Another Year...

another truckload of money converted into noise+fun :)

Looking back over 2008, it certainly was quite eventful. I reached some personal milestones... like getting my PPL ;)

And started knocking off my CPL exams... only Met to do (and I am currently working my way through the study guide)

I managed to get rated in the 172 and the PA-28. I even did some aerobatics in the Warbirds CT-4A.

And I managed to get around a few different locations like Taupo, Rotorua, Whakatane, Opotiki, Pauanui, Whangarei, Keri Keri, Kaitaia, Kaikohe and even a scenic flight out to White Island.

I managed to do the odd bit of night flying and even managed a couple of night cross country's!

Hopefully 2009 will prove just as fruitful in terms of hours in the book... and hopefully might even include a sticker labeled "CPL" ;)


In other news I flew down to Hamilton on the weekend with the aim of joining up at the Waikato Aero Club... this should hopefully provide a couple of benefits (like access to a certified sim, membership in the RNZAC along with reciprocal rights at other RNZAC clubs and access to other training should I need it etc.)

Unfortunately, the usual office administrator was away, so I will need to go back again at some point and complete the paperwork. Although, I did run into Chris while I was chilling out in the Pilots Lounge... although I did not realise until I read his posting about failing to make it to Masterton. Nice to finally put a face to the name.

I also got a good wake-up call... as I finally came face to face with 'Cessna Bounce'. The grass runways at Hamilton have been baked pretty hard in the summer sunshine and it showed when the 172 hit it and bounced like it was on a trampoline. Thankfully, I had read somewhere that the trick is to give it a bit of power just after you reach the peak of the bounce to lessen the descent rate and break the cycle. So after the 2nd bounce (at which point I was starting to picture the aircraft stalling and nosing into the ground), I gave it a quick burst of power.

It worked a treat and the aircraft settled onto the ground nicely.

The landing after the return journey was much better ;)


This flight: 1.5 PinC
Total Hours: 172.0 (78.9/71.4 Day, 8.6/13.1 Night, 7.0 IFR)

Payback

Easter Sunday (woohoo shops are shut again!)...

And I finally got a chance to take my first passenger(s) as a licensed pilot. My Mum and Dad had come up to Hamilton the day before for one of my cousin's 21st birthday parties. They figured that as they had come all that way it would be silly not to pop up to Auckland to see myself and jade. So we decided they would drive up in the
morning and i would meet them out at NZAR at around 1000.

I got out there nice and early and pre-flighted DXJ so we would be able to get away relatively quickly. They arrived pretty much on time and after introducing them to CFI Rob, giving them a quick briefing on what we would be doing and where we would be going and then strapping them in, we got underway... or at least, we tried to. Unfortunately, the mic on my homemade headset was not working (I later found out, one of my soldered joints had let go), so I had to unstrap and go and get a spare (Rob kindly loaned me his) and we headed off.


After the usual run-ups and explaining to my parents what I was doing and why we climbed out and headed towards the city. Coming over Brookby and heading up towards Musik Point, with blue skies and vis forever I announced "And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is why I going flying"... it was just perfect.

We then cruised up the harbour, around Sky Tower and then headed back around Mt Eden and out towards Avondale. Dad was happy as he got some pics of his old school, Mt. Albert Grammar. Then we headed back up the harbour, over North Head and out towards Rangitoto and Waiheke Island. After looping around the North-East corner of Waiheke we headed back to NZAR for a, thankfully, smooth landing and then taxied back to the club for a cup of tea.


Mum and Dad were both really happy and I had finally had a chance to show them why I fly and to pay them back for a lot of stuff they've done over the years... I'm also hoping it will get me out of having to buy my dad a b'day present on the 2nd April ;)


Afterwards, we had a wander around the airfield and Mum and Dad gave me a bit of a history lesson, as they had both been residents at the Teachers Training College that used to be there back in the 60's and 70's.



There are more pics of the flight in Dad's Facebook Album

This flight: 1.2 PinC
Total Hours: 99.2 (73.4 Dual, 25.8 PinC, 5.1 IFR)

The start of a very busy weekend...

Phew... my calendar seems to have 30hrs of activities booked per day at the moment! Not that I am complaining, because a lot of it is flying :)

Good Bloody Marvelous Friday was... well.... bloody marvelous! First of all, all the shops were shut, so no wandering around shopping malls looking at shoes and handbags etc with jade ;)

Instead, I spent the entire day out at the airfield, with a couple of flights thrown in for good measure. First of all I decided to go and practice in the 172... I had not been 100% happy with my landings and figured that it could not hurt to bash the circuit for an hour or so... I followed that with a very late in the day solo city scenic. I was a little nervous as I had not been into the city on my own, but thankfully it was relatively quiet and the scenery (with the sun low in the sky) was just divine.

I also managed to squeeze in a chat with the CFI about doing my CPL and what that would entail... I had been for my Class 1 medical on the monday and been given a thumbsup from the doc... just waiting on bloodwork results.

This flight: 1.1 Solo + 0.7 Solo
Total Hours: 95.6 (70.7 Dual, 24.9 PinC, 5.1 IFR)

Rated '172' - contains coarse language

Finished off my type rating in the 172... did not think it would be flyable today, but mother nature is a very curious creature ;)

The cloudbase was up around 1500' so plenty of room for circuits, so I headed out to NZAR, pre-flighted DXJ, found a couple of 'willing' participants to sit in the back seat for a couple of circuits and off we went...

The first landing was a little bouncy... but the 2nd was ok, so Trevor said he was happy and I could either park up or head up for some solo work. So, I dropped everyone off on the taxiway and headed back up for some solo circuits :)

Unfortunately the cloud was really starting to roll in, and other aircraft were running back in from the training area at 1300' so I only got one circuits before I had to call it quits.

I parked up and headed inside to finish off the paperwork and then being the optimistic sort that I am, I hung around talking bollocks hoping for the weather to improve... which it finally did after lunch and I managed to get a good hours worth of solo circuits... fantastic!

So I am now rated on the 172 and looking forward to getting stuck into some cross country work... I just hope we get some nice weekend weather for a change!

But as someone at the club said to me today "Do you know what Aucklanders call a day of blue skies and sunshine after 2 days of wind and rain?.... Monday!" :P


This flight: 0.3 Dual + 0.2 Solo + 1.0 Solo
Total Hours: 91.6 (69.6 Dual, 22.0 PinC, 5.1 IFR)

Intro to type

First flight since my flight test and it was awesome... I've started my 172 type rating and it was the perfect end to the weekend.

With all the crazy weather, I honestly did not think that I would get in the air, but by around 4pm on Sunday, large chunks of blue were showing, the cloudbase was up over 2000' and the wind had died down to around 5 to 10 knots...

I had already spent Saturday doing all the groundwork (learning reference speeds, weight and balance, p-charts etc) so all that was needed was to cover basic handling, stalls, EFATO, FLWOP and some circuits... then an 'All up weight check' and some solo circuits and I am away laughing.

As the weather had fined up, I headed out to Ardmore and started pre-flighting DXJ. It is a 1970's (1976?) Cessna 172M. Visually, it is a little rough around the edges (the owner is apparently getting it repainted and the interior done this winter), but it has just had a new (not reconditioned, but brand new!) engine put in... and it just purrs...

Thought I had a problem with my homemade headset during startup, as it was crackling and lots of static etc, but it did the same thing with my 'proper' headset, so I guess the intercom has some gremlins in it.

Headed out, and while I should have expected the Engine Failure after TakeOff, I was too busy enjoying the different (and very spacious compared to the 152) aircraft... I handled it OK, and actually found some good paddocks to use...

Then down to the Training Area for some standard stuff, medium turns, steep turns, stalls and a FLWOP... which I totally nailed!

The biggest difference (aside from costing more ;) is just how smooth the aircraft is... even with the odd shower passing through and the breeze coming over the Hunua Ranges, the aircraft just seemed to glide through the air... whereas the 152 is best described as 'squirrely' :)

Back to the circuit for an overhead join, then a couple of normal approaches, a flapless and a shortfield... You really notice the difference in attitude here... the nose of the 172 slopes away, whereas the 152 is quite flat... and with 40 degrees of flap vs. 30 in the 152, you get to see an awful lot of ground on approach... its somewhat disconcerting as you get the impression you are nosing into the ground!

Now all I need is the 'All Up Weight Check', which is some circuits with a couple of passengers so the aircraft is fully loaded + some solo circuits and I will be rated for the 172.

This flight: 1.3 Dual
Total Hours: 90.1 (69.3 Dual, 20.8 PinC, 5.1 IFR)