Today was a good day!

All week, the weather was superb. From my office window, I looked out on clear, cold, crisp high pressure weather with clear skies and minimal wind. Of course the forecast for the weekend was for this to break, but not until Sunday – at least that was the forecast. I got up early for my 10:00 Saturday aerobatics lesson and looked out of the east facing window – not good, solid overcast hard to say what altitude, but looked about 3000’. Out of the west facing window, similar, but off to the far west was near open, blue skies. With luck, this would work its way over by the time I breakfasted and made it to the airfield. And so it transpired.

I checked out G-EWHT and it had obligingly been left with just under half-fuel (any more and we would be too heavy for aerobatics).

Max turned up and his pre-flight briefing was succinct and to the point ‘Same again - alright?’ he said in his distinctive Gloster brogue. I knew what he meant and had gone through all the moves and ‘what if’s’ in my head already, so that was all the briefing I needed.

We started up and moved off. Another foible of the Robin I discovered when doing the ‘after start’ checks is not to bother with mag drops and a really cold engine would die – leave them to the power checks when the engine is warmer.

Power checks were fine and off we went to the preferred playground to the south-west of the airfield, to the western banks of the River Severn by the very distinctive ‘bends in the river’ (….random thought….I MUST get down there one day to see the Severn Bore!). The Robin gamely clawed its way upwards to gain altitude at the usual 500fpm or less until (eventually) we got to 4000’ QNH.

HASELL checks complete and transponder set to 7004, we started off the usual ‘mixed bag’ of rolls, loops, stall turns and recoveries, working the area.

Rolls

I had issues with these last time and I wasn’t sure why. First one was similar and Max decided I wasn’t pulling up enough. So pulled up a further 10 degrees and this was better. Then on the last two rolls, instead of the usual (and frankly easy) ballistic rolls, I tried the ‘push forward while inverted’ thing to ‘flatten out’ the bottom of the sacred circle. First one went well, but I got the timing wrong on the second one. However, all in all, a good ‘roll’ session.

Loops

I thought a lot better this time. I am trying hard to make fluid and progressive movements with the stick, rather than my more ‘mechanical’ approach of earlier sessions. The float was better, but I need better power and pull out control as I am not pulling enough power off past the float (when the engine sounds like it is dying), so the engine picks up speed very quickly in the pull out and I have to pull back quickly so it doesn’t overspeed.

Stall Turns

First one went pear shaped as usual! Pulled up and started applying right rudder, but left wing was too high, so I held off on the rudder a bit, then when I started applying again, I had lost all energy and a sharp reversal to left rudder was punished by the world suddenly flopping around me with green ground and muddy brown river filling the forward view. I went into recovery mode, pulled the power off, pulled out and back to straight and level. Lousy stall turn, but good recovery!

Actually, all in all, good progress this time. After a couple that cocked-up, Max figured what I was doing wrong, which is that I was pulling up, but with a bit of a pull to the right at the same time. So I was seeing the left wing high because I had aileron input in. Knowing this, I can now set about fixing it and concentrating on getting more assertive on the timing of the rudder reversal, which I suspect will only come with practice. I am reluctant to ‘cheat’ and work it on counting the time from when I get to the vertical until the rudder reversal as this would then be specific to the aircraft, the weight of the two passengers and the fuel load – so if I tried the same when solo with low fuel, I could be way out.

On the way back, Max got me to string to moves one after the other to demonstrate the importance of getting back to ‘the 110kts attitude’. This I did. Particularly enjoyed the stall turn followed by the loop – yeehaaa!

Back to Gloucester for a direct join to right base for 22. Another reasonable landing I thought.

Max thinks I am not far from being sent off for some solo aerobatics. No, not a sign-off, just the next step I assume before further P U/T consolidation and moving onto to other manoeuvres. I have to say I look forward to this hugely. What with one thing and another, I haven’t flown an aircraft P1 since September and don’t look like doing so anytime soon (what with tailwheel difference training coming up on the RV6 and an overdue FAA BFR) – I think I have forgotten what it is like to have no one in the right seat!

Still, it’s exciting (if expensive) flying and I am having a ball!