Lesson 12 - Circuits

Lesson 12 - Circuits

So after a very unsmooth and bumpy ride last week, I recovered (a little) today. Progress, if any for me I'm finding, is painfully slow. I think mostly because I'm still overwhelmed about the amount of information and physical checks I have to remember and do. As my instructor confirms, I'm doing too many things at once and that's my downfall. Funny as that's exactly the opposite of what I have to do at work! In fact my work title should be changed to “Multitasking administrator”!

So excuses aside, today was a practise in joining circuits. So joining circuits I've come to gather is getting ready to land, but you have to join the airspace with other air crafts in order that there is a “queueing system” if you like, to land. In a small private airport traffic is usually quite quiet so its a good place to practise without having time restrictions and pressures of everyone else around you. Of course this doesn't go all too well when Scotland decides to have a rare “extremely great weather” day, that's when you see all types of aircrafts out – micro, gliders, helicopters etc.

So my first on my own take off today also, and actually it's much easier than I thought it would be. Of course having such a small aircraft, once you reach that max RPM (speed) and momentum on the runway your aircraft naturally wants to leave the ground anyway so really all you have to do after that is apply a little back pressure on your steering column and your up up and away! Once your in the air is when everything becomes chaotic again with the checking and the planning etc.

Beautiful day so many aircrafts parked on the airfield

Staying at 1,000ft (or for me just under or above 1,000ft as I clearly have yet to master flying straight and level!!!) I did a 90degree, 90 degree and a final 90degree turn to line the aircraft back up with the runway at Perth airport. And this is where being able to fly straight makes all the difference as I descend for the runway swaying like a clock pendulum! If I was anything but the pilot I think I'd be a bit sick by now from all the swaying upwards, downwards and sideways from my as far opposite as you can imagine, smooth flying.

The first attempt was ok, hit the runways with a hard thunk but it landed, max speed again and I'm in the air again. Second attempt was even shakier than the first as I was starting to over think and remember things. Landing surprisingly was a lot smoother. Third landing I shaved the grass at the beginning of the runway as I essentially “missed” (or undershot) the runway. Ack, someone needed to mow the lawn anyways. By the eighth landing I was pretty frazzled and it was only a 40mins flight/lesson. Disorientated and stressed I was more than ready to call it a day.

Thankfully the following week I was more confident, managed to orientate myself meaning, I knew where (directional) the runway was each time. My flying however remains like the ocean waves, something I definitely need to work on.