DarkSarcasm

I was sorely tempted to say something like "Jabiru XXXX is going around because there is an idiot on the runway" but figured my instructor may be (at least officially) less than pleased with me if I did

Perhaps they would've done if they'd felt I wasn't handling it well enough. It didn't really phase me that much, it was more the general frustration that it happened. I powered up and did a go around, made a (calm yet probably clearly irritated) call etc. Actually one of the FIs commented afterwards that he was impressed with my go around, how I moved to the right of the runway so I could see the guy who was taking off etc. I was just like "I was just doing what I've been taught" (which is true). :thumb_up: I can see your point :) but maybe they looked and decided I was handling it well enough on my own and they would've said something if I hadn't I was basically putting the post on here because it's really annoying to be happily on finals then suddenly not have a runway to land on because someone else is there...

In the sky in other planes teaching... They'd been doing circuits at the same time as me and happened to be on the ground when I was so I asked them. I know that at least one of the two aircraft who cut me off was a private aircraft.

I'm sure all of you on here do this, but PLEASE keep an eye out for aircraft on base/final when going to line up for takeoff!! I was circuit bashing this morning (solo, woo!) and TWICE I was on final (not just turning final, I was ON final) and I got cut off by aircraft deciding to pick then to line up and take off. I was taught to always give a good look for any aircraft on base/final and give way to them when lining up...clearly these pilots missed that lesson :raise_eyebrow: The first time it happened I was forced to go around (yes, it was good practice but that's not the point)...the second time I was far enough away that I could land after the guy cleared the strip. I was starting to wonder if my radio wasn't working and nobody was hearing my calls... I checked later and the FIs said they could all hear me so it wasn't that, so clearly these idiots are just merrily lining up without looking or listening :sad:thumb_down As I said, I'm sure all of the awesome people on these forums keep an eye out, but just keep it in mind, please :thumb_up:

I think it is a pity to lose the romantic side of flying and simply to accept it as a common means of transport…. ~Amy Johnson

I was up there at 9am so it was quite nice really :)

Swervy :big_grin: A few were smooth, a few were swervy, a few didn't even get on the ground...

"Ah, those CWA fights can be horrible" said the Lat knowingly. "Why just last year at the Wagga show, they ran out of jam and scones to throw at each other and moved onto the prize-winning vegetables, it was carnage!" :black_eye: ===== Darky wonders if "Swerves" refers to her :thumb_up:... starting to think we need to start a 'name thesaurus' thread in the Anything about Nothing section

I wear mirrored Rayban Aviators for what it's worth... Non-polarised, nice thin frames, block out the glare, look stylish (always an important point)...

Start of today's mission was really good, did two dual circuits. One was a glide approach and I got it down to the field without any advice (for the first time ever) then got told straightaway to go around, managed both just fine. I was let loose to do some solo circuits but during pre-takeoff checks/taxi the rpms dropped to zero a few times (although it clearly wasn't zero, prop was still going along happily) which freaked me out a little then the oil pressure was in the yellow unless I was at 2000rpm which I was a bit uncertain about (Ts & Ps in the green for takeoff - even when at 2000rpm it was only just into the green), so I taxiied it a bit trying to do some troubleshooting and eventually made the call to give it up (I wasn't trusting the plane by then) - decided I didn't want to test out my glide approaches for real! Discussed it all with my FI so overall it was a good learning experience :) I fought off the feeling of 'I really want to fly...and maybe it'll all sort itself out up there' and decided that I didn't want my last words to be 'Well that was a stupid decision wasn't it!!' Take off was good today, tried to let the plane do what it wanted more rather than trying to control it so much (it wants to fly and it's going to when it gets up enough speed, let it do its thing) That is entirely possible Exciting news though, tomorrow I am being let loose for an hour in the plane WITHOUT having to do any dual first :big_grin: Apparantly my flying is consistent enough for me to go off alone straightaway Dunno if it's just me, but this feels like a huge step forward in my training Out of curiosity, what is the minimum weight for the J160? Btw, FD, attached below is a pic I took after pre-takeoff checks which shows what I see (on my cushions )

I only know how tall I am because my doctor measured me a few weeks ago and I discovered I'm shorter than I thought I was

I agree, it is odd to feel how different it is without the extra weight. One thing I have to get used to is holding a slight bit of right aileron to counter the fact that all the weight is now on the one side. Right now I think I'm flying along slightly crookedly I'm wondering if the weight difference may be why I might be raising the nose slightly too early/too far on takeoff when solo - i.e. I'm used to having the extra weight there so need to move the stick back further to get the nose up when dual whereas when it's just me I don't need so much backpressure but I'm adding the usual amount so I'm raising the nose too high which is affecting my takeoff I've also noticed that when I'm solo, I climb about 250ft when turning downwind, I need to work on fixing that too FD: I'm wondering if, although I'm (apparantly) slightly taller (I'm 5'3 btw), you are slightly longer in the torso which is why you don't need the extra boost there (just a thought anyways)

I think part of the problem was that my FI is a lot taller than me so he didn't really realise just how much I wasn't seeing...and I didn't realise how much I wasn't seeing because I didn't know I should be seeing it I don't really mind it took me longer, it's all good experience and I get to fly! The only thing is that now, whenever people ask me how long it took me to solo, some are always going to say "why'd it take you so long?!" :hittinghead: Alas I do...I'm short enough to have trouble reaching everything but tall enough that I manage to hit my head on the wings far too often... How'd you work out how big to make your cushions? Just went to a lesson armed with a tape measure? I probably should get cushions made at some point but then I'd have to bother with carrying them all the time No, I haven't tried a J120, my school only has 160s. I've heard they are a bit kinder to the 'vertically challenged' though I've wanted to fly ever since I can remember, so there was no chance of that! And now I've gotten there, looking down the runway with the empty seat beside you and knowing that I'm about to take this aircraft into the air and fly it by myself...it's just fantastic and makes every single frustrating hour of dodgy landings completely worth it :big_grin:

The reason it took me so long to go solo was that it took me ages to get the hang of landings. Eventually we worked out that I might be sitting too low to get the right perspective on flare (I didn't know what I should be seeing so I thought I was seeing the right thing, which clearly wasn't the case - wish I wasn't so short). We added a 3rd cushion (this one under me) and the mission after that I go solo. Connection? I reckon so :) I'm not bothered though, I've got lots of good experience at correcting dodgy landings now :big_grin:

Hiya flying dog! A whole thread just about me The hours are going well, up to 31.5 with 0.8 PIC Need to get 3.0 PIC before we can ditch the circuit and go out to the training area but hopefully I should get some solo time in each mission so by early Feb I'll have the 3.0 :big_grin: The landings are progressing nicely. All unassisted and my last solo one was the smoothest landing I've done in a while. I've noticed some change in my mental approach to landing, previously I got to base/final and starting thinking 'oh no, it's time to land, I wonder what I mess up this time' and basically just freaking myself out about it but now I'm thinking 'ok, it's time to land, let's do this thing! '. If it turns out to be a slightly crap landing, well I'll just have to fix it the next time around. I'm getting better at judging how far above the runway we are too, amazing what a little bit extra height from a cushion can do! I still need to work on my rudder control both during and after landing, a few of my solo landings have been a bit swervy... Ready to go back to uni? Nope! Luckily I still have a month and a bit to prepare for the shock (5 months seemed like such a long holiday, where has it all gone?!)

That's because I started posting in the NES...they add up quckly there!

No worries Pud, I've been slacking on it a bit so I needed to get on with it again :) Just realised I've passed 600 posts, I'll be at 1000 before I know it at this rate!

Sorry it's been a while since I updated y'all. Hats: I've chatted to studentbiggles who chatted to someone else who is now organising the caps with Ian (as far as I know anyway). I'll PM Ian and see what's going on with those :) Stickers: I've found a place where they print things and charge by the metre - so what happens is we tile whatever artwork we have (personalised or not) and he prints them all together, chops it up into individual pieces for us and charges us by how many metres of stuff we used up. Haven't got a quote about how much it would cost yet though. The actual sticker artwork hasn't been designed yet, I'm going to PM Slarti to see if he might help me out with that (you don't want me doing it, it'll look hideous). So, basically, I need to do some PM-ing it seems...

You will :thumb_up:

That's awesome, well done! :thumb_up:

...who...

I reckon they do listen and it's not you flying the plane, it's both of you flying together :big_grin: awww, that's just lovely :thumb_up:

and so Jabiru can use the wheelbearings on the nosewheels of the J160

...post totarry rike awesome videoos on youtoob...

"Sounds like a Batman villain" mused Darky, having a sudden image of Tomo terrorising Gotham City in his Drifter...