Pic-Poc(983)

G-GW in the new livery.

Pic-Poc(894)

G-OR in her old livery, still being used in today!

Saturday 3rd of June 2006 “They Come They Go”

As un-experienced students, we are advised to ring the FBO at least one hour prior to our lesson. This prevents us turning up and being told our lesson has been scratched due to adverse weather conditions, I’d rather be told on the phone than travel 5 miles instead.

Heading into the building I noticed a tall man staring up at the sky, shortly I was informed that he was my new instructor, I guy who was in the process of starting a First Officer (F/O) position on Boeing 737 – 300 (733) with Jet2.com. Jet2.com were, at this time, based at Bournemouth but were in the process of moving head offices up to LBA. They operate a fleet of BA146, 733s, Boeing 757 – 200 (752) and were originated from the continental operator Channel Express. My previous instructor left Multiflight for Medic Air.

Back to the lessons now and I was to start training on straight and level flight, a technique that I must master in order to continue onto the next exercise, which is flying straight and level at a selected airspeed.

Walking out to the aircraft, G-DT, which had a new paint livery. G-GW and G-DT had the same new livery while G-LH and G-OR, still had the old blue colours. The new all white and blue schemes were supreme, and suited the fleet and also matched the colours of the business. Starting up DT and completing the power checks, we had our zone clearance and were ready to set-off. There are two sets of controlled aerodrome areas, Controlled Area (CTR) and the Control Zone (CTZ), the CTZ is the 10nm circumference around the aerodrome, if it controlled that is (Class D or above) and can also be anything from a 5nm boundary depending on the size of the runway measured from the middle. It is totally controlled and all VFR aircraft have to be issued an entry or exit clearance before flight, if they are leaving the zone that is.

I was swiftly getting the hand of the taxying controls and the foot brakes, but I wasn’t confident at controlling them at speed, on take-off for example. I become very scared when the aircraft would veer off the runway centre line and I’d get the impression that if I applied heavy pressure the aircraft would top-up. On this take-off, my first controlled take-off, I had opened throttle and began my take-off roll with the foot brakes slightly pressurised, like accelerating down a motorway in a car with the brakes on. We lifted off after rotation (Vr) and the instructor took control, “I have control”, swiftly I handed over the control and replied “You have control”, an old military procedure which should always be used when flying in all types of aircraft.

Flying straight and level was quite simple, we’d use the reference Attitude, was to set the aircraft’s nose on the horizon, Power, to set the power back to 1,200 RPM and Trim. That was the levelling out reference, ATP.

Trimming

The trim is to relieve the pilot of after pressures and control column pressures, and is brilliant in holding the attitude and airspeed. There are three different types of trim system, elevator trim, aileron trim, and rudder trim but only the elevator trim is present in most light training aircraft.

The technique in a level out ATP, is to hold the attitude and reset the power, then let the climb/decent reset and to trim the aircraft to the attitude, it should hold relatively accurately if trimmed correctly and the pressure on the control column will relax.

We were heading back to Leeds now and I was informed by my instructor that I needed a bit more practice on the straight and level flight at a constant power before I could move onto the next exercise.

When I got home, I created my revision timetable, there are 6 PPL exams and 1 R/T exam and two practical ground examinations to sit before I can take the skills test and receive my licence. The plan was to sit two hours in the morning on a Monday to Friday basis and leave weekends out. This fitted perfectly with my work shifts at the terminal in LBA.

Invoice Total: £147.12

TAX: £21.91

Logbook Entry: 03

Update on photos

I will blog photos from my FlickR account to this page randomly according to their date taken, I will post them as accurately to the aircraft they were taken from.

Wednesday 3rd May 2006 “Heads Down"

Back at Leeds, this time in another Hr200, G-GW. It’s time to get serious now, no more trial lessons like the last one where I can sit back and enjoy the ride. Flying with the same instructor as on the 18^th of April, same departure time and runway. We got airborne and began some observations on the primary and secondary effects of the flight controls.

Each control movement has a primary and secondary effect on the aircraft you’re flying in, for example:

Roll causes Yaw

Moving the flight control column to the right has a banking effect on the aircraft, but due to the airflow striking the outward aft fuselage, the aircraft will yaw into the turn unless the balance is centred using rudder.

Yaw causes Roll

Applying pressure to the right foot pedal will yaw the aircraft to the right, resulting in the left wing rising as it is presented into a fast moving airflow and will therefore generate more lift than the downward (right) wing. The right wing will be presented into a slower moving airflow and will therefore generate less lift, resulting in a banking effect to the right.

After practicing the effects and how to balance the unwanted secondary-effect, my instructor pointed out to me a low-flying RAF Tucano, an advanced trainer aircraft for training fighter pilots.

I was still learning the basics of visual flight, known as Visual Flight Rule (VFR), I’ve always struggled with the picture perfect technique where you fly the aircraft off pictures rather than flying the aircraft off the instruments. This is known as flying the aeroplane outside the cockpit and is mandatory for PPL pilots.

I was still rather relaxed, knowing that this was only my second exercise and I wasn’t to take my mistakes too seriously, I’ll begin to rectify them and become more and more confident. I was still under the influence of turbulence and the effects G-force have on oneself, nosier. After feeling quite unwell, the lesson had come to an end, we landed on the opposite runway that we took-off on and headed down Lima and Golf for Multiflight West. When we’d parked on the stand, my instructor taught me the shutdown checks.

Shutdown Checks

Parking Brake – On
RPM – 1,800 for 20 seconds then reset to 1,200
Radios – Off
Magnetos – Check for dead cut
Mixture – Fully lean
Throttle – Closed
Strobe – On
Lights/Electrics – Off
Battery switch and Alternator – Off
Flying Controls – secure and chocks in

Invoice Total - £90.80

TAX - £13.54

Log Entry – 02

Tuesday 18th April 2006 “First Air”

It was a dark, greyish, and rather depressing sort of day from when I woke up around 08:00. Today, I knew was the start of my aviation training at Multiflight at Leeds Bradford International Airport.

Flying in a light aeroplane wasn’t something new to me since I’d been a member of the Air Training Corps/ Air Cadets/ Air Force Cadets since I was 13, and had accumulated around 3 hours in a Grob 115E and a Grob 109B. These were with the Air Experience Flight (AEF), which are situated at numerous RAF stations around the United Kingdom. With them I’d flown out from:

RAF Church Fenton (York)

RAF Linton-On-Ouse (York); and a strip shared with the British Army from which I travelled to from RAF Brize Norton (Oxfordshire/London).

The fleet of the AEF:

(German) Grob 115E “Tutor”.

(German) Grob 109B “Vigilant”:

The fixed-wing fleet of Multiflight:

4 (France) Robin Hr200s; G-BXDT, G-GXGW, G-BXOR, G-GYLH

2 (American) Piper PA-28s “Warrior”; G-GXLY, G-BOVK

2 (American) Cessna 152; G-BFFC,

1 (American) Cessna 172 “Skyhawk”; G-BEUX

3 (American) Beechcraft 76 “Duchess”; G-BNYO, G-TRAN, G-OADY (CPL training only)

I was taken to the airport by my mum; who was just as nervous as I was. On arrival I met the reception staff, still here today in 2008! I was then introduced to my first flight instructor; he was a young looking smart-dressed guy who I reckon was around 25. The reception was a small office attached to a café bar which, of course, was separated by the main entrance area. After the café was the flight training school with three study rooms and a Radio Transmission (R/T) training room for the R/T ground classes.

After a good ten minutes wait for my instructor to sort out my paperwork, after the initial person who enrolled me onto the course lost the paperwork, I and my new instructor walked out towards the aircraft. I’d previously sat in one of the robins during my enrolment and course introduction with an instructor who left the company before I started my training. The aircraft was parked at the top of the “pan”, which is a circle of apron outside the Multiflight West hangar. The aircraft I was to fly in was G-OR, an abbreviation of G-BXOR, which is used in R/T. I was briefed through the exterior checks, which consist of surface examinations, aileron and elevator checks, wheel/tyre and oleo extension checks, oil content and fuel contamination checks. I asked what all enthusiasts ask, “Do I wear a parachute?” The instructor replied, “No, we burn with the plane”. I considered it rather concerning but since the aeroplane had flying hours in six-figures, I knew I was safe. We got ourselves strapped in; I sat in the left-hand seat; the student or Pilot-In-Command (PIC) sits in the left seat in fixed-wing aircraft and the reciprocal for rotary aircraft.

We studied the internal checks, which consist of instrument, control surface checks, throttle and mixture and carb-heat checks, radio (COMMS) and circuit breaker (CBs).

We then completed the pre-start-up checks and called “clear prop!” to warn other people that we were about to start our engine. It won’t be a pretty sight if you start up with someone around your propeller!

Hr200 Company Checklist:

Internal:

Seat – Adjusted & locked, with harness fastened.

Canopy – Exercise locking mechanism and lock

Parking Brake – On

Trimmer – Full & Free – Set Take-Off

Flying Controls – Full and free, correct sense

Throttle – Check movement

Carb-Heat – Check movement and locking mechanism

Mixture – Full movement, set rich

Strobe light – Pre-set on

All other electrical switches – ensure off

COMMS and NAV – Off

CBs – All accounted for and none cracked or popped outward

Instrument – None missing, cracked or broken.

Battery Switch – On

Warning panel, test and check all illuminate

Starting Checks

Electric Fuel Pump – On

Throttle – Prime for start-up/ 10 times cold or 5 times hot. Leave one inch open.

Check all around and turn key to both

RPM – Set to 1,200

Starter Warning Light – Not illuminated

Oil Pressure – Rising within 30 seconds

After Start Checks

Alternator – On

Electric Fuel Pump – Off

Fuel Pressure – Still in the green

Battery Indicator – In the green

Low volts – Not illuminated

Suction – 3/5 Green

Magnetos – Check L/R for RPM drop

COMMS and NAV – Select frequency

DI – Synchronise with compass

Flaps – Up in stages

With the engine running, I put on the headset I was provided with, later on in my training I purchased a Sennhieser HME100:

When I first started flying the power checks were completed on the stand, but because of an accident involving G-GW and G-LH, power checks were to be completed on the hold. I’ll continue with the exact story.

Power Checks

Nose into wind, straight and clear

Parking Brake – On, with foot brakes covered.

Throttle – 1,200 RPM

Oil Pressure and Temperature – Yellow or Green

Check behind - For buildings, aircraft, and personnel

Throttle – Set to 1,800

Carb Heat – Hot for 10 seconds minimum

Magnetos - Check L/R for RPM drop, maximum drop: 175 and 50 maximum distance

Oil Pressure and Temperature – In the green

Suction – 5 inches in the green

Throttle - Close, idle 5 – 700RPM reset to 1,200 RPM

Pre-Take-Off

Trimmer – Set take-off position

Mixture – Set fully rich

Magnetos - Both

Carb-Heat – Cold and locked

Fuel – Shut-off valve on and sufficient

Electric Fuel Pump – ON

Flaps – 10 degrees if needed for short field

Gauges – Checked and all in the green

Gyros – Attitude indicator (AI) erect

DI – Synchronised with the compass

Strobe Light – On

Pitot Heat – On, if needed.

Nav lights – Off, for daylight flying

Canopy – Closed and secure

Harness – Passenger and pilot correct

Flying Controls – Correct sense

Transponder – Squawk entered and set to STBY

QNH/QFE – Correct pressure setting in subscale

The instructor radio air traffic and requested our taxy clearance. The exact instructions are unknown but since we departed from runway 32, I presume the R/T transmission was something like “G-OR, taxy to L1 via Golf and Lima”. The instructor controlled the aircraft until we were on the Gold taxiway and then he explained how to use the rudder pedals to steer the aircraft. The rudder pedals are connected the fin and the nose wheel (for ground and air normal (perpendicular) axis movement). He had control of the foot brakes, which are located just above the foot pedals, each foot brake for each wheel brake. I had a go at keeping the aircraft inline with the taxiway lines, not hard at all!

After the line-up instructions we taxyed onto the runway and began the line-up checks. Certain checks like the line-up and after-take-off checks have to be memorised since we can’t be looking at a list when we’re trying to fly a plane. They are printed in memorable lists, for example:

Line-Up Checks

T – Time - Note

T – Transponder – Set to ALT with correct Sqwuak code
L – Landing Light - On

C – Compass aligned, correct with runway +/- 5 degrees, and lined for DI

P – Pitot Tube – On, if required

We had our take-off clearance and the instructor opened throttle, the rotation speed of the Hr200 is 60kts Indicated Airspeed (IAS), so when the aircraft reached that speed, the instructor pulled back lightly on the control column. Me being daft I decided to push slightly on the stick for no reason at all, I got told! Once we were 300ft above aerodrome level (AAL) we initiated out after take-off checks, again these are to be memorised.

After Take-Off Checks

F – Flaps - Retracted

E – Engine Ts & PS – In the green

L – Landing Light – Off

Note:

Engine Ts and Ps is just a terminology phrase for the engine Temperatures and Pressures.

Once fully airborne, I was taught basic techniques, turns for this lesson. Because of my previous flight experience back in my ATC days, basic manoeuvres weren’t anything new. I can remember levelling out of a turn and watching the AI follow my return. The hour lesson of turns had passed like seconds, and I knew it was time to re-enter the control zone (CTR) for the landing. The instructor had flown the aircraft back to Leeds and I got to enjoy the ride down to runway 32. The landing was a little bumpy, the wind was approximately 300/7 kts. That’s 300 degrees at 7 knots. He went through the landing checks which again, have to be memorised.

Pre-Landing Checks

B – Brakes – Off, equal foot brake pressure

U – Undercarriage - Down

M – Mixture - Rich

F – Fuel – On, and sufficient

F- Flaps – As required

I – Instruments – Engine and Flight

C – Carb Ice - Check

H – Hatches- Canopy checks

H – Harness – Passenger and pilot secure

L – Landing Light – On

We’d been issued our landing clearance, which would have sounded like “G-OR surface wind 300/7kts cleared-land runway 32”. After landing we vacated the active runway and headed back down Golf for the Multiflight West apron. We parked up in a different stand from the one we departed from, and I jumped out and took my first picture, my mum in the background.

Me and my instructor walked back into the Flight School (FBO) building to sit a debrief and to settle the price. I shook my instructors hand and left the building with a heavy thought, this I knew was the biggest thing that’ll I’ll ever take part in in my life.

Invoice Total: £118.99

TAX: £17.72

Log Entry: 01