GinBaby’s Neighborhood

Folks,

For the first time since May, my lesson had to be cancelled today due to technical problems. All three trainer planes at the flight school have been laid up.

But I felt bad for Rainer, who started his PPL training at around the same time as me. He was due to go for his solo this afternoon. In fact, Min - being the CFI - went up with him and half way through his circuit, called tower to say that they were coming down for a full stop landing and then heading off again for Rainer's first solo. I heard the chatter from the handheld radio in the school's lobby. All well and good, until Min hopped out and then KMB's batteries went flat. And Rainer was good to go, too.

Actually, to be honest, it was a blessing in disguise because imagine the mess it would have been if the magnetos went pffftt at 1000ft.

Just another example to not rush things. Min was visibly upset at the lost opportunity for Rainer... but frankly, it's not good to push the envelope up there. If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. Up there, nothing is on your side except you. Not even gravity.

Ninja

 

I had a sleep this afternoon and when I woke up I glanced at the clock, read it as saying 5pm and thought, ah, cocktail hour. So I came out, turned on the laptop and went and got a glass of wine. Sat down, checked my emails then looked at the clock and realised it was only 3pm. It was a little concerning how Daz, who was sitting on the lounge watching tv, didn't even ask me why I was drinking wine at 3pm.

I had great success with the swimmer buying trip. These are the ones I bought. I saw them a couple of months ago in a magazine and thought that they were the ones I wanted. So I kept the photo on the bench then rang around last week and found a store that had one pair in my size and they held them for me. I went in, tried them on, loved them and looked awesome in them.

If only it could always be that easy. Mine are black though not blue.

 

I also bought a pair of Sea Folly's. Because you definitely need two pairs of swimmers on holidays. Nothing worse than trying to put a wet pair of swimmers on. Well there is one thing. Trying to put a pair of compression stockings on your mother when she has damp legs. Thats hard work.

So the other pair are a tankini with a boyleg. I always like to get a boyleg because there's less box maintenance involved then.

I also got some shorts and t's, two bras on sale and a really cool hat. 

So now I have an outfit I love to wear to the wedding and swimmers I'm happy to parade around in on holidays.

Way to go. All this working out is paying off.

Hey Pete,

Are you still up for this?? I think I can handle most of this (so he says now, before curling up into a babbling mess under a table), but the firewall forward (engine) bits will be tricky.

Ninja

Folks,

This clip gives you a great cockpit perspective of the sort of view I see on my final approach - the last 3-4 seconds is critical. This is when you begin your flare to touchdown on the mainwheels and then nose wheel.

The Remos dashboard is nice and low - and flat as well. Visual perspectives are different for every pilot as we're all different in height. But we all pick our own points off the windscreen as to when specific actions have to happen, and then do them.

Ninja

First time I have seen the Vox compose window for over two days. This site is so dead.
   Here was yesterday’s traceroute from Auckland:

   So I have now tried Vox this month from Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland; on Macs and PCs; on OSX, XP and Vista; using TelstraClear, Surfspot and Kordia; using Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari; and being able to compose is a rarity. I am not exaggerating when I say that Vox has been down for me for more days this month than it has been up.
   Based on feedback, three Kiwi Voxers have been able to get on this site. I still refuse to believe that this error is unique to me. As many of you know, I am on Vox regularly, and average well over a post a day, but the comment thread here gives you an idea of the number of times it has failed. I heard from one Australian Voxer who can no longer blog from Vox using Firefox and has to switch to IE8, so there is something very serious going on with the site in blocking certain individuals from using it normally.
   At least I was able to get these Mini E videos up for your enjoyment: a few days ago, Vox would not let me import images or videos.
   Hey, I’ll take what access I can get right now …

Just saw the new Star Trek movie. I'm not a Trekkie (believe it or not, not too many people know or watch Star Trek in Japan. Otaku population was too busy watching Gundam and Evangelion while their American counterparts were watching Star Trek:-), so I must be missing some references to the original series (which I confess I have never watched, not even a single episode- I only watched a season or two from The Next Generation, and a few episodes from Deep Space Nine and Voyager. My nerd education is clearly not complete).

Folks,

As I progress in my training, I'm starting to understand that flying involves a lot of want-to attitude. There will be days - as I'm feeling now - where the head starts to assert itself over the heart and you begin to ask "why".

I just want to fly because I've always wanted to fly. If not now, then when? When I'm old-er and perhaps less fit to fly?

It's a journey alright.

Ninja

Folks,

It's interesting everytime you learn something new; like an epiphany. The next time someone says that flying is like driving a car, tell them THEY ARE WRONG!

OK, today was a terrific flying day. Weather gods were totally on our side. See that pic? That's KMB's younger sister, Delta Xray Whiskey just before I pre-flighted her for take-off. See the clear skies all around? That's how great VMC is for flyers everywhere.

Oh, where was I again? Right, learning something new. You see, ATC cleared us for right hand circuits on Runway Zero-Six right. No problem, right? Not really. Taxiing there and doing your run-up checks etc, are all pretty standard wherever you go. But for me, doing the right hand circuit is a new thing. My visual reference points on the ground were all different to what I had been doing before - which was all viewed from the left cockpit where I'm seated.

Anyway, I did two circuits on 06R where for the first landing, Min assisted - keep in mind I haven't flown since Nov 7, so I'm claiming rust as a defence. Second landing was all me; not too bad but I've got to learn to take the thermals in my stride.

As I took off for my third circuit, tower swapped me around to Runway Two-Four Left, my old stomping ground. Happy! OK, I'd just climbed to 1000ft when the call came. So it was a sharp left hand turn back to what was now my base leg flying towards 24L. Quick power down to 1500rpm, Min made a quick radio call to get clearance for T&G on 24L. Check.

Altitude had to be scrubbed off quickly, remembering that at base, I'm usually already at about 700ft. I was still at 1000ft and powered down to 1500rpm. I couldn't dial in the flaps yet as the airspeed was still outside the max Vfe (flaps extended airspeed) range of 81 knots. So, I have to reduce the rpm further, pitch down and trim in a low-powered descent before dialling in 10 per cent of flaps. Airspeed is now around 75 knots on base leg and turning into final. Good.

On short final, my altitude is a lot better and I give the Lycomings a short burst of power to help me glide over the threshold before idling.

I know what has to be done two steps ahead. Both my hands are on the yoke to keep the wings level. Both feet are working the rudder to keep the yaw slip to a minimum. My eyes are on the horizon in a kind of 100-yard stare. I can feel the aircraft doing a powerless glide. I feather the yoke back gently for my flare, not too much, and what do you know? DXW lands rather petitely! That was my 9/10 landing today acording to Min. Stoked!!!

Right, it's not over. In my head for the past fortnight, I've been living this exact moment repeatedly. My feet are firm against the pedals to keep us on the centreline, my right hand reaches out to flick the electric flaps up, two turns of the trim wheel forward, push the throttle forward to full power, get both hands back on the yoke, watch the ASI hit 65 knots and pulll back... and she flies! Off we go again.

I did another three reasonably okay landings today and Min reckons today was not too bad. The skies did look a tad crowded with a number of other aircraft doing circuits. I had a keen eye out for them but they were distracting (as I'm sure I was to them) as on circuit 4 I think, we both came in on the base leg on parallel runways - 24L and 24R.

So, big takeaways today:

- Feet needs to maintain constant pressure on rudder pedals to prevent yaw slippage on approach;
- Both hands have to be on the yoke on crossing threshold, which means get all the settings sorted out on short final;
- Eyes up on flare and gently work the yoke, the plane will land;
- Keep the pedal pressure on while the Go settings are done (flaps up, trim wheel and throttle up);
- Get both hands back on the yoke for takeoff roll.

Everyone has their own rituals and methods in flying. I now know what works for me - both my hands and feet have to be planted at critical moments. These are when I cross the threshold just prior to the flare and on the takeoff roll once the takeoff setups are done. Get those hands back on the yoke, both feet keeping the rudder pressure on, and the eyes looking up!

Anyway, I'll have to prove all this again at 1300 tomorrow.

Clear prop!

Ninja

Folks,

I am so totally envious of the skill that these guys have when they can land this flying brick with such precision... all done with feel.

Atlantis is doing some serious airspeed when it's on final approach to Runway three-three. Clean wing landing, too. How good are these people, hey?

Ninja

http://www.eaa.org/news/2009/2009-11-12_tickets.asp

Folks,

I'm saving all my pennies for this.

Ninja