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! 

Beginning of the Bournemouth training

So I have been in Bournemouth for a week and a half now, meaning I am well into the simulator sorties. The initial two days were ground school - going over any differences from both procedures and how things work in the UK. The radio calls vary quite a lot compared to New Zealand and time is even more precious than in NZ due to the busier airspace - we need to be as concise and accurate as possible.

The first four simulator sessions are pretty much to help get back into the swing of instrument flying, consisting primarily of various VOR, NDB and ILS procedures. We have used Cardiff, Bristol and Bournemouth airports so far, with Cardiff and Bristol both being potential IR test routes.

The next sim which I have tomorrow is an autopilot flight. We are going to try using the autopilot for things we haven't tried so far - approaches, for example. Hopefully will be a fun flight!

After this, there are four LOFT sims. LOFT is Line Orientated Flight Training - basically single pilot commercial operation flights. One includes taking off from Heathrow, which in a Twinstar could be a laugh! The flights will include various scenarios which will require us to make firm, 'Captain-like" decisions, such as diverting. They are going to be hard work, but also sound like a lot of fun!

Once these are done we are onto the IR routes, which means that we prepare to get back into the aircraft (which I cannot wait for!). It seems the IR exam will be here in no time...

CTC's Bournemouth training centre is great - it is a very professional environment and has many extremely experienced instructors sitting inside of it to help us! The traffic we get is great and I have yet to tire of seeing the companies private jets; seeing these and the other jets go past is still a novelty; I am used to Dash 8s and ATRs!

Also, I made a little video putting together my New Zealand flying - hope you enjoy!

Back in the UK

Another long gap between posts, I know, but I have had the busiest month of my life! Since my last post, I have returned to the UK - with my CPL flight test passed! I had the flight exam last Wednesday and as I passed was able to return to the UK as scheduled the following day.

So before taking the CPL, I had to finish off the New Zealand IFR flight phase of training. This mainly consisted of some more SPIC flights - I didn't go anywhere too exciting, as the weather deteriorated and it got to the stage where I just needed to get up, fly and make sure that I could learn something (instead of plan flights in order to see the scenery!).

Rotorua Airport from the circuit

The flights were pretty standard and each would contain VOR/NDB DME approaches, some asymmetric flight, various holds and the DME arcs. The final IFR flight in NZ is your PT2, for which I flew to Tauranga. I was asked to fly there, enter the NDB hold, before commencing the NDB DME approach. From there, I did a missed approach, had a simulated engine failure and entered the hold again, although this time flying on just one engine. Once established I was cleared onwards to Hamilton, where I started the VOR approach from the 12 mile arc, which was also done asymmetrically.

The flights after this all go back to VFR. There are three CPL profiles before the actual flight exam and CTC try to keep you with the same instructor for the three flights. For anybody who doesn't know the CPL test contains the following:

• Ground work: mass and balance/performance/aircraft type knowledge
• Departure: start-up/taxi/takeoff/exit from the control zone
• Navigation: there is a planned nav leg, before completing an inflight diversion which you are given a few minutes before your arrival at the first destination. 
• General handling: steep turns/stalls (in clean/base-to-final configuration/finals configuration)
• Circuits: normal, flapless and asymmetric
• Instrument flight: partial panel airwork/compass turns/inadvertent entry into IMC/unusual attitudes recovery/position fix using a radio navigation aid
• Emergencies
• Arrival: entry into the control zone/landing/shut down

Each profile covers as much as possible and they give you a good idea of what to expect on the day. Before the flight, you will be given your nav destination, which you then plan along with your mass and balance and performance calculations. The examiner comes in after a reasonable time period and will ask about the route, how you planned it/fuel requirements etc, before asking about other preflight procedures. During flight, the examiner must be treated as a fare paying passenger with no knowledge of flying (unless otherwise specified!). This means apron safety briefings for them before walking out to the aircraft and when onboard, an aircraft safety briefing on emergency exits/fire extinguishers etc. For my CPL, I was sent to Whakamaru for my planned leg and then diverted to Rotomahana; the destinations given are usually pretty remote, as they are really testing your navigational skills. Once this section was complete, I was asked to take the examiner to Rotorua Airport for circuits, where I completed a normal and a flapless touch and go, after which I was given an engine failure after take off. This then led to an asymmetric circuit followed by a go around at asymmetric committal height. I was then given both engines back and vacated the control zone headed for Hamilton to complete the rest of the flight. I was given an alternator failure en route which I had to complete the drills for, before being asked to put on the instrument flight hood. Inadvertent entry into IMC drills were then completed before doing some basic flying; turns, climbing turns etc. Following this, I was asked to do some compass turns and a position fix and mark where I worked out I was on the VFR chart. Once I had put a cross on it, I had to put on the autopilot to demonstrate basic use of it whilst I took off the hood and had to prove the the examiner using external references that my fix was correct (which, thankfully, it was!). I then completed the general handling section, with the steep turns being before the stalls. Once this was complete, I was told there were flames coming out of the right hand engine, meaning I had to complete the engine fire drills, which are checklist memory items. This drill includes a full engine shut down, a requirement in the test, potentially followed by an emergency descent. Once the situation is under control and the drills are complete, you are asked to restart the dead engine. When everything was back to normal I was told to please return to Hamilton, where I would complete an asymmetric landing. After what was possibly my best asymm. landing yet, I taxied back to CTC, shut down the Twinstar and headed back into the training centre, where I was told I had met the flight test requirements and had passed! I don't think I have ever been so anxious, excited or relieved! After a debrief I headed back to Clearways to pack for my departure the following day. 

Extremely relieved with my CPL aircraft, ZK CTL

Inbetween all of this I also completed by VFR single engine night solo circuits flight which was incredible. It was great to fly solo again and was a fantastic way to say goodbye to the Cessna which taught me to fly - video to come!

Safe to say the flight home was a relatively stress free one, with six very relieved trainee pilots on board looking forward to home comforts! We head down to our new accommodation in Bournemouth on Sunday, ready for starting the BOH phase of training on Monday. 

Uh oh why has the engine stopped and back to IFR

A worrying sight!

I have now completed my five initial DA42 VFR flights, which are really there to just familiarise us with flying a new aircraft type - especially one with an extra engine, retractable gear and is a whole lot faster.

The last three lessons were asymmetric (so practicing flying with an engine out), with a lot of emphasis placed on engine failures during critical stages of flight ie. takeoff/go around when we are in the most vulnerable stage (low speed, high power setting).

In the first of the three flights, we were just learning how to control and identify engine failures in various situations and were given some form of emergency where it was necessary to read through the Quick Reference Handbook and follow the procedures in there, which always led to the engine having to be shut down. When the engine stops it is "feathered", meaning that less drag is being created. This is because the engine is no longer windmilling through the air; when feathered the aircraft's performance increases and it is a lot easier to control. After flying around for a bit with one of the engines feathered, we had a go at the engine restart procedure - always a bonus when the engine comes back to life!

The second asymmetric flight focussed on performance during an engine failure. This included lowering the gear and putting flaps to landing, with one engine failed. We maintained Vyse, which is the best rate of climb with an engine out, in order to see the effect raising flap and gear had on the climb performance. Engine failures after take off were also involved, as was an engine failure whilst climbing at Vy.

Asymmetric circuits were last, which brought it all together. The instructor would fail an engine (simulated) after rotation and so I had to control the aircraft and identify the failed engine, before completing more checks and maintaing positive performance for a circuit to land. The lesson was pretty intense, although was only an hour long.

I am back in the simulators for six IFR flights now. My first was yesterday and was NDB tracking and holding; the others involve more NDB, ILS, emergencies and DME arcs. Once these are done, I'm back into the Twinstar to fly IFR routes in it - before returning again to VFR to prepare for my CPL. Busy times ahead!

These photos are taken by Christian - so thanks to him! 

Me taking off from NZRO

Climb out from NZRO

Turns out you roll pretty quickly if you do nothing when the engine fails...

DA42 Circuits

My lesson today was another VFR multi-engine flight, although this time instead of general handling it was to practice some circuits, both normal and flapless (and a go around for good measure!). It is great to help you get to grips with the aircraft a bit better, and also grasp the take off and landing techniques of the aircraft. As well as this though, circuits are part of the CPL flight skills test, so it is great to get as many of them in my training as possible. The weather wasn't great; there were showers and a strong crosswind (very bumpy), so I was able to practice crosswind technique. The aircraft lands quite differently to the Cessna, although I managed to pick up the technique after a few attempts! The Twinstar seems to handle turbulence a lot better than the Cessna, although I guess that is unsurprising when you consider how much heavier the Diamond is. Next few lessons are asymmetric handling which is going to be good fun!