The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed my tag line has changed from ‘Earthbound Misfit’ to ‘Former Earthbound Misfit’. Anyone who knows Pink Floyd’s ‘Learning To Fly’ will twig the meaning immediately, but the simple explanation is because the nice man from the CAA saw fit, at 17.25 today, to utter the immortal words at the end of my Skills Test;
“You’ve passed”.
It’s been quite a week for me leading up to this; my usual mount, G-BFWB, went in for her annual on Monday, and as I had a quite short notice slot come up for the test (I found out on Monday), I had quite a daunting prospect ahead of me. The plan quickly became, have a quick half hour yesterday in another one of the fleet which I hadn’t flown before prior to taking the test in it today. Not an ideal way to prepare, learning where the dials and switches are in a new aeroplane, but c’est la vie. So yesterday morning, there I was, an hour away from getting into the car and driving over to Cambridge to acquaint myself with G-MASF.
The phone rings. It’s the Ops Manager. “Just thought you’d like to know, we’ve got Whiskey Bravo back for you. But you won’t recognise her, she’s got a new exhaust and a new prop. She climbs like a rocket!”
I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation – I’d got MY aeroplane back, that was enough for me! So I scrubbed the familiarisation trip in Sierra Fox (that’ll come at a later date), and spent the rest of yesterday checking my flight kit, doing example weight and balance checks, checking the flight kit, planning example routes, checking my flight kit, reading through the checklists. Oh, did I say I checked my flight kit?
This morning dawned bright and clear. Minimal wind, visibility all the nines, no significant weather. And of course, I’d got dear old Whiskey Bravo to do it in.
Turned up at Mid Anglia late morning, got given a route to plan, planned it, did the weight and balance, checked my flight kit, got all the paperwork sorted out, examiner arrived and we went through a briefing, checked my flight kit, booked out, and then off I went to preflight the aeroplane.
Snag number one. She ISN’T fully fuelled. So after the walk round and internals, it’s just a short taxi to the pumps.
Problem is, it threw my routine out a bit. Things seemed to be slightly disjointed for a while, compounded by the fact that the wind dictated we use runway 05 as opposed to our normal 23, which meant taxiing to a hold I don’t usually use, right hand circuit to climb out on instead of the usual left hand… But after the power checks and a “This is what’ll happen if the whirly thing stops whirling” briefing from me, we were given clearance. This was it.
Departure out of Cambridge went well, climbed to 2500 in the overhead, noted the time, and set course for Loddon, a small (and, it turned out, bloody hard to find!) village just south of Norwich. Waypoints along the route were nice and easy, although today’s trubulent conditions made nailing my height a bit tricky. The accent gods were on my side too, as for the first time in ages, I had a controller at Lakenheath who I could understand. Time spent in the pub at Old Warden talking to Steve Patterson obviously prepared me for this moment!
Snag number two. Where’s Loddon? The timings were going great guns, everything was on track (ish) and on height (ish), but all of a sudden something didn’t look quite right. I could see the examiner perusing his map, glancing at the clock, and at me, but I couldn’t see Loddon. Time to admit I couldn’t see it, and go into an orbit while I sort my life out. Quick check of the map, pick up features on the ground, and oh yes, there’s Loddon. I’d been about two miles off track, and it had passed quietly beneath my nose and right wing while I’d looked off to the left.
Still, all corrected, and off we went towards Southend. We never got there. A simulated closing in of the weather meant I had to orbit and fix my position using VOR and DME. Followed immediately by a divert (we were over Framlingham at that point) to Stradishall. Set course and headed off, past Stowmarket, the old 8th AF base at Rattlesden, and finally arrived overhead Stradishall. Three minutes early, wow that’s good. Except there’s no sign of Haverhill off to the left. But Bury St Edmunds is off to the right, what’s going on. Idiot. I’m overhead Chedburgh. So, quick re-plan, turn onto 210 and three minutes later voila! Stradishall.
By now I’m convinced my poor navigation has sunk me, so I relax as we move into the upper air work. Stalls without flap, stall in the landing configuration, recovery from a spiral dive, steep turns to left and right, no problem with any of them. Slow flight at 53 knots hanging on the prop with the stall warner wheeeeeeing away in my ear was almost enjoyable. Even the dreaded PFL went swimmingly well, as did the simulated engine failure after take off. Tight low level circuit and an approach to land in a field went great, even if I did wonder whether he would ever let me put the power on and climb away.
And so back to Cambridge for an overhead join, a flapless approach to a touch and go, a glide approach also to a touch and go, and then a short field approach to land, which we had to switch from the hard to the grass, just to make life amusing. Cambridgeshire is largely flat. Apart from the grass runway at Cambridge, but after coming to a halt, clicking our vertebrae back in and ensuring that Whiskey Bravo and her new prop were all still in one piece, I taxied in to recieve the good news. And a glass of champagne.
Many thanks to all at Mid Anglia School of Flying, for turning a rusty old time expired FAA PPL into a shiny new JAR one. And most of all, for making sure Whiskey Bravo was back in time for me. I couldn’t have done it without her. 😉
By: Ashley - 11th June 2004 at 16:29
I’ll keep an eye out 😉 I wonder if I can get hold of some paint to scrawl “hello Steve” on the roof…:D
By: Arabella-Cox - 10th June 2004 at 12:28
Will do, Bourn’s circuit traffic permitting. Watch for a potential waggling sometime between 11 and 11.30 next Saturday… 😉
By: Ashley - 10th June 2004 at 10:41
Many congratulations Steve 🙂 If you ever fly in the direction of Bourn, wiggle your wingtips over Highfields Caldecote to say hello, will you? 😀
By: Auster Fan - 9th June 2004 at 20:40
Steve
Belated congratulations from another 5 AEF graduate (although I’ve only managed to solo in a Grob Viking so far)!! Bless Ced Hughes, Stan Hayward, John Blackmore (I think that’s the right surname) et al for giving the likes of us fond memories of real aeroplanes for thr first time!
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 6th June 2004 at 23:33
A whole propeller COULD be regarded as a WMD by cabin staff. The trials of aircraft restoration eh, Melv?!
Cheers
WMD? Weapon of Melv’s Destitution?
It is just the thought of shipping costs equalling purchase costs that makes me wince a little. It is already going to cost a bundle in VAT and BILJTMT (That is “Bugger it, ‘let’s just tax’ Melv Tax” as well as shipping.
Perhaps we could get Douglas bader to slip this down his tin leg next time he goes to Argentina for a meeting with Adolph Eichmann to arrange the Liverpool Hotel reunion?
Melv
By: JDK - 6th June 2004 at 23:10
‘Cabin baggage!’ 😀
Given I know someone who had an embrodery needle taken off them on a flight recently – “Yes – you. Don’t try and hijack MY flight with 1/2 in of cold steel!”
A whole propeller COULD be regarded as a WMD by cabin staff. The trials of aircraft restoration eh, Melv?!
Cheers
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 5th June 2004 at 19:34
“prop is ready to ship”
That’s a bit ‘Nautical’ isn’t it Melv? Are you going to swab the decks and careen her before going flying? 😉
Oh, should I have said “The airscrew is ready for onward shipment from its place of manufacture”?
What I actually meant was “Sensenich have finished the prop they promised a month ago and now I need to find some kind person who can sneak it onto an aeroplane as cabin baggage!”
Melv
Avast me hearties . . .
By: JDK - 5th June 2004 at 17:20
“prop is ready to ship”
That’s a bit ‘Nautical’ isn’t it Melv? Are you going to swab the decks and careen her before going flying? 😉
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 5th June 2004 at 11:35
Cheers Ant for the tip off, I’ll pick one up this weekend. 🙂
Melvyn, thanks for the advice, and next time I’m due to head south of the M25 I’ll try and tie up a visit to see the Cloudster. 🙂
Mail me offline and I’ll bung you my numbers.
Hoping to move it by the end of this month (I know, planning such things is a dangerous thing!). Got a mail yesterday to say my prop is ready to ship. I just have the air intake to sort out and cowlings.
Melv
By: Arabella-Cox - 28th May 2004 at 17:24
Cheers Ant for the tip off, I’ll pick one up this weekend. 🙂
Melvyn, thanks for the advice, and next time I’m due to head south of the M25 I’ll try and tie up a visit to see the Cloudster. 🙂
By: Ant.H - 28th May 2004 at 17:08
Congratulations Steve,here’s to many happy landings!By the way,there’s an excellent article on owning and flying a Chipmunk in Pilot magazine this month,might be worth your while picking up a copy.
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 28th May 2004 at 10:27
Steve,
Well done. As others will have said it is now that you start learning. It is like passing your driving test, the first few trips are a real eye-opener.
Get tailwheeling as soon as you can as it is fun. You will enjoy a Supercub, if you go to Clacton, they are great fun and a world away from the PA28. Also try to get experience of a number of different types. I don’t mean “type hogging’ but get to appreciate the ins and outs of various aeroplanes.
I usually fly the Thruxton Supercub, at least until the Rearwin is finally finished, and I love it. It also has a stick so it is a fighter, not a bomber like the PA28!
Well done, if you are coming this way let me know and I’ll nip you down to see the red beast.
Melvyn
By: Arabella-Cox - 27th May 2004 at 18:33
No, that one came up a bit too quickly for me, bearing in mind I didn’t even have a date for the Skills Test at that point. As for future Warbug involvement (which is about as far as I’m realistically ever going to get), I need to do the tailwheel course first this summer, meanwhile keep my hours up while avoiding any bad habits, possibly do the IMC during the winter, and then look at getting myself properly Chipmunked (ie, in a group) around next spring time. Unless I find that I love flying the Cub on the tailwheel course, in which case I’ll be Cub-hunting instead. Decisions decisions… Either way, I want to be in a tailwheel goup in twelve months time, but sadly it does mean the MG’s gonna have to go. Although after going through a gearbox and a head gasket in twelve months of ownership, maybe that’s not a bad thing. 😉
Anyway, once again thanks for the kind words, and no, I STILL haven’t stopped grinning! JDK, glad my news cheered up a bad day for ya, pop in here to the GA forum a bit more often mate, we’re a friendly crowd… 😀
By: ageorge - 27th May 2004 at 18:17
Well done Steve 😀 😀 , how long before the MG gets swapped for a Chippy now ???? ( I thought you would have blagged the one on Ebay recently ??? )
By: Yak 11 Fan - 27th May 2004 at 17:50
Congratulations mate. Now if only MG’s were as reliable as Aeroplanes 😀
Face it MOTF, thats never going to happen, the day they become reliable they will have rotten away. :p
By: Manonthefence - 27th May 2004 at 14:01
Congratulations mate. Now if only MG’s were as reliable as Aeroplanes 😀
By: JDK - 27th May 2004 at 10:27
Not a normal habutee of the GA Forum, myself, but glad I came!
Congratulations Steve, good one. You’ve cheered me up on a cr*p day too. Thanks mate.
Blue skies, minimal instruments.
Looks like you are taking Skipper’s advice. Now make it a warbird (via Warbug if you have to!)
Cheers
By: mike currill - 25th May 2004 at 22:43
Well done sir, well earned may you now have many hours of safe and enjoyable aviating
By: Arabella-Cox - 24th May 2004 at 22:46
Thanks again all, I still haven’t stopped grinning. 😀
Deano – salad? Far too healthy! make it a lard sandwich and I’m there…!
Moggy – very sorry to hear about the Colt. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you, I know you’ve had your heart set on making Normandy for the anniversary. Really do hope it works out.
By: Deano - 24th May 2004 at 22:28
Many congratulations Steve, great feeling isnt it, it’s something that you think is just out of reach all the time, and to be told you have passed is just such an amazing experience, now you just have to wait eons for the CAA to issue you with your licence 😉
If your ever in the proximity of Bristol / Gloucestershire / Filton / Kemble give me a shout and we’ll share a coffee or 5 and a salad sandwich.
Well done again
Dean
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May 23, 2004 at 10:23 pm