Monday, November 27, 2006
The Week in Review
Thank you all for coming, there will be refreshments at the end. I believe they have coffee and doughnuts, and something called "tea".
It WAS a busy week. I got 7 flights in 5 days of flying, plus ground school. What does this mean? I was busier, as the colloquilism goes, than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. They were all Instrument flights, consisting of basically the same routine. Climb, arc, track,intercept, twizzle, point to point, hold, approach, Missed Approach, Vectored Departure, another approach, land.
I will try to explain each in turn.
1. When Climbing on Instruments(IFR) you must look at your dial and hold approx 10 degrees nose up. This changes from day to day, but you are always expected to fix it, and climb at the proper speed, 180kts. While doing this, you are correcting for wind, talking to Air Traffic Control and calculating for your arc.
2. Arcing is staying a specific number of miles away from a Navagational Aid (NAVAID). The Navaid talks to your plane and tells you how far you are away. You are allowed plus or minus .5 of a mile. Which seems like a big distance, but remember, Im going 220 knots, and doing my level off checks, and calculating for intercept. Also remember, as you arc around a circle, the winds also change, this makes arcing particularily fun when the winds are strong.
3. Intercepting, going off the arc to maintain a track (direction over the ground, being corrected for wind). This is the easiest of all the manouevers, unless its windy, then you have to guess on how much bank you use to get the radial (Navaid telling you what you are tracking). If its windy, the wind can hurtle you towards the radial, or keep you from it. How do I know the wind? I get winds on the ground, via Weather man (Met Guy), he means well, but is often wrong.
4. Twizzles, once I've established the radial, I get a twizzle. A twizzle is doing two (or more) things at once. You can climb/descend, change speed,turn, either two or all three. Each requires a seperate calculation, and each requires crosscheck to "fine tune". You see, the calculations they give you only work for a normal day. Not when its fracking cold out (point of interest, the colder it gets, the better my engine works). To add to this, I have limits to work within, working between two heading, when going left 30 degrees bank and going right 20 (say north and south), work between two speeds (say 180 and 200) and two alititudes (say 7500 ft and 8500ft), when going up 500 ft per minutes and going down 250 ft per minutes. So things are happening, and they happening fast. Sometimes if my instructor feels Im not being challenged enough, he'll change one of the variables half way through.
Point to point. I can't really explain this without a diagram. You use a Radial and a Distance to get to another radial and a distance. You calculate how far you will go, how long it will take you to get there, all without using a calculator or GPS. Plus wind, you also must slow down below 175 knots, but not before 10 miles to your point.
A hold, imagine a race track, you fly one. Its not really that hard, finding wind correction is easy. There is some talk with ATC, but nothing major.
the Approach. You fly from altitude (say 13,000) to the minimum safety height (say 2000, depending on type of approach, there are many types). You must descend, following ATC headings, read back clearances (its like asking permission to go home, and you have to read back exactly what he says to you), you must also "brief the approach", the acronym for this is "WARAMORTS", each letter has atleast two things you must say/figure out/obtain to complete. You must also reduce your speed from 220 to below 147, but not before turning base. Eventually you get to the point where you decide to land or not. If you can't land you do a missed approach.
Missed approach is simple, full power, nose up, landing gear up, fly a heading, climb to an altitude, reduce your speed to 180 at 5000 ft, talk to ATC, and turn where they tell you.
So theres IF in a nutshell. I hope this helped. I did a flight today, we planned for an alternate for Calgary...the weather was quite shitty. Thankfully we didnt have to fly to brandon (the other alternate) or Calgary for that matter!
Did anyone but Cobra fly? No. Why, you might ask, Cobra always flies, always. Im 5 1/3 flights ahead, basically I could not fly for 2 weeks, and still be ahead of the game.
It WAS a busy week. I got 7 flights in 5 days of flying, plus ground school. What does this mean? I was busier, as the colloquilism goes, than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. They were all Instrument flights, consisting of basically the same routine. Climb, arc, track,intercept, twizzle, point to point, hold, approach, Missed Approach, Vectored Departure, another approach, land.
I will try to explain each in turn.
1. When Climbing on Instruments(IFR) you must look at your dial and hold approx 10 degrees nose up. This changes from day to day, but you are always expected to fix it, and climb at the proper speed, 180kts. While doing this, you are correcting for wind, talking to Air Traffic Control and calculating for your arc.
2. Arcing is staying a specific number of miles away from a Navagational Aid (NAVAID). The Navaid talks to your plane and tells you how far you are away. You are allowed plus or minus .5 of a mile. Which seems like a big distance, but remember, Im going 220 knots, and doing my level off checks, and calculating for intercept. Also remember, as you arc around a circle, the winds also change, this makes arcing particularily fun when the winds are strong.
3. Intercepting, going off the arc to maintain a track (direction over the ground, being corrected for wind). This is the easiest of all the manouevers, unless its windy, then you have to guess on how much bank you use to get the radial (Navaid telling you what you are tracking). If its windy, the wind can hurtle you towards the radial, or keep you from it. How do I know the wind? I get winds on the ground, via Weather man (Met Guy), he means well, but is often wrong.
4. Twizzles, once I've established the radial, I get a twizzle. A twizzle is doing two (or more) things at once. You can climb/descend, change speed,turn, either two or all three. Each requires a seperate calculation, and each requires crosscheck to "fine tune". You see, the calculations they give you only work for a normal day. Not when its fracking cold out (point of interest, the colder it gets, the better my engine works). To add to this, I have limits to work within, working between two heading, when going left 30 degrees bank and going right 20 (say north and south), work between two speeds (say 180 and 200) and two alititudes (say 7500 ft and 8500ft), when going up 500 ft per minutes and going down 250 ft per minutes. So things are happening, and they happening fast. Sometimes if my instructor feels Im not being challenged enough, he'll change one of the variables half way through.
Point to point. I can't really explain this without a diagram. You use a Radial and a Distance to get to another radial and a distance. You calculate how far you will go, how long it will take you to get there, all without using a calculator or GPS. Plus wind, you also must slow down below 175 knots, but not before 10 miles to your point.
A hold, imagine a race track, you fly one. Its not really that hard, finding wind correction is easy. There is some talk with ATC, but nothing major.
the Approach. You fly from altitude (say 13,000) to the minimum safety height (say 2000, depending on type of approach, there are many types). You must descend, following ATC headings, read back clearances (its like asking permission to go home, and you have to read back exactly what he says to you), you must also "brief the approach", the acronym for this is "WARAMORTS", each letter has atleast two things you must say/figure out/obtain to complete. You must also reduce your speed from 220 to below 147, but not before turning base. Eventually you get to the point where you decide to land or not. If you can't land you do a missed approach.
Missed approach is simple, full power, nose up, landing gear up, fly a heading, climb to an altitude, reduce your speed to 180 at 5000 ft, talk to ATC, and turn where they tell you.
So theres IF in a nutshell. I hope this helped. I did a flight today, we planned for an alternate for Calgary...the weather was quite shitty. Thankfully we didnt have to fly to brandon (the other alternate) or Calgary for that matter!
Did anyone but Cobra fly? No. Why, you might ask, Cobra always flies, always. Im 5 1/3 flights ahead, basically I could not fly for 2 weeks, and still be ahead of the game.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
IF or Flying in the Soup
This week will be a long one. I have to work on Saturday, man life sucks.
I tell ya theres nothing worse than coming in on your day off, wearing your issued PJs, flying Multi-Million dollar aircraft. Atleast my Coffee is free.
I plan on being like Dante, of Clerks Fame; "Im not even supposed to be here today!" Whenever I screw up, which is a lot. Learning how to fly high performance aircraft is harder than it looks.
Flying in the soup, is the art of flying straight and level. Sounds easy but its not. Next week I have 5 Instrument Flights (IF) before I get to fly Clearhood again. the grass is always greener on the other side, When I fly Clearhood I want to fly IF and visa versa.
One of my Fellow Cobras said this "Man, Clearhood sucks I hate Clearhood, IF isn't any better, I wish we could just go flying." Everyone here loves to fly, its flying by the numbers is what can get to you.
Currently watching the Grey Cup, but Im mostly thinking about Christmas, can't wait to see you guys again. Have fun in Edmonton, I will lounge here in Moose Jaw, try not to be jealous.
I tell ya theres nothing worse than coming in on your day off, wearing your issued PJs, flying Multi-Million dollar aircraft. Atleast my Coffee is free.
I plan on being like Dante, of Clerks Fame; "Im not even supposed to be here today!" Whenever I screw up, which is a lot. Learning how to fly high performance aircraft is harder than it looks.
Flying in the soup, is the art of flying straight and level. Sounds easy but its not. Next week I have 5 Instrument Flights (IF) before I get to fly Clearhood again. the grass is always greener on the other side, When I fly Clearhood I want to fly IF and visa versa.
One of my Fellow Cobras said this "Man, Clearhood sucks I hate Clearhood, IF isn't any better, I wish we could just go flying." Everyone here loves to fly, its flying by the numbers is what can get to you.
Currently watching the Grey Cup, but Im mostly thinking about Christmas, can't wait to see you guys again. Have fun in Edmonton, I will lounge here in Moose Jaw, try not to be jealous.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
67 Flights left!
Weekly update: Still alive.
In other news...Carol wants me to talk about the 2nd annual mustache competition. It was horrifying. It was like stepping into WW2 fighter training. Everyone was sporting a mustache, and they were all dirty. I sadly, didn't get offically jugded, the winner, however, deserved it.
He was hungarian and his mustache could not have looked more redneck, think Joe Dirt, and you might be close. The dirtiest went to a red headed guy with the thickest mustache this side of Moscow. Few more weeks and he could have waxed that baby enough to scare even Dudley Doright. His mustache would have put 70's porn stars to shame.
Carol is coming to visit me this week, Im very excited. I even cleaned up a bit! Not too much though, don't want to lose that 'lived in feeling', do I?
Sam is coming with her, who should have a lot of fun as well. There is the Spa and the...ah...the Spa...er...and the Mess on Friday! Everyone likes the mess on fridays, even the non-drinkers! The new course had their welcome party, and some of them were heavily heavily intoxicated. One of them was a non-drinker, so they gave him a prairie fire without the tequila (they did mix it with water, lucky for him). He tried to understand why on earth anyone would CHOOSE to drink that. How does one explain rite-of-passage? Im just not sure.
They are still flying me a lot, 5 flights again last week, Im offically 'on schedule' for flight training. Some of the guys on my course are minus 8 and 9, so I should be really thankful. Doesn't give me a whole lotta time to study up, since Im in the part of the course now where I am learning something new everyflight. On top of that Groundschool has gotten a little tricky with Insturment Flight Procedures. To sum up said procedures in a word it would be: convoluted. Im sure they all make sense in the end, but right now all I see is gibber gabber.
Im getting through though, still passing everything and that's all that matters.
My third solo is scheduled for tomorrow at 4:15, thats about 3:15 your time, wish me luck.
In other news...Carol wants me to talk about the 2nd annual mustache competition. It was horrifying. It was like stepping into WW2 fighter training. Everyone was sporting a mustache, and they were all dirty. I sadly, didn't get offically jugded, the winner, however, deserved it.
He was hungarian and his mustache could not have looked more redneck, think Joe Dirt, and you might be close. The dirtiest went to a red headed guy with the thickest mustache this side of Moscow. Few more weeks and he could have waxed that baby enough to scare even Dudley Doright. His mustache would have put 70's porn stars to shame.
Carol is coming to visit me this week, Im very excited. I even cleaned up a bit! Not too much though, don't want to lose that 'lived in feeling', do I?
Sam is coming with her, who should have a lot of fun as well. There is the Spa and the...ah...the Spa...er...and the Mess on Friday! Everyone likes the mess on fridays, even the non-drinkers! The new course had their welcome party, and some of them were heavily heavily intoxicated. One of them was a non-drinker, so they gave him a prairie fire without the tequila (they did mix it with water, lucky for him). He tried to understand why on earth anyone would CHOOSE to drink that. How does one explain rite-of-passage? Im just not sure.
They are still flying me a lot, 5 flights again last week, Im offically 'on schedule' for flight training. Some of the guys on my course are minus 8 and 9, so I should be really thankful. Doesn't give me a whole lotta time to study up, since Im in the part of the course now where I am learning something new everyflight. On top of that Groundschool has gotten a little tricky with Insturment Flight Procedures. To sum up said procedures in a word it would be: convoluted. Im sure they all make sense in the end, but right now all I see is gibber gabber.
Im getting through though, still passing everything and that's all that matters.
My third solo is scheduled for tomorrow at 4:15, thats about 3:15 your time, wish me luck.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Fine Art of Solo'ing
SO I went in the Aircraft by myself. Not once but twice.
You strap 6 millions dollars to yourself, and its good times. I was pissing myself scared on my first solo.
There I was sitting in the front, with the ground crew guy (or might have been girl I dont remember), waiting for me to give some hand signals. So I stared at the instruments, thinking to myself; "I wonder if i could still take a job as a bus boy". A moment of pure panic as I realized I was supposed to start up this 1100Horse Power engine and fly the 6500lbs beast around the traffic pattern. So I did, almost from muscle memory (my brain was spotty at best), hoping beyond hope I didn't break it, and then the prop started turning.
Only I wasn't relived, now that the damn thing was moving, I had to monitor the engine for the rest of the flight. Its what I like to call, A fucking liability.
To explain, I'm gonna back it up a bit, back to the flight ready room. Hanging out, after class, you know, the usual. The idea of flying by myself not really sinking in yet. So the Flight Commander sits me down in one of the little briefing rooms for my "pre-solo" brief. Which I thought was going to be a little pep talk. A verbal pat on the bum if you will...only in non homosexual way...moving on.
The "Pre-solo brief" can be summed up in one word: Eject.
He kept giving me questions, the answer was always eject.
1. "if your engine fails on take-off, what do you do" (in my head: THE ENGINE FAILING ON TAKE OFF?? Are you kidding me! Im going to fly in 20 minutes and the engine is going to die...oh god...Im gonna die...Im gonna be the first Canadian to ever die in the Harvard)
What I actually said was "uh...uh.. (this is me freaking out in the honest reaction of looking stupid"
He prompts me "Don't think, ACT"
I reply "Eject"
He smiles and asks "Are you going to call tower?"
"If theres time?"
"NO, theres never time, you will eject when you confirm your engine is dead"
Questions 2,3,4, and 5 all were answered with "eject" and once "level wings, eject"
It went on from there with me rapidly realizing this engine, when it goes, is a fucking liability. You dont glide, you plummet, you are now a 82 buick flying at 1200' from where the ground is. Gravity's a bitch.
Did I think about this when the Damned thing did start? No, I was spazzing about the next page or two of checks I had to raddle off before I could start moving.
I said them all out loud, even paused when the instructor usually confirmed stuff. I did everything as per usually. Yup, business as usual. No crazy non-instructor flight over here...
So we get to the Take-off,only fucking up my Radio call once or twice,and ungainly start climbing into the sky. Clawing my way for altitude is another way to put it. When I realize something, things are a lot louder than normal. Oh God, I think to myself, Engine failure on Take off...damn you flight commander, you fucking jinxed me.
I can hear the engine even more, the wind, everything. Quickly I check my gauges, all of them...and check again. No...engine is good...then I figured it out. It was so quiet because there wasn't anyone beaking in the back "you did this wrong and this and this". It was just me and the plane. By this time I had missed my level off altitude and started to try flying the plane again. I got back on altitude and started to do what I had done literally dozens of times before.
I still called out my checks, tried self-critiquing during take off, eventually landed for the full stop and taxi'd off the runway.
Shut the engine down...got out...unstrapped...walked back to Ops (operations, where you sign out the plane...think bowling shoes only a few orders of magnitude more expensive and without that smell)and relaxed. The whole body, just sighed. I had done it: 1. I didn't break the Airplane 2. I didn't Kill anyone/myself.
Standard Met.
You strap 6 millions dollars to yourself, and its good times. I was pissing myself scared on my first solo.
There I was sitting in the front, with the ground crew guy (or might have been girl I dont remember), waiting for me to give some hand signals. So I stared at the instruments, thinking to myself; "I wonder if i could still take a job as a bus boy". A moment of pure panic as I realized I was supposed to start up this 1100Horse Power engine and fly the 6500lbs beast around the traffic pattern. So I did, almost from muscle memory (my brain was spotty at best), hoping beyond hope I didn't break it, and then the prop started turning.
Only I wasn't relived, now that the damn thing was moving, I had to monitor the engine for the rest of the flight. Its what I like to call, A fucking liability.
To explain, I'm gonna back it up a bit, back to the flight ready room. Hanging out, after class, you know, the usual. The idea of flying by myself not really sinking in yet. So the Flight Commander sits me down in one of the little briefing rooms for my "pre-solo" brief. Which I thought was going to be a little pep talk. A verbal pat on the bum if you will...only in non homosexual way...moving on.
The "Pre-solo brief" can be summed up in one word: Eject.
He kept giving me questions, the answer was always eject.
1. "if your engine fails on take-off, what do you do" (in my head: THE ENGINE FAILING ON TAKE OFF?? Are you kidding me! Im going to fly in 20 minutes and the engine is going to die...oh god...Im gonna die...Im gonna be the first Canadian to ever die in the Harvard)
What I actually said was "uh...uh.. (this is me freaking out in the honest reaction of looking stupid"
He prompts me "Don't think, ACT"
I reply "Eject"
He smiles and asks "Are you going to call tower?"
"If theres time?"
"NO, theres never time, you will eject when you confirm your engine is dead"
Questions 2,3,4, and 5 all were answered with "eject" and once "level wings, eject"
It went on from there with me rapidly realizing this engine, when it goes, is a fucking liability. You dont glide, you plummet, you are now a 82 buick flying at 1200' from where the ground is. Gravity's a bitch.
Did I think about this when the Damned thing did start? No, I was spazzing about the next page or two of checks I had to raddle off before I could start moving.
I said them all out loud, even paused when the instructor usually confirmed stuff. I did everything as per usually. Yup, business as usual. No crazy non-instructor flight over here...
So we get to the Take-off,only fucking up my Radio call once or twice,and ungainly start climbing into the sky. Clawing my way for altitude is another way to put it. When I realize something, things are a lot louder than normal. Oh God, I think to myself, Engine failure on Take off...damn you flight commander, you fucking jinxed me.
I can hear the engine even more, the wind, everything. Quickly I check my gauges, all of them...and check again. No...engine is good...then I figured it out. It was so quiet because there wasn't anyone beaking in the back "you did this wrong and this and this". It was just me and the plane. By this time I had missed my level off altitude and started to try flying the plane again. I got back on altitude and started to do what I had done literally dozens of times before.
I still called out my checks, tried self-critiquing during take off, eventually landed for the full stop and taxi'd off the runway.
Shut the engine down...got out...unstrapped...walked back to Ops (operations, where you sign out the plane...think bowling shoes only a few orders of magnitude more expensive and without that smell)and relaxed. The whole body, just sighed. I had done it: 1. I didn't break the Airplane 2. I didn't Kill anyone/myself.
Standard Met.
