Flying Again
2022 is upon us and so the next update is on www.mpaviation.com/2022.htm
Flying Again
There's not much money
coming in for me now and so I have to be very careful with how I
manage the limited funds I see.
Much of what I planned this past year has failed to materialise
as, like everyone else, I have had to cope with the global
disaster with Covid acting like a weapon of mass extermination.
A pilot must log some
flying from time to time.
Yesterday I decided to load my credit card to log some time, and
so I went in to see Jim Stevens at Cub Air whereupon he checked
me out in their Piper Super Cub.
This meant joining another club, and so this month I will have a
total of three yearly memberships to pay for... Hopefully access
to this Super Cub will enable me to continue to fly and maintain
my own proficiency and credibility in the near future.
As reported on here, there
was another Super Cub I checked out in last summer. I flew this
Super Cub once for the checkout, but the next time I wanted to
fly it I was not allowed to as the CFI was concerned about the
wind. If there is a ninety degree crosswind component greater
than five knots I am not allowed to rent this particular Super
Cub.
(Two of the club's previous CFI's had put a Super Cub on its
nose, these were experienced pilots, so there is a danger that I
would do likewise as I have a lot of experience flying Piper
Cubs).
Like with most flying clubs, there's a 28 day currency rule and,
since I have exceeded this limit, I would need another checkout
under club rules... Considering the limitations, I might as well
check out in another club's aeroplane where my experience is not
counted against me.
I can save some money next year by renewing as a social member at
this club, rather than as a flying member.
Cub Air at Redhill charges
takeoff to landing plus 0.2 for taxy time. Time is derived by a
Hobbs meter connected to the pitot system, and activated at 40
knots or so. This is very fair.
I took Jim on a quick sentimental journey to Box Hill, and then
over Chipstead where I used to live. We returned to do three
circuits on the southern taxyway cum runway 25 at Redhill.
The expensive part of this flight was the landing fees: £37 for
two touch and goes and one full stop.
I am back flying from the airfield I spent many years flying from
in my past.
I have been busy helping a
friend's widow to clear out some of her husband Martins'
possessions. These included a lathe and a milling machine, and a
Jaguar XK8.
There were two leather flying helmets which picked up a
surprising amount of money when sold through eBay. There are a
few more things to be sold this way such as spools of electrical
wire.
Fly one day, and then fly
the next.
Today, Friday I conducted a training flight to meet the
requirement for "One hour with an instructor" in the
second year as part of a Private Pilots' 24 month currency
requirement.
The PPL holder is also required to do a total of 12 flying hours
a year which can include this dual flight requirement.
The weather has been a bit grotty lately with a lot of low cloud
in the mild air under a high pressure area, and today was no
exception... It looked promising when the Sun shone through gaps
in the cloud layer, but actually the cloud base in the Chichester
vicinity never went above 1,500 feet... The Isle of Wight was
however bathed in sunshine.
There's always something to be learned and so we did flight at
low speeds, 80 mph and then 70 mph with flaps set to increase
forward visibility. A technique to use in poor visibility,
especially in mountainous terrain when you are uncertain of where
you are when under low cloud, and in calm air.
This technique requires the ability to apply fine control inputs
with small corrections of attitude and power; it improves the
accuracy of ones' flying.
We returned to do two touch and goes and a full stop landing.
Doing my job, helping someone to improve their ability, learn
something different, and to have some fun.
If I don't have reason to update this page before:
Seasons
Greetings
Happy Christmas
and
Wishing us all a much better 2022
All The Best, Michael