of air cadets going through. After signing in I asked the guard about my digital camera. Could I just carry it through the scanner or did it have to go through the x-ray machine. They told me to put it through the x-ray with my flight bag.
Romeo Lima was parked on the apron, but just past the security office a helicopter was performing its power checks, I gave it a wide birth and the pilot gave me a quick wave. Romeo Lima was the only plane on the apron so not hard to spot. I climbed up on the starboard wing and opened up the door and put my flight bag on the co-pilots seat as usual. Grabbing my check list, knee board and headset, I put the latter two on the back seat with the bag and started working through the check list.
I had hardly started when Richard appeared. He went straight to the fuel tanks and checked their contents, there was some concern that one tank might be a lot fuller then the other causing some imbalance.
With the first checks complete and the engine running I called for clearance and as usual was cleared to holding point Bravo. Once there I went through the power checks but gave extra carb heat. With the temperature and dew-point so close carb freezing was a definite risk, I did not want the engine failing during take off!
Take Off
It was time to call for clearance.
“Humberside Tower, Solo02, Ready for take off”
“Solo02 cleared to line up runway 21”
Reducing power, I took off the hand brake and then swung the plane round and lined up on runway 21. A few moments later I was given my transponder code and cleared to take off with a right hand turn out.
Heading away from Humberside we were handed over to Radar. I retuned the radio and announced my presence.
“Humberside Radar, Good morning. Solo02 passing 1400 to 2500 feet, request flight information service.”
“Solo02, Barnsley QNH1036, Flight Information Service.
“QNH 1036, Flight Information Service, Solo02.”
With that taken care of I continued my climb to 2500 feet and leveled out. First it was time to try a few gentle turns. 15 degree left then right, then 15 degrees of bank to the right. Then slightly steeper turns, 30 degree banked turns to both left and right.
Now for a little trimming practice. Raising the nose, and trimmed for a 70 knot cruise. With this done I lowered the nose and trimmed for a 130 knot cruise, this I found slightly harder. It was while trimming and adjusting the power for the slow cruise that Radar warned me of an aircraft closing to my left at 3000 feet. I started looking out while trimming the aircraft to 70 knots. Once I had achieved a stable 70 knots I finally spotted the aircraft to my left slowly overtaking me and also slightly converging on my path. While the pilot had reported himself to be cruising at 3000 feet he looked almost level, as he drew up to my position he changed course slightly to continue parallel to my path and started to climb upwards, back to the 3000 feet he should have been at! Its all too easy to let your speed or altitude change from what it should be. Often I have found myself to be 200 feet too high or too low; or 10 knots too fast or too slow. It is something that I am much more aware of now but still it sometimes catches me out.
Once I had once again got the hang of trimming I decided to try some serious turns! Banking 45 degrees, increasing the power, and pulling back on the yoke to stop us entering a spiral dive; around the plane spun. Pirouettes to the right and then to the left, round we spun. Fun in one direction but for some reason it always makes me feel sick in the other.
Rejoin
The mist was still around but there was a chance that Humberside might allow me to make a few touch and goes to practice my landing technique. Looking around I spotted the Humber bridge and from that worked out the general direction of the airport.
“Humberside Radar, Solo02 request rejoin via Elsham.”
Radar acknowledged my request. Eventually I spotted Elsham in the distance and headed towards it. As I approached, Radar handed me over to Humberside Tower together with the QFE which I immediately set on the altimeter. Thanking them I tuned the radio into the ATIS and checked the weather. Still only 5000 metres visibility but it did not look too bad now. I retuned the radio again, this time to the tower frequency.
“Humberside Tower, Good morning this is Solo02, approaching Elsham.”
“Good ‘afternoon’, Solo02 Cleared to final runway 21 via right base”.
I made a quick note about right base and started looking out for the runway. I soon spotted it and made my approach via right base.
Checks done, carb heat on and a slow decent started, Richard my instructor got back on the radio and asked if instead of landing we could perform a touch and go. As they could now clearly see us they agreed despite the weather.
Turning on to final I reported my position and was cleared for a touch and go. I was a little high so I put in three stages of flaps and down we came for a perfect landing. Off I took again.
On the downwind leg we asked if we could do a another touch and go. The Tower said yes so off round we went again.
After this second touch and go we went round once more and this time landed. All landings were perfect. The approach of the first two was a little poor, bad height control but the third was spot on.
Altogether a great session. Now I am off on Holiday. But when I come back its down to some serious training, more solo time and its time to learn navigation. Off to the book shop I think for my next training manual!