70 days of training already. It was long but it was really quick as well. I can’t believe than in few weeks, I will be back home. I have to think about the next part of the training (Multi Crew training). I heard that CTC Aviation Training closed their AQC for a while as they received too many applications. Shame ! It seemed to be a good opportunity. All pilots try to use this way and we are a bit late. Aviation is a part of luck and timing (like everything but maybe a bit more ). You have to do the right choice and be at the right place at the right moment.
So will see that later after the IR passed (I should pass it one day ).
We went to Shoreham today, a small airfield in the East of Bournemouth (South of London). It was another short flight via SAM & GWC VORs. Again quick and interesting.
Nothing really difficult but the frequency changes. We have to change frequently the radio frequencies to always have the best service from the Control. For example, if we are out of a Control Airspace, some Controls do not give a lot of traffic information and it is primordial in Instrument Flying to know who is flying around as we can’t see them. So we have to ask to another Control.
It is good to explore and go flying to different places.
I am looking forward to explore the world !

The intensity of the work increases and the tiredness as well. No holidays for 3 months !
Fortunately, the week end are used to go out, get some fresh air and free our mind.
But it is not the week end yet.
Today was a flight to Yeovil Westlands, an helicopter airfield in the north west of Bournemouth.
The flight was via NEDUL waypoint, SAM VOR and ADSON waypoint (an old waypoint not on the maps anymore).
It was short and intense but really interesting. All has to be done quickly without a rest.
Climbing, turning, checking, radio, weather, descending, hold, approach, …
Nothing was really specific. Just to be in front of the game all the time to avoid any rush and to distribute the workload.
The good thing was again to cross the cloud layer and meet the blue sky and the sun above.
A magical view !

Because Exeter is one of the most challenging IFR approach (Instrument Flying Rules), we go there several times during the training.
The weather was perfect. It starts to be calm and less windy. We can work well our holds and approaches.
Michael did the first way and landed to Exeter. We did a quick crew-change and I took control of the beast.
I took-off and did 2 holds and a NDB approach on runway 26 without DME so I had no indication of distance from the runway. It was a bit tricky as I had to descent to the decision altitude and wait until about 2 minutes after passing overhead the beacon (which is not on the runway) to go-around. I knew that I was on the runway track but not before or after the runway.
In real life, you have to wait to see the runway, if not go-around.
It is a strange approach but it can happen if the DME is failed.
After the go-around, I had a simulated engine failure and I was radar vectored out of the Control airspace.
I resumed my own navigation to GIBSO waypoint then direct to Bournemouth.
At Bournemouth, I requested a radar vectored NDB approach asymmetric. Again, without DME, nasty instructor . It was easier as I knew when I was on the runway as soon as I am overhead the beacon.
Then, the present with an asymmetric low level circuit.
It was sunny and it was really a pleasure to look at the beautiful Bournemouth area.

The weather was still on the limits today. There were some CBs around Bournemouth and Cardiff so it was difficult to choose to depart or not. But we were more than ready and Derek, our instructor, is always happy to go. The problem was the wind. Some gusts at more than 35kts/65km/h (it was not complete cross-wind so we were under the limits of 25kts cross-wind of the aircraft) but challenging and hard to fly in those condition (bumpy with strong upper winds).
The plan was : I flew to Cardiff where we did a quick crew-change (without shutting down the engine) and Michael did the flight back.
It was interesting. The route was from Bournemouth to YVL (Yeovil NDB) to EXMOR (one entry point of Cardiff/Bristol) to CDF (Cardiff NDB). The first leg was ok, just to follow the direction of the needle of the RMI to the NDB, the second was a bit tricky as I had to do a bit of Dead Reckoning (follow my heading without any help of navaids) because the NDB has a short range (for example, my leg is 25NM/46km long and I can rely on the indication of the NDB until 20NM/37km only).
It was not so difficult as I had some navaids to define where was the point to reach. The only difficult is to start the turn to the next point at a distance of 1NM maximum from this point.
Then, I was radar vectored for a while by Cardiff Radar (the Control gave me some headings to follow) and I finally had to go to the beacon by following the RMI (“Own navigation to the beacon” by the ATC).
At the beacon, 2 holds then an NDB procedure on runway 12.
Then a go-around with a low level circuit which is the present at the end of the flight. What a pleasure to remove the screens and look outside for a short circuit at low altitude.
Cardiff is really beautiful by air. Good flight !
On the way back, it was quite impressive as some areas around the river are flooded (like in South of France last year).
When we went back home, I saw an aircraft in final without the nose wheel down. We went back to the airfield to see what happened. We saw a lot of fire-trucks along the runway. It should be something serious.
Actually, the Control asked to the aircraft to go-around as the pilots did not know about the problem. The aircraft came back for a low path probably to check if the wheel was down. Then, they landed perfectly without the nose wheel. Good job Pilots !

The weather was better today. There were some CBs but nothing that can stop us .
I was the first to fly from Bournemouth to Exeter.
It was not direct but via an airways because it has to be done in the training.
The route was from Bournemouth to ADSON (an old waypoint in the North of Bournemouth) to EXMOR to enter in the airway N864 then leave the airway at ATWELL waypoint to go direct to LETSI the first point of the RNAV approach (GPS approach) of the runway 26 of Exeter.
The navigation was fine but we experienced some ice at the FL65 (Flight Level ~1982m of altitude). It was quite impressive. The outside temperature was only -2°C and we crossed some clouds. By trying to keep the altitude, the speed was decreasing little by little from 130kts (our cruising speed ~241km/h) to 115kts (~213km/h). We can see some ice on the temperature probe and the wings. Nothing alarming according to the instructor but if it had been worth we would have requested to descent.
It was an interesting experience. Icing can be dangerous that why we check regularly if there is ice.
Then, I waited to get the clearance to enter in the airway. Nothing from the Control… I had to request it to get it. That’s not nice !
Then, I flew the airway and requested to descent. “Negative” was the answer. Ok…it will be interesting if I can’t descent to do the approach. Luckily, I got the clearance later but with a hold to do at the point LETSI. Good thing to train to ! Finally, I was allowed to start the approach without the hold.
The RNAV approach is really straight forward. Just follow the instructions of the GPS and job done.
I did a go-around and requested for a hold and an NDB approach.
Unfortunately, the controller told me that I had to wait 30 minutes in the hold to get the clearance to start the approach procedure or to start the procedure directly. Well, it is a shame to not practice the hold and quite short to prepare the aircraft to land.
But time is money so I accepted the direct approach and managed to do it not too badly…
Then, we came back to Bournemouth for a radar vectored NDB approach asymmetric. It was ok.
I enjoyed the flight even if it was not perfect.
I have to be ready for all kind of problems during the flight. It was a really good experience.
Happy to be in week end !

The Low pressure and occlusions are still around UK and bring an unstable weather with CBs, heavy rain and strong winds.
Again, we were not really sure to fly today but “where there’s life there’s hope”.
Derek, our instructor, was ready to go to fly. Good ! Destination Alderney of the Channel Islands !
Michael did the flight to there and we swapped quickly without shutting down the engine to gain time.
It was really beautiful to fly over the sea, to see Alderney which is very small and the good surprise was to see France. I can see Cherbourg where the feries navigate from Pool (near Bournemouth). I felt like an explorer happy to go back in his country .
At Alderney, I can see the Trilander which is the aircraft flown by our Sim IR instructor Steve. It is a not-really-good-looking aircraft but really good to fly. I can put some images on the funny stories that he told us during the course.
After the swap, I tookoff for two holds above Alderney with the NDB approach runway 26. It is quite challenging as all as to be done quickly but it was ok. Then, we flew back to Bournemouth at 3000ft/915m above the sea (don’t worry we had the life-jacket ). My instructor hid some instruments to fly in partial panel. It was weird to do a navigation like that (follow a VOR radial) but it was ok.
We arrive very quickly at Bournemouth with 40kts/74km/h of wind where we requested for an ILS approach runway 26. It was quite challenging because really bumpy.
Then the deliverance when the instructor removed the screens. It is really good to be face to the runway (if you are accurate enough or the runway can be on one side). I landed with a lot of cross-wind and was pretty proud to land well.
The conditions were a bit limited to do a good flight and it was not the kind of weather for a test also.

No flight today as the weather was quite bad. A lot of CBs around the airport due to a Low pressure and some occlusions.
We were not able to fly mostly due to the wind conditions. Gusts at more than 30kts/56km/h as the cross wind limit of our Duchess is 25kts.
Even Derek, our instrutor, which is ready to fly in any conditions was not keen to fly.
So some theories and work at school.
What a shame ! We are doing the IR to fly in all weather conditions and we can’t fly .
As all we have limits and today it was better to not try to reach them…

What a good day to fly again into the aircraft. Michael did his first IR flight yesterday and I did mine today.
It was a flight to get back into the aircraft (re-familiarisation).
From Bournemouth to the North West to do some general handlings. It means NDB tracking, VOR tracking, partial panel (some instruments are hidden) with some unusual attitudes (that’s definitively the best !) and some stalls. It was ok. I thought that it would have been more difficult.
Actually, I am more confident in my flying skills and flight management so it can only be better .
Then, we came back over the airport and NDB to do two holds and an NDB procedure.
I did a go-around and a visual “bad weather circuit” (or low level) at 700ft/214m which is quite challenging to perform well because all is far quicker. It is a circuit in case of low cloud base to stay in sight of the airfield all the time. It is so good when the screen are removed. It is like a present !
It was not too bad for a first flight. I enjoyed it a lot.
It is really good to be back in the aircraft. I prefer to be on the backseat to enjoy the view but it is gratifying when you manage to succeed a hold and an approach.
The weather was quite bad with a lot of CBs around. It was really bumpy and windy. Nice to fly in those conditions but not to be accurate !
Here are some pictures :

Short flight in the simulator to improve things that was already good before but that’s the game. You do some mistakes with an other instructor, you have to do another flight and prove that you learnt from your mistakes of the previous flight.
I had to do a short flight from Bournemouth to Bournemouth via the waypoints NEDUL and THRED.
Not really difficult but Maddy included a lot of little bits that made it more difficult.
As ATC (Control), she asked me to level off me several time at different altitudes, did some radio calls at the same time of a level off and a turn at a waypoint (to make me forget to level off or turn), changed my navigation in flight by giving me new headings, …
Then back to Bournemouth, I had to do a hold at BIA NDB and an NDB approach.
I was short but intense. It was not too bad and I gained my ticket to go in the aircraft.
I am looking forward it as I haven’t flown for 4 weeks !

Navigation

To conclude the simulator course and to confirm the transition to the aircraft, I had to do a “Sim Check” today. It is a kind of test in the simulator with an instructor of our school who is an examiner as well (a kind of 170A for the Simulator). Two instructors are qualified to do the Sim Check in our school : Anthony & Maddy.
Thomas had Anthony and I had Maddy. They are both exacting and professional.
I had a quick briefing to explain the route then I can do the flight preparation.
I had a flight from Exeter to Guernsey (of Channel Islands). The preparation consists of defining the route, writing my plog, writing the Flight Plan that has to be sent to the ATC (Control) to be aware of our route and organise the transition between the different Controls that we will contact, defining the diversion airfields (in case of bad weather or problems at the destination), …
Then, we went to the simulator. The first part was an engine failure after take-off. I did not expected that but managed it quite well with a radar vectored NBD to land (obviously the ILS was unserviceable).
Then, I had to be back in the flight to do the normal navigation.
Departure from Exeter to DAWLY a waypoint to enter in the airway N864 (thanks to the GPS which is the simplest way to find the route directly) then flew to Berry Head VOR. From there, I flew the N862 to SKERY waypoint. Scarry route because I entered in icing conditions but I had to descent in warmer air out of the airway. Then direct to Guernsey VOR where I did a VOR Hold then an ILS to land (one of my best ILS).
I did some mistakes (nothing major) and I have do to another flight on Monday to improve different bits. It is a shame and I am a bit disappointed because it was not at the level of what I learnt and did with my previous instructor Steve. Well, I will do better on Monday !

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