I started my night rating tonight, 1.6hrs and about 10 touch and goes in
the dark. Wow, so different. Flying on instruments is fairly easy, but
initially I had some problems orienting myself because things look so
different at night. It does not help that all the runway lights are on
and so it's easy to glance out of the window and look down the other
runway, confusing at first. I got the hang of it, so much so that the
last 5 landings were without the landing light, I flared too high and
dropped in on the first landing, but I only made that mistake once. It's
quite hard to land at night, even with the landing light on, with the
landing light off it was far trickier. Tomorrow my training progresses
to a full electrical failure so landing without flaps and with no lights
at all and a red lensed torch in one hand, or in my teeth or somewhere
useful.
There is just something crazy about flying a single engined aircraft at
night, it has that same feeling as when I go swimming in the ocean at
night and it is all black everywhere and there is that feeling that
there is something down there in the dark somewhere, but I'm not sure
exactly what.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
No More CPL Exams!
I passed my last commercial written exam today, Yay!
I am currently doing my night rating, circuits at Jandakot in the dark
tonight!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Yay! RAA Ultralight Licence!
RAA pilots licence too. Next on the list is my night rating. I flew 5.4
hrs today, half in my Piper and half in a Jabiru 160.
On the way back at around 7pm I took a photo of the back of Mt Bakewell.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
Photos
As per usual find the photographic records of my latest exploits on
Flickr, you should know to look by now!
Flickr, you should know to look by now!
Telstra Aaargghh
Optus Aarrgh too. I decided that nothing could make me want to give any
more money to the Evil monopoly called Telstra. So I ported my number
across to Optus as they have the next best coverage. All went well, up
to the point that they killed my number and it got lost in cyberspace. I
am now waiting for Optus to rediscover it and make it work. It means I
am without a working mobile at the moment. If you are trying to call me,
perhaps it will be possible again tomorrow.
more money to the Evil monopoly called Telstra. So I ported my number
across to Optus as they have the next best coverage. All went well, up
to the point that they killed my number and it got lost in cyberspace. I
am now waiting for Optus to rediscover it and make it work. It means I
am without a working mobile at the moment. If you are trying to call me,
perhaps it will be possible again tomorrow.
Ultralight Licence
Last Friday I flew out to Wyalkatchem and clocked up another 2.2Hrs in
the Jabiru J160C, it takes my total RAA Ultralight 3 Axis time to 3.2
Hours and puts me only a couple of hours away from my RAA Ultralight 3
Axis licence. I need to get my RAA Microlight license sorted and then I
will be qualified to fly almost everything fixed(ish) wing.
Next on the road to my commercial pilot flight test is my night rating
that I hope to start in the next few weeks and my Constant Speed and
Retractable Undercarriage endorsement. I am also planning to do my
taildragger endorsement once I feel I have truly mastered the stick and
rudder technique that I am improving at all the time.
MTW is due for her 50Hrly service and I am hoping to get it done in the
next couple of days so that I can fly up to Exmouth and beyond in my
quest for 200+Hrs.
I am starting to realise that my initial plan to get my IREX out of the
way early was going to be doing things in the wrong order and it is now
on hold until after I pass my commercial flight test.
the Jabiru J160C, it takes my total RAA Ultralight 3 Axis time to 3.2
Hours and puts me only a couple of hours away from my RAA Ultralight 3
Axis licence. I need to get my RAA Microlight license sorted and then I
will be qualified to fly almost everything fixed(ish) wing.
Next on the road to my commercial pilot flight test is my night rating
that I hope to start in the next few weeks and my Constant Speed and
Retractable Undercarriage endorsement. I am also planning to do my
taildragger endorsement once I feel I have truly mastered the stick and
rudder technique that I am improving at all the time.
MTW is due for her 50Hrly service and I am hoping to get it done in the
next couple of days so that I can fly up to Exmouth and beyond in my
quest for 200+Hrs.
I am starting to realise that my initial plan to get my IREX out of the
way early was going to be doing things in the wrong order and it is now
on hold until after I pass my commercial flight test.
Putting baby to bed.
Back at Jandakot I put MTW back in her parking spot. She looks heavier than she is, honest.
Leaving Rotto
Leaving Rottnest some low cloud started to come in, but it was only at 500ft and streeting so I was able to depart clear of cloud, it looked worse upwind so maybe the timing was fortunate.
Perth City
On the way out to Rotto I did the mandatory orbit over the city so Karl could get some shots, less haze than last time!
Waterproof Camera
Not waterproof! After surviving diving trips down below 15 Meters for some inexplicable reason my Pentax filled up with water when we were snorkelling at Rottnest. It might possibly come back to life when it dries, but I doubt it, it was really full when I took the cover off. This was the only tiny little issue in an otherwise great day, until a small jellyfish managed to swim up inside my board shorts and the discomfort at having been stung was mostly tempered by the fact that I managed to get it out just before it got to first base!.
Rotto
I'm trying to work my way through all the aerodromes/strips in WA as I build hours and experience on the way to my commercial licence. On the spur of the minute this morning Karl and I headed out to Rottnest for lunch and went snorkelling afterwards. It was great Xwind practice, a bit of rotor behind the hills on arrival and a huge 90' crosswind on departure, but no problems.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Not quite a smile ;-)
navigation was perfect, the flight & landing were perfect too & a
charming waitress just put some of my favourite food in front of me.
This must be what I look like when I am really happy ;-)
Short Video
Karl got the T/O at Leeuwin and the landing at Jandakot. Here it is.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=gC3GPUb4qwM
This is the second attempt! the first one failed after a Youtube codec incompatibility issue. Works now!
It was slightly tail leaving Leeuwin, but less than 5 knots and I definitely wanted to be going down hill and away from the big trees. I used every inch of available ground and it was an easy T/O.
Coming into Jandakot I arrived in the circuit just behind a Fire Spotter who decided to do a right hand circuit for 24, this upset the guy who was already doing a left hand circuit in a Sportstar and so I joined the left hand circuit downwind as I could keep both aircraft visual and I flew a nice slow base and final to make sure they were both well clear of the runway by the time I got there. It was my first entry into Jandakot after hours when it becomes a CTAF-R and it was quite strange to have an empty tower. I was confident it was a left hand circuit and how to proceed, but have to admit I was momentarily thrown by the firespotter when he did his right hand circuit.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=gC3GPUb4qwM
This is the second attempt! the first one failed after a Youtube codec incompatibility issue. Works now!
It was slightly tail leaving Leeuwin, but less than 5 knots and I definitely wanted to be going down hill and away from the big trees. I used every inch of available ground and it was an easy T/O.
Coming into Jandakot I arrived in the circuit just behind a Fire Spotter who decided to do a right hand circuit for 24, this upset the guy who was already doing a left hand circuit in a Sportstar and so I joined the left hand circuit downwind as I could keep both aircraft visual and I flew a nice slow base and final to make sure they were both well clear of the runway by the time I got there. It was my first entry into Jandakot after hours when it becomes a CTAF-R and it was quite strange to have an empty tower. I was confident it was a left hand circuit and how to proceed, but have to admit I was momentarily thrown by the firespotter when he did his right hand circuit.
Smile you idiot!
I just flew down to Leeuwin in my plane and am about to enjoy a gourmet lunch, whats with the long face?
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