Welcome One and All to my Blog. This space on the World Wide Web will be used to pass on my progress through my Helicopter Flight Training. It will begin with my Private Pilots License and hopefully anything that follows on from there. Please feel free to leave comments or ask questions. I'll keep it up to date as much as possible
"Only the insane have the strength enough to prosper. Only those who prosper may truly judge what is sane"
That is my favour I think. On a similar vein...
"The only justifiable risk is one that can do more harm to the enemy than it can to you. All risks must be calculated in your favour. Otherwise you are fighting for the enemy!"
Imperium Tactica
I took a calculated tisk today and sat my Nav exam. To all intents and purposes it shouldn't be such an ordeal as, mentioned in a previous post, I teach navigation to crews of the RNLI's lifeboats surrounding the UK Ireland and Isle of Mann who go out regularly in all weather conditions to save lives of those in distress at sea. An environment where navigation has to be good, accurate and robust to get you to the casualty and home safely. Yet still I have found issues with the air Nav. the chief instructor at Bournemouth helicopters, Gary Ellson, is currently doing maritime navigation study and he too is finding the cross over frustrating and not as easy as it should be with previous Nav experience. It is the subtle differences and the major similarities that make up for half the battle.
Anyhew, I sat the exam and managed a comfortable 80%. some silly is takes and to be honest two marks were dropped because I ran out of time and had to throw a couple guesses in there while a bit stressed. I got stressed more because I had a moment of doubt with some of my earlier answers as I reached the last two questions with 1 minute to go.
now that I have passed this exam I can now at last get on with my cross country qualifier flight which I believe will be down to Exeter via Compton Abbas and back to Bournemouth. A round trip of approximately 3 hours, the suggestion was made of flying round Compton Abbas for over two hours but then I discovered I had to land and get people at each place to sign a chitty to say I had been there. To be honest I'm looking forward to going to other airfields as I’ve always returned to Bournemouth with only landings done in remote locations run by the administrative workings of sheep or squirrels.
To the next exams - Meteorology, Principals of flight and Performance and Planning
Having been nose into the books lately on Nav and progressing through the Aviation based witticisms compared to the Maritime Nav I have for taught for years, I have come to appreciate that Nav is such a huge subject it is impossible to learn all there is to know. Physically impossible.
When I started the Air Nav studying I was shown a very useful method by one of my part time instructors, Mike Odonihughe (mentioned in other posts to date), with regards to using the ‘Whizz Wheel’ or CRP-1 or Flight computer or E6B or whatever you want to call it. I feel obliged to put this picture of Mr Spock from Star Trek up as everyone who has ever put a post of this subject has used the same picture.
Sorry had to be done.
The analogue flight computer has been around since the late 1930’s and was developed in theUnited Statesby Naval Lt. Philip Dalton.
In this picture is Capt Claude W. Cambell’s crew in the 303rd Bomb Group at Molesworth, England. Circa 1943.
The design hasn’t changed much over the years and still carries the same functionality today as it was intended back then. The ability to perform very complex algebraic equations without even using a pencil is pretty impressive. Because of the lack of batteries and the reduced chance of it ceasing to function correctly without driving over it with a large vehicle, the flight computers are still a major part of navigation training for all types of aircraft. If you can do it on one of these then it can only get easier with the use of technology, however if technology fails you have to be able to take over and do it the ‘Old Fashioned’ way.
For my examples the sharp witted will notice I’m using the Pooley’s CRP-5 which is the larger commercial variant on the CRP-1. This is because I intend on going commercial with my flying and learning on this now would make sense instead of adapting to it later. Start out as you mean to go on.
So here goes for an example of using the Computer to work out GS and Headings.
First information we need is the Direction and strength of the wind. This is best got from a met form 214 and 215. I’ve’ linked skylinkweather.com where it can be sourced with ease. Another very good resource is Skydemonlight.com for route planning. I could write a blog on just this so I’ll leave it for now.
I digress. Now you have your wind direction and speed for the area and height you are going to be flying you set the central blue dot at the Zero position for wind speed as shown in the picture.
Now you can make a mark at the value of your wind speed below this blue dot. This method is the Dot Down method. The other option is to put the blue dot over your intended aircraft speed and subtracting the wind speed from it. This is the Dot Up method. In both methods you must set your wind direction where it says True Heading at the top of the protractor before using a permanent or non permanent pen. Permanent can be removed by scribbling over it using a non permanent pen and wiping off. Using non permanent means there is a risk of wiping it off prematurely. The same goes for marking on your chart. In this case my wind is blowing 20 knots from 120 degrees.
Which ever method you are using, once you have marked your dot for the wind you can now dial up your first heading. As you can see my air speed is set at 70 knots and the effects of the wind from the direction it is travelling, I will end up being pushed 16 degrees to the right of my intended track and also it is showing my ground speed as 68 knots. It doesn’t end here I’m afraid. There is a process where you have to now take this into account to get back on track with the wind effects and you ‘wiggle’ the dial till you get something that looks right. It is called balancing the drift. YOu take the amount off track you are then alter your course back that amoutn to cancel it off then take the next error and do the same till you reduce the error and get a final bearing. A bit like 'boat builder's eye' (Arm out stretched, looking past thumb and stating "that's straight enough"). Ok so that’s not the party line however I couldn’t understand this process until Mike O'Donoghue, one of my part time Instructors and the Chief Executive of GASCo (General Aviation Safety Council), showed me an easier to understand method. His comments were “It’s not an exact science but its good enough for government work and is within 1 or 2 degrees of the other method”. That was enough to sell it to me! It does work out with the same possible errors as doing it 'by eye' so ‘jobs a good un’.
So what you do at this stage is you take a straight edge and draw a line down from the ‘red’ dot keeping in line with the lower grid as shown in the picture
Now to correct the errors as briefly eluded to above, instead of ‘wiggling’ it aimlessly till it looks right (my personal take on the other method) you rotate the disk till the red line runs parallel to the drift lines. In this example it would mean your course to steer to remain on track is about 179 or 180 degrees. The picture isn’t very good and the line is not very square and should read 180, but you get the idea.
From this point you can move on to your next leg. Unless further legs are close to your initial leg you can leave the mark on so you can check your working out later, however for longer routes with similar legs it is prudent to clean these marks off. Another tactic is to use different colours. On a CRP-1 you will have no problems with this however using the CRP-5 you may find in helicopter world where your True Air Speed (TAS) can be quite low compared to a fixed wing, there is a chance the resultant dot ends up below the zero line. if this does happen the speed cannot be acurately read. After a robust Q&A session involving two other instructors (as neither had come acoss this method) it was agreed that the way round it was to apply some simple and logical trigonometry and double all values inputted and half the resultant. for example 60 knots TAS would become 120 and my wind speed if 120 degrees at 30 knots would be 60 knots. This would result in 66 knots at 151 degrees. As already mentioned, half this to give 33 knots.
As you can see using the CRP-1 there is less need to double your values as the scale goes as low as 20 knots.
I hope this has been of use as the other method can be confusing if you are afflicted by dyslexia as I am
01.10.2011 Newton's Law states that what goes up, must come down. Our Company Commander's Law states that what goes up and comes down had damn well better be able to go back up again.
— sign in the Operations Office of the 187th Assault Helicopter Company, Tay Ninh, Viet Nam, 1971
This was probably the best day I’ve seen yet for flying, with no clouds (although some for/smog/haze first thing) 22 degrees of stunning sunshine and all morning booked for flights. Yes that’s right 22 degrees on the first of October in the UK...un believable!
After spending the first hour and a bit doing some ground school on Nav it was time to go flying and head off to the north west to have another play at Advanced autos – PFL’s (Practiced Forced Landings).
Sadly I had tried to get my Nav exam done yesterday but missed it by two marks because I made some very very (kicking myself while I type this) very silly school boy errors. Simple things like forgetting to change the wind strength and direction on the second leg of the exam route. I teach navigation to maritime students and there is a large list of similarities however there are also a lot of differences. The first being pretty high and not able to stop and say ‘hey I’m not sure where I am I’ll stop here and do a three point fix and check my nav legs’. You do that in a helicopter the results are self explanatory. The next is VOR’s and NDB’s and other acronyms that are similar and confusing. Needless to say I had a few wrong with those questions. The worst part being that I had missed a pass by two marks. If I had got my ‘Ducks in a row’ and got my wind correct I would have passed. Bugger!
Start of 306
Anyhew, today saw some good study with my Instructor Dave, then off we went. I have done a few Advanced autos to date now and they are getting to be almost second nature, that was until Dave introduced some more things to do like making MAYDAY calls, trying to re engage the engine and if that fails shutting off the mags, fuel and master power after making your mayday call then calling “Brace! Brace! Brace!” for my passengers to let them know that we were making an emergency landing (because shouting “shit shit shit shit shit shit “ wouldn’t be enough). See the article a few below titled ‘Helicopter pilots are different’. It sums up the expectations to crash at any moment so in reality you would be very calm in such an event as you would be expecting it from the moment you take to the skies.
Almost at bottom of 360
We had an additional thing to think about during all of this as Bournemouth RADAR were having issues with their RADAR system and could only give us a very limited service, so our eyes were even more peeled than normal. It was fairly busy up there due to the weather but we had no issues and everyone stayed out of everyone’s way.
After about five autos involving left and right turns, 180 turns and 360 turns we made our way back to Bournemouth airport.
A very enjoyable and informative day. A pleasure to fly with Dave as always and what a fantastic day for it. Here’s hoping tomorrows flights get the same weather and steady(not mad) traffic.
Back at EGHH
Looking forward to see what Carl has in store for me.
You’ll notice I have put a few posts in today. I have been a bit behind with them with work taking up a lot of time but I’m back up to date now. All I have to try and do now is try and get a good video editor to get the videos up as Pinnacle 15 is pants!
A student became lost during a solo cross-country flight. While attempting to locate the aircraft on radar, ATC asks, "What was your last known position?" The reply: "When I was number one for takeoff".
So the day started well with sadly no flights booked but a need to book some more so I got shore leave to go and see the gang at Bournemouth Helicopters and get some more slots booked. As I pulled up my instructor Carl was walking towards me with a look on his face that was quite hard to decipher. It was either confusion or trapped wind. So I went with confusion and ask how he was. “I was literally just texting you there”, “that will save you 10 pence” I said, forgetting to find out if the situation was serious or not.
Fortunately it was to find out if I was free to go for a solo as one of the Schweitzer’s was free and the weather was perfect for soloing. Result!
And that was that. I got my flight plan done and the aircraft checks completed then it was time to commit aviation.
Once again an odd feeling doing it all by myself and not having flown first, landing then being deserted by my instructor before flying some more.
My plan was to go north to Ringwood Lakes then west to my turning point at Sturminster Marshal 12 miles away, then south for 5 miles to Rockley point and turn north for Wimbourne and then back to the lakes for a normal Northerly VFR to the airfield.
Turning at Sturminster
Compared to the day before the coms were so quiet, almost eerily quiet. Not a bad thing I might add. The route I had planned kept me ‘In the Zone’, so still in controlled airspace, Class D, compared to the Class G uncontrolled airspace I flew in the day before. This gave me a bit of comfort in that the Controllers were fully aware of everything in that area and to a very high level of accuracy. That meant if they knew where I was and they knew where every other aircraft was, then the chance of me having an airborne altercation was at the very low end of the scale. Phew!
Over Rockley and turning port to
pass over RNLI College
Each leg went really well with my turns being made right over where I wanted to make them and the times were a lot closer to my plan than I had expected. My instructor Carl was flying with a trial lesson student over Sandbanks and Old Harry rocks just outside Poole Harbour. It was comforting to know he was up there with me and not too far away. Although I must admit there is nothing he could have done if I had a problem. So it was more a psychological assistance than anything else.
My return leg to Wimbourne from Rockley took me over the RNLI Lifeboat College where I work as an Instructor, which doesn’t sound like too big a deal but I had taken two days TOIL (Time Off In Lieu) so I could see my colleagues feverishly working below me as I calmly and very casually flew over them. It’s the little things in life!
On HTA as Oil Spill Responce
C-130 taxis to a stop
My final leg to the airport went really smoothly and I stop in the hover at the HTA where I asked permission to operate on the HTA for a further 10 minutes. An opportunity to do hover skills, solo, that could not be turned down. After a few manoeuvres I returned to Bournemouth Helicopters and let down and shut down with ATC.
A perfect day, perfect weather, a very enjoyable flight and the icing on the cake was the fact that I had only turned up to book some flights. I just hope the weather gets better for a bit longer before the UK Autumn/ Winter season gets hold preventing my flying.
I think this just about sums up the whole flying thing better than this whole blog and any books ive read to date on the subject -
There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying.
The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
Pick a nice day, it suggests, and try it.
The first part is easy.
All it requires is simply the ability to throw yourself forward with all your weight, and willingness not to mind that it's going to hurt.
That is, it's going to hurt if you fail to miss the ground.
Most people fail to miss the ground, and if they are really trying properly, the likelihood is that they will fail to miss it fairly hard.
Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.
One problem is that you have to miss the ground accidentally. It's no good deliberately intending to miss the ground because you won't. You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else when you're halfway there, so that you are no longer thinking about falling, or about the ground, or about how much it's going to hurt if you fail to miss it.
It is notoriously difficult to prise your attention away from these three things during the split second you have at your disposal. Hence most people's failure, and their eventual disillusionment with this exhilarating and spectacular sport.
If, however, you are lucky enough to have your attention momentarily distracted at the crucial moment by, say, a gorgeous pair of legs (tentacles, pseudopodia, according to phyllum and/or personal inclination) or a bomb going off in your vicinity, or by suddenly spotting an extremely rare species of beetle crawling along a nearby twig, then in your astonishment you will miss the ground completely and remain bobbing just a few inches above it in what might seem to be a slightly foolish manner.
This is a moment for superb and delicate concentration.
Bob and float, float and bob.
Ignore all considerations of your own weight and simply let yourself waft higher.
Do not listen to what anybody says to you at this point because they are unlikely to say anything helpful.
They are most likely to say something along the lines of, 'Good God, you can't possibly be flying!'
It is vitally important not to believe them or they will suddenly be right.
Waft higher and higher.
Try a few swoops, gentle ones at first, then drift above the treetops breathing regularly.
DO NOT WAVE AT ANYBODY.
When you have done this a few times you will find the moment of distraction rapidly becomes easier and easier to achieve.
You will then learn all sorts of things about how to control your flight, your speed, your manoeuvrability, and the trick usually lies in not thinking too hard about whatever you want to do, but just allowing it to happen as if it was going to anyway.
You will also learn about how to land properly, which is something you will almost certainly cock up, and cock up badly, on your first attempt.
There are private flying clubs you can join which help you achieve the all-important moment of distraction. They hire people with surprising bodies or opinions to leap out from behind bushes and exhibit and/or explain them at the critical moments. Few genuine hitch-hikers will be able to afford to join these clubs, but some may be able to get temporary employment at them.
— Douglas Adams, 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy,' which I first heard as a teenager on BBC radio 4 in 1996
"...Right from the very start, my life has been strange... I must have missed all the rehearsals..." anon
Today was a glorious day...well at least the wind speed was glorious at only 4 knots when I arrived at Bournemouth Helicopters. My instructor for the day was Carl and he had a plan up his sleeve. That would literally be under his armpit as he wears a short sleeve shirt so I'll stick with the analogy/metaphor/simile and move on with the story. Getting off subject a little there. I have been accused of changing conversation half way through the Mediterranean on a Cruise ship and it was very nice if not a little on the hot side.
Helicopters Helicopters Helicopters... Ah yes, where was I?....
The big plan was to take a flight together up to Fordingbridge north of Bournemouth Airport leaving the zone (aka controlled airspace) turning round and coming back into the zone (still aka controlled airspace). Then on landing I would go up as a solo pilot and do exactly the same again to gain some more solo flights and to get further from the airfield. Best laid plans of mice and men...
Sadly as we went up together there were a few clouds bumbling around dropping tones of water on quiet little Dorset villages. Initially not a problem with only 4 knots of wind, however on our return leg one particularly large deep and wet cloud was powering past the others right over the airfield. As we arrived at BournemouthAirport the heavens opened and that was that. A few quick stops on the HTA and a return to Bournemouth Helicopters saw a tea break and a weather check. Such a down pour was not expected or forecast so now it was a case of sit it out and wait.
After a three hour wait the weather cleared and the cloud base lifted enough for me to go soloing. This was it. All on my lonesome! No Instructor getting out while spooled up on the HTA and leaving me to. It was a case of on you go. So on I went. I did the aircraft checks out side then climbed in and strapped my self in and began the interior checks. Started the engine with all the necessary safety power checks and then made my call to the tower requesting clearance to lift to the north bound for Fordingbridge.
The all clear was given and I raised the collective and taxied to the HTA and then North .
After a couple minutes I got a call from Bournemouth ATC handing me over to Bournemouth RADAR. “…Bournemouth Radar 119.475 G-LC…” and from there a sign in with Bournemouth RADAR using “…Bournemouth RADAR, Student G-TSLC…”. Confirmation of basic service was achieved and reporting leaving the zone accomplished and from there it was up to Fordingbridge, do a lap of honour then return for tea and medals. The coms over the radio were the busiest I’ve heard them making reporting to RADAR a bit laboured. Throughout the flight I had a oneness with the aircraft and my surroundings. It sounds all very melodramatic and wishy washy fluffy clouds nonsense, however I can honestly say I’ve not felt so relaxed and comfortable in a situation where it could all go wrong very quickly and very dramatically. All the troubles in the world ebbed away. On a whole I do feel the most relaxed while flying, which is obviously a good thing. To add to the surreal moment i spotted a worker feeding the fish in a fish farm from the walkways that run out over the water. The photographer in me was taken by this sight as I could just make out his arm moving but the most prominent things I could see were the rings the food pellets made as they hit the water and the fish coming up to the surface to eat them. It all seemed to happen very slowly. Very picturesque.
On I bumbled (with determination and a professional mind I might add. I make it out like I was merrily doing as I pleased with flagrant disregard to aviation law and airmanship) back towards Ringwood lakes for a re-join to controlled airspace. I could not enter the controlled zone come hell or high water until I had clearance from Bournemouth RADAR. This was proving to be impossible due to the increadibly high volume of aircraft taking off and landing, entering and exiting the zone. There were so many that for two Minutes Bournemouth RADAR were taking call signs and saying standby to them all, then at a gap going through the list and completing the coms. To stop myself being in breach of aviation law I was forced to orbit just north of Ringwood lakes for about 10 minutes till I got a gap in the coms. However to add insult to injury I got asked to standby as they were doing a shift change. So I waited a little longer and heard in this time a new voice going through the aircraft in the skies making sure she had the correct information as to their intentions and eventually she got through to me and gave me clearance to re-join. I take my hat off to ATC and RADAR controllers as they have a tough job. My final leg to the airport went really smoothly and I returned to Bournemouth Helicopters and let down and shut down with ATC. “..G-LC, shut down at Bournemouth helicopters, many thanks for your help today...” “...LC all copied, have a good day...”. A really nice end to a very enjoyable flight. Even though the coms were uber busy they went well and I feel a lot more confident now on the radio.
