LAST FLIGHT OF THE YEAR

24th DECEMBER

The last flight of 2009 (on-call for Christmas and away to the beach for New Year) and, I hoped, a good one.

I had wanted to learn more about using the on-board navigation aids (ADF, VOR/DME as well as GPS * see below for a glossary for non-aviation readers) and booked WIT with instructor, Ash, for most of this morning.  My excuse for missing the last-minute Christmas rush!!

A warm but somewhat cloudy morning with hardly any wind and all looked promising.  I had made a flight plan (suggested by Ash at a briefing) to track from the Hamilton VOR/NDB to Taumarunui NDB. then to the Ohura VOR (in the middle of nowhere!!) and then back to Hamilton.

Ooops.  It is now 10 days into the New Year and only just returned to this post - sorry readers.  So, I'll make it brief.  This was a great flight.  Ash took me through how to set up the VOR, ADF and DME (mnemonic "TITS" for Tune, Identify, Test and Set) and also the GPS which I already knew a fair bit about.  I found the tracking fairly straightforward with Ash's help but found I spent most of my time with my head down at the instruments rather than keeping a lookout - OK with Ash in the right hand seat doing the visual scan and some of the traffic radio calls but wouldn't be safe on my own.

The slightly tricky part was after a turn and getting back on track {Mnemonic "TTTT" for Twist (the dial), Turn (the aircraft), Time (check) and Talk (radio call)}.  I got it OK with a bit of help, the thing is to be fairly bold with the course correction to get back on track quickly.

At one stage we were above the cloud (scattered only so would have been VFR legal) and rather than make a bit of a detour Ash got me to descend through the cloud on instruments - a tad scary but a useful little reminder of why VFR flight in cloud is illegal - it ain't safe, period!  I did fine concentrating on the dials, though.

Finally, we got cleared for a VOR approach straight in for 36R at Hamilton.  Ash told me to keep my head down and on track and when I was allowed to look up we were on short final and a bit high (also with a bit of a tail wind).  My worst landing of the year followed - not a great end but a truly edifying experience, thanks, Ash.

Lessons to take away - instrument navigation is very demanding

                                   - the GPS is easy to use as a guide for VFR cross country - I will use it in future but NOT make it a substitute for proper flight planning.

Glossary:

ADF - Automatic direction finder - used to track to or from an NDB

NDB - Non-directional beacon (low to medium frequency beacon - no directional information)

VOR - VHF omnidirectional range/radial - very high frequency beacon - gives direction and distance

DME - Used with VOR for distance to or from the beacon (as I understand it works a bit like an arcraft transponder but in reverse)

GPS - Global Positioning System - the only really new technology - the rest were developed during or just after World War II.