So this lesson was more of the same but with an added twist. I am however writing it about a month later and back dating the post as it took me three days to finally get the energy to start writing up the lesson and then promptly lost my file on it.
I figured I may as well get this whole circuit thing nailed and feel at ease whilst doing it rather than just doing a lesson and moving on to the next so I booked in for three hours. How hard can three hours of circuits be? I had forgot how tiring one hour was last time.
So if you have read Lesson 7 you will know the drill by now, checks, taxi, takeoff, circuit, land etc. However this time there was a 17kt crosswind which is pretty hard work to say the least, firstly it's a case of remembering to alter your bearing to take into account the crosswind so you head straight. The first few times I wavered left and right and finally started to stay on a constant heading.
Landing in a crosswind was another thing altogether! It's hard to explain but think of it as sliding slightly sideways towards the runway and then straightening up at the last moment for the landing, it's not quite that simple though. As you come in to land just over the threshold you kick the plane straight using the rudder and flatten out with a touch of elevator until you feel the sink and then flare, all the time attempting to keep the wings level while being blown around. It's interesting to say the least landing with one wheel on the ground first. Most of the first attempts were a hazy mess of flaring too early, completely forgetting to level out and some very bumpy landings. However I started to get the hang of it and I was doing well until Matt asked how confident I felt, "very, I'm feeling great about it" and with a sly grin he (as I found out later) made a radio call to tower, which I couldn't make out and told them I was feeling confident and to have some fun.
So this circuit as we were about to turn onto base I figured out what was going on as there was no traffic in the area and I was told to orbit until further advised. Round and round we went until we were told to continue. Then the next circuit I call "final Golf Mike Xray" and hear "Golf Mike Xray Continue"..... Continue????? Never had that one before, which as Matt explained meant as it says, just to continue, but it doesn't mean we have clearance to land so be prepared. Fortunately a few hundred feet away I hear tower call "Golf Mike Xray clear for touch and go runway two zero" Phew! and we carried onto another circuit. This time though I got a continue and never got a clearance, in fact a few hundred feet tower radios to tell me to go-around, and so began the tentative change in settings to climb away from the runway.
At this point I'm so engrossed in the whole circuit that what came next completely threw me. 500ft after take off Matt kills the throttle, locks his hand round it with a vice like grip and asks me what I would do if we had an engine failure. Now at this point my brain should be thinking that I should set-up for a glide approach and pick a field because I had read the emergency exercises the day before but for some reason I said "turn back" even though I knew we would just stall and die. Matt calmly spent what seemed forever explaining why and how and what to do. Sheep looked worried and I could see stickers on car windows by this point... Fortunately Matt released his Jaws like grip and instructed me to climb back into circuit so we could land and have a brew.
...... Tea break.
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