Knocking down the hours...Part II

Firstly, sorry for the long time between updates - I've been extremely busy this past week or so!

I know sit here writing having completed all of my single engine hours. Tuesday was the final day of making up time I was short.

Over the past week I have done so much with my flying it has been great and it is sad to see the end to the work horse that is the Piper Warrior. The thousands of miles I've taken inside the cockpit of the aircraft produced only down the road in Vero Beach have been busy, sometimes stressful, challenging and most importantly thoroughly enjoyable.

As much as instructors try to say that every one of them is the same it really isn't the case. They each have their own ways - some are good climbers, others very responsive on the controls. One thing I can say about each and every Warrior here at FIT is that they're maintained to a world class standard by a truly fantastic team of mechanics who quite literally work through the night to make sure as many aircraft are available as possible for students and rentals to use; even if that can sometimes drop below the number so dearly needed. I'm sure everyone would agree that they'd rather have wait for an airworthy aeroplane than take one there and then that is not.

My final few flights included a trip across to Tampa and then on down to West Palm International before returning home. This four hour flight completed the two that are included in the programme. It is great to get out of the local area and explore some of the major airports in Florida, especially in a state that is designed more so for general aviation than any other location on the planet.

In the US the air traffic control is much more well invested than what we will be used to in Europe (although when flying with airlines there is very little difference). However, for general aviation here in America we can really take advantage of the services on offer, the most frequently used and user friendly being flight following.

As VFR pilots we're supposed to be flying by reference to what we can see outside of the aircraft. This is all well and good but when entering or maneuvering around airspace that has jets moving at over 200kts at flight levels similar to those we operate it really is of benefit to use ATC.

The majority of the time is spent under our own navigation but with the assistance of the controllers can be vectored on altitudes, headings and traffic advisories. Working in much heavier airspace is a great benefit as it increases the workload and prepares us for what we face ahead in our careers.

Using flight following on these legs was fantastic. In fact all the controllers over here are very good at what they do and are also very used to students who may not have the skills and knowledge in place to react as those with increasing full log books would do. It is also to their credit the amount of patience they have in dealing with such people, effectively from all corners of the globe.

My final solo flight (well, in the progamme) was a two hour navigation flight. Since arriving here in Florida and began to fly I have always wanted to go into Orlando International (MCO). It's the gateway to the world famous theme parks and the majority of traffic heading to the northern parts of the state.

Handling over 35 million passengers per year it puts it just ahead of the likes of Gatwick (albeit it with three additional runways) and the second largest here in Florida after Miami. The flight went very well and with the help of Orlando Approach and the tower I was in and out of the airport within minutes before heading back to the practice area to prepare for the internal check ride known as 3.D.15 due a couple of days after.

During the run in to completing my hours I was extremely lucky with the weather and aircraft availability. There has recently been a shortage in the number of planes, mainly caused by an unexpected rise in aircraft having to enter the hanger for maintenance issues. Hopefully this will be sorted as soon as possible and the usual number of aircraft available will resume.

After completing another two duals with my instructor I was then ready to take the all important 3.D.15.

3.D.15 is an internal check ride and is designed to be the final single engine flight students take before moving on to the twin engine Seminole to complete the Multi-engine Commerical Pilot's License (MEP/CPL). The flight is conducted by either the Chief Flight Instructor or another senior pilot within the company. The idea is to complete a full review of everything that we have learnt in the Piper Warrior and moving forward if we are prepared to cope with the increased work load experienced in it's larger brother.

The flight went well and having discussed my hours with the CFI I was told that I needed to complete an one hour solo and just under one hour dual to meet the minimum required hours outlined under the JAA scheme we currently reside under.

I spent one hour in the pattern here on my own before in the afternoon taking to the air on my final single engine flight.

My instructor and I decided we would head up to NASA and complete the low approach now possible over the 15,000ft runway.

With 0.9 of an hour it was going to be tight but managable. We made the low approach only 100ft above the runway heading over it to the north. We then made a right teardrop and flew down the opposite end to the south.

I wasn't aware of the shear size of the facility. Not only is the runway ridiculously long but the launch pads that we could see in the distance really did show the scale of the operation that has and continues to go on here in Florida.

It was quite surreal seeing below us where history has been made on so many occasions - a truly memorable trip that I would recommend to anyone who is flying general aviation or flight training here in Florida.

So, with 3.D.15 complete, my single engine hours in the record books it was time to prepare for the Seminole. As I said at the start, I've had a great time learning how to fly in the Warrior. It's an aeroplane I would almost insist anyone with a pilots license get to at least take for one or two flights.

A true work horse.

The Piper Seminole. The big brother to the Warrior. Two engines each producing 180bhp accelerate the aircraft to it's rotation speed of 75kts (just over 80mph) within seconds.

The design of each engine is more complex than that of the Warrior and it's something that is particularly interesting to learn. So far I have had one lesson in the twin with more coming over the next five days.

With the intensity of the course (the plan is to be out of here in just over two weeks) it's definitely worth getting as many back seats as it is possible. Over the last few days I have managed to get in the back for two flights.

With such an increase in the amount of work within a reduced time period as the plane travels at higher speeds that we're used to it is a great surprise but a challenge I'm sure we'll all relish.

Knocking down the hours while the results arrive...Part I

Since the last update there have been developments both in the air and on the ground.

Firstly, and most importantly, the final ATPL results arrived last week and I'm happy to say all have been satisfactorily complete with the needed percentage gained. 

The exams have been a long, drawn out process and something I feel quite proud to have complete. They're not for the faint hearted and although I feel they hold an undeserved prestige of being difficult I do believe that they are the result of someone's extreme hard work and dedication.

I remember travelling to the Annex on our first day of ATPLs and a now friend said, as he was to begin his final module, that the six months following would be the quickest we would ever experience - I cannot emphasis how true those words were. 

They're the largest and most feared part of the training - something I am glad to never have to see again!

Having said goodbye to the family last week we were half way through out CPL ground school training. This course is designed as both a refresher and an introduction into flying a twin-engined aircraft under the JAA system.

During the five days of ground school we covered everything from engine failure on take-off to the phraseology that should be used in Europe (and supposedly across the world!) on the radios.

It was great to finally start to get to terms with a type of aircraft (twin) that I hope to be flying on a much greater scale in the near future. 

The ground course was completed with an exam on Monday morning which I am happy to say everyone comfortably passed.

More importantly over the past week or so I've managed to complete a serious number of flights. The only remaining flight I now have is an internal check ride with one of the senior flight instructors at the weekend before beginning in the Seminole.

Over the past week or so I have been extremely lucky in terms of weather and aircraft availability. A lot of friends and colleagues here have been turned away time and time again due to a large number of aircraft being broken and the weather not being as they had hoped.

I however have managed to log eight flights, exactly twenty hours of flight time with twenty seven takeoff/landings. This excludes the time flying with the family and the majority of this was fitted around the ground school.

It has been extremely tiring and frustrating but I have had a fantastic time with it all the same and managed to visit some fantastic places as I'll now explain below.

After completing a couple of duals on Thursday and Friday last week early morning, I had two four hour cross country flights to complete at the weekend with each lasting over 300NM with one leg being at least 150NM in length.

On Saturday I was planning to head from Melbourne to Titusville (just north of here) and then down to Naples on the west coast. This would allow me to cover the 150NM required on the day's routes. From Naples I was going to head down to Tamiami, an airport near the world famous Miami where I would refuel before heading back up the coast past the city as the sun fell. That was the plan anyway.

Due to the aircraft arriving back late it cut down the amount of time I would have to complete the route. Therefore I made a quick modification. I changed my final stop from Tamiami to West Palm International. Although the route would be shorter it would still be in excess of 150NM.

After heading up to Titusville I headed towards Okeechobee, the old stomping ground. This would be the point I would pass over en route to Naples. Having made contact with Miami Approach I was soon passed over to Fort Myers Approach who gave me vectors towards Naples. The weather wasn't the best. It was getting quite turbulent and the clouds started to move in, although they did remain quite sparse throughout the trip. A touch and go in Naples followed by a departure to the East back to the Atlantic coast line.

The flight across the state to West Palm was quite interesting as I was only covering the ground at around 85kts (98mph) compared to the outbound leg of 136kts (157mph). This made the leg in to almost an hour sector. 

Finally I arrived on the approach in to the airport.

"N369FT expect runway 10R, advise when you have Lima."

The approach plan was complete and the airport was in sight. 

"West Palm Approach, N639FT has the airport in sight."

"N639FT, West Palm Approach, contact Tower on 119.100"

The weather had really cleared as the sun started to set in my six o'clock. I was very much looking forward to the flight back up the coast to Melbourne.

"N639FT contact departure, have a good day."

The journey back along the coast was fantastic. I managed to climb to 8,500ft as the sun began to set over the sunshine state. I was able to get some fantastic photos.

It was soon time to start the descent in to Melbourne after a fantastic day out flying. The sun was soon over the horizon and darkness fell.

"FIT 39, cleared to land Runway 5." Home.

More to follow this weekend including another four hour solo, a trip to the largest airport in the state and overflying the NASA airport at 100ft.

Time flies

Saturday was seven weeks since we arrived here in Melbourne. It's amazing how quickly it's gone - quite scary too! It's equally amazing how much flight time and experience I'm getting in such a short space of time.

Friday was also a time for us to admire and witness a piece of history as the last NASA shuttle took to space. More on that later on.

Since Tuesday I've been up in the air for a further 3.9 hours of which 2.6 was solo. This included going up into the pattern at Melbourne and also an area solo over the practice areas south of the city.

The latter involves flying into what are known as the 'practice areas' around Melbourne. There is:

• H (Hotel) East
• H (Hotel)West
• I (India) North
• I (India) South
• B (Bravo) 

These cover areas around the airport and in those airspaces we're able to practice our manoeuvres, ground referencing and much more. 

Firstly I completed an hour with my instructor on Friday basically covering what we had already done over the past few weeks. It is what I would class as an 'eventful flight.' The main reason being was the weather conditions we faced. The winds were strong - very strong. We initially got the information as 15 knots (17mph) gusting to 25 knots (29mph). When you consider this as a crosswind and the aircraft has a take-off speed of around 55 knots (63mph) it is quite a deciding factor. Anyway, the take-off went well but getting into the practice areas 'Hotel East' and 'Hotel West' I found the conditions very challenging. During the flight my instructor was able to complete what is known as a 'slow dirty flight' whereby you fly the plane at the slowest possible speed with full flaps but avoid stalling the airplane. What he was able to do was calculate the wind speed and heading and almost make the plane stop in mid-air. A fantastic experience - he was just showing off... 

Anyway, after what I would class as my most challenging flight so far we began our approach back into Melbourne. Everything was going fine until we got the ATIS (Automated Terminal Information Service - a facility at most major and minor airports detailing the weather and any other relevant information for that airport) which was a bit worrying. I was actually half expecting my instructor to take over the approach and landing due to the conditions but I personally feel he enjoys seeing me sweat and was quite happy to sit back and watch.

During the final approach it was time to put into practice the crosswind landing theory I have been taught over the past few weeks. Although it wasn't the best landing you'll ever see I was quite happy that it was safe and successful. On what was a horrible flight it was most certainly the most beneficial since arriving here in the USA.

The following morning, bright and early at 6.30am I took to the sky to complete the same flight but on my own. I was extremely thankful that the weather was calm and clear with only a covering of cloud out at sea. Seeing the sun rise from over the Atlantic at 4000 feet is quite amazing I must say.

The best photo I could get of the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. 

The flight went very well and I was able to tidy up a few bits and pieces before returning to Melbourne. This was the first time that I had approached the airport, entered the pattern and landed with no one else in the cockpit. Although there is very little difference there is a small voice in the back of the head making sure I know that I am the only one there and there is no instructor to bail me out if I cock up at any point. The approach went fine (thanks to the repetitive nature of departing and approaching the same runways almost everyday). It was good to jump into the pattern with a couple of fellow students in the same class who were practising their pattern work. I jumped in, landed and got out of their way. Having completed almost fifty landings so far I must say that the landing on Runway 23 was by far my best yet. With no winds and great conditions I was able to execute what is apparently called a 'greaser' whereby you hear the screeching of the wheels almost kissing the runway. I just wish there was someone else there to see it! 

Yesterday I had a flight booked in for the late afternoon and into the early evening. The next ten hours or so will focus mainly around flying solely on the instruments in front of me as opposed to using outside aids such as the horizon. Unfortunately due to a mixture of the weather and my instructors legal flying hours we were unable to complete the flight therefore tomorrow will be the first. I'm actually very much looking forward to doing something that long term as a commercial airline pilot will become almost one hundred percent of my working day - looking at instruments to fly the aircraft.

Finally, on Friday I got to witness, although in not the best conditions, something I had been very excited about ever since finding out about the final NASA shuttle launch. 

The idea of witnessing a shuttle heading into space is quite amazing but to be able to see the final launch of one of man kind's greatest machines was indescribable. Unfortunately due to me having a flight shortly afterwards and the fact that the cloud base was extremely low I was only able to see the glowing embers from underneath the shuttle as it climbed at a ridiculous rate into the air. One of the main highlights not only of the past week but also this entire journey of becoming a pilot.

A friend took this photo on my camera - it was some distance away and the conditions weren't great.

This week I am hoping to get quite a few more hours under my belt and what is most scary is the arrival of the new class this coming Saturday. It's really hard to believe that we will not be the new kids on the block and even more unbelievable - we've been here nearly two months...

Independence

Having completed my solo flight last week I was chomping at the bit to get back up into the air as soon as possible. Imagine the time when you passed your driving test and all you wanted to do was go driving.

Unfortunately due to the weather on Friday I was unable to get another lesson in before the weekend. As previously mentioned the weather over here can change extremely quickly and go to the very extremities.

I was also given the weekend off by my instructor. This led to a very lazy weekend. I was fortunate to catch a back seat flight on Saturday which was very beneficial but other than that the weekend was very much spent relaxing and recuperating from what has been, well I must say, not the hardest few of weeks of my life.

Yesterday was, as many will know, Independence Day here in the United States. It marks the country's birthday in which it broke from British rule all those years ago. The USA is very patriotic on all fronts, most notably the southern states such as the one I currently reside in. Melbourne marked the country's celebrations with fireworks and a parade to which we never went. Personally I was expecting more celebrations but no, it was quite a sombre day.

Although the country was technically 'on holiday' yesterday, at 8am I took to the air for the first time since Thursday and after ridding a tiny bit of rust we proceeded to practice what are known as Short Field and Soft Field landing and take-offs. Since I now have a basic understanding of how the aircraft works, manoeuvres and feels we are able to get more enjoyment as well as learning out of a lesson and the activity was certainly most enjoyable. It basically covers the practice of adapting different landing styles for different terrain and conditions, in these cases short runways and soft ground (grass etc.) 

Tomorrow I complete my second solo after a quick run out in to the pattern with my instructor. 

Finally, the NASA shuttle launch is due to take place on Friday lunchtime only a few miles from our base here in Melbourne. Hopefully we'll be able to get a great spot to see a piece of history.