Circuits, Circuits, Circuits

Second flight after a long hiatus, this time with primary instructor Adrian Catimel. Conditions were a little tricky with cloud broken and scattered at 1,500 and 3,000 feet respectively. Crosswind of 5-10 knots.

I'm free-trialling an app called CloudAhoy. It uses the iPhone's GPS receiver to track and then display a detailed profile of the flight. Useful in terms of showing track, altitude, and cross-referencing speed, turn rates, flightpath, times, etc.

Check out my flight here: https://www.cloudahoy.com/debrief/?key=OLUB1M8MpVnrG3v4g (the wide downwind leg was due to following an early base leg Foxbat...).

What was planned?

Normal right-hand circuits (normal meaning standard configuration, not flapless or short-field) and Practice Forced Landings (PFLs) if time permitted.

Circuits are standard paths that aircraft follow to coordinate traffic around an airport and runway. They're good for training because each one requires a takeoff, landing, turns, climbing, descending, and the admin, considerations, and contingencies associated with each. I enjoy circuits because they are quite process-intensive, and there's a lot of satisfaction to be gained in improving them.

PFL briefing

ANCA: Aviate – Navigate – Communicate - Administrate

1) Aircraft into wind, Speed for height, 73kts glide

Find a field out the left hand side, then track for hi-key 2,500AGL / lo-key 1,500AGL

2) CFMS checks - immediate actions to try to determine / fix the engine failure.

Carb Heat on

Fuel pump on

Mixture full rich

Mags Both

3)    FMOST checks. After field is selected, and tracking or past 2,500', fly the aircraft, and FMOST presents an opportunity to spend more time trying to fix the engine failure. These are CFMS checks in more detail.

Fuel – check qty, flow, pressure, tanks, pump

Mixture – cycle

Oils – check Ts&Ps

Switches – cycle mags

Throttle – cycle

4)    Mayday, ELT, Squawk 7700

5)    Pax brief – unlatch hatches on base

6)    BUSH checks - this is nearing or on final approach.

Brakes off

Undercarriage – down / fixed

Shutdown – Idle/ICO, MAGS off, Master/Alt off

Hatches open

Harnesses on

7)    2 or 3 flaps only on short final, aim 1/3rd into field

"The point of the Practice Forced Landing pattern is that it uses known measures to try to run the aircraft out of energy by touchdown. Without the PFL format, it's quite difficult to do that and land safely." - Adrian Catimel

What happened?

5 x touch and go's, 1 x go-around (due aircraft on runway), 1 x full stop. No training area for PFLs / stalls / spins, mainly due time, and circuits were going well.

Used Runway 35R, 6 aircraft were in circuit (max), 5-10 kt x-wind.

Adrian is an excellent instructor. Good handover/takeover drills and knows P28A well. Showed proper hand position technique – Left on controls, right resting on throttle housing.

Flaps – settings equal 10, 25, 40 degrees. Down incrementally, up one motion

Level-offs (anticipate 50' prior) and turns going well. R/T good, checks continue to memorise.

Checks coming along well. Glass cockpit changes flow quite a bit from analogue, but kneepad sheets helped. Difficult to find fuel flow / pressure, brake pressure during BUMFOCH pre-landing checks.

What can I do better?

Takeoff – Smooth power, right rudder, aileron into wind.

Upwind – turn at 500’.

Crosswind – Attitude, Speed, Power, Trim.

Downwind – 2350-2450 RPM = halfway on throttle, R/T and BUMFOCH. 2 Flaps anywhere between here and base.

Base – 1700RPM, power back almost idle. If high on base, 3 flaps.

THINK WIND.

Final – Aim for numbers. Aileron into wind, rudder to steer/straight.

Remember CarbHeat off ~300’ on Final Approach.

Aimpoint, Aspect, Airspeed 70 (Vref 65kts at threshold)

Flare – At bloom, idle, keep pulling nose up as runway sinks around ears. Look to end of runway.

T&G - Flaps up in one motion. THEN power.

General comments

Next: Stalls / spins / PFLs.

Training area refresh.

Abnormal Circuits (flapless, short field, PFL).