Runway 06R

So I haven’t lost my love of flying just the last two flights were fairly nondescript. Standard practice forced landings and other things like powered stalls, powered without flap stalls and a few other stall derivatives with the object being landing technique at 3500 feet. After all landing is simply a controlled stall, by the way I spent about an hour or more doing circuits recently, upwind, crosswind, base and final (land) then power on and take off again, over and over and over and over and over and over again.

That being said my landings are pretty well nailed, to the point that its becoming a little boring and I actually look forward to crosswind landings. Which is more or less landing sideways the right before round out (aircraft pitch from descending to level flight right above the runway) apply rudder to manoeuvre the plane from sideways to straight. Then you land right wheel then left (or visa versa depending on wind direction) then hold back on the stick and let the nose wheel drop down smoothly.

Anyhow today I did a training area solo where i took the plane out to the training area and did a bit of navigational work prior to getting really serious about finding my way around.

Standard checks before fueling the aircraft making sure I had 40 litres on each side, burning 23 litres per hour that gave me plenty of fuel with 45 min reserve. Fuel check, aircraft check (amongst other checks) I was ready to kick it over. Engine start was sluggish but within a few seconds she kicked over and was spinning nicely.

A few more checks then breaks off and giving it a little RPM started taxing out of the holding area. Noticed another 152 on its way in off the siding so swung around ready to give way. It must have been a fairly new student as he was traveling PAINFULLY slow, however I was entering so I was giving way, after that taxied out to 24R holding position for engine checks.

Went through those everything checked out, oil and temps green, RPM nice, throttle idle still good. Taxied out, made my radio call and received the line up instruction followed by “cleared for take off”, full throttle and at the required speed pulled back and we lifted off nicely, tracked for 1000 feet to the exit point and out into the training area.

It was a great day, followed the freeway to Mandurah then headed across to the edge of the hills near serpentine dam,great view from the sky and I was able to get some photos. Apart from some sights I did want to get a better feel for forced landings, circled a field we typically use and ran through the procedures in my head imagining the flight path, checking my high key point, low key point or my 1000 foot level then base and final.

Hugged the limits of the training area and headed for six south entry point back to the airport. Cruise descent went well, made it to six south did my radio call and was given clearance to enter the airspace. One odd thing was that I heard over the radio that another plane was entering the same entry point behind me, strange that as I hadn’t noticed any other planes in the training area. Tower informed me of a plane behind me I responded with “traffic not sighted”, tower then proceeded to explain where the plain was however given that it was a ways behind it wasn’t that important.

Entered the holding pattern at 1000 feet and completed late downwind, sharp turn to base and an even sharper turn to final which I wasn’t happy that I had to do but I corrected myself nicely on final and with careful management of flaps and power settled nicely then had a slight balloon which I managed to bring down softly still, so much that I am still not sure if I ballooned or not I think simply because I held the stick back I never actually landed the front wheel till much later then I anticipated, which is not a bad thing.

I know some pilots who wheelie down the runway upon landing and give the plane ages to allow for the nose to drop down of its own accord, technique technique technique.

Parked the plane did all the after landing checks and packed it up for the evening. Upon seeing me my flight instructor responded with “your alive”. You kinda get worried when you have an instructor who is surprised you are alive after a solo, all good fun.

The calculation of density height requires a few bits of information:

Elevation, QNH and Temperature.

Example

Elevation: 8000 Feet
QNH: 1032 hPa
Temperature: +21 degrees

Use the QNH to work out the pressure height

1013 – 1032 = -19
-19 x 30 = -570
-570 + 8000 = 7430

So our pressure height is 7430 feet, we then use that number to work out the ISA temperature for the given height.

ISA temperature at ground is +15 degrees, and for every 1000 feet of height we loose 2 degrees so we round off to the nearest 500 feet so for our next calculation 7430 becomes 7500. So we then do the following +15 – (2 x 7.5 = 15) = 0 degrees

So our ISA temperature for our height is 0 degrees, however our actual temperature is +21 degrees so we work out the difference which in this case is 0, because our actual temperature is higher then the ISA temperature we refer to the difference with a + sign.

So our temperature is now +21 degrees.

We then apply an ISA deviation so +21 degrees X 120 = 2520 feet.

We then add that to our pressure height 2520 + 7430 = 9950 feet

So 9950 feet is our density height.

Just an update, I havn’t stoped just havn’t been flying in a few weeks, actually its more like a month. Work has had me all over the place recently. Done quite a bit of flying just not in the drivers seat. I have though been working away at the theory side of things as I have several exams coming up where I have to get my head around a few things.

Bought the CR-2 flight computer (Jeppesen) and have been playing around with it. Its quite a cool little gadget for quick calculations, unfortunantly mine didn’t come with a detailed manual so I am doing a bit of work figuring out how it differs from the one used in my PPL book.

I am going to get in some hours next week and finalise my GFTP hopefully, along with that is a final area solo that i’ll be tested on, more updates later.

I have taken this procedure from my training manual and summarized it or rather made it more concise to assist me in learning it better.

1. Initial Checks

Following an engine failure in flight my immediate action should be to convert speed to height then trim for the best glide speed (Cessna 152 @ 65 knots without flaps) to maximise my glide range in case I cant re-start the engine. After trimming the aircraft correctly (trim tabs all the way back) perform the following:

F – Fuel (On)
C – Carb Heat (Hot)
M – Mixture (Rich)
I – Ignition (Check Left, Right then Both)
T – Throttle (Pump for response)

2 . Select a field, Plan a descent

Consider Size, Shape, Slope, Surrounds and Surface.

Select a 1000 foot start point for turning to base and select an aim point on the ground and don’t lose sight of it throughout the exercise. Aim to touch down one third of the way into the field.

3. Trouble Checks

Try and resolve the engine failure problem

F – Fuel (On, Sufficient, Primer Locked)
C – Carb Heat (Hot)
M – Mixture (Rich)
I – Ignition (Check Left, Right then Both)
T – Throttle (Pump for response, try starting in different positions)

5. Mayday Call

Transmitted over RAS frequency (128.1 MHZ) or emergency frequency (121.5 MHZ).

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
Alpha Oscar Hotel, Alpha Oscar Hotel, Alpha Oscar Hotel
Training Area
Experiencing Engine Failure
Emergency Landing
2 Passengers on Board

5. Passenger Breif

6. Shutdown Checks

B – Brakes (Off)
U – Undercarriage (Down)
S – Shutdown (Fuel off, Mixture ICO, Mags off and Master off after selecting flap)
H – Hatches (Slightly Ajar)
H – Harnesses (Secure)

Land the aircraft.

There are all sorts of emergency landing briefs that should be given to passengers before touch down, I have adapted a typical brief so that it covers the essentials yet making it simple, concise and easy to remember.

“As you have noticed we have experienced an engine failure, there is no need to panic as I have been trained for this. If you are wearing glasses please remove them along with any sharp objects in your pockets and store securely. Ensure that your harness is secure and your door is slightly open prior to touchdown.

Once we have come to a complete stop please exit and walk to the back of the aircraft, clear the aircraft area as quickly as possible.”

Originally I had IGX booked for 3:00pm however when I called and confirmed my instructor that I typically go out with when I do duel training was sick. So I got given another instructor and since the sky was pretty light with traffic I moved it to 2:00pm.

The wind sock was howling the opposite way so instead of 06L for training area departures 24R was active, this allows us to take off into the wind. After a pre-flight brief I towed the aircraft out of the holding area and into the pre-start check area. Dipped the tanks and with 35 on the left and 20 on the right I figured I’d fill em both up to 40 liters each side for better balance.

Me: “Air BP Air BP India Golf X-ray”
Air BP: “Air BP India Golf X-ray”
Me: “India Golf X-ray Cessna 152 Air Australia request 25 liters of AVgas, 5 liters right tank 20 liters left tank”
Air BP: “India Golf X-Ray, Be with you shortly”
Me: “Air BP”

Shortly they arrived and fueled the tanks, after a thorough pre-flight we were taxiing out to 24R, after run up checks permission to line up was granted followed by permission to take off. A wobbly start due to crosswinds which I corrected, flying out of Jandakot airport was straightforward as the runway is facing the exit point. After tracking to 500 feet and performing after take off checks I turned the aircraft south.

Holding above the exit lakes at 1000 ft I switched over to Perth radar and began a normal climb for 1500 feet then 2500 feet and after entering the training area climbed to 3500 feet. The weather was interesting with low cloud (4000 Feet) and a definite amount of rain which I was keen to avoid, nobody likes to get wet.

With a new instructor you more or less have to adapt to his/her style of instruction as the result is the same but the method might differ from instructor to instructor, I don’t mind switching instructors as it gives me a chance to see different ways of doing things, frustrating but good experience.

The first attempt at practice forced landings involved a bit of input from my instructor, I don’t think my style was flawed by nature it was simply that my plan for getting us both on the ground might not have been the safest, and I suppose that is the end result of a forced landing.

The second attempt was good fun, I reckon I would have rode a few cows down in the process but I would rather get nice and cosy with a cow then say power lines or a row of trees.

The third attempt I had to cut a corner to reduce time in the air and change my plan halfway through but I got a commendation for a successful forced landing so that was good. After that I climbed to 1500 feet and turned 180 degrees to Forrestdale lake for joining circuits.

Joining circuits involves returning to the airport but requesting permission to join the touch and go circuits where you fly crosswind, downwind, base and final then as you touch down you go full flaps up and full throttle for an immediate take off run, then all over again, landing practice really – in rapid succession.

So we got permission and I more or less nailed 3 crosswind circuits, which is where I do my final at 65 kts and come in at an angle using rudder control and a bit of aileron, touch down is on the left wheel the right wheel then hold back on the stick as power is reduced. More or less doing a wheelie down the runway with front wheel in the wind, gradually as speed is decreased that wheel comes down nice and smooth.

The instructor was happy, which is always a good thing. Taxied to holding point and after permission was granted to cross an active runway we were back at the club performing shutdown checks and more or less putting the plane to bed for the night.

All in all the flight was good, I’ll do some more circuit solos then I’ll do an area solo then I think I will be ready for the GFPT which then allows me to fly with passengers in circuits and throughout the training area, good fun.

Note to self: Learn the bloody forced landing checklist inside and out!!!!!!

There are a number of ways to work out the pressure height of a field or landing strip, with any text book they visualize things I guess so you have some idea of why or what you hope to accomplish. Essentially the pressure height of a field is the starting point for a number of calculations relating to climbing, landing and take off, that is why it is given special consideration.

QNH stands for the atmospheric pressure at mean sea level and changes over time. The QNH is relayed to pilots via the ATIS or 120.9 VHF.

Then you have the ISA to worry about (International Standard Atmosphere), this is a set of standards that have been adopted world wide as an average set of conditions for the whole earth. The sea level pressure is set at 1013 hectopascals (hPa) and sea level temperature is 15 degrees centigrade.

Pressure drops at a rate of 1 hPa for every 30 feet of height gained, likewise temperature drops at a rate of 2 degrees centigrade for every 1000 feet gained in height. So according to ISA if you were flying 1500 feet above sea level you would have an air pressure reading of 963 hPa and a temperature reading of 12.5 degrees centigrade.

That being said the ISA lists averages which are never typically representative of actual conditions so a pilot must convert the actual conditions to its equivalent in ISA in order to run these against aircraft performance charts.

So if a field is 2100 feet above sea level and the QNH is 1002 then the pressure height of the field is 2430 feet. And we work that out by:

ISA sea level reading 1013 (hPa) – the QNH (1002) which equals 11, you then times that number by thirty feet (11 x 30) to get 330 feet. Add that to the field height and you get 2430 feet.

That figure can then be used to consult aircraft performance charts.

Air density, temperature and humidity levels all affect the performance of an aircraft and these must be taken account of when working out your landing and take off. When you are on the ground acquiring this information is pretty simple, switch the radio over to ATIS frequency and wait till they read out the QNH. Simply select the appropriate QNH on the altimeter and it automatically tells you the field pressure height.

However, this doesn’t work for when you are up in the sky and this information has to be calculated manually specifically when landing in adverse weather or at an unfamiliar airport.

Each particle of air contributes to the production of lift and drag, combustion of fuel to produce power and the generation of thrust. Air density suddenly becomes very important and is set by air pressure and temperature.

One way I look at it is that water is dense and as such makes it easy to swim in, it supports our weight. We can’t “swim” in air as it is much less dense then water. It might not be the correct way of explaining it but to me it does make a little more sense.

So above all air density effects the distance required for take off and landing as well as the climb factor. the higher the altitude the less dense the air is, likewise the hotter the day is the less dense the air is. So given that, one could rightfully assume that if you were taking off from a high altitude airstrip on a blazing hot day you would need to allow for greater take off distance.

I’ll jot down the methods of acquiring the correct pressure hight of a given field or landing strip in a future post.

I scheduled a flight in AOH (Cessna 152) for two hours from 10:00am – 12:00pm, this includes pre-flight checks and a brief. Though I solo circuits my next challenge is the area solo check flight, this is where I am assessed for solos outside of Jandakot Airport controlled airspace. Student Pilots are permitted to fly in the training area which is a huge space of sky south of Perth.

In this area a student pilot can practice all things flying, including turns, steep turns, rates of climb and descent among other things and acquiring training in this area on my own I believe is essential to building up experience.

Its been about 2 months since I have flown in the training area and so it can get a little daunting considering runways change direction and certain runways have certain specific uses and the last thing I want is an angry controller having a go at me.

After pre-flight checks and a call to Air BP for 10 liters of AVgas to the right wing, my flight instructor checked the fuel and oil levels and we were ready to go. As we were flying directly to the training area there was no need for a start check call to ground. After going through start up procedures we had the engine firing after a “clear prop” call.

After clearance was given I taxied briskly on to Runway 06L and after aligning myself on the center line applied full throttle. At 55 – 60 Kts we were airborne and I took off using rudder control to correct for crosswind. At 400 feet my instructor reached for the throttle and set the engine to idle (emergency landing after takeoff check), at that point I lowered the nose for the glide and set my aim point to 30 degrees left side of center line and selected a sandy mound to crash into. instructor was satisfied (more or less) and I applied full throttle and proceeded to 500 ft then on to 1000 ft for finishing up the curcuit.

Breaking out of the circuit and heading to the controlled zone exit point was a breeze, considering we fly only 500 ft below inbound aircraft, straying out of our permitted ceiling height can be disastrous. The role of my instructor was to observe my flying and as such he wasn’t coaching. I flew over the lakes and at the far end of the final lake started my cruise climb to 1500 and beyond as we had reached the limits of the controlled area. I then switched the radio over to Perth Radar (135.25).

In the training area we did several types of aircraft stalls, all of which after the plane dives I have about 300 ft max to recover and resume steady full powered climb back to original height. First time entering and climbing above clouds today which was fantastic, normally I have been steering clear of clouds for obvious reasons. I then did two forced landings in which the first on I selected a ridiculously small field (bad judgment) with the second one being a bit better, found the largest paddock around and with exception of a few scattered cows grazing about the place I reckon I could have avoided them .

We then climbed from 500 ft back up to 1500ft and proceeded to 6 south for entry back into Jandakot Airport Airspace. At 6 South the radio call is something like:

Alpha Oscar Hotel, Cessna 152
Six South at one thousand five hundred
received information Bravo, inbound.

To which the tower responds with: Alpha Oscar Hotel

We then proceed to Forrestdale lake and after another radio call we are given instruction for entering the controlled airspace and joining a circuit pattern in preparation for landing. This particular entry was unfamiliar to me so I got carried away with completing the circuit correctly and had to put a bit more effort into slowing the plane down on final. A slight balloon on landing but I didn’t feel the need for a go around, even though my instructor thought my landing was a little “messy”.

I thought the flight went well, during the 5 min debrief we went over entering the circuit pattern , my next theory test is the area solo exam, 20 questions or more of this that and the other, will see how we go.