Monday, September 19, 2005

OK - Now let's get used to this thing!

I was signed off on the club Piper Arrow 2 a couple of weeks ago. Since I trained on PA28’s, most of the handling and instrument placement came back to me quite quickly, but it still felt strange after flying the TB10 for two years.

You don’t realise how quickly the workload drops off when you have your ‘own’ (err group) aircraft and become totally familiar with it – you know where everything is and everything falls automatically to hand – leaving you to focus on flying. Conversely, you certainly do realise how the workload increases when you have to think then search for specific instruments and controls etc.

That’s how it is with the Arrow, well, that and the fact that it is about 25kts faster!

Anyway, decided to give myself a solo general handling. Since it is so much faster, I decided on a longer route for a one hour local. First down the Severn to the bridges, then up the Wye valley to Hereford, over the top of the Malverns, around Bredon hill, a couple of orbits of my village, then set up for an approach to Gloucester.

The weather was forecast to be wonderful sunshine and clear skies. So of course it was overcast with SCT at between 1800’ – 2500’ and OVC at 4000’! You know, the typical ‘high pressure gloom’ that you can get. QNH was 1027.

So set off and settled down. Moments of ‘head in cockpit’ checking and setting various bits, only to look up and realise that the ground had disappeared – oops! Nose down for a bit and ground reappears! If worse came to worse of course, I would have to have climbed on instruments then requested an instrument approach to Gloucester, but didn’t fancy that being both rusty and in an unfamiliar aircraft.

Better get below this stuff!

Found myself constantly ‘bumping my head’ on the cloudbase until closer to Evesham, when I could just manage 2500’.

Headed towards my village and slowed the aircraft down to do a few orbits around the outside at 1400’. Spotted that my neighbour (my regular flying companion) had literally just returned from holiday and was waving, so waggled the wings, gave it another orbit, then wandered away to gain height prior to rejoin at Gloucester. Could see a balloon in the distance launching from the racecourse – that’s the balloon festival I was expecting.

Wandered back to Bredon Hill, set myself up, listened to the ATIS and gave Gloucester a call. Would I like a direct approach? Yes, why not. Given direct to 27 report at 3 miles.

Started to slow the aircraft down at 5 miles. At 3 miles, given number 1. With the doughnut nicely in view, completed my pre-landing checks and lowered the gear. Got it nicely set up with some flap, but still pretty high – four whites on the PAPI’s – hmmm. Now about two miles. Pull on all the flap, set to fully fine and throttle back. There goes the doughnut. Its coming in now, three white and one pink, no - make that a red. Now a second pink – nice, power up a bit and hold this. Sometimes I swear I find it easier to land without PAPI’s, it’s too easy to get fixated by what they are telling you.

Can I put it on the number? No forget that, concentrate on giving it the full hold-off treatment and try to touch on the buzzer. Manage a good hold-off with a nice, light touchdown, but no stall horn – oh well! With minimal wind, I just miss the runway intersection (might have made it if I had stomped on the brakes, but why do that?). So I have to trundle to the end and make the long taxi back to stand.

Park up and shut down. Into the club to complete their tech log and charge envelope. OK, got all that. And the bad news is….. total for 1 hour 5 minutes plus one landing is £175 odd! Ouch – this club stuff is going to kill me! The sooner I am back in a share the better!

So what did I learn?

Well, weather pretty murky and didn’t get much of a horizon, but I did get it trimmed nicely and managed to hold the level most of the time (until I put my head in the cockpit that is).

I have definitely got the hang of the ‘Red / Green / Blue’ check on finals and of course how vital it is on a retractable gear aircraft – especially when you are given a ‘direct to final’ join. It would be easy to forget to do the downwind checks – and we all know how missing both checks would end up!

The big difference is the speed. Going from the training PA28’s at 95kts to the TB10 at 105 – 110kts wasn’t too tough speed wise (handling and landing were another matter). But going from 105kts to 130-135kts is a fair old step. It is gratifying how soon your waypoints come up, but it is also alarming how quickly you can be on top of the destination airfield.

All in all, a good flight and feeling on top of the aircraft by the end of it. Yes, I do really like the Arrow 2 as a tourer – a bit agricultural, but nice. All the familiarity of the PA28 with a nice turn of speed and the same fuel burn as the TB10. Of course it is not my ‘dream plane’ (hmmm…. Cirrus SR22, Beech Bonanza….), but as an affordable tourer – yes please!

The next door neighbour is complaining that with one thing and another, he has not been flying with me for nearly six months. So I had better schedule the next local to include him. At these sorts of prices, I think my flying will be in a holding pattern until the insurance is sorted out and I can get into another share.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Back to the skies!

Well, the AAIB and insurance stuff is still going through on poor old G-OFLG. But in the meantime, there is great weather and flying to be done, so it is back to the 'full club rental' route.

This time I decided to switch allegiances from Aeros at Gloucester to Cotswold Aero Club next door. Most of the other part owners of G-OFLG trained at Cotswold, plus I liked their Arrow 2 (rather than Aero's Arrow 4 with the dreaded 'T-tail'), so I put myself down for some training and retractable gear sign off just in time for Cotswold to put the Arrow 2 in for the annual! Well, I managed a low level bad weather trip for half an hour at the end of July just before the annual, with this being my next trip.

Cotswold's Arrow 2

Anyway, finally back from the annual this week and I had some time on Sunday, so got the two together and had a check ride with the CFI, Phil Mathews.

At 10:30 on Sunday, it was hot and clear skies, but very murky with lateral visibility given as 4000m. After flapping about learning the intracacies of starting an injected engine both hot and cold and in between etc. got airborne and headed north for some general handling. I am still mentally attuned to hearing my old callsign of G-OFLG so I missed the call to G-OMNI and was just wondering who the idiot was in that aircraft that was not replying when Phil asked if I was going to answer the call! DOH!

Got above the murk at 3000', did a few turns, trimming and various power settings etc. Played with gear extension and the pitch changes to be prepared for, then good old Phil decides what I really need is a touch and go at Croft Farm (Defford) with its 570m grass runway - thanks Phil! - no pressure then!!

Managed the T&G - a lot of fun in the murk. The Arrow shows good short strip capability.

After a bit more fun, we head back to Gloucester with me trying to slow the plane up so it doesn't get ahead of me - this is quick compared to the TB10! Of course on the way in I get mixed up again with callsigns and I start calling myself G-OFLG - I think the tower were cutting me some slack. I join the circuit for 09 Left hand circuits with a standard overhead join. Did one touch and go and got a demo about holding it off in the flare for longer for my pains - the TB10 didn't have anywhere near as much 'float' as this - when the TB wanted to land, it landed! So mentally switched back into PA28 mode (as I trained on them) and vowed to do better next time.

Second circuit was to land. Turned in close on base as another aircraft was close behind and left myself high, but I was impressed how quickly the height can bleed off with the gear down, full flaps and the engine on idle! Re-established the glideslope and came in for a much better hold off landing - ah yes, I remember those from the PA28's!

Back to the hangar and another chat about gear emergencies and starting the engine in various states of warm / cold / flood etc.

Back to the clubhouse and £200 lighter (incl. 6 months membership - ah the joys of club flying!) and I am now signed off for G-OMNI and retractable gear.

What do I think about the Arrow 2? Well, it feels and looks more agricultural than the TB but then it would as it is an earlier generation. I still don't like one door, but at least the wing is on the right way around.

BUT - on the plus side. It is a lot faster with the retractable gear and 200hp engine - giving 130 kts against the TB10's 105 / 110 kts for pretty much the same fuel burn per hour (about 40 litres). The Arrow climbs much better, can lift 100 lbs more load on full fuel and is an easily maintained 'mainstream' aircraft. I have to say while it does not look as pretty as a TB10, I prefer it, as it is a far more capable tourer and would cost about the same to run in a group.

So for now I am stuck with 'clubbing it' until the insurance is sorted out and if the group agrees, to go again as a group and hopefully buy a nice Arrow 2 or 3.