GOOD.... THEN NOT SO GOOD....

Thursday 30th September

Aircraft: Cessna 172R, ZK-WAM

POB:      4

Altitude: 172' asl (on the ground at HLZ)

Weather: Broken cloud at 2500', wind 010 at 12 knots, QNH 1019 - forecast rain from 1200 local

Well, it didn't look good for a cross country so, instead of taking my 3 passengers (youngest daughter, her boyfriend and his mum) for an expensive coffee somewhere I decided a local flight was in order.  All preflight, passenger briefing, run-up and pre-take off checks done, we had been cleared to the North-East, to line up on 36L (once a couple of landing planes were down), and stay on the runway heading until advised.  So far, so good, and cleared for take off while lining up.

It stayed good for only a few more seconds.  With a heavy plane and the short runway, I elected for a maximum performance take-off, opened the throttle on the brakes and then let go.  It was about 5 seconds into the take-off run when the white noise started.  All I could hear while lifting off was a torrent of static and the very faint voice of the circuit controller talking to other traffic.

No time to do anything at present, I thought, just get the aircraft into a climb, clean up and the reassess the situation.  I carried straight on as cleared but now could barely hear anything over the static.  I levelled off at 1200', closed the throttle to 2300rpm and the radio became a little clearer.  However, the controller could neither hear me, nor detect my transponder (yes, it was on mode C).  With the controller talking and me responding with transmit pulses I got myself onto the Scott departure track and requested a return to land.

With the throttle closed further to about 1900 rpm the radio became clearer and we could now talk to each other.  I had checked all the headsets, circuit breakers and changed radio sets (two radios on WAM) and all had made no difference.  I tried the throttle again and back came the static at anything above 2000 rpm.  Having been cleared right hand downwind for 36R, the approach went well, holding at about 65 knots on final with 4 up to try a precision landing and get off the runway ASAP - there was a fair bit of other traffic about.  That worked well, I stopped with plenty of room to taxi off at "Charlie" and back to the club.

I reported the problem to instructor Peter who went off to take WAM up to assess.  I was offered JGP as that was free but there was no time for another flight.  We all went back to the car just as a few spots of rain started to fall so probably all for the best.

About an hour later I phoned the club and spoke to Peter.  He hadn't got up for a test flight as the weather turned bad pretty soon after we left.  So, no diagnosis as yet but I reckon it must have been interference from the engine as below about 1900 rpm all was fine and above 2100 rpm I could hardly hear the tower and they could neither hear me nor detect the transponder.  Interesting... anyone have a suggestion?

I did get up to fly earlier this week, on Monday with the best weather for some time.  I took the Arrow for a bit of manoeuvring and a few circuits off 25 in a moderate 12 knot or so westerly.  This all went well apart from my first steep turn which was a bit "rusty" but all landings were good.  So, things did go right at least once this week.

WEATHER!!!!!

Those of you in NZ will not be surprised that I have not been flying this past week.  High winds, plenty of rain and snow (down South and on the mountains) have grounded most of us PPLs for much of the past week - and not improving for a few days yet.

So, having caught up with the blogs I follow, I thought I would do a bit of template redesign on mine.  I think it looks better - what do you readers/followers think?  Comments please.
Fingers crossed for the weather this Thursday too (but I'm not getting my hopes up!!)

CIRCUITS IN THE RAIN...

... with the CFI (Chief Flying Instructor)!

    RED SKY IN THE MORNING - SAILORS' (AND VFR PILOTS') WARNING!

Of course, it is the early Spring weather which is really to blame - those fronts keep arriving from over the Tasman Sea - all the way from the West Island (or Australia, if you prefer!!)
Having flown the club's 172s mostly over the Winter I felt in the need of a "refresher" on the Arrow and had booked DQV with CFI, Roger for a couple of hours this morning.  All looked good early on with light winds and overcast at around 2500'.  That started to change, though.
I dragged the plane out of its hangar, preflighted, and wandered back to the club to tell Roger all was well.  He took a look at the book and saw we had two hours and decided a cup of tea and a bit of cake was in order before going up as the weather was starting to close in and it would be circuits only;  plenty of time for that.
So, after a cup of tea, we walked to the plane, started up, called the tower and were cleared to taxi to E1 for runway 18L.  I remembered to "exercise" the prop after the engine run-up (that means bringing the pitch lever back - coarser pitch - until the revs drop and then full fine again three times to get the oil circulating in the constant speed mechanism) but was told off a little for taxying on the brakes - naughty, stresses the undercarriage.
At the holding point it was just starting to rain and everyone was coming home and a quiet circuit quickly became very busy.  We were told there would be a delay for circuits, Grrr!!  At least the air switch on the Arrow meant I was not paying for the time.  It was also starting to rain lightly.  After three landings and several minutes Roger called the tower and asked for a clearance to the East instead of circuits.  That was given and just after the next landing we were cleared to take off from 18L.  We did the pre take-off checks while on the move, turned onto the runway centreline and started to roll without waiting.  Nice and straight back on the column and rotate at about 65 knots, out of runway, quick squeeze of the brakes and gear up, fuel pump off, 80 knots and climbing, flaps up then climbing power and pitch - all done pretty smoothly and with no hesitation.  So far, so good.
Even better; at 500' indicated (300' agl) we were recleared for circuits by the tower.  I thanked them, read back the clearance and turned crosswind to start my first circuit.  Visibility was not good (great British understatement, it was b****y awful; I would not have been going up on my own) and it was taking longer than usual to spot traffic ahead - white painted planes in rain haze against light grey, lowish cloud are not easy to pick out.  Good job there were two pairs of eyes in the cockpit.
The first approach was Ok but I let the speed bleed off a bit too much and was only 60 knots at a half mile out.  Too slow in the Arrow as Roger correctly pointed out to me.  That was rectified by a bit of throttle and nose down and we flew onto the runway nicely but I was a bit slow closing the throttle and the flare went on for a good 100 metres or so - OK on the 6000' 18L but might have been interesting on a short grass strip.
After that, all went pretty well.  Speeds correct on the approach, only 25º flap because of the crosswind and flare pretty near perfect and two smooth touch and goes.  The weather was getting progressively worse, visibility barely more than the circuit dimensions so we called for a full stop, this time on 18R, the 625m (2050') paved/grass strip parallel to the main runway.  Precision landing, then, full flap and about 65 knots over the threshold, putting the wheels down pretty much on the numbers but a little to the right close to the grass edge, quickly corrected, though and a straight landing roll to the end and taxi off.  Strictly speaking, we should have refuelled but Roger looked out and muttered about the rain coming down and told me to taxi to the hangar.  There had been 110 litres in at the start and we had only been going for 40 minutes so at least we weren't leaving the plane totally empty for the next flyer.
Nice one, thanks Roger.  He hadn't seen any major problems with my flying and suggested I go up solo soon on a better day and do some steep turns and stalls.  I made a booking in DQV for two weeks today.  (I have 172, WAM booked for next week).  Fingers crossed for the weather!!

MORE CIRCUITS AND A NIGHTIME CROSSCOUNTRY

THURSDAY 26th AUGUST

It isn't often I get to go flying twice in one day but today was the day - great stuff!!!
I had booked Robin/Alpha WKF for a couple of hours in the morning.  It was one of those cool but humid late Winter/early Spring Waikato mornings with a bit of mist early on but clear around the airfield by mid-morning with a lot of low cloud and mist patches still lingering all around the outskirts of the city and the hills with no wind (variable 3 knots was the call on the ATIS).  Circuits then thought I.
Now, I hadn't flown an Alpha for a good few weeks and it showed at first.  The 160hp engine in these little birds produces a fair bit of torque and needs (subjectively at least) a fair bit more right boot on the rudder on the take off roll than a Cherokee or 172.  I was a bit wimpish on the rudder on the initial take off, drifting well to the left and to add to my embarrassment on instructor Ash was lining up behind and gave a quick, "More right rudder, Barry" over the intercom.  Thanks, Ash, I was just getting around to that, honest!!
After that, things were fine.  I did six pretty decent circuits, including a flapless and glide approach with all landings OK so was quite pleased.  The weather appeared to be improving, too so maybe my booked night cross country to Auckland was going to happen.......

1645: phoned the club, with the weather report in front of me and spoke to Ash.  He quizzed me on my thoughts on the weather, the only possible problem being the predicted cloud in the Tamaki (Auckland) area at 2000 feet.  From the Auckland ATIS this had yet to arrive so I said I thought it was OK to go and Ash didn't object.

1745: after an early dinner I packed up my gear (headset, cellphone, headtorch, spare torch and batteries, map, AIP volume 4) and headed to the club.  The place was deserted but I had been given the code for the gate and went in to preflight WAM.  Everything OK - just some fuel needed.

1815: Ash had arrived and gave me the key to start up the plane and get some fuel.  He had phoned Auckland - no chance of a landing there due traffic and it had started to rain; still all clear at Hamilton, however.  As a compromise we would do a short x-country to the North on track to Auckland and turn back if and when the weather started to deteriorate.

1845: gassed up, started up and cleared to depart over the city 2500 feet or below, we left off runway 36R.  Ash had got me to set up the track to Auckland on the GPS as a guide.  I set the course I had written down on my flight plan, 305º magnetic, having allowed 9º drift to the East (right) and it turned out to be an underestimate of the wind as I needed to track 300ºM to stay on course.  Not that it was a problem - the lights of Hamilton city were bright and clear leading my eye northwards to the parallel ribbons of yellow light marking the course of highway 1 to Auckland

1900-1930: Past the familiar landmarks of the lake and hospital (bright lights by a "black hole"), Te Rapa dairy factory and racecourse (another "black hole"), I could recognise the lights marking Horotiu (quite faint) and Ngaruawahia (bright).  It took me a moment or so to pick out Taupiri - to the right of Ngaruawahia and could the see the flashing red light on Huntly power station.  We carried on past Huntly dodging around a small patch of isolated cloud downwind of the power station - ? due to effluent from the station chimneys.  We were just north of Te Kauwhata and thinking of turning back when Ash decided to have a little "fun" with me.

"I have control,  put your head down and close your eyes while I fly around a bit", said Ash.  After about a minute I was told to open my eyes, head up and take control.  "Right, get us on track back to Hamilton".  A quick look at the DI showed a North-easterly heading so I reckoned Hamilton was to our right (South) and it only took a quick look around to locate the power station and a steady right turn to get us on track.  That was all fine and the Ash asked me where we were.  I thought we were at either Rangiriri or Te Kauwhata.  I could see Springhill prison (very bright - good landmark) and we were just South of that so should be at Te Kauwhata but I couldn't locate the small town - why?; because I was right overhead and couldn't see the lights.  Took a minute of so to work that out, duh!!

Then a bit more fun.  I was head down again, unusual attitude this time.  While head down, I got my brain focused to look at the AH (artificial horizon) as soon as I was head up as that should give me an instant idea of the plane's attitude.  This worked - as soon as Ash said, "Head up, you have control", I focused on the AH which showed a steep angle of bank to the left and nose down = spiral dive. Checked throttle closed, wings level with aileron and ease back the column out of the dive.  We had been descending at > 1000fpm and pretty soon were climbing at a similar rate once I put some throttle on again.  I levelled out to a gentler climb rate and was soon back at 2500' where we had started.  I had got it all sorted out without delay and think (?hope) Ash was suitably impressed.
Ash had one other tip for night cross-country regarding terrain avoidance;  if you can see lights below you, you are clear.

1930-2000;  It was now time to get back home and we set course to the South.  We could see the mist starting to form around Hamilton and had seen the deteriorating weather further North (rain in Auckland).  We finished with a couple of circuits which were OK but not enough flare on the landings probably because I have done all my previous night flying in the Alphas (which you don't flare much or you can strike the tail - they have a ventral fin).

2015;  Home, time for a beer!  Great fun tonight and thank you very much, Ash.  Must do it again next year and maybe we will get to Auckland then!