Lesson 17, it's been a while.

Lesson: 17

16/VIII/2010

• Lesson time: 0.7h


• Total time: 13.5h


• Location: EGAD


• Aircraft: G-BNKR (C152)

It has been a while. Constrained by finances, after holidays I decided to get up in the air. Took Monday and Tuesday off, due to my birthday.

Haven't flown for 2 months as it turned out, and having these two days off. I phoned the club on Friday, to book Monday with Roger. He is a great instructor, very patient one. And it is a shame that I don't get a chance to fly with him more often. But unfortunately he is in the club only on Mondays and Fridays, which doesn't suit me a bit.

I got in earlier, was booked for 16:30, but got there around 15:30. I decided to end up being precisely on time, or even late sometimes. With embarrassment and bad name, comes many lost occasions to get up in the air earlier when you are just on time, or slightly late. So decided to rectify my name a bit in this regard.

The club felt slightly different, certainly more quiet - but that's because it is not weekend day. I re-read anything that I could forget (checklists, etc). Around 16:15 went over to check the aircraft.

Even the pre-flight felt strange. Like I said, it has been a while, and I have lost the groove. Had to remind myself what to do. Obviously, I know the theory, but after that time I wasn't doing it as smooth.

The bonker has new engine. And apparently went through extensive checkup. I gotta say, it was felt during the preflight. Ailerons were working smoothly as never before. Obviously engine inside looked silvery and shine. New cap and dip stick. New gears.

It wasn't as clean as I remember it from the last time tho, plenty of bugs stuck to it all over the place. yack.

Jumped inside, creamed up to my seat. It is funny also, how you forget where some instruments are. I noticed some new electronics inside as well. Nice.

Spend a bit there, with rain getting heavier. Obviously, aircrafts not having windscreen wipers, you can't see anything. The propeller is a wiper, in a way. Roger have joined me after a bit. We had only 1/4 of fuel in each tank, and he was concerned but decided that we can go and fly anyway. Very well!.

Taxying was unexpectedly easy(er). Even Roger noticed, that I no longer taxi in a serpent trail style. Did bit of a mess before the hold, I decided to turn with the wind to do my power checks, rather than into the wind, so I quickly just did 360 deg turn instead, did my power checks and off we went.

Of course, forgot to pull the yoke on the roll, so typical. And off I went, rotate at 60.

This time, having just studied the checklist, I decided to do all of them by the book. So ELF checks at 300 ft, (C)BUMPFISCH + radio call on downwind, call before turning finals, CRAP on 300 ft on finals. Radio work was never so easy to me. Of course, first approach configuration ended up to be a complete mess.

Roger previously was telling me, that approach configuration is his thing. He is very particular about it, and I know very well why. I do fully agree with him.

Part of being 'rusty', is that some things just don't come around first time. So when I was trying to fix the picture (attitude) by pushing control column, rather than using power on the approach, and doing opposite when I got 30 deg flaps on finals. I should have being using stick for it, and retrim it. Trimming wasn't so bad, but not as smooth as it used to be.

Overall, this was a lesson in reminding myself all these little things that I have forgotten. Or perhaps that's a wrong word. I do know all that. But when it comes to do it, I don't do it right.

After each circuit I got better and better, but than it was time to finish the fun. The weather wasn't getting any better.

The touch down before last, we had quite few dozen of seagulls all over the runway, and I got quite worried, but Roger said to press on. They all just few away as soon as we got close. Engine caught in an odd fashion, only once. We went off for the last circuit.

Last landing ended up in probably with 3 bumps. But Roger was very patient, and let me fix it.

We got back to the apron, I had a chance to taxi it back nearly to its hangar. Very odd to taxi so close to hangars.

All in all , lesson was very good. I certainly enjoyed it. It was a very good thing that I chose Roger to be the instructor for the day. He has this patience, that probably no one else in the club has. Even if I screw up, he will let me fix it, rather than take over straight away. It certainly makes for better progress.

Whilst waiting for Roger to comeback from his previous lesson, before preflight. I learned from Anthony that him, and few other instructors are leaving the club. For most of them, work in the club is just a way to get some experience and hours in the log book. That's a shame, because some of those instructors (including Anthony), I will miss. Hopefully new people will be as good as them.

I really enjoy this flying thing ... :D During my lunch break, I would walk around a park, over hills. And look at aircraft landing at Belfast Airport. I always think than, that this could be my job, if I choose to...

• Route: RWY 22


• Milestones: I'm back!


• Exercises covered: 12&13


• Weather: scattered clouds, quite windy, and rain. Slowly deteriorating weather.