Date: 26/5/2007
Time: 14:30 - 15:25 & 17:30 - 19:00
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CDRO
Exercise: Ex 17b
Weather was forecast as typically rubbish for the bank-holiday weekend. However this afternoon it seems OK.
Once again I am sent up solo straight away and I'm off on runway 03. The landings are beginning to become a little more automatic now, leading to less stress and more time to do the job of flying.
It is a little bit more bumpy today with some minor thermals gently knocking the plane around, so I am trying to control them out. Steve can balance out even bad turbulence before it even happens, so that his passenger/student is unaware that they are there - I'm sure he uses the force!
Once again I do 55 minutes and I have a fairly big grin on my face - I'm relatively happy with my performance.
For the second stint, Steve is dual training one person and supervising solos on both myself and someone else. He is teaching three people/planes at the same time.
I am instructed that he wants to see precision landings - I have to pick a spot, such as the first turn-off and aim to touchdown at that point. I can't do it! Because I have to track down runway 08 and then turn final on 03 almost immediately before the threshold. I don't want to make the turn too low or be too low over the trees (approaching over the woods on other side of A303), for some reason it just seems to float far too long to allow me to get it down by the aim point. The lack of wind doesn't help. However, it is a lot of fun practising sideslipping and even slipping turns to try and get it down. On my last circuit (nearing eight o'clock limit), Steve calls that he want's to see a precision landing on this last go. As I near the airstrip I can see him waiting at the first turn-off. I try my damnedest, but still can't get it down in time and touchdown 15 to 20m too late - could be worse I suppose.
Still, it is all good landing practice and I do an hour and a half in the air.
I am told that I will have to be dual next lesson as I have done over 4 hours consecutive solo, and he needs to ensure I haven't started too many bad habits. As if!