13/7/13: Flight Lesson #3 - Climbing and Descending

Before I stuck into the details of today's flight lesson, a couple of book purchases I made today:

• Bob Tait PPL Theory Book - http://www.theaviatorstore.com.au/private-pilots-licence-p-214.html
  As I've gone through the Bob Tait Basic Aeronautical Knowledge (BAK) book and done the sample exams, thought I'd get a little head start and buy this book which follows on from RA-Aus BAK and CASA BAK up to PPL level.  I'll need to buy this book (or similar) eventually anyways although at this point in time I've yet to sit my RA-Aus BAK and CASA BAK exams but you can never know too much when it comes to flying  :-)

• Flight Radio for Pilots VFR Operations - http://www.theaviatorstore.com.au/flight-radio-for-pilots-p-196.html
  I'm currently making all radio transmissions and read-backs reasonably OK except for circuit joining read-backs to ATC.  I hope this book will provide me with the knowledge to build up my radio skills and confidence.

Got up this morning excited for another flight lesson and looked outside... heavy fog!  I called the Archerfield Aerodrome Weather Information Service (AWIS) and received weather details... visibility, wind speed & direction, rainfall, cloud base, air pressure, dew point, etc.  AWIS said 150 metres visibility... no where near the 5000 metres required for Visual Metrological Conditions (VMC) visual flying.

I arrived at Archerfield for my 8am flight lesson and the fog blanketed the airfield.  Looking out from the main terminal building we couldn't even see the other side of the apron!  So I suggested I complete an exam or two and afterwards see if visibility improved with a plane and instructor being available.

Before I started an exam, one of the instructor's showed me how to obtain a Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) through the Airservices National Aeronautical Information processing System (NAIPS).  To quote the Airservices web site, NAIPS "...processes and stores meteorological and NOTAM information as well as enables the provision of briefing products and services to pilots and the Australian Air traffic Control platform."  Its a web-based platform so you can access aviation weather, NOTAMs, flight planning information and a bunch of other stuff from anywhere with an Internet-enabled computer.

I've since registered for a NAIPS login account so I can access these services... start to get some exposure to a number of NAIPS services including aviation weather services.

So I completed my Pre-solo Air legislation exam and scored about 98% with only one question wrong!  :-)

By this time, the sun had burned away the majority of the fog, so I proceeded out onto the apron and completed my pre-flight inspection on Jabiru 24-7829.  Last time I got in 24-7829, she got a flat tyre in the 10L run-up bay!  Up to this point I've been flying Jabiru 24-7984.  I made sure I gave the tyres a good kick during the pre-flight!  :-)

David was my instructor today so we jumped into 24-7829 and I performed the usual checklist steps and checked ATIS.  There seemed to be some interference on the ATIS channel... someone was broadcasting accidentally on the ATIS channel!  David radioed advising the other pilot's mistake and we heard a reply of "Copy that..."  :-)

Next I radioed for taxi, did the runup checks and moved to holding point bravo one for a 28R departure to the East.  I performed the take-off without any assistance keeping her on the centreline.  I turned right onto crosswind (28L has left-turn circuits) and then turned right again onto the 28R downwind.  Extending the downwind leg (heading 100 degrees magnetic) takes us roughly East to the training area.

David instructed me to enter various climb profiles - best angle climb and best rate climb and cruise climb.  Entering a climb is always Power, Attitude, Speed then Trim.  Exiting a climb is basically the reverse - Attitude, Speed, Power then Trim.

Next, some descent profiles.  Entering and exiting descents is the same - Power, Attitude, Speed then Trim.  I performed a cruise descent, powered descent and a glide descent.  A few 180 degree turns in there and we were heading back to the East inbound VFR reporting point.

We received instructions for a straight in approach to runway 28L... the shorter of the two sealed runways at Archerfield (YBAF).  David performed the final approach and landing and we taxied off the runway onto taxiway Alpha.  I radioed Archer Ground and taxied back along taxiway Alpha across the undershoot of 28R, checking for traffic on approach first of course  :-)  Parked back on the Eastern apron... done!

I completed my Radio exam and again scored about 96% with only one question wrong  :-)

That's all the theory exams out of the way as a prerequisite before my first circuit solo.

Checkout the Pilot Training Course Outline tab above for the sequence of flight lessons and exams.

Next flight lesson is tomorrow morning (weather permitting) nice and early at 6am!  This one will be the stalling flight lesson so best I have a light breakfast!  :-)  This will be my last flight lesson in the Eastern training area for a while now as I'm scheduled to commence my circuit training next weekend which I'm really looking forward to but am sure after a while I'll get dizzy doing touch-and-go after touch-and-go after touch-and-go after.... :-)