Lesson 12, how (not to) fly circuits

Lesson: 12

17/IV/2010

• Lesson time: 0.7h (confirmed)


• Total time: 9.9h


• Location: EGAD


• Aircraft: G-BNKR (C152)

Decided to drop in earlier Today. Never again. I was told, that Anthony has someone before me, so I'll probably have to wait one hour before my time.

And so I waited.

Anyway, just as I got there, CFI landed in C152, after annual check. So it is flying, and probably I'll be able to fly in it. He was leaving it with two rather large suitcases, which made me think, that there's probably all Bonker's documentation. He was passing by me in lobby, but I wasn't sure if he would react well to that joke.

One hour has passed, Anthony got back from flight with 3 very happy ladies in PA28. And it was his time, to join the fatso I am and do some circuits in C152. Life's tough ;)

I got over to check the G-BNKR, and first thing I noticed was how clean it is. Someone probably spend a bit of time cleaning it, cos I couldn't recognise some marks that I got used to. Oh well. Even sitting inside, I kind of felt like I've never sat in this aircraft before, it was so different.

I went through my checklist, and everything was in order. Sometime has passed, and Anthony joined me inside too.

Going through the engine startup checklist, I noticed how smooth the engine was going. It started first time, and it was all-so-smooth. As I was about to taxi, CFI came over, and asked Anthony to shut down, because he thinks pressure in nose wheel is slightly too high. UFC's CFI is a really great man. He always thinks about everything around him, and not in a very bad way. There's not so many people like him. And every time, I have a chance to talk to him, or see him doing something - it always inspires me greatly. I wish I was a man like that sometimes.

Anyways, Anthony did a rather fast start-up (he remembers that checklist by heart). And off we went towards RWY 22 hold (exit point from UFCs apron).

This time around, he let me do most radio work on the ground, which was nice. I shared my fear of radio with him, and he said that it is quite normal. It was nice to hear, that he went through same thing, and even got few radio-gobble moments in his life. The button on yoke is seriously mind bogger, and lip tightener.

I did some more taxi work Today as well, which was nice, but I still am rubbish at it. Got us towards 34 in one piece, but Anthony took over last part of backtracking, and turning as there was somebody on finals, and he wanted to expedite our departure.

"your controls". I pressed the accelerator leaver in counting 1-2-3 in my head, not to do it too fast, but also to do it rather fast. "Faster, this is short runway".

As soon as I rotated, I could feel the bloody cross wind. Balance ball went all the way to the left, and I intuitively crossed controls. Very bad. Anthony took over, and told me to look behind. We were about 25-30 degrees off to left from runway line. This is very bad. I heard opinions about that runway, but now I can see how difficult it can be, especially when the wind is changing as it was on that day.

My first circuit was just rubbish . I turned as in wrong direction couple of times. Than again, the speeds were different. Again, another change from C172, in C152 - speed on climb out is just 65 knts. And that's it, no complications.

Made the first base/finals too tight, so far too high, Anthony asked me to pull the power, to pretty much idle, drop the nose, to regain speed. I could see people on the sea-wall stopping, afraid to cross the approach path. Very wise, cos I might as well come in too low..

That touch and go was seriously bad, but those that will follow were not much better.

On that initial climb I probably lost 1 litre of  sweat. Seriously. Probably after C172, I have tendency to pull to much, and we nearly stall.

The next one was much better, Anthony went on to demonstrate how little we actually have to turn to crosswind, due to ... crosswind. Since we were at 30-40 deg angle already, not much was require to turn. Same for downwind leg. I started to get interest in doing some checks myself, but I think that was a mistake. Anthony corrected me even, and said to just fly, and he'll do the rest.

Again, I turned base too early, and we were way too high on finals. Anthony demonstrated crossing controls, to loose height pretty fast.

I have to say, this is the phase that I shit myself on mostly. Finals, and the approach. You basically aim for numbers on the runway. Literally. So that if you don't flare, you would mash yourself over these numbers. So when I hear Anthony asking me to pull the power, I just think he is nuts, and do it very slowly. But he usually means all the way to idle!. Nuts! But I know he must be right, after all, he wants to live too.

This one we did as go around. And I got reprimanded again - for pulling flaps too quick. Anthony is very particular, unlike others - about pulling flaps in stages, and waiting for positive rate of climb before doing next stage. It maybe is possible, but in my case we would crash into nearby hill before I went through all 3 stages of flaps, and waited for positive rate of climb between each. But I will aim to do it that way!.

Anyways, this circuit was much better, except for that wind has changed (again), and RWY22 became active. So we had to extend our circuit, basically our base became downwind (see picture from previous lesson). This time RWY22 for full stop.

A shame, lesson was rather short, but Anthony saw that I was literally struggling, and was utterly rubbish.

Last time we spoke, he actually suggested to me, that I should start doing lessons in pairs. One hour in morning, and one in afternoon. And never combined (there's some other Pole training here, that does it, and I was told that it is really not to his favour, well, stubborn nature I suppose).

Well, maybe next month, if I even have enough cash to actually fly.

Anthony gave me good debrief, describing what I did wrong, and how he had to actually save the day few times, by helping me with controls. I am not very happy with my progress, but maybe it is just that the things I am doing are very hard. Dunno.

I asked him also, what he thinks about getting computer yoke+rudder pedals, and practicing on X-Plane. He just said, that it is very good for practicing procedures, but in my case it is much better to spend the money on 2h of actual flight in the real machine. I have to say it makes sense.

• Route: initially RWY 34, last one rwy 22


• Milestones: circuits...


• Exercises covered: 12/13


• Weather: little clouds, huge crosswind, changing directions , runways altered between 34 and 22 every half an hour or so.