A weekend of Championships

What an awesome weekend. First of all I received my results for my final exams and to my great relief have passed them. I seem to have done well in the hard ones(Principles of Flight, Meteorology and General Navigation) and not so well in the easy one, VFR Communications. I also struck a 100% in IFR Comms.

My results for the 14 exams now read as follows.

• Mass & Balance 97%
• Performance 90%
• Operational Procs 92%
• Flight Planning 93%
• Radio Navigation 90%
• Human Performance 96%
• Airframes/Systems 96%
• Instruments 88%
• Air Law 93%
• Principles of Flight 98%
• General Navigation 97%
• Meteorology 96%
• VFR Communications 87%
• IFR Communications 100%

On a high from my results, I headed down to the British Kitesurf Champs, round 4 at littlehampton. The Saturday was a windless day so the pub was already well rocking by the time I arrived. Beers ensued....rum....stupid dancing....flaming sambuca(euch)....skinny dipping(went in men, came out boys)....tea in the camper....sleep in the ego-mobile. A few hours later we rolled up to the start of the competition but fortified with a bacon butty we were keener to get on the water ourselves than watch the competition. A mighty fine choice as it was another 'Best Session Yet' day. Awesome.

And then the 'Air guitar Championship in Brighton. How can that not be funny I thought, and so it proved. Roughly 10 were competing, 3 went through to a final where they went (air?)head to (air?)head to the music of 'The Banjo Dual'. Brilliant.

Checked Out

Friday, I managed to go flying in a wee Cessna 152. A bit rusty - me not the plane, having not flown in 9 months but no real problems.

A good weekend. Beers, thai food, idiot dancing, full english, friends. What more could you ask for. Well, tea and cake come Sunday evening. I mean really, what kind of place doesn't serve cake? This was one of those occasions where once an idea seeds itself in your head, it has to be fed. Sadly this time it wasn't. Just typing this, I am getting the craving for tea and cake.

Tuesday, I was checked out on the 152 to fly solo. We(the instructor and myself) also did something that I had heard about but never seen. We simulated that the control column was broken and landed the aircraft using the throttle/trimmer to control pitch and opening the doors to control bank. Hopefully next week, I will get checked out on the PA28(Warrior) that is a 4 seater and so will be able to take more passengers.

Wednesday Albi and I flew to Sandown on the Isle of Wight for lunch. We both choose the 'Aviator Burger'. They were so big that I couldn't risk re-fuelling the aircraft for risk of not being able to get off the ground. A nice flight.


View of the Needles on the Isle of Wight

Flying of some sort.

Today was an overcast, blustery, rainy day. Frontal weather. The sort of day where clothes only slow the rain a little before it soaks you. Most people would say that this was miserable weather, but I guess it depends on what you plan on doing:

The cloud was at 500 feet and the wind was blowing SW at around 25Kts.

I had planned to get checked out in a Cessna 152 , but with the cloud 500ft below circuit height, this was never going to happen. Frustrating as I am itching to get in the air again.

Instead I joined Dave, Andy and James in a downwinder from Lancing to Hove. They had started at Worthing and I joined them part way for an awesome wave-riding session. One of the most enjoyable kitesurf sessions I have ever had.

Tomorrow I hope to get in the air again. Hopefully with a plane, but if not with a kite.

England regain the Ashes

WAHOO!!!!!!

Groundschool is over

Just finished my final week of exams.
5 of them, Principles of Flight, Genereal Navigation and IFR Comms were fine, Meteorology was a hard paper but I am fairly sure I have done enough. VFR Comms however, supposedly the easiest subject of the 14, is the one i'm worried about. There aren't many questions so you can't afford many errors. I definitely had a few wrong but if enough were correct, i'll know in a couple of weeks.

That finishes my six months of groundschool. And my six months in Bournemouth.


Now for more flying training.

My plan is to do some hour building here in Shoreham before commencing my CPL and IR in Spain from January. Tuesday(after the cricket)if the weather is fine I will get checked out and then be able to take a few people flying. Which is nice.

So..