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Hey, should we include touch-and-go into this thread (after all, it is take-off and landing!)…or are they better off in a specific thread?
One of my earlier Solos, there was a slight crosswind coming from the right, and im landing on runway 25. On the final approach, managed to get the aircraft configured and my aircraft atitude has been trimmed and compensated for the 10KT or so crosswind. There were no other planes besides me on that day. It was on a Saturday.
As I approached over the golf course, it was a tad turbulent and from previous experiences, i compensated for the sink by applying some power. As I overheaded the threshold at around 50 feet, I was still on the centreline, with my power down to idle and slowly drifting down, i thought I had pulled off my first cross-wind landing solo. That was not the case, just as I started to flare, a sudden gust or wind shear pushed my sharply to my right, and due to my inexperience at that time, i did not properly manage to counter the movement of the plane. By then it was too late and i already had 1 wheel on the ground. I should have gone around, even though i was no on the centreline, I decided to land. Maybe it was hard to make such a quick decision given the circumstances.
As I got my second wheel on the ground, i started to drift slightly sideways on the seal. I heard my tyres screech and the grass on the left side of the runway was coming too close for my comfort, fortunately i managed to steer the aircraft with right rudder. Tower wasn't too happy about it, and radioed base, however, no incident report was filed, but i had learnt the lesson of making quicker go-around decisions.
- Rnadom.
I was on final for New Plymouth’s runway. It was quite a windy day and the cross wind was about 15-17 knots. As I was on short final, I lost a bit of concentration and did not apply the correct cross wind technique. As I came close to the ground, there was a sudden gust of strong wind from the side causing the aircraft to tip to one side. The wing of the aircraft almost scraped the ground if I didn’t do a go around.
It was a close call and I realized how important it is to use the correct cross wind technique when landing in these types of situation.
[In behalf of Anonymous user, originally posted on 21 Oct 2008]
In the PM circuit solo, on a good day for crosswind practice, I was cleared stop and go due wake turbulence from departing traffic. I repeated this instruction as I always do and continued down finals. All excited that my touch-down was a textbook landing I added full power for my touch and go. I got off the runway and remembered that I was to do a “stop and go” and attempted to land again. A few seconds later I realised that I wouldn’t be able to land again and continued to climb. Tower came back to me and cautioned me of the wake turbulence. None was experienced as I was climbing but still I didn’t follow ATC instructions.
This was mentioned to the DI as soon as I returned as there was a Mass Brief a few days earlier encouraging students to report such incidents and whatnots. The DI replied that there was nothing that he could do about it because it was all over.
[In behalf of Anonymous user, originally posted on 21 Oct 2008]
During my before take-off brief, I said that I was going to do a ‘max performance take-off’ and set 25 flap for that. I had never done this type of take-off on the seal runway before and continued like a normal takeoff. Wondering why the aircraft wouldn’t climb I pulled the stick back a little more and the aircraft climbed very rapidly. Approximately 100ft off the ground I realised what I had done and lowered the nose to maintain airspeed.
If I was paying more attention to what I had said in my brief and not concentrating on my checks that I would need to be doing at each point on the flight, perhaps this would have not happened.
[In behalf of charliemikehotel, originally posted on 21 Oct 2008]
Hey at least you set the flaps! I briefed a max perf take off on Runway 25 at PM, then taxiied out, lined up and, having been cleared to take-off, applied full power, realising about 10 secs later that I hadn't set the flaps at all!! Briefly considered aborting the take-off but then continued.
And just to show what a slow learner I am; on a subsequent flight I briefed a max perf take-off, set 25 flap, taxiied out, lined up and, having been cleared, applied full power without applying the brakes and waiting for full static RPM…just rolled ahead!!
I think I've finally learned my lesson: concentrate on pre-take-off checks and briefs. I don't know about anyone else but I get so used to the routine that it becomes automatic and unless I really pay attention to what I'm doing and saying it can be easy to let things slip, or not follow my own brief.
[In behalf of Anonymous user, originally posted on 22 Oct 2008]
I totally agree… i feel that we as student pilots are so engrossed in what we are doing that we forget the simplest things. Especially when flying with instructors, I always tell myself to not make mistakes so that I would not look stupid in front of the instructor. Also, i always rush through my briefs, sometimes not even paying attention to what i was saying. Finally i got told off once by an instructor that i shouldn't be conducting "Lip Service" (i.e. say the brief just for the sake of saying it). The instructor highlighted to me how important the brief was as it emcompass things that i would be doing next and also things i would do in the event of an emergency.
Nowadays, i say my briefs consciously and I make sure I stick to them.
[In behalf of onion41, originally posted on 22 Oct 2008]
I did a back to back nav with another student and our change over point was at Taumarunui. It was an unattended aerodrome and it was surrounded by high terrain. We successfully landed on the aerodrome and because it was a back to back nav, we had to do a refuel at the change over point.
We did a full refuel and soon were back on the runway for a takeoff. Taumarunui has a grass runway and that day the head wind was not that strong. Therefore we decided to do a max performance takeoff.
Due to the low head wind strength and the nature of the runway, our takeoff distance was longer. Soon we were airborne and climbing towards the high terrain. That was when we realized that our rate of climb was not so good. Luckily among those high terrains, there was a dip and we began turning towards it. We soon climbed to a safe altitude and made our way back to Palmerston North.
When we were back on the ground, we came with the following conclusion about out poor rate of climb.
1. We had too much fuel causing us to have a poor rate of climb.
2. The weak winds did not assist us in climbing.
3. We could have taken off facing a lower terrain area.
During a landing on my 3rd or 4th solo I came over the threshold and flared, I was unused to the amount the aircraft pitched up because of the light weight without an instructor, anyway, the aircraft started floating and I had ballooned, my action at this very inexperienced level was to check forward dumping all the lift and consequently slammed the aircraft into the runway. I talked to my instructor afterwards and he conceded that he had never talked to me about this and it had never come up in our training so I had never experienced it.
Just an important point for new pilots to have a talk to their instructors about
On our CPL nav training I was flying back-to-back with one of Massey student. This was our first solo nav to Chiristchurh. We decided that my friend flew down to christchurh first then I flew back. On the way down to christchurh we were doing touch and go in Woodbourne and Kaikoura. The situation was perfectly fine and nothing went wrong. However on our leg between Kaikoura and Christchurch, the PIC at that time started to get busy, preparing for the joining procedure and for the approach. At 10 NM before we report our position and requested for full stop landing. The traffic at that time was very busy, I think there was abaout 5 IFR traffic and some others VFR training aircraft coming to do the approach. We knew that, its going to be a little bit of delay. At the mean time, the tower instructed us to hold at some reporting point around CH aerodrome. However, we were not familiar in the area therefore it took us quite a bit of time to find out some places and readback the radio call.
ATC told us to hold for 15 minutes at 4 different places. It was really hard time for us to find that places. Moreover there was another aerodrome nearby CH which is very similar, and because of that we were disorientated and aimed at the wrong airport. ATC then told us to join base runway 22. However, we were still not sure where we are relative to the runway because there is 4 defferent runway. I then realized that we were somewhere right downwind runway 20 heading towards the tresh hold. Then few second later "MASSEYxxx you just CROSSING my tresh hold, That is not PERMITTED, proceed to late downwind NUMBER 2 follow tomahawk on FINAL"…The ATC was angry at us and the pilot in commad at that time also apoloigize that we were wrong..Finnally after 20mnts in a stressfull situation we made it to the ground. And because of that we have to call ATC via the phone to apologise and request for the our next VFR departure procedure to palmy.
Well, from that we learnt that:
1. Make sure that we know the area of our intended Aerodrome .
2. Do not disorientated, use your map to confirm.
3. Ask for help, ATC is always helpfull.
[In behalf of Anonymous user, originally posted on 31 Oct 2008 as an ATC-induced incident]
I was coming back from the southern training area, it was actually my first solo, going to the southern training area, and when i came back, i requested an arrival procedures for runway 07, then after that the ATC told me to make a city arrival. so i join overhead the city then track right downwind for runway 07, however at that time once i have established a turn into a right hand downwind i started to get confuse because the ATC told me that i was number 3, and supposed to follow the Seneca on left downwind 07, because it was my first solo, i get really confuse, then i start to do a left hand orbit without permission, what i was thinking at that time is that it is better to do an orbit rather then i were not sure where the traffic was and ending up collide with them, but it was a bad decision making, i suppose to ask to ATC that i was not sure where the traffic is. As a result the traffic start to told me not to do an orbit without permission. it was embarrassing mistake, everyone could listen out to the radio. because of my bad decision making. And also it could have been lead to an incident if the traffic was busy.
It was my solo flight to practice my short filed take off and landing. After i did my before take off check, i change frequency to PM tower on 120.6 to ask clearance for line up, however because i was preoccupied doing something else, i was not really concentrating, so i thought i have made a radio call to line up on runway 07, so it was just a mindset. then i started to taxi off and line up, and suddenly the tower shouted at me, and told me of to clear off the active runway because i am not clear to line up and there is an aircraft on short final, i almost collide with the aircraft, lucky that aircraft is going around. and i have to write a report due to that incident. what i should have done was:
1. Not to be preoccupied when flying.
2. If not sure for clearence ask the ATC.
3. Do not make your own mind set.
