Aerobatics - Lesson 3.5

The forecast didn’t look at all promising, but as ever in the UK, you really don’t know until the day itself. Looked out on Sunday morning and saw what looked like alto-stratus, fairly thin and I estimated at least 4000’ – so looks like I am on for aerobatics!

Rolled up for a 10:00 session and Max was on time as usual. Got another brief on – you guessed it, rolls, loops and stall turns!

Checked the aircraft out and cleared out all loose fittings – it wouldn’t do to have a fuel tester loose in the cockpit!

Started up and cleared to taxy. Minimal wind but runway 09 in use. Unusually, it was so quiet at Gloucester (despite the METAR giving CAVOK), that I was given a full backtrack on 09, with approval for power checks on the active runway itself – why so quiet?

Off we went and the Robin quite happily flew itself off as usual. Climbing at 75kts initially and set course for the north east and the lower land between the triangle formed by Bredon Hill, Evesham and Broadway – using the Toddington railway line as a linear feature to line up for the aerobatics.

We made 4000’ easily and I would guess there was another 1500’ before the thin cloudbase.

Rolls
First one not good. I didn’t pull up far enough and was a bit leisurely with full aileron input, so as a result, I was ‘punished’ with a significant nose down exit. On the up side, I knew what I had done wrong before I was half way around. Next roll of course I pulled too much, bled off too much airspeed and yes, nose down exit. But again, I knew what I had done. The next couple were good. Oh well! You learn more from your mistakes etc….

Loops
The first two were with me doing most of it, but with Max pulling the power off as we started to loop back down. Then the third loop, I got to do the whole thing myself – which I thought went well – certainly, I rolled out on the direction of the railway line I started on. I was warned to pay more attention to starting with wings level and pay more attention to keeping it that way.

Stall Turns
He is nursing me into this, and I can certainly see and understand what he is doing. But of course, there are quite a few things to do at the top of the climb in fairly rapid succession. I was doing the pull-ups and the vertical climb. On the last of them, I was whacking in full opposite left rudder when he told me to, to get used to the speed at which you have to do it. I fancy next time I’ll be doing most of it.

All too soon, back to the airfield, calms down a bit and get the ATIS. Given left base approach for 09 not below 1500, and slot in behind the PA28. I saw the PA28, (500’ below) which was a bit too close to slot in behind, so started an orbit. About half way around, there was a flexwing microlight, happy as larry, bimbling along the Severn at 1700’ (yes, inside the ATZ). So keeping a close eye on him, we orbited underneath. Hopefully he realised that bumbling around inside at ATZ of a busy airfield is not such a hot idea.

Back to the circuit and a nice floaty and slow landing, long on 09 to save the long taxy to the end.

Well, probably one step back then two forward this lesson. Rolls were not as good as last lesson until the last two, but then that is the nature of learning – certainly, I can now see what I am doing wrong and correct. I guess I would hate to ‘accidentally’ get it right every time, then when I solo, have it all go pear-shaped.

I will internalise all that I learned during the coming week by ‘flying at the coffee table’ – yep, with my eyes shut, hands on imaginary stick and throttle and feet pressing imaginary rudder bars and mouth mumbling through what I am doing. Give it a try – it really works.