HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Tuesday 22nd January

Well yes, a Happy New Year to all who read this.  It has been a while since the last post but, thanks to weather, aircraft in maintenance, etc., I only managed one more flight between the last post and Christmas (a few circuits in C172, JGP) and today was my first flight of the New Year.

Today was another type rating flight in Tecnam P2008, WIP with instructor, Andrew who I have done all but one of my flights in the Tecnams with.  The weather was fine, 26ºC but a bit of a crosswind, 040º at 12 knots gusting 18 according to the ATIS so could be a little challenging.

We got off to a good start.  I didn't forget anything important on pre-start, run-ups, etc. and my rudder/brake tap-dance is getting better (castoring nose-wheel) for taxiing.  The first circuit was going pretty well until very late downwind when the tower switched from a normal approach to 36R to a short approach for 36L.  Andrew instructed me to raise the flaps and get the nose down as we needed to lose height quicker than having the flaps down would allow.  that was OK but on short final I went to full flap which, in retrospect. probably wasn't the best idea with the cross wind and I got into a bit of a rather-slow, round out and kick-straight too early mess of a touch and go!  Oh, dear.  Never mind, Andrew said he would talk me through the next one.

So, he did and with a bit of gentle instruction and only 15º flap the next touch and go on 36R was pretty good with more or less correct crosswind technique and reasonably good management of attitude/speed and throttle/height on approach.  It got better over the next couple of circuits with less instruction from Andrew and a more relaxed self and at the start of the fifth (I think) circuit he said he would hop out after the next landing and let me "off the leash" to go round on my own.

The wind was proving a bit variable as on the second to last dual circuit the windsock was pointing pretty much straight down the runway and there was virtually no drift on final and there was only minor drift on the landing to let Andrew out.

So, out Andrew hopped and I was on my own.  I had time for about three circuits.  On the first one I was a bit high on base (less weight on board) but closed the throttle and, having seen the windsock at the downwind was straight down the runway once again, selected full flap and a nice, straight, smooth landing resulted.  The next circuit was much the same except I closed the throttle a bit more on late downwind with the result that my approach was a bit easier to control.  On the final approach the crosswind was back again (aren't variable winds annoying?!) so it was 15º flap only, left rudder and right aileron as I rounded out but, the round out was a tad too soon so I ended up floating down the runway with the left wing in the air for what seemed an age (but was probably between 5 and 10 seconds) before the speed decayed enough for the right mainwheel to touch down - surprisingly smoothly with only a wee couple of bumps as the left main and then the nosewheel touched down.  A small amount of brake and I was able to taxi off at Delta, crossing 36L and then onto the grass to avoid a C152 which was waiting on the sealed taxiway.  After-landing checks and then back to the club.

A quick chat to Andrew who was pleased with my Tecnam progress and reckons I am only a flight or two (plus the theory stuff) away from the type rating.  Cool!