28 June 2011

CHALLENGING CONDITIONS

Well, challenging for me, at least!!
I turned up to the club at the appointed time of 1000 fully expecting to have a cup of tea and a yarn as conditions looked somewhat marginal to say the least (low cloud surrounding the airport and showers around).  I had the Arrow, DQV, booked for a dual "currency catch-up" with Roger, our CFI as I had not flown the retractable for about 8 months.
Roger had a look outside and pronounced it flyable for some circuits and sent me off to preflight DQV in the hangar as it was actively raining (only a light shower at this stage). Roger duly arrived and we pulled the plane half out of the hangar only just onto the grass, started up and taxied off around two planes parked nearby making a beeline for the nearest concrete taxiway without delay.  The grass was very boggy after further rain and significantly more cut up than last week.
Once on "terra firma", I switched on the radios, got the ATIS (one good thing - no wind to speak of), and was cleared into the circuit off 18.  Now, I will start with the best thing of the whole flight - Roger made no comments about any of my landings.  The only comment was by me that I was a bit off the centreline on my first touch and go to which Roger merely said I would be OK next time.  We did five circuits in all and I remembered gear up and down, power and pitch at the appropriate times.
There were a couple of negatives, though.  We were given a right hand circuit second time around which put us into the moderate shower which was parked to the North and West of the field (also flew into it at the end of downwind on some of the left-handers).  I found myself concentrating on keeping the runway in view that I forgot about the trim change after gear down and slowly drifted down to 800' indicated by the time I turned base.  Remember to fly the aeroplane first was Roger's comment.  I also got a bit high on one approach and a little low on another but had them all sorted out in time to make good touchdowns.
Good fun.  It was not a day I would have been happy about going up alone but as always with Roger it was great value and good for me to fly in "challenging" conditions and to feel current again on a retractable, constant-speed prop type.  Thanks, Rog.   

21 June 2011

SURFACE CONDITION

One look at the photo below tells all.
After the deluge!

TZF - an Alpha 2160 which the club is using at present - possibly because the others are all up for their 2000 hour overhauls - or is this a new club plane? (Still registered to Alpha Aviation)

After about 72 hours of near continuous rain here in the Waikato, this morning dawned bright and clear and should be good to fly.  I had WAM booked for a quick flit over to Tauranga for an expensive coffee.  The ATIS for Hamilton was variable 2 knot wind and sky clear, Tauranga, 7 knots from the South (but from the metservice forecast would be tending more westerly as the morning progressed), sky clear and all grass runways closed (surprise, surprise!!)
What a stunner!!  Well, you can see that from the photos.  There were still a few clouds around the Kaimais at around 2000-2500' but nothing to worry about.  It was fairly quiet around Hamilton and I got a clearance on track Tauranga 2500' or below straight away and once clear of the zone and the 2500'LL controlled space climbed up to 3500', put the autopilot on and sat back to admire the view.
There wasn't too much time to relax, though as it was soon time to get the Tauranga ATIS (wind now 230º at 9 knots, so metservice were right) and I called the tower at the ridge 2 miles south of "Tunnel" reporting point.  Cleared straight to the hospital 2500' or below and once approaching the hospital to join left hand downwind for seal 25.  Once on final I could see that there was a light crosswind, probably about 4 knots so I was crabbing very slightly.  The landing wasn't bad, upwind wheel down first but the flare was a tad late and it felt like the downwind main and nosewheel touched pretty much together so not as nice as I would have liked.

Clouds over the Kaimai ridge - Wairere Falls bottom left

Looking the other way - Mount Te Aroha (952m/3123ft) top left
Then it was off to the Avgas cafe for a brunch of creamy mushrooms and a flat white which went down very nicely, thank you.  Then, with stuff to do at home this afternoon it was time to wing it back to Hamilton.  If anything, the view was better on the way back with a higher sun and a few more clouds on the hills to make it interesting.   The landing back in Hamilton was as perfect as I could wish for.  Light wind, variable 2Kt still on the ATIS, pretty much straight down the  18R runway (you could see the variability as the most northerly windsock was pointing about 30º to the West, the middle one abeam 18R threshold pointing directly North and when I looked after landing the sock at the Southern end was facing directly East!) and so it was full flap and about 65kt over the threshold closing the throttle and rolling the mains dead centre on the narrow seal just beyond the thrashold and I could have stopped in less than half the length of the strip.  Very pleased - wish I could do that every time!!
There is always something, though.  When cleared into the Hamilton zone I was intructed to change frequencies and didn't (well, I thought I had as my finger moved towards the right button on the radio so maybe I didn't press it hard enough or could have accidentally given it a double tap and switched back).  No visual check until I was approaching Matangi and realised I was still on 122.9.  The tower had tried to call me a couple of times and when I did eventually report on 128.6 but were not too annoyed and accepted my apology.  I was very annoyed with myself as this was a glitch that spoiled an otherwise wonderful flight.
That was the third flight in 10 days so June is turning out to be a good month for flying.  Did a few circuits and a short local last Tuesday in WIT and had another go in the Super Cub at Tauranga the Sunday before that (again, a clear day after about 36 hours rain).

07 June 2011

GET CURRENT-ITIS

Well, you've heard of get-there-itis and get-home-itis which can get pilots into trouble or even killed, today for me it was a new "-itis", the getting current type.
I had booked an hour in Archer, WIT, with the intention of doing as many circuits (minimum three) as I felt I needed to feel "current" again.  I had not flown a Cherokee since my flight to Taupo two months ago.
The weather looked OK-ish early on.  The ATIS at 2103 UTC (0903 local) was duty runway 36R - damp, surface wind 360º at 7, visibility 30km, cloud - few at 1200, broken at 3000', temp 14/ dew point 14, QNH 1014 (or 29.94"Hg if you prefer - do any countries other than the USA use that unit any more?) and 2000' wind 320º at 12.  Looking out as I drove to the airport it was pretty obvious some heavy looking showers and low cloud was out to the West and South but over the immediate area of the field that ATIS was about right.
Towards the end of preflight there was just a few spits of rain in the air as a prelude to the main "event".  Everything went fine to begin with - routine engine run-up, pre take-off checks and I took off from 36R without delay and into a left-hand circuit.  That weather was looking a little closer but still clear of the circuit - for now.  My downwind radio call was made fairly late due to radio traffic and was told to make a short approach for 36L.  I was quite close, too, so a glide approach was made with about 45º of bank to get me onto a short final.  I came in a touch fast and did a little skip (rather than a proper bounce) on touching down, throttle forward, flaps to 10 and off again, keeping nice and straight.  Not bad, but not what I would call "current", I thought.  "Climb to circuit height before turning crosswind; right hand circuit", instructed the tower which, looking over to the West seemed sensible - the downwind leg of the left hand pattern was looking a bit dark by now.
Second circuit I had to orbit for separation and the approach was all good with a good touch-and-go and back on a right hand pattern.  The Robin ahead of me had called for a full stop but I still thought it would be OK to do that third circuit to feel properly current.  How wrong I was.
By the time I got to late downwind the weather to the South was deteriorating rapidly.  I was number three behind a Katana which I couldn't see at all through the rain squall which was about 1-1.5 miles South and a bit East of the 36R threshold, so, having got all ready to turn base, I called the tower for his position and was told he was well clear and could turn base when ready.  I turned straight away and within a few seconds the rain hit and visibility became near zero.  Well, considerably less than 500 metres, I reckoned, as I couldn't see the ground or Mystery Creek (which is just below late downwind on that circuit and usually on the right wingtip when turning base).  OK - inadvertently in IMC, so onto the instruments.  I am on base now, 270ºM on the DI, 75 knots with first stage flap, descending around 500fpm and about 900' indicated (700' agl) - about where I should be.  A quick look to the right told me I couldn't see anything of the runways, PAPI lights and could only just make out the white of the terminal and other airport buildings.
I decided to make a rate 1 turn to the right (the Katana was down and there was no-one behind me) reckoning my speed and the Northerly wind would help me clear the rainstorm while on final.  If I still couldn't get a visual the next step would be to call the tower for a position fix.  Once the DI showed 360º I looked out and could now, just, see the airport and it was clear my turn had been too gentle and I was lined up between 36L and the tower.  Well, at least I could see the PAPI lights now between 36L & R so I turned right and then left to line up for runway 36R which was now coming into view.  I landed quite nicely on the now wet runway stopping with minimal braking and taxied back to the club.
Well, that was interesting, I thought.  Having thought about it a bit more in the hours since I am quite pleased with how I coped.  All that PPL training and the night flying over the past few winters paid off as I was able to transition to the instruments quite happily and fly out of trouble (I knew it was clearer over the airport itself).  The only thing I didn't do was have a good look at the GPS which would have guided my turn onto final better.  However, I guess it was good to keep the turn rate 1 to avoid the possibility of disorientation and I knew there was no traffic near me.  Or, bottom line, maybe I should have taken a hint from the Robin and landed on the second circuit!
Oh well, at least I both feel and am current on the Archer and I've got WIT again next week for a couple of hours.  Fingers crossed, as always, for the weather.

06 June 2011

JUMPING THROUGH THE HOOPS

What does this title mean?  The MEDICAL of course.
My last medical expired 26 May and I had an appointment on 16 May to have it here in Hamilton.  As there is no local AMA (Air Medical Assessor), I go to an Occupational Medicine practitioner who is a DME (Designated Medical Examiner), who then sends my results up to Auckland to an AMA to "rubber stamp it.  Don't you just LOVE the bureaucracy!!!  Actually, having to deal with ACC occasionally as part of my work the CAA are pussy cats by comparison!
So, off for the medical, present myself, off down the road to the medical centre about 100 metres away for an ECG, hang around for another 45 minutes as, "He's running late", pee into a pot, have my distance vision checked with and without my specs, and then in to see the doc (probably less intimidating than average for me as I am a medic myself but still a bit nerve-wracking as I love my flying and not ready to give it up yet!).  
Then, an hour later, blood pressure acceptable, ECG fine (no change - I have a minor conduction delay which is considered a "normal variant", i.e.:- nothing to worry about), and no other issues (my eyesight in the right eye has deteriorated slightly in the past two years but vision with glasses unchanged - should be as my prescription has not changed for 4 years).  So, just over 400 dollars later (doctor's fee, ECG, cardiologist sign-off on the ECG, AMA's fee) my results are on their way up North and the waiting game begins.
And quite a waiting game.... 17 days later, I check up that everything has been sent, etc. (because by now, I am a week over and not legal to fly) and, yes, they say, they will check it and give me a call.
Of course, I don't get any call, but, when I arrive home from work the very next day there is a letter from Auckland with my new medical certificate and I am all good to go for another two years (as long as I have my BP monitored by my GP and have an ECG next year).  HOORAY!!!!  Fingers crossed for the weather now.
Sorry this isn't an active flying post but it is relevant to General Aviation.   Any comments on any blog readers medical experiences welcome.  Personally, I think it is money well spent if you are addicted to flying as much as I am - there are worse vices, I reckon.