Wet dress rehersal

14.09.11

"...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 Bournemouth Airport 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.

Onwards to the next flight and another exam!