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| This is me on short final in C-GCIA on December 17, 2016 |
First solo anniversary
One year ago today, I did my first solo flight! Thinking back, I was amazingly calm in those first few minutes as pilot in command. Learning to fly is an incredible, challenging, awe-inspiring journey. My whole perspective on life is changed because of it. The learning never ends and the thrill of it is new every day.
"When you learn to fly it changes who you are and how you think of yourself forever." —John King
Night training and what to do about it
In the summer, I did a night lesson with my PPL instructor but was unable to continue the night training with him because his new job as a regional airline pilot made it too difficult. So, I decided to head out to my flying club (not my original flying school) to do my night rating there since a) it's relatively inexpensive and b) it would ensure I flew the hours I need to stay current there. I did a beautiful night familiarization flight over the city with my new instructor on October 14 and have since done two lessons of night circuit training.
Our first night of circuits went very well. The plan was for me to do solo circuits on my next flight. After three weeks of cancellations due to weather, we flew again on Nov 11. The goal was still for me to solo after a couple of dual warm-up circuits. Well, as it happens, my dad had a stroke a couple of days before and was still unstable. I was very worried about him, although driving to the airport that night, I wasn't aware of the level of stress I was feeling. But once we were in the air, I knew that I wasn't at my best that night. After the first circuit, we decided to see if I could settle in but the second one didn't feel right either and I decided to pack it in. My instructor was completely understanding but I felt awful.
Since then, I haven't had a night lesson. I've been busy helping my dad out. But behind the circumstances that have derailed my night training is a weird, lingering feeling that I don't want to do it. I'm trying to analyze why. Part of it is that I'm scared but I am always scared of new flying experiences and with that I just need to suck it up and get on with it. But I think I'm also torn about where I want to do the training. My flying club is cheaper and the instructor is great but the planes are older and more basic and I feel like I can't see as well in them at night (the instruments and map). And my friends are out at Cooking Lake and I sort of wish I were there, with my new instructor there and their lovely newer planes with Garmin 1000 avionics, which are so much easier to see at night.
Lots of people learn to fly on old planes and lots of people survive their night ratings. But flying with sophisticated avionics is good, too. I don't know why I can't just decide and then get on with it.
POST SCRIPT - December 18 - I have come to a decision! I realized that what I had to do was sort out what I need from each of the two places where I fly. I joined the flying club at Villeneuve for inexpensive airplane rental and for experience with different types of planes - older 172s and also their Mooney and Citabria. So I am going to limit my activity there to these original reasons. I am connected to Cooking Lake because that's where I did my PPL training and have started my commercial training and where I have a community of fellow pilots, many of whom I do or could fly with (day or night). So, it's clearer now where I should finish my night rating. Cooking Lake is my home and my training base; I will do my night training there.
Our first night of circuits went very well. The plan was for me to do solo circuits on my next flight. After three weeks of cancellations due to weather, we flew again on Nov 11. The goal was still for me to solo after a couple of dual warm-up circuits. Well, as it happens, my dad had a stroke a couple of days before and was still unstable. I was very worried about him, although driving to the airport that night, I wasn't aware of the level of stress I was feeling. But once we were in the air, I knew that I wasn't at my best that night. After the first circuit, we decided to see if I could settle in but the second one didn't feel right either and I decided to pack it in. My instructor was completely understanding but I felt awful.
Since then, I haven't had a night lesson. I've been busy helping my dad out. But behind the circumstances that have derailed my night training is a weird, lingering feeling that I don't want to do it. I'm trying to analyze why. Part of it is that I'm scared but I am always scared of new flying experiences and with that I just need to suck it up and get on with it. But I think I'm also torn about where I want to do the training. My flying club is cheaper and the instructor is great but the planes are older and more basic and I feel like I can't see as well in them at night (the instruments and map). And my friends are out at Cooking Lake and I sort of wish I were there, with my new instructor there and their lovely newer planes with Garmin 1000 avionics, which are so much easier to see at night.
Lots of people learn to fly on old planes and lots of people survive their night ratings. But flying with sophisticated avionics is good, too. I don't know why I can't just decide and then get on with it.
POST SCRIPT - December 18 - I have come to a decision! I realized that what I had to do was sort out what I need from each of the two places where I fly. I joined the flying club at Villeneuve for inexpensive airplane rental and for experience with different types of planes - older 172s and also their Mooney and Citabria. So I am going to limit my activity there to these original reasons. I am connected to Cooking Lake because that's where I did my PPL training and have started my commercial training and where I have a community of fellow pilots, many of whom I do or could fly with (day or night). So, it's clearer now where I should finish my night rating. Cooking Lake is my home and my training base; I will do my night training there.
Always learning: More radio navigation
Since I'm working toward my commercial license, I've found a new instructor at Cooking Lake, who is fun and suits my style. I've done a few flights with him to keep working on things I've learned and to advance my knowledge and skills. Lately, we've been working on radio navigation using VORs. VORs are ground stations that emit radio signals outward in a 360 degree array. Pilots can tune in to the signal and follow a specific radial, which is tracked by an onboard instrument. A week or so ago, we flew a wide circle around Cooking Lake, tracking the Edmonton VOR outbound to Vegreville, across to Chipman, and back again to Cooking Lake. I was under the hood the whole time (so I couldn't see outside), so I got an hour of instrument time while I learned.
Yesterday, we went up again for another practice session. This time, we climbed to 9500' and tracked the 360 degree radial (northbound) of the Edmonton VOR to Athabasca. It was a beautiful day - perfect for flying - and it was the highest I've ever flown (as a pilot). We had snacks and music along the way and really enjoyed the flight. My instructor also demonstrated how to use flight following, which is when you ask air traffic control to monitor your flight, even in uncontrolled airspace, for the purpose of traffic separation. Hilariously, although Athabasca is just a small town, everyone who flew there yesterday arrived at the same time we did. The circuit was crazy! We touched down there and then departed immediately for a direct return via GPS to Cooking Lake.
These experiences really helped me to visualize what is actually happening with VOR navigation and it was great practice in working with the instruments. It was also just a lot of fun and a reminder of what a great privilege it is to fly.
Yesterday, we went up again for another practice session. This time, we climbed to 9500' and tracked the 360 degree radial (northbound) of the Edmonton VOR to Athabasca. It was a beautiful day - perfect for flying - and it was the highest I've ever flown (as a pilot). We had snacks and music along the way and really enjoyed the flight. My instructor also demonstrated how to use flight following, which is when you ask air traffic control to monitor your flight, even in uncontrolled airspace, for the purpose of traffic separation. Hilariously, although Athabasca is just a small town, everyone who flew there yesterday arrived at the same time we did. The circuit was crazy! We touched down there and then departed immediately for a direct return via GPS to Cooking Lake.
These experiences really helped me to visualize what is actually happening with VOR navigation and it was great practice in working with the instruments. It was also just a lot of fun and a reminder of what a great privilege it is to fly.
Knowledgeable passenger
In addition to my home base at Cooking Lake, I also fly at a flying club at Villeneuve airport. But out there, I don't know anyone so don't have a pilot buddy to fly their planes with. So, I asked my pilot friend, Cam, if he'd be willing to come along with me for a flight out there as a knowledgeable passenger who could save us if necessary. :) Last week, on Dec 1, we flew to Barrhead, a 33 NM flight from Villeneuve Airport.
I'm getting more comfortable with the planes there. They really are just 172s like I'm used to but the strangest part is the radios. I fiddled with them a bit but it finally clicked and we headed off. The flight was lovely.
As we neared Barrhead, we searched for the airport. When I went there in the summer, it was easy to find, but with everything all white in the winter, it was trickier. I had a sense of where it was and Cam confirmed a couple landmarks on the map so I flew toward the downwind leg. My landing was great (the quality of my landing seems to define a whole flight for me!). I recorded the times and reset the instruments and we took off again for a pleasant flight home. I was cleared straight-in for runway 16. I trained in uncontrolled airspace, where straight-in approaches are not permitted so to be able to do them at Villeneuve, which is controlled, is kind of cool. You have to think it through differently since you don't have the same structure on approach (normally a rectangular pattern) but I haven't had any trouble with it.
It was another great day in an airplane and it was nice to have Cam along for company and security.
I'm getting more comfortable with the planes there. They really are just 172s like I'm used to but the strangest part is the radios. I fiddled with them a bit but it finally clicked and we headed off. The flight was lovely.
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| Halfway to Barrhead |
It was another great day in an airplane and it was nice to have Cam along for company and security.
Another pilot friend
My commercial ground school class is a great group of people. I've made some new pilot friends and have had the chance to fly with one of them. Cam is a fairly new pilot but he has about 30 hours more than me. I once commented that those extra 30 hours he has on me must have shown him a lot more than I've seen yet. He said, "Yeah, it's 30 hours more than you of being scared to fly the plane!" Clearly, we both still struggle with the newness of it all and the thought of the many things we still have to learn, some of it probably the hard way. So, it's been great to be able to fly with him. We learn from each other, give each other a sense of security, and have a lot of fun, to boot!
On Nov 10, we went for a short flight to Camrose, a small nearby city (26 NM). It wasn't the nicest of days but still safe for a VFR flight. The ceilings were low so we stayed at about 3500-4000' (1000-1500' above ground).
I flew the leg to Camrose. I've been there several times so I know right where the airport is. It's usually pretty easy to spot the runway because it's oriented exactly in line with the heading to Camrose and you end up looking right down it as you approach the airport. But this time, I couldn't see it at all. I flew to where I knew it should be, as Cam as I searched the ground for that little strip of asphalt. Finally we spotted the airport. The taxiway was clear, which is how we found it, but the runway was covered with snow. This was a decision point; could we land? I decided to fly the approach and see what we encountered and overshoot if it didn't look good. But as I got down, I could see that the snow was shallow and packed and that there were clear patches on the runway. So I landed. It turned out to be a totally normal landing. Didn't feel any different.
Cam flew us home. He wanted to practice an instrument approach so we did a simulated RNAV approach into Cooking Lake. That was cool for me to see since I am only beginning to see some of the instrument techniques just by watching others.
This was a smooth and beautiful flight, despite the cloudy day. It was also a moment to exercise some pilot judgment and I think I did alright with that.
Then today, we flew together to Stettler, another small Alberta town, just 68 NM south of Cooking Lake. We took along our friend, Aydin, a PPL student we met in ground school. I flew the leg to Stettler. This time it was tricky to find the airport because everything was brown and the runway blended in. But find it we did. I crossed overhead and joined the downwind. It was windy in the circuit and I turned base too soon and so got pushed in a bit, making my final leg too short. I came in a little too fast and bounced a couple of little bounces but then the plane settled and all was well. It was embarrassing more than anything, with our young student friend on board, and I could have gone around.
Cam did a perfect take-off and flew us home in the setting sun. He managed a windy approach at night and his landing was a beauty.
What a blast it was to fly with those two! They both have a great sense of humour and we laughed a lot.
On Nov 10, we went for a short flight to Camrose, a small nearby city (26 NM). It wasn't the nicest of days but still safe for a VFR flight. The ceilings were low so we stayed at about 3500-4000' (1000-1500' above ground).
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| Heading for Camrose |
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| Snowy runway in Camrose |
This was a smooth and beautiful flight, despite the cloudy day. It was also a moment to exercise some pilot judgment and I think I did alright with that.
Then today, we flew together to Stettler, another small Alberta town, just 68 NM south of Cooking Lake. We took along our friend, Aydin, a PPL student we met in ground school. I flew the leg to Stettler. This time it was tricky to find the airport because everything was brown and the runway blended in. But find it we did. I crossed overhead and joined the downwind. It was windy in the circuit and I turned base too soon and so got pushed in a bit, making my final leg too short. I came in a little too fast and bounced a couple of little bounces but then the plane settled and all was well. It was embarrassing more than anything, with our young student friend on board, and I could have gone around.
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| Stettler town and airport |
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| On the way home from Stettler |
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