From: Stuart Buchanan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Flightgear-devel] OT: RL Flexwing Microlight General Skills Test (aka checkride) To: FlightGear Dev <flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ascii
> Hi All, > > In the tradition of mentioning milestones on the way to a pilot's >license, I thought I'd mention that I passed my final test for my >microlight license on Saturday - the General Skills Test. I think this >is the equivalent of the U.S. check-ride - an examination of your flying > skills you have to pass before you can get your license. > > Since going solo at the beginning of March, I had been very lucky with > the weather and managed to get lots of flying in - up to 5 hours per >week. Having my own aircraft helped a lot, as I could do some solo >flight anytime, as long as an instructor was at the airfield. > > As well as lots of circuit training, I also had to complete two solo >cross-countries, which I did on two consecutive days. Both flights were >to small private grass strips which really brought home the advantage >of flying a microlight. I can land and take-off on a 300m strip no >problem, and less than smooth surfaces are merely inconvenient rather >than out-right dangerous. While I'm certain that GA aircraft can and do >use such strips I think the required skill level is much higher. > > So, by early May I was just about ready for my test. The airstrip I >fly from is quite small, and while some GA aircraft visit, in general >it is microlight only. In contrast, my test took place at Perth >airport, a much larger airport with much more GA traffic and requiring >radio. To add to the challenge, I was to take it in a much larger >microlight (if that isn't a contradiction in terms) that I hadn't flown >before. > > Unfortunately, the good weather I had enjoyed didn't last. My original >test date was cancelled due to the weather, and when I finally I came >to do my test I had only had one revision lesson - two weeks before! >The examiner (also an instructor) took me up for a 30 minute >familiarization flight, to get used to the aircraft, airport and get >rid of some of my nerves. This was great and really helped my calm down >and treat the following flight like any other. We then had a break >while he examined my friend (who also passed) and before long I was >once again strapping in and going through the pre-startup checks. > My normal instructor is quite talkative, so there was quite a contrast >with the examiner who naturally is not going to be leading you by the >hand through the various maneuvers. Conditions were quite thermally - >at one point we were keeping a constant altitude with the engine at >idle - which meant that judging level flight was quite challenging. >This at least meant the some of my minor altitude deviations were lost >in the general "noise". > >The upper airwork went pretty well, steep turns, unusuall attitudes, >emergency landings. The only tricky part was a stall, as this >particular model simply wouldn't do so without some fairly high nose-up >pitch. At one point I had the bar right up against the front strut and >all that was happening was we were slowly descending - not even a mush. >However, this was a known trait of this particular model (my own >aircraft stalls more easily), and once I got the nose up high enough, >down it went and I recovered no problem. > >Airwork completel, I was given instructions to head back to the >airport. What airport? I couldn't see it anywhere. The examiner >realized almost immediately that I hadn't found it and queried if I >knew where I was going. Declaring oneself lost is an immediate failure, >so I said I knew where it was, but hadn't spotted it yet... I >double-checked the map, and spent a very anxious 5 minutes heading >(hopefully) towards it, before finally spotting it. As is often the >case, I was looking in the right direction, but not the right distance >- it was further away than I expected, due to the tailwind we had and >the higher airspeed of the aircraft (65mph vs 48mph). > >Once back in the circuit, we had some fun and games with engine >failures all over the place, all of which went smoothly, culminating in >an immediate engine failure takeoff which I put back on the runway with >plenty of room to spare. As we taxied back to the hangar those >wonderful words - "Your flying good - I'm going to pass you." > > I still have 25 minutes of flying to do to meet the minimum >requirements before I can send away for my license, but for the first >time I'll be flying without an objective in mind, or some specific >airwork to practise. I think I'll take a flight along the coast and >look at the Bass Rock and Tantallon Casle. Both modeled in the global >scenery database BTW - take off from Edinburgh Airport (EGPH) or East >Fortune (EG32) and head East along the coast. > >For those who might be interested in getting their microlight license, >I'd highly recommend it. For those of us daunted by the cost of >learning to fly a Cessna and then being able to afford to fly >afterwards, it's a very good way to get into the air. While it might >not be quite what you imagine as you fly a Cessna in FG, a modern >microlight has pretty similar performance to a 152 and is cheaper to >own. > Finally - Ralf - good luck with your test! > > -Stuart I am booked to do my biennial revalidation on Thursday and I've chosen to do it in the PA28-161 which I haven't flown since 1997 due to one not being available at our club. My last PA28 flight was in about July 1997 in California on a day when it was quite bumpy. I'm hoping the UK weather for Thursday afternoon is as flyable. When it comes to finding your way back to the field on a test, I think that's the examiner's job as she has you quite busy paying full attention to all the tasks you are being asked to perform - there is also help for lost position, 121.5 is your friend if you have no assistance from the person in the right hand seat. I know a lady who flies jets for a living and was an intructor going back 12 years, when flying 152's and she got lost she reported that she was a student pilot lost. On a 300m strip with say a 152, all you have to do is a constant scan, airspeed, height, runway, with full flaps on, if it looks wrong make an early decision to do a go-around - it's your decision unless directed otherwise by the person who is the examiner. On occasions I've said I'm going to do a go-around, but the instructor has said that I was OK for the landing. While getting familiar with the Katana, my instructor asked me to do a power-off stall, up and up went the nose and I said it wouldn't stall. He asked if it was going anywhere and I said it wasn't, that the nose was just flopping from side to side, it's stalled then, he replied. Good Luck and have fun. Regards Sid. -- Sid Boyce ... Hamradio License G3VBV, Licensed Private Pilot Emeritus IBM/Amdahl Mainframes and Sun/Fujitsu Servers Tech Support Specialist, Cricket Coach Microsoft Windows Free Zone - Linux used for all Computing Tasks ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now. http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/ _______________________________________________ Flightgear-devel mailing list Flightgear-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/flightgear-devel