Jimisola.com - keepin’ on

Short version: I have TGLs (touch-and-go landings) today!

Long(er) version: I have TGLs (touch-and-go landings) today! TGL exercises are one of the most fun. It’s a special feeling to actually land the airplane by yourself (taking off is not really difficult). Last two days of flying have been miserable, so I hope to turn it around today. Last TGL exercise went well - really well to be honest. I’m switching teacher - again - so today I’ll have Filip Svensson (which I’ve had for approx five sessions earlier).

There I said it! And yeah, you read right. I’m flying like crap at the moment. This week I’ve had two flights (forced landings) - both of them have been far from good (actually quite bad). Really don’t know why this is happening now. Yes, my flight trim (see below) might be slightly off since it was almost two weeks since I did my last flight and I changed flight instructor (once again), but still I’ve done mistakes that I haven’t done a single time before and I have problems with basic stuff. It’s not a downwards spiral, but definitely a downturn.

Personally, I like to redo it until I get it right. But redoing it here means that I have to wait until the next day! I’d prefer if I could have comeback for a 2nd flight during the afternoon - when the morning flight is still fresh.

Anyway, it’s really nothing new. I had a similar situation when I was getting my motorcycle license. It’s just that when you are in that phase - which I am now - it’s soooo frustrating. I really hope that I get to fly tomorrow again - I don’t want to have this as my last flight for another two weeks. Especially not since we have our PPL (Private Pilot License) exams the coming two weeks.

flight trim: basically what is your status as a pilot? are you healthy (e.g. no cold)? when was your last flight? have you flown to/from this airport before? flown in these conditions? etc

Today I’ll have my first flight pass in ten (10!) days. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a special day - a special week actually! All the students in both classes (06:1 and 07:1) fly this week! There are 30 scheduled flights tomorrow.

06:1 are flying a lot nowadays trying to get their flight hours on Cirrus SR20 out of the way as well as keeping up to date with PA31 (two engined piston).

In O7:1 we are all flying since our exam period starts next week. We have the school’s mandatory PPL tests Thu May 3th and then the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority JAR-FCL PPL tests Tuesday and Thursday the following week. Can’t wait to pass these tests and have them out of the way, but prior to that there’s a lot more studying to do. We have eight (8) different subjects on the written exams:

1. Air Law
2. Aircraft General Knowledge
3. Flight Planning
4. Human Performance & Limitations
5. Meteorology
6. Navigation
7. Operational Procedures
8. Priniciples of Flight

and Communications which we do orally later on.

Tomorrow I have an exercise called “Forced landing below 2000 feet”. We’ll simulate engine failure and perform so called forced landings from different altitudes below 2000 feet. Landing are always fun and hopefully it’ll be extra fun since I’m having the teacher, Johan Johansson aka double-Johan, that I did my first flight with. Hopefully he sees some progression

After a whole day of reading aviation books I was off to Malmö yesterday! Joe performed last night in at Shine. It was a ball to see and listen to him. Typically when an artist like this (Joe, Alexander O’Neal, D-Train) comes to town it’s down Memory Lane. I got to see many old friends - it amazes me sometimes how people can gather around a typical kind of music.

Me and… Joe!!!

PS. Joe’s new album “Ain’t Nothin’ Like Me” is out any day now. DS.

With the risk of repeating myself, but time really do fly by here. Yesterday I finished my third week of flying. And in another three weeks we have our first tests - the tests for our private licenses. I have to admit that I haven’t been reading as much as I would like to. But, wise from 5-6 years of previous academic studies at Lund University I know that I always preferred to study close to the tests. Somehow the lack of time makes me focus better on my task - to study. The coming two weekends are crowded with social stuff, but I have a study plan - let’s hope that it works

Anyway, this week’s flying was quite interesting. I had two days were we exercised stall recovery and one with power off descents. I thought that the plan would stall more, but the Cirrus SR20 seems to be very stable and ease to maneuver. I don’t have anything to compare with, but it felt very controllable. This week’s most fun flight exercise was the “Power off descent”. It’s an exercise where you practice engine failure (loss on power) by reducing the power to idle and glide in for landing

We finally got our clothes/uniform that we are going to wear when fly the single engine prop (Cirrus SR20) as you can see below.

First flight in our SR20 "uniform"

Ended the week with a 11.2 flight hours which means that the first solo is getting close. We supposedly to it around 16-20 hours (not sure of the exact number).

This is my nav computer.

There are many like it, but this one is MINE.

My nav computer is my best friend. It is my life.

I must master it as I must master my life.

My nav computer without me is useless. Without my nav computer, I am useless.

I must align my nav computer true.

I must align straighter than everyone else.

I must align it before the wind takes. I will…

My nav computer and myself know that what counts in flying is not the speed we fly at, the noise of our engine, nor the climbs we make.

We know it is the navigation that count. We will navigate…

My nav computer is human, even as I, because it is my life.

Thus, I will learn it as a brother.

I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights, and its barrel.

I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage.

I will keep my nav computer clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready.

We will become part of each other. We will…

Before runway 29R I swear this creed.

My nav computer and myself are the defenders of my Cirrus.

We are the masters of the sky.

We are the saviors of my life.

So be it, until there is no fog, but CLEAR BLUE SKIES.

Malmö TMA (showing most parts of Scania/Skåne) and, to the right, the Jeppesen CR-2 Navigation Computer

My group had four exercises/days of flying during our first week. Our OP (Operations Officier), Ann-Sofie,  said something like “Well, looks as if your group got the good weather”. According to her there’s usually one group that gets the better weather throughout the education. Our second week of flying just passed by with GREAT WEATHER and five days of flying! Well, one day actually got cancelled mid-air due to bad visibility. The visibility was not bad enough to fly, but for that days exercise “#109 Stall & recovery. Precautionary landing” it was not good enough since we needed a visible horizon. That meant an additional 0,8h of logged flight time for moi - not much but still

This weeks exercises consisted of:

• #105: Climb. Descent. Map reading.
• #106: Climbing turns. Descending turns.
• #108: Climb. Power off descent. Flying with flaps.
• #110: Take-off and landing

The first exercise on Monday was quite ok, but it was apparent that it had been more than a week since I had last flown. All in all it was a decent week. Some errors/mistakes here and there. The “Power off descent” was an experience. It prepared us for the very unlikely event of an engine failure.  I noticed that many of our exercises prepares us for unlikely events like this. So, we’ll be well-prepared.

While talking about being prepared “Flying #101″ has to include take-off and landing don’t you think? :)  Friday exercise was the long-awaited “Take-off and landing”. For some reason one does not feel like a pilot until you can take-off and land the airplane yourself. The 50-minute session basically always us students to drill take-off and landing by doing touch-and-go landings aka TGLs (you land the plan and then directly give full power and take of again without coming to a full stop). It was a good experience to be able to practise something over and over again. I made eighth (8) TGLs and I was quite surprised that I manage to land the plane as good as I did; that is, center on the runway and more or less on the touch-down spot most of the time. Perhaps I have some talent after all It was the funniest exercise so far by far and I can’t wait. Luckily, we have a lot of landing sessions within the next few exercises.

I mentioned something about taking pictures in a soft moment as it turned out I’ve been to busy lately while flying to be able to use my camera. Hopefully, I’ll shoot a “Kodak Moment” soon enough…