TECNAM TO TE KOWHAI

Monday 6th December

A beautiful afternoon with sunshine and scattered cloud at 4000 feet so it was good to go up with Chief FI, Roger in Tecnam, WHZ (my fifth time in the Tecnams).  The only slight trouble was the wind which was 250º at 10 knots.  Could be a little challenging for me off runway 18 then which was the duty runway.  After preflighting and starting we got the ATIS which was as above and Roger reckoned we could use 25 for some circuits as it was now about 1545 and the circuit looking quieter (if not, said Roger, there was the option to go to Te Kowhai).  We requested taxi to hold at G1 (just west of the threshold of 18R and north of the 07/25 runways) where we did our run-up and pre-takeoff bits.
I requested circuits off 25 and was told that was approved with a "rider" that we could expect some delays due to IFR traffic.  Roger didn't say anything but his "body language" said, "Stuff that for a game of soldiers" and he said to me that Plan B was now in operation and I asked for a West departure over the city and that was given.  For those of you who don't know, Te Kowhai is a small grass airfield (705m; oriented 05/23) at the opposite end (more or less) of the city from Hamilton International and about the same distance from the centre.   
It didn't take long to get over to Te Kowhai and we joined left base for 23 for a touch and go and into the circuit (left hand).  My first touch and go was by no means perfect but felt acceptable.  On the next I drifted a bit high on late downwind trying to lose speed down to flap operating velocity and was far to high on final.  What to do, asked Roger - well, full flap to start with and when that wasn't enough we tried a side slip with Roger setting it up and then letting me keep it going.  The Tecnam sideslips pretty well and we lost enough height for me to fly onto the runway a short distance from the threshold - not bad.  The next one was OK, too with Roger talking me through and then, as we took off he said, "Now comes the hard bit, do it again without me saying anything"!
So I did and all went well and on final on the circuit after that Roger asked if I wanted to have a go on my own.  Wow!! Goodo!!  We did a full stop and taxied off, Roger doing the tight turn needed to backtrack to the western end taxiway where he got out and told me to a touch and go, then a full stop and pick him up at the same place.
I will admit I was a bit nervous but the first circuit went really well.  I managed to wash off the speed OK on late final to get the first stage of flap down as I turned base and keep it at 60 knots all the way down to about 50' up using a little throttle control to keep on target and after crossing the fence at about 55 knots I guess I touched down at 45-50 and had the flaps back to 15º and the plane in the air less than halfway down the strip.  I allowed myself a little inward smile but not too much - still one more to go.  The full stop landing wasn't such a good approach - I let the nose come up a bit on short final and lost a bit of speed but sorted it out and was able to do a fairly precise landing to stop at the first exit and taxi the short way to pick Roger up.  He said it looked pretty good from where he was standing and looked happy with my efforts.
So, back to Hamilton where we were cleared for a Rukuhia arrival without delay and instructed to join right base for 18.  Hmm! - a 10 knot cross wind for my last landing. This turned out fine with a little bit of help I landed straight with correct cross wind attitude on the smaller 18R and taxied back to the club.  A pleasing afternoon; 1.1 dual and 0.3 P-in-C for the logbook.