Category Archives: Flying
Lesson 17 – First Solo
I could tell something was planned when my instructor started briefing me on engine fires during start, on the ground and in the air. I thought to myself “Uh-oh, there are some boxes to be ticked here”. And of course, … Continue reading →
Lessons 13, 14, 15 and 16
Too much excitement to write about the flying… Lesson 13 was a second dose of stalling, this time in flap and base to final configurations i.e. stalling in situations that are more likely to happen on an approach. The stalls … Continue reading →
Lessons #12a and 12b: More Circuits, First Flapless and Glides
Lesson 12 started in grey conditions, but with circuits to do the cloud was high enough, but at the end of the first circuit the rain came down and the touch-and-go became a full-stop. Still, it had been nearly two … Continue reading →
Lessons #9, #10 and #11: Good circuits, bad landings, good stalling, bad approaches
Some patchy weather meant we initially put stalling on hold and got into circuit flying. Both lessons #9 and #10 had a fair amount of wind, but it was mostly coming down the runway, although still gusty enough to need … Continue reading →
Lessons #7 and #8: Slow Flight and Circuits
Lesson #7 nearly didn’t happen because of the weather: visibility was pretty poor, but I went to the airfield anyway as there was a lot of briefing to be done and the forecast was for the weather to clear anyway. … Continue reading →
Lesson #6: Turns of the Normal, Climbing and Descending Kinds
The second lesson it two days started with a bad omen: the clubhouse had no crumpets. I was knackered after my 11 mile cycle in, not being used to riding that distance (and hills!) two days in a row. I … Continue reading →
Lesson #5: Effects of Power and the Base Config
The first lesson this week was postponed due to fog that just wouldn’t clear, but I went to the airfield somewhat optimistically anyway. It turned out that even when it did clear it just turned the whole sky white so … Continue reading →
Flying Lessons #3 and #4: Taxiing, Power Settings and Ascending and Descending
Two lessons in quick succession covered a bewildering array of new skills. The first lesson started with a new spin: after some taxiing, I flew the initial take-off, including the rudders down the runway. I had actually expected this to … Continue reading →
Flying Lesson #2 – Straight and Level
The weather forecast for the day of the lesson wasn’t great – winds increasing throughout the afternoon, pretty much up to the point my lesson was due to start, and then decreasing again as rain came in. Still, the lesson … Continue reading →
First (real) Flying Lesson
It may not be my first actual flying lesson, but since my first taster session was over ten years ago and my last lesson was also just a trial, this morning is the first one to count as a real … Continue reading →
