ETFtOO = Enigma Tales From the Obsidian Order
Just had a comment from a guy called Mark (see comment below) who has found my Blog and is doing the same as myself. Learning to fly helicopters that is, not random ranting about poetry and science...although they are strangely linked... I digress... He has kindly sent across his blog and I challenge you all to have a gander. It makes compelling reading and has a familiarity that that i recognise oh so well. The flying malarkey is one funky mother of a subject!
Here is his blog - http://user5850040.wordpress.com/
Right back to studying for my Nav exam and trying to write back dated blogs for the three flights I'm behind on. Before that I must self-flagellate and wear my barbed wire garter in penance for not keeping up to date with the blog.
Safe flying in the mean time!
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Friday, 16 September 2011
03.09.11
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet.
Hmmm don't I know it! It has been the bane of my flying life to date. it has held back my solo flights for almost 15 hrs worth of flying meaning I have to squeeze them in now at the end. I have found a useful site though that shows weather RADAR over the UK (Sorry for my non UK followers). Its called 'Raintoday?'.
So the day went like this, rain rain rain, low clouds rain, no rain, but still low clouds. But what the heck, I'm neither sugar nor salt, I won't dissolve! at least that is what my Mum told me for many years to get me out of the house and out of her hair. With only 900 feet to Cloud Base and only 7 knots of wind the only thing we could do was 'play on the airfield'. We had a good go at Double angle approaches which does exactly what it says on the tin. you approach from two angles the initial being high and shallow then transferring into a steeper angle to the area of landing. This is a key skill for confined space landing. The next was the HOGE approach (High Out of Ground Effect). Essentially what it says, you start High above the Landing zone (LZ) and slowly reduce your height till you eventually, and gently, land. The assosiated risks with this are you may not have enough power to abort the approach depending on weight, atmospherics, altitude or even the way your downdraft is affected by the surrounding obstacles. Always a good idea to mind out how much power you need to hover and also how high you can hover before not being able to climb anymore, bearing in mind not to go above the maximum power limitations for your aircraft. In this case my Instructor Dave got me to limit my power to 27 inches manifold pressure and we climbed till we stopped at about 100 foot above the ground. this we conducted on the airfield before going slightly off the airfield to the neighboring woods to nestle ourselves in a small space. because we had done this check we were confident that should we have to abort the approach from HOGE without any issues. The hardest part of this maneuver is not being able to see exactly what is below and only using reference points ahead and to either side. Having said that before making any confined area approach it is prudent (stupid not to do) to do a couple orbits of the area at around 500 feet and then again at 300 before making your approach. This enables you time to spot anyone or anything (cows, cars, crows, cables, cabbages etc (not just things that begin with 'C')) moving into the area which would require a go around or to abort the approach. As we did our orbit I could just make out a trailer through the trees so we did an extra couple 'laps of honor' to make sure it was not being used and no one near before going in. Once in and having done practice on the airfield first, we did a towering take off out of the area and round for another go. All in all a very useful and enjoyable exersize. It pulled together consolodated my real world flying and also my Sim flying skills.
Also on the airfield we did some more Zero-Zero and Run-on landings which all went really well. The finnal thing we did prior to doing confined space was limited power take offs. Apart from the weather it was a very enjoyable flight. Cheers Dave!
33.5hrs flying at this point, 1hr of which is solo
Pictures and videos to follow
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet.
Hmmm don't I know it! It has been the bane of my flying life to date. it has held back my solo flights for almost 15 hrs worth of flying meaning I have to squeeze them in now at the end. I have found a useful site though that shows weather RADAR over the UK (Sorry for my non UK followers). Its called 'Raintoday?'.
So the day went like this, rain rain rain, low clouds rain, no rain, but still low clouds. But what the heck, I'm neither sugar nor salt, I won't dissolve! at least that is what my Mum told me for many years to get me out of the house and out of her hair. With only 900 feet to Cloud Base and only 7 knots of wind the only thing we could do was 'play on the airfield'. We had a good go at Double angle approaches which does exactly what it says on the tin. you approach from two angles the initial being high and shallow then transferring into a steeper angle to the area of landing. This is a key skill for confined space landing. The next was the HOGE approach (High Out of Ground Effect). Essentially what it says, you start High above the Landing zone (LZ) and slowly reduce your height till you eventually, and gently, land. The assosiated risks with this are you may not have enough power to abort the approach depending on weight, atmospherics, altitude or even the way your downdraft is affected by the surrounding obstacles. Always a good idea to mind out how much power you need to hover and also how high you can hover before not being able to climb anymore, bearing in mind not to go above the maximum power limitations for your aircraft. In this case my Instructor Dave got me to limit my power to 27 inches manifold pressure and we climbed till we stopped at about 100 foot above the ground. this we conducted on the airfield before going slightly off the airfield to the neighboring woods to nestle ourselves in a small space. because we had done this check we were confident that should we have to abort the approach from HOGE without any issues. The hardest part of this maneuver is not being able to see exactly what is below and only using reference points ahead and to either side. Having said that before making any confined area approach it is prudent (stupid not to do) to do a couple orbits of the area at around 500 feet and then again at 300 before making your approach. This enables you time to spot anyone or anything (cows, cars, crows, cables, cabbages etc (not just things that begin with 'C')) moving into the area which would require a go around or to abort the approach. As we did our orbit I could just make out a trailer through the trees so we did an extra couple 'laps of honor' to make sure it was not being used and no one near before going in. Once in and having done practice on the airfield first, we did a towering take off out of the area and round for another go. All in all a very useful and enjoyable exersize. It pulled together consolodated my real world flying and also my Sim flying skills.
Also on the airfield we did some more Zero-Zero and Run-on landings which all went really well. The finnal thing we did prior to doing confined space was limited power take offs. Apart from the weather it was a very enjoyable flight. Cheers Dave!
33.5hrs flying at this point, 1hr of which is solo
Pictures and videos to follow
Sunday, 4 September 2011
GOING SOLO...
28.08.11
...no, not down in Alcapulco. That was loco not solo!
"I was already beginning to realize that the only way to conduct oneself in a situation where bombs rained down and bullets whizzed past, was to accept the dangers and all the consequences as calmly as possible. Fretting and sweating about it all was not going to help."
‘Roald Dahl - Going Solo’.
‘Roald Dahl - Going Solo’.
By the grace of God alone there were no bullets or bombs raining down over Bournemouth this weekend however there was just cause to sweat a fret. Today saw another set of flights after a break of about four weeks. Only one word to describe the break in flying - Brutal! So once again after miserable weather and also cancelled flights due to the Bournemouth airshow, I’m back in the saddle.
While mentioning the airshow, a tragic event happened when Flt Lt Egging’s Hawk T1 Red Arrows display team aircraft crashed moments after doing a fly-by of Bournemouth airport, prior to landing for the day. Results as to the cause of the crash are a long way off with Military Air Crash Investigators inspecting the wreckage. I'm sure I can speak for all aviators by saying our heart felt sympathy and thoughts are with Flt Lt Egging’s Wife and family and also his colleagues in the RAF.
Todays flights were to say the least monumental...and a bit mental on its own. The conditions were in now shorter terms, perfect. After a thorough A check of the aircraft, myself and my Instructor Carl set off to do a few circuits north of tha airfield. After three circuits back to back with Carl 'observing' (he siad he would say nothing and let me get on with it), we landed on the hard at the end of taxi way Tango and he got out. his parting words before heading off for a coffee were, "you've got till half ten so go and have a play and do what you like". Carl is Northern (don't hold it against him) so after translating the previous statement it was obviously read as - go and do perfect circuits and perfect landings as best you can staying away from everything and everyone and not breaking anything and be back and landed by half ten. "Wilco" I chirped with a hint of glee and if I'm perfeectly truthful a larger dolop of 'Holy crap!'. Carl casualy walked off into the distance to a waiting brew, not looking back and conffident that I would do as crypticly requested. 'Like a Swan' I thought. Calm and gracefull and not perturbed on the surface but going like the clappers underneath! I hope he didn't worry too much.
After getting into the hover, checking T's &P's (Temperatures and Pressures) were in the green (Showing green on the guages - Green = good Red = Uber Bad) no warning lights and performed a spot turn to ensure there was no other traffic on the ground or air that would interfere with my moment, I eased the cyclic forward and comitted to translational lift. The first thing that struck me was how heavy Carl weighed. Now he's not the tallest of blokes and isn't carrying excess weight but he must have lead feet as when i lifted the collective a fraction I shot up like a rocket. (only teasing Carl! I'll be paying for that comment for hours to come).
The circuit went really well with only one disturbing thing being the fact that the theme tune to '64 Zoo lane', a kids cartoon, was going through my head through the whole flight till i shut down the aircraft at 10:30. My first aproach to the HTA was a little high so I ran on into the open space beyond instead of wrestling her down and risking Ring Vortex. Second Circuit was as good as the first with my aproach, if I do say so myself, absolutley spot on. I could have landed her on a 50p piece. the third circuit also was good and the second landing went well although my aproach was a little shallow but not unacceptable. Once in the hover I checked my watch and I had 3 mins to spare so a quick call to bournemouth tower to request taxi to bourmouth helicopters and a short hover taxi later, I was shutting down ready for a break till the second flight. All in all a very very enjoyable flight that went better than expected. Four more solo hours to go!Flight 2
Well fortunatlely we did the solo in the morning as the wind had picked up from 7 knots to 12 by the time we got out for the second flight of the day.
We headed out to the north and climbed to 2400 feet to do some Advanced Autorotations. We limited ourselfves at 2400 feet as Solent controled airspace is at 2500. The weather was starting close in with rain clouds building. The clouds were very localised and the showers well defined underneath them. Towering columbs of water bimbling across the land. We could skirt round them with no issue. It looked very impressive.
HASEL checks - Height - suffisicent
Area - sloping, obstructions, people, cattle
Secure - no loose objects in cockpit
Engine - T's and P's in the green, no warning lights
Look out - other aircraft ahead, behind, left and right and above and below
When we got to a suitble large flat and clear area we started having a ply with autorotations. Starting at 60 knots IAS and performing a standard auto, then onto 70 knots IAS and seeing the distance change we could achieve. Shortly followed by 40 knots IAS. I've stated IAS (Indicated Air Speed) deliberately on each as the last auto we did was showing 25 knots IAS, however we were deffinatey at zero knots across the ground, if not a little backwards, indicating the wind at 2000 to 2400 feet was stronger than the 12 knots we left in.
We headed back to the airfield to do a couple of engine off's in the hover, which went well and then back to Bournemouth Helicopters for 'Tea and Medals'. A very enjoyable and informative day.
Roll on the next session!
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