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Steven’s PPL Diary 11: It’s A Conspiracy!

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

steven11

Day 10: It’s a conspiracy!
Bad weather, telecoms and Inland Revenue.
[Exercise: N/A]

Well, the past few weeks have certainly been, interesting for flying. A mixture of bad weather, some awkwardly planned shreds of a social life and a family emergency have meant that I’ve had my feet firmly on the ground for the past few weeks. On one of my foggy excursions to the airport my instructor took me through the basics radio transmissions from engine start to shut down on a basic circuit of the airport and then we watched a Lockheed Electra plant itself firmly on the ground, with one hell of a racket (pretty smoky too).

Lockheed Electra: Offends the majority of senses.

Lockheed Electra: Offends the majority of senses.

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Steven’s PPL Diary 10: More Circuits

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

steven10

Day 9: I can see clearly now, the fog has gone.
Circuits.
[Exercise: 12 – 13]

Well it seems that the weather God’s have shined down on me, along with the sun, and finally after 4 weeks of not being able to fly, I finally got to get up in the sky. Clear skies, a slight wind and it was back to circuit training for me.

I can see the end of the runway in November!!!

I can see the end of the runway in November!!!

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Steven’s PPL Diary 9: Stalls

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

steven9

Day 8 – The bright lights of Coventry Airport
Falling out of the sky (Also known as stalling).
[Exercise: 10]

This week, not dejected (yet) by my lack of fan mail, I head to the airport for another 9am flight.

profpilot's audience. Popular in North Korea.

profpilot's audience.

(more…)

Steven’s PPL Diary 8: Circuits

Monday, October 19th, 2009

steven8

Day 7 – ‘Ouch’
Stalling introduction cancelled, introduction to flying circuits.
[Exercise: 12,13]

This time, I was sure my lesson was going to be cancelled, low cloud, wind was really blowing some. Fortunately for me, and of course my loyal readers (Are there any? I’ve yet to have any fan mail…) it wasn’t, but we did have to change the briefing, cloud was too low for stalling practice so circuits it was.

The instructor sent me out to the aircraft (the wrong one again, although, I’m getting familiar with it now) to do the pre-flight checks whilst he went to check the weather (and possibly seek divine intervention for my flying).

May God have mercy on my soul.

May God have mercy on my soul.

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Steven’s PPL Diary 7: Turning

Monday, October 12th, 2009

steven7

Day 6 – Back to Normality
Turning, straight and level (with turning), climbing (with turning), descending (with more turning)
[Exercise 6,7,8,9]

Well, as I’ve had Sam proof reading, uploading and adding his possibly world renowned photoshopped images to my oh-so many entries (Cat’s out of the bag, I don’t upload the diary myself) there’s still nothing new that I can point my many millions of fans too.

This week the pre-flight briefing included a look at the various angles of bank required at various times, and this time I got the answer to the question wrong.

Oh dear Steven.

Oh dear Steven.

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Steven’s PPL Diary 6: Gliding Descents

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

steven6

Day 6 – You’re not my aircraft.
Descending – With some climbing and some more straight and level flight.
[Exercise 6,7,8]

Without any portion of the Profpilot website I can unofficially advertise, that’s currently related to my training maybe it’s time I tried to gleam some freebies from aviation related companies, to give some sort of half-baked review… (I can dream, can’t I?)

Your pilots' portable urinal eagerly awaits your hands on testing Steven!

Your pilots' portable urinal eagerly awaits your hands on testing Steven!

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Steven’s PPL Diary 5: Power, Attitude, Trim

Monday, September 28th, 2009

steven5

Day 5 (Or, what should have been day 4) – Bernoulli vs. Newton
Climbing – With some straight and level.
[Exercise: 6 – 7]

With the spare time due to the lack of a lesson last time, I was able to watch the fantastic profpilot flight training videos (Unfortunately ‘somebody’ hadn’t finished the new and improved lift video by then). None the less, I knew lift wasn’t achieved by God, or lift pixies. (Even if you do pray your heavy, metallic aircraft gets off the ground before you run out of runway.)

The Pope found this out the hard way.

The Pope found this out the hard way.

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Steven’s PPL Diary 4: Dodgy Fire Engine

Monday, September 28th, 2009

steven4

Day 4 – Fire engine required.

Coventry Airport – Closed. Not enough fire support, fire engine broke drown.
Better luck next time.

Somebody call the... er... Fire Brigade?

Somebody call the... er... Fire Brigade?

Steven’s PPL Diary 3: First Takeoff

Friday, September 25th, 2009

steven3

Straight and level flight
[Exercise 5 – 6]

So with two flights under my belt and a grand total of 1:50hr on the Cherokee you’d expect that I would be masterful beyond all belief, as apparent in some PPL diaries, alas not here my friends. This week I enter the hanger with my logbook and shiny new checklist (Purchased from the school in ‘Week 2’)

Today the briefing was quite simple for straight and level flight covered the various cruise speeds, reasons for using the different speeds, rpm settings and the dreaded PAT (Power, attitude, trim) again, I shall leave you to gleam these tidbits of knowledge yourself. I will advise you to go out and purchase yourself a notebook before this point, as I was told to do during the briefing, lots of numbers/facts and figures to note down.

Profpilot.co.uk hint: If caught without notebook, use face.

Profpilot.co.uk hint: If caught without notebook, use face.


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Steven’s PPL Diary 2: Trimming

Monday, September 14th, 2009

steven2

Day 2 – Getting to ‘second base’ with the aircraft.
Aircraft Familiarisation, again.
[Exercises 1 – 4, Part II]

Well, after my abysmal entrance into the little Piper Cherokee last time I visited the very wonderful profpilot forum for helpful advice (This is my weekly profpilot shameless attempt at advertising). So, my second lesson began with my logbook and a new shiny checklist clutched in my hands, out standing near the aircraft with the wind blowing one hell of a gale, it wasn’t cloudy, but boy was it windy. Jumping up on the wing trying desperately to not be blown off, and threw myself into the aircraft. (more…)

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