Date: 30/06/2006
Time: 17:10 - 18:05 (PUT)
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CCYR
Exercise: General Review 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12 & 13
OK - today is big plunge day!
I haven't been flying for 6 months now. Work has been extremely busy and so have the projects (for work) that I have been working on at home. I haven't had enough time to do flying lessons justice, and I didn't want to feel stressed by only half-heartedly doing it. I have now finished two of these projects, so it's time to do something for myself.
Took a half day and intended to turn up early, but had to do my SORN form for the kit-car and the trip to the post office took even longer than I expected it to.
First big plunge was to pay for my 1/20th share in a C42 plane. £3845 later, I also had to join the Spitfire Flying Club. Unfortunately, this doesn't entitle me to fly a Spitfire, but is the airfield club and covers me takeoff/landing fees for the year.
Long suffering instructor is running a little late, so I have plenty of time to try to remember how to 'daily inspect' the aircraft and also fuel it. I explain to Steve that I have remembered how to get to the airfield . . . . . and that's about it! We decide to do a general review flight. I feel a bit nervous.
We take off from runway 21 (first time) and practice some general handling - yes, predictably I am a bit rusty. We then do flap application, glide descent and go-around practice. We then come into land on 21 - assisted, but not too bad. We then immediately turn and queue for take off behind a Supermarine MK26 4/5th scale replica Spitfire (available as kit-build). Steve tells me to get closer so that he can get a couple pictures on his phone. We takeoff behind the Spit and do what I guess is my first ever circuit. I bugger-up the approach, partly because we are looking at the Spit, but after a couple of s-turns we land OK (assisted again).
I am still making the same old mistakes - chasing the meter needles rather than looking outward and also still not being 'man-enough' with the throttle.
I think that Steve was being rather generous when he said I did well. However I was just quite pleased that I hadn't forgotten everything and also that I didn't feel 'odd' flying, so I feel a bit more confident.