I passed my Instrument Rating!

Lots has happened since my last update! It has been a very busy several weeks...

Non-training wise, the Bournemouth Airshow was on a few weeks back, which was absolutely incredible. I went down to the beach to watch the display for a few days during the week, although on the weekend show days, I was volunteering at CTC's Bournemouth drop in event at the airport. It was great to show people around the training centre and the fleet of Twinstars, as well as try help people fly the simulators! It was incredible to be at the airport during the airshow - I am not sure many people can say the Red Arrows, Typhoons, Lancaster Bombers and DC3 Dakotas have taxied past them just several metres away! I doubt I will ever get that close to them again...

Spectacular as always! 

The Lancaster Bomber parked right outside CTC

Yes, I got a few waves! 

The old and the new

So just in case the title didn't give anything away, I have indeed passed my IR. I took the test yesterday and have now begun the CTC sign out process, which needs to be done before I start the Airline Qualification Course.

For anybody that doesn't know, the test involves:

. Planning/ground work.

  The examiner will give us a destination, which we have some time to plan to. This will involve the route itself as well as filing a flight plan and preparing the aircraft (preflight/performance/mass and balance etc). In the briefing, the examiner asks for a quick overview of the route, the weather and will ask some ground questions which can literally be on anything. The ATPL theory all came flooding back!

. The flight itself

  The scenario for the test is that we are the captain of a single pilot commercial operation, flying the examiner as our passenger to their chosen destination. For the flight, we are examined on plenty of things:

- Radio

- Departure

- Enroute

- Non precision approach

- Holds (normally NDB)

- Stalls (approach and landing configuration)

- Limited panel (compass turns; general handling; unusual attitudes)

- Precision approach

- Low level circling to land

All the time, we not only have to abide by the rules of the air, but we are expected to fly within strict limits in order to pass the exam. Oh and in case you didn't know, the windows and windshield are covered up just a few hundred feet after take off, until a few hundred feet at landing two hours later! 

For anybody wondering, I was asked to go to Exeter, routing: 

BIA - SAM275040 - MULIT - ATWEL - EX - BIA

Skyvector is a great way to show you the route

VFR chart version

I did the RNAV approach for RWY 08 at Exeter, which resulted in not going visual. On the go around, I got an engine failure and had to go through the necessary drills. Once complete, I was given the engine back until we got closer to Bournemouth; when we arrived I entered the NDB hold before commencing the procedural ILS, for RWY 08 also. Again, we didn't go visual, which led to an asymmetric go around before commencing a visual circuit to land. 

On the way to our destination, we are to use conventional navigation aids, although on the way back the GPS equipment is allowed to be used (on the G1000 this can be a big help). 

The G1000 primary flight display

After all of the preparation for this flight, it is such a relief to have passed first time. We had 12 sim sessions in Bournemouth and 8 flights - that is on top of all the IFR flying we did in New Zealand. I am probably prouder of this than I was when I got my CPL - the exam result sheet is the most expensive piece of paper I will ever own! 

The completion of my CPL/IR means I have earned my first pilot stripes! 

Last Twinstar selfie - had to be done!

Some great views from UK flying (in the backseat!)

Alderney

Sandbanks, Poole 

Heading back from Cardiff 

A bit of point to point tracking

Expect an update for the AQC! 

IFR Update

So I am left with just 2 more Cessna flights before I get my hands on a Twinstar! I should have only the one left, but unfortunately had to cancel one at the last minute yesterday due to some crazy fog which didn't shift until early afternoon. The flights we are currently doing are SPIC, which basically mean we can log the hours as PIC, even though we are still flying with an instructor. The idea is to treat your instructor as a safety pilot, or perhaps even a passenger, although a passenger who knows more about flying than you and who you ask questions to... We are allowed to choose where we go (within reason) and are advised to use these flights as lessons to help improve anything we may find trickier or that we have had less practice of.

Tomorrow and Thursday is our Multi engine ground school, so we will begin to learn about the DA42's airframe and systems etc as well as be taught how to preflight it etc. We are hoping to have had at least one flight on it by the end of the week, but the weather will be the make or break decision on that!

I had my first VFR night flight a couple of nights ago which was up there with my cross country as one of my favourite flights yet. A friend on my course and me were both back to back in the same aircraft with the same instructor, so decided to back seat one another. Jack flew towards Auckland with some general handling before going back to the airport and practicing overhead rejoins at night; I flew locally for a while practising general handling before also heading north towards Auckland. I already have flown at night in the IFR stage, although of course wasn't able to fly visually until the last minute. I was surprised how easy it is to become disorientated and was tricky to work out when to flare, as height perception above the runway takes some getting used to. The next VFR night flight involves both dual and solo circuits, which will be brilliant!

A few photos from a night IFR flight I back seated:

VFR night flight:

Me preparing for takeoff

Air New Zealand aircraft shutting down for the night at Hamilton

Don't judge my landing to harshly! Only my second night one, so it was slightly, eerr... positive. 

My first IFR flight

I had the first of my 8 C172 IFR flights today! Was absolutely fantastic to get back up in the air. Today's lesson involved flying the SID, before practising point to point tracking and a few other bits such as spot wind checks. After this we practised some hold entries, before flying the VOR DME approach. Lots to do in 2 hours!

Both me and a friend had our flights back to back, so we each back seated one another's flight - this is really beneficial, as you see everything unfolding without having to concentrate on everything too much. All in all it was absolutely brilliant and I can't wait to go up for my next lesson, which involves practising the VOR DME approaches some more.

A few photos from my phone

The scenery isn't too bad!

Not a great shot, but Clearways from above

Today's aircraft

The mad evening fuel pump queue

Goodbye VFR, hello instruments!

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! 

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

Not long!

Didn't even fly the DA20, but I like this photo!

Probably being really boring telling them all about the plane

Hobbiton is well worth a visit

My sister and I did the Skyjump off of the top of the Auckland Skytower... 

...which is pretty high!

Mugshot! Smiling, but petrified on the inside. 

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!

Flying update

Hi! Thought I would do an entry on all of the flying I have been up to in January - which is quite a lot! I now have exactly 40 hours in my logbook, all on the Cessna 172S. The flights have pretty much been half dual, half solo; 16.1 hours of the 40 are solo.

So after my first solo, there were lots more circuits to be done! The lessons were called "circuit variants" and included flapless landings and glide approaches. The flapless landings aren't too bad, as the only difference really is the aircraft's attitude and the slightly higher speed. Glide approaches, however, are rather different to a normal landing. As you descend, you need to try and edge your way closer to the runway in order to make sure that you don't become too low. You then turn on to base a lot earlier than usual and if required, can use flaps. It is vey strange, as you have to have the aircraft in a nose down attitude until flaring height, meaning you are basically nose diving to the runway until the very last second!

Practice forced landings was one of the dual flights this month. This is naturally a very important lesson, as you do need to know what to do should you lose an engine or need to do an emergency landing away from an airfield. We simulate the engine failure after selecting a suitable field and then carry out the necessary procedures before going around at 500ft AGL (which is about 700ft indicated around here).

The next dual flight was steep turns, which is also a sort of mini test to make sure you are ready to go solo out of the Hamilton control zone. This lesson was good fun, as you get to throw the aircraft around a bit and experience a fair bit of positive G.

After this flight, it was the first out of circuit solo. For this we are expected to practice steep turns and PFLs during the 2 hour flight, before making out way back in to land.

Yet more circuits were next, before three general handling and circuits flights. During the general handling parts of the flight we could practice PFLs, steep turns and stalling. I found these flights useful, as you really get a feel for what the aircraft can handle, and get a big confidence boost when you make it in and out of the control zone without any issues!

There have been three instrument flights, which of course, are dual. My instructor first got me to close my eyes and face down, before doing various manoeuvres in the plane and asking me to tell him what I thought was going on. It is a very strange sensation and also surprisingly difficult. After this, I was given control and had to try and fly straight and level with my eyes shut. Again, this was tricky, as your body just isn't designed to be an aircraft instrument!

Flying with one of these on is certainly interesting!

The second lesson included compass turns, which is when you have to compensate for various errors by either over or undershooting the desired heading, before making slight corrections to get as accurate reading as possible. The third was my favourite - unusual attitudes! My instructor, Grey, had me put on the IFR hood as usual, before putting the aircraft into crazy attitudes. I would then have to recognise this attitude from instruments alone, before recovering and putting the aircraft back into straight and level flight. This flight was also where I had my first experience of negative G - weightlessness. It was absolutely great fun to feel myself hovering above my seat, as well as see my airport plates float into the air!

The past 4 flights I have done have all been nav flights. The first two are dual and the second two solo. These second flights are the same routes as the first two, although in reverse. The first one was basic enough, although I had a fair amount of turbulence going against me. The second, however, was different, as in the dual flight version, you are asked to divert at some stage in the flight, meaning you haven't seen the entire route until you go solo. At the time this seemed pretty daunting although after all of the preparation for the flight, you realise that all you need to do is trust your headings and you will be fine!

Both of my solo nav flights have been on ZK-JMY

Every day I get more excited about getting to fly one of these in the not too distant future!

The weather has been really nice over the past few days and I have seen some spectacular sights whilst buzzing around New Zealand. Just take a look at some of these photos: