The howling westerly first thing on Sunday didn’t encourage a lot of takers but it turned out to be a great day. Some people did their own exercises (crosswind landings for the really brave souls!) and the Practice Forced Landings were a reminder that we don’t have feathers! Thanks to Matt and David for their very professional instruction and another big thanks to Chris and Eevon for an excellent lunch!
REFLECTIONS on our Rust Buster #2 from Dave Beatie:
Rather than a competition, PPDs encourage pilots to get into the air and fly, rather than compete against other club members.
Flying in BAC started at 0830 with good conditions but a strong wind from the west at around 15-17 knots. The exercise for the day was based around Practice Forced Landing training, however several pilots elected to concentrate on other areas of training. Most circuits were conducted on Runway 26, with a couple of practice approaches onto Rwy 17.
All pilots appeared to cope reasonably well in the strong winds. The practice forced landings were conducted in the training area and were, overall very well done. Most pilots showing a good skill level, being able to turn onto final, showing they were able to manoeuvre into the paddock they wanted then recover and climb away by 500ft AGL.
Don’t Forget:
taxiing the aircraft still requires pilot attention. Remember control positions, “climb into wind and dive away from wind”,
Strong winds can push your circuit out of shape, account for the wind on each leg,
Practice forced landing training is a great skill to hone, done safely it’s a great way to become more confident with your flying and your aircraft,
Slipping is a great way to lose height rapidly, practice and see for yourself, but remember you can’t slip BAC with flap already out.
Thank you to all who participated and Matt Thomas, who prepared the revision sheet.
Dave.