Date: 27/10/2006
Time: 13:35 - 14:30 (PUT) & 16:15 - 17:00 (PUT)
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CCYR
Exercise: Advanced turning (and PFL's) - Ex 12, 13, 14 & 16
Weather has cleared up a bit today, but hasn't been too good recently. Unfortunately, again they were not allowing circuits, so have to do something else. We are going to do some more PFL's, but as we did OK at these last week we decide to do Steep Bank Turning.
We take off on 26 and depart to the west and almost immediately I have a PFL thrown on me. My approach is far from perfect, but would have got it in but what I have completely missed was the Charles Churches private airstrip almost alongside the field I have chosen (was in my blind spot). I obviously need to spend a bit more time on field choice.
After a quick HASELL check, Steve demonstrates the steep bank turning to the left, where the plane is rolled over to 60 degrees bank and tight turns are achieved. This requires the application of extra power to counteract the reduced vertical lift. Although I'm grinning, I'm feeling very unsure about it.
Steve says "wanna give it a go?" - well I have to try don't I. However, I'm really surprised that the exercise is quite easy and also I don't feel queezy at all, whilst I'm doing it - maybe because I have to concentrate. There is also an 'interesting' kick once you have turned 360 deg where you cross your own wake turbulence.
We then do the same to the right.
We then practice getting it wrong, which puts the plane into a spiral dive and recovering from this. The airspeed accelerates, so the correct recovery is to reduce throttle, use ailerons to level and THEN pull out of the dive. If you incorrectly try to correct it with the elevator it just tightens the turns and I can really feel the g-force on my cheeks.
What fun - for something I felt quite uneasy about I now feel comfortable with (so long as I'm the one doing it!).
We do some more tight turns and PFL's and return to the airfield. My approach is awful.
Steve is happy with my flying away from the airfield, but I definitely need more circuit practise - exactly what we aren't being allowed to do.
After the break (split lesson with someone else in between), we decide to try to simulate a circuit. We pick a field and decide that the fictitious airstrip is 1000ft above this. This is actually quite difficult as you cannot have a physical aiming point.
Eventually we head back to the real airfield and do one deliberate go-around followed with a full-stop landing - a bit flat, but not too bad.
I can't believe that I am still making the same old mistakes - once again I have gone back to chasing the needles rather than looking outside for the correct attitude. Keep at it, but I do need more circuit practice so I'm praying for decent weather.