I had initially signed up just for an 'Experience' flight, but when I discussed this with the instructor and explained that as long as I could fit in aircraft (I am TALL) and I actually enjoyed the experience as much as I thought I would, we agreed to split the 2 hour Flight Experience into two 1 hour lessons.
Flight 1 - Ex 1 - Flying in the back seat, experience microlight flying for the first time - amazing! After flying for a while I took control from the back seat, with my instructor (Graeme) covering the throttle, and from that point on I flew until we were almost landing. To say it was a relief to hand control back was an understatement!
My First light - please excuse the bagpipe music, seemed relevant for a flight in Scotland..
Flight 2 - Ex 2,3 & 4 - Flying in the front seat from now on, and I just about squeeze my long legs in, but I fit and can steer, manage brakes and foot throttle, so off we go. As I'm in the front seat I get my first attempt at taxying, Graeme uses the hand throttle for takeoff and landing, but after landing I'm responsible for braking. This was a very gentle introduction to a host of things - the checklists for a start, radio calls, air rules, especially before takeoff, but also covered all through the flight. I lucked out with the weather and has some perfect clouds to fly around.
I committed fully to the training at this point. I joined the club, got my pilots logbook, ordered a FlyCom helmet and put in an order for a made to measure Oozee flight suit- that was August and at the time of starting this blog that made to measure suit still hasn't arrived, and we're at the tail end of November now... blasted covid!!
First microlight lesson, complete with dodgy music..
Flight 3 - Ex 5 & 6 - my taxying still sucks, gradually training my brain to steer with my feet and not the bar at the end of a flight is entertaining, but as Graeme points out, I'll be taxying on every lesson, so this is something I will be getting a heap of practice with! Main point is of course, besides other traffic (important!), be aware of the wind direction, and don't do the novice error of concentrating on the steering and forget the upwind wing is about to be picked up and flip you over unless you angle the wing properly!
Flight 4 - Ex 7 - Another really fun lesson, nothing terribly challenging about this, although everything is incrementally settling in, from the checklists through to the muscle memory for flight control.
Flight 5 - Ex 7, 8 & 9A - turns, timing the rolling out of turns, turning to aim to a feature, turning to a compass bearing, which can be entertaining trying to do mental arithmetic while also flying.
Flight 6 - Ex 7, 9B - The stuff I learnt from the previous lessons now starts getting combined - power and attitude - up to now it's all about power = climb/descend ; attitude(or trim) = speed ; now we're into 'performance climbs', climbing turns, descending turns etc - this is the "are you dizzy yet" lesson where you rarely seem to fly straight and level. Not complaining though, this is flying and I love it!
"are you dizzy yet?"
Flight 7 - Ex 10A & 10B - Stalls - I reckon this may have been my favourite lesson up to this point - plenty of height, and demystified stalls, the recovery, and it certainly made for some interesting sensations as the wing stalled, but no dramas because it recovers so easily.
We covered HASELL checks before this lesson, but they were more rigorously enforced for this one.
Stalls and recovery
Flight 8 - Ex 6, 7, 8, 9A, 9B & 10B - This was a familiarization flight in what was to become my syndicate aircraft - a P&M GT450 - main thing here was how the GT450 wing responded to inputs compared to the QuikR I had been flying up until now. We did lots of exercises, including some practice approaches to a random field, and then a proper approach to the airfield, and on that final approach Graeme had to act as a steering buffer to stop me over controlling the wing - it responds much faster than the QuikR wing and I was flying it like the QuikR....
Flight 9 - Ex 9B & 12 - we revised 9B, the 30 degree climbing and descending turns, and then it was time to start circuits. At my airfield, the circuit height is 500ft and the overhead join is at 1,500ft. We can also have left or right hand circuits, as deadside is always to the north of the airfield, regardless of wind direction. Something changed here though - up until now, I'd had a horrible feeling of 'ground rush' as we landed, probably because a) I was looking down at the ground, and b) I KNEW I couldn't handle the plane at this point (OK, believed I couldn't) - but now, with lots of approaches under my belt, and Graeme's quiet instruction and encouragement, suddenly it clicked and not only was I not terrified, I was starting to enjoy it!
Flight 10 - Ex 12 - Ah, more circuits, I've heard plenty of moans, but I like the intensity of the circuit! It's so busy, a very short circuit, things happen quick fire, and then you land, or go-around, and do it again.
There was the slight tendency to steer the plane to the right as I rounded out... once we realised it was me and not the wind, we paid more attention to it and I stopped doing it.
Add to that, that pushing on the brake (left foot) tends to see the plane steer right - again, something to be aware of,
Circuits - on Runway 29
Flight 11 - Ex 12 - Paid more attention to getting the overhead join correct this time, and back into circuits - this time on the 'tight' runway 11 that has no direct approach because of noise abatement rules, so the approach is a descending right hand turn - apparently one that scares the hell out of visiting pilots, but that just shows the value of a good instructor - with Graeme's coaching and reassurance I really enjoyed this.
Circuits - on Runway 11
And that brings us up to date - last two booked lessons were cancelled due to bad weather.
The last two weekends I've been back at the airfield, not to fly, but to do some maintenance on the GT450, and to fit camera mounting points, so I'm hoping future videos will be a lot better as since moving onto the GT450 I've only had footage from a head camera.
I've now got camera mounting points on :
1. Right wing - temporary, should have a formal mod approved mount with power sorted soon.
2. Forward upright spar (apologies if that's not the correct terminology!) - just above the screen.
3. On the handlebar off to the side - can rotate 360 degrees on a sprung swivel that's got a really solid movement so won't turn in the wind
4. Still got the head camera, mounted on the side of the helmet
Fingers crossed that the weather plays ball for my next lesson booked for 6 days time....
Flight 1 - Ex 1 - Flying in the back seat, experience microlight flying for the first time - amazing! After flying for a while I took control from the back seat, with my instructor (Graeme) covering the throttle, and from that point on I flew until we were almost landing. To say it was a relief to hand control back was an understatement!
My First light - please excuse the bagpipe music, seemed relevant for a flight in Scotland..
Flight 2 - Ex 2,3 & 4 - Flying in the front seat from now on, and I just about squeeze my long legs in, but I fit and can steer, manage brakes and foot throttle, so off we go. As I'm in the front seat I get my first attempt at taxying, Graeme uses the hand throttle for takeoff and landing, but after landing I'm responsible for braking. This was a very gentle introduction to a host of things - the checklists for a start, radio calls, air rules, especially before takeoff, but also covered all through the flight. I lucked out with the weather and has some perfect clouds to fly around.
I committed fully to the training at this point. I joined the club, got my pilots logbook, ordered a FlyCom helmet and put in an order for a made to measure Oozee flight suit- that was August and at the time of starting this blog that made to measure suit still hasn't arrived, and we're at the tail end of November now... blasted covid!!
First microlight lesson, complete with dodgy music..
Flight 3 - Ex 5 & 6 - my taxying still sucks, gradually training my brain to steer with my feet and not the bar at the end of a flight is entertaining, but as Graeme points out, I'll be taxying on every lesson, so this is something I will be getting a heap of practice with! Main point is of course, besides other traffic (important!), be aware of the wind direction, and don't do the novice error of concentrating on the steering and forget the upwind wing is about to be picked up and flip you over unless you angle the wing properly!
Flight 4 - Ex 7 - Another really fun lesson, nothing terribly challenging about this, although everything is incrementally settling in, from the checklists through to the muscle memory for flight control.
Flight 5 - Ex 7, 8 & 9A - turns, timing the rolling out of turns, turning to aim to a feature, turning to a compass bearing, which can be entertaining trying to do mental arithmetic while also flying.
Flight 6 - Ex 7, 9B - The stuff I learnt from the previous lessons now starts getting combined - power and attitude - up to now it's all about power = climb/descend ; attitude(or trim) = speed ; now we're into 'performance climbs', climbing turns, descending turns etc - this is the "are you dizzy yet" lesson where you rarely seem to fly straight and level. Not complaining though, this is flying and I love it!
"are you dizzy yet?"
Flight 7 - Ex 10A & 10B - Stalls - I reckon this may have been my favourite lesson up to this point - plenty of height, and demystified stalls, the recovery, and it certainly made for some interesting sensations as the wing stalled, but no dramas because it recovers so easily.
We covered HASELL checks before this lesson, but they were more rigorously enforced for this one.
Stalls and recovery
Flight 8 - Ex 6, 7, 8, 9A, 9B & 10B - This was a familiarization flight in what was to become my syndicate aircraft - a P&M GT450 - main thing here was how the GT450 wing responded to inputs compared to the QuikR I had been flying up until now. We did lots of exercises, including some practice approaches to a random field, and then a proper approach to the airfield, and on that final approach Graeme had to act as a steering buffer to stop me over controlling the wing - it responds much faster than the QuikR wing and I was flying it like the QuikR....
Flight 9 - Ex 9B & 12 - we revised 9B, the 30 degree climbing and descending turns, and then it was time to start circuits. At my airfield, the circuit height is 500ft and the overhead join is at 1,500ft. We can also have left or right hand circuits, as deadside is always to the north of the airfield, regardless of wind direction. Something changed here though - up until now, I'd had a horrible feeling of 'ground rush' as we landed, probably because a) I was looking down at the ground, and b) I KNEW I couldn't handle the plane at this point (OK, believed I couldn't) - but now, with lots of approaches under my belt, and Graeme's quiet instruction and encouragement, suddenly it clicked and not only was I not terrified, I was starting to enjoy it!
Flight 10 - Ex 12 - Ah, more circuits, I've heard plenty of moans, but I like the intensity of the circuit! It's so busy, a very short circuit, things happen quick fire, and then you land, or go-around, and do it again.
There was the slight tendency to steer the plane to the right as I rounded out... once we realised it was me and not the wind, we paid more attention to it and I stopped doing it.
Add to that, that pushing on the brake (left foot) tends to see the plane steer right - again, something to be aware of,
Circuits - on Runway 29
Flight 11 - Ex 12 - Paid more attention to getting the overhead join correct this time, and back into circuits - this time on the 'tight' runway 11 that has no direct approach because of noise abatement rules, so the approach is a descending right hand turn - apparently one that scares the hell out of visiting pilots, but that just shows the value of a good instructor - with Graeme's coaching and reassurance I really enjoyed this.
Circuits - on Runway 11
And that brings us up to date - last two booked lessons were cancelled due to bad weather.
The last two weekends I've been back at the airfield, not to fly, but to do some maintenance on the GT450, and to fit camera mounting points, so I'm hoping future videos will be a lot better as since moving onto the GT450 I've only had footage from a head camera.
I've now got camera mounting points on :
1. Right wing - temporary, should have a formal mod approved mount with power sorted soon.
2. Forward upright spar (apologies if that's not the correct terminology!) - just above the screen.
3. On the handlebar off to the side - can rotate 360 degrees on a sprung swivel that's got a really solid movement so won't turn in the wind
4. Still got the head camera, mounted on the side of the helmet
Fingers crossed that the weather plays ball for my next lesson booked for 6 days time....
Last edited:
)
