13/10/13: Basic Circuit Training #6 & Circuit Solo Check

Super early flight this morning... out of bed at 4am to be at Archerfield by 5am  :-)

Arriving at the flight school, I was greeted by David who would be doing my circuit solo check today.  I walked out to the parking area, untied Jabiru 24-7984 and removed all covers.  I completed the pre-flight checks and David walked out to the parking area to join me. 

Outside tower operating hours, Archerfield operates as an uncontrolled aerodrome meaning I'd be maintaining a "listening watch" on the CTAF frequency (118.1) and making CTAF calls in the circuit advising on my position and intentions.  ATIS reports as Zulu.  We checked the windsock and weather information to determine the best runway to use - 28R.  Also, just to confuse things, 28R circuits revert to left-hand turns outside of tower operating hours  :-)

Dave forgot to bring the GoPro camera out to the parking area, so he walked back to the main terminal building to pick it up while I ran through my startup checks.  I then taxied out towards the main terminal building, picked up David and continued to 28R runup bay.

As I didn't have a QNH setting, I set the altimeter to field elevation (63 feet) whilst in the runup bay.

I broadcast a message on the CTAF - "Archerfield Traffic, Jabiru 7984 taxing to bravo one for runway two eight right circuits, Archerfield Traffic"

An automated reply came back - "Archerfield CTAF".  This is the Aerodrome Frequency Response Unit (AFRU) which ensures I'm set to the correct CTAF frequency for Archerfield and ensure I can hear back radio messages.

I taxied to the holding point, had good look out towards final and late base (and the other runway direction), made a CTAF call advising I was entering and rolling 28R then took off.

Despite the early morning when winds are usually calm, I had crosswinds at 330 degrees at 10 knots, so the wind was coming from my right during takeoffs and landings.  I needed to compensate for this on each circuit leg.

For circuit solo check, I completed 3 dual 28R circuits (2 touch-and-go landings and 1 full stop landing).

Dave hopped out of the aircraft and I then completed 7 solo 28R circuits (6 touch-and-go landings and 1 full stop landing).  This now gives me a total of 2.1 hours circuit solo time  :-)

Throughout my touch-and-gos, a ground car was on the CTAF advising he was entering or leaving runway 28R.  He would exit 28R after I made my turning base leg CTAF call and would re-enter 28R when I was on my upwind leg.  Guess he thought he could get some weed spraying done early before it became busy however didn't count on a student flying multiple solo circuits!  Sorry mate  :-)

Now I've reached the minimum 2.0 hours circuit solo time, future flight lessons will be back out in the training area for advanced training (thank God! I was starting to get dizzy from going round and round and round)   :-)  These lessons will cover forced landings, steep turns, precautionary search & landing, short field takeoff & landing and sideslipping.

Next lesson... Forced Landings