Hi everyone. Very sorry for the lack of a new post! A fair amount has happened since my last update, although at the same time there has been a lot of waiting around.
Back at the beginning of March, I passed my PT1, which is the PPL test equivalent (you don't get a PPL on the course, we go straight to CPL). The test is 2 hours long and is done with one of the VFR flight instructors. The test basically consists of:
- Ground work - preflight checks/mass and balance/aircraft performance/general questioning
- Departure - taxiing/takeoff/departure from the control zone
- Navigation - we are given a destination to plan and fly to which is followed by a diversion
- Emergencies
- Circuits - normal/flapless/glide; they may not be at Hamilton (mine were at Matamata)
- General handling - instrument flying/stalling/steep turns
- Arrival - arrival and landing into Hamilton
It is pretty stressful, as there is a lot to be getting on with - also for a lot of us it is our first ever flight test! After the PT1, we had a fair amount of time off before we began IFR training (around a month).
Then on to IFR!
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| I am going to end up knowing this like the back of my hand (hopefully!) |
Our first two days of training involved ground school - we had already collected our DA42 checklists/multiengine manuals/IR manuals and had been asked to read up on them before the classes. Since the initial IFR ground school, we have all completed six 'flights' in the DA42 simulators and another day of ground school (for the IFR C172 stage). These sim sessions involved general instrument flying revision, tracking, holds, approaches, and GPS procedures - the final sim session was a "check" to make sure at least some of the stuff had gone in! I am now awaiting my first actual IFR flight, which should hopefully be within the next few days. We have 8 Cessna 172 flights before we start on the DA42, which is when we know we are scarily close to our CPLs! These single engine IFR flights help us to practise the techniques and procedures we have learnt in the sims before we move onto the twin engine phase and are travelling a fair bit faster! There are 3 VFR night flights which I should be booked in for in the not too distant future too, which I am really looking forward to.
Apart from that there has been a lot of free time - my family came over to visit for 2 weeks recently too which was great. Got up to lots of touristy things and I was able to see a bit more of the country (from the ground this time though), although the weather has began to turn a lot colder which is a shame.
Showing them around the CTC apron
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| Not long! |
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| Didn't even fly the DA20, but I like this photo! |
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| Probably being really boring telling them all about the plane |
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| Hobbiton is well worth a visit |
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| My sister and I did the Skyjump off of the top of the Auckland Skytower... |
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| ...which is pretty high! |
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| Mugshot! Smiling, but petrified on the inside. |
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| Taupo RapidsJet was amazing too |
Sorry for the lack of content this time- hopefully very soon there will be far too much to write about. Please also don't hesitate to contact me with any questions in the box at the right hand side of the page!
