It's a while since I posted anything on here, and it's a while since I've done anything worth mentioning, until Thursday just gone.
I had arranged to do a few circuits with our local CFI at Balantree aviation, which is in the Wowan area just on 60nm north of here, as I felt some of my landings were not up to what they should be, I hear things like "that's normal in those old tail draggers", and I:chuffed: think 'yeah right, but not four landings off the one approach'.
Anyway, blasted off from home about 0550, over to the mates place 4nm to the east, picked him up and on our way, David is his name, and he flies a trike and is starting on three axis, so he's coming up to get some time in too. Pushed a fairly stiff headwind all the way, 70min. later we were on the ground with Myles on his way down from the house, first on the list was the standard cup of coffee, then time to get serious. Myles took Dave up first while the air was reasonable (blowing about 12 / 15kt but expected to worsen later) I sat in his hanger and read the rest of my mag. (sport pilot). They returned after an hour or so then it was debrief followed up with smoko. Sitting at his kitchen table looking out the window at the trees rocking and rolling I was thinking 'maybe I could come back at the weekend and do this' anyway we soldiered on.... back at the hanger, Myles suggested we start on my low level endorsement along with advanced flying techniques. Enjoyed the low level although you really got to be on the ball when you are only a couple of feet off the ground things happen pretty fast. But that's nothing compared to flying from the right seat for the first time. Sure we've all flown from the right seat at some time, but it's usually in someone else's plane and it's no problem because you're up there flying straight or just cruising around, but try flying a circuit and landing....bloody hell that's different....absolutely no problem getting four or maybe even five landings off the one approach then, I didn't count them, I was too busy sweating and trying not to fill my jocks, and doing it in a reasonable cross wind too. In the left seat it's no problem, you just go in and land with one wing low and keeping things straight with your feet, so before we took off I thought 'no big deal, just left hand on the stick instead of the right, boy was I wrong thinking that'. I know probably lots of you out there fly a Lightwing then jump into a Gazelle and it's no different for you, but it sure got my adrenaline pumping. Looked in the logbook and I'm just turning over 500hrs. and it's all been with left throttle and right stick. But now I've had a day to settle my old nerves and I can't wait to get back up there and do it again.
Cheers Davo.