The scenic route...

Managed to squeeze in a flight today... and was quite enjoyable. Especially after I woke up around 1000 with a weather front racing across the sky, the wind howling, the rain pouring and the missus gloating that my 'arse was hers for the day', complete with evil cackle (see scares me sometimes)...

Thankfully, by 1130, the sun was shining and the wind had dropped, so I jumped in the car and cruised out to NZAR to see what was happening.

I figured it could not be too bad as there was a constant stream of aircraft departing as I drove towards the airfield.

Dan had been up with another student and said it was not too bad. So I pre-flighted JFY and we taxied out towards runway 21. So we headed out with the intention that if I could demonstrate a good knowledge of the training area, and how to get back to the airfield, Dan would sign me off for solo work in the TA.

A half-circuit and departure via the waterworks later, and Dan was handing me the Hood. So we started with some simulated IFR and the usual (boring) hold this heading, climb to 3000 feet, turn right to 150 etc. Then I 'suffered a vacuum system failure' as Dan covered up the AI and DI and put me through some Partial Panel work and Compass Turns. Then, because he is such a nice guy, he decided it would be a good time to learn "Unusual Attitude Recovery."

Basically, you look at the floor and close your eyes. Then your instructors starts throwing the plane all over the sky, which totally disorientates you, and then leaves the plane in some weird attitude (usually spiral dive or climbing turn) and you have to recover based on what the instruments are showing. All while wearing the hood and in simulated IFR conditions.

It is a really good example of the tricks the inner ear plays on you and you really have no idea which way is up, down, left or right. And is not helped when your instructor says recover and you look at the instruments and all your senses are screaming different things and you're thinking "we must be upside down after the way he was throwing it round", but the instruments are indicating straight and level flight. It's REALLY bizarre.

After that little roller coaster ride, I removed the hood and Dan says, right take us home. It took me about 4 or 5 seconds to actually figure out where I was and what options we had. As I had been up the Hunua Valley so many times, I decided to take a 'Tiki Tour' up the coast and enjoy the scenery. Its the long way home, but I had never done it before and the view out across the water to the Coromandel peninsula was good. It was a little bumpy with fairly strong crosswind and the turbulence coming off the ranges but was still enjoyable.

Luckily we managed to slot right between 2 rain showers coming across Kawakawa Bay before flying up the valley back to NZAR, while getting UNICOM a little anxious by being at 1800' with a helicopter at 800' ;) before an overhead join and a crosswind landing (gusting to 18knots, with the windsock swinging 90 degress as I came over the fence!)

Dan was happy with my performance and said he would be willing to sign me out for solo for the training area. Woohoo!

Time to sit down and sort out exactly what I need to do from here to get to sit my PPL Flight Test.

This flight: 1.1 Hours Dual (0.6 IFR)
Total Hours: 55.0 (49.1 Dual, 5.9 Solo, 2.5 IFR)