Steep Turns & Stalling

Another week goes by in sunny Arizona, and we have had plenty of flying this week at least. Last weekend was Independence Day so we went out to celebrate that at the local ball park in Goodyear, which  included an F-16 fly over and lots of fireworks. We also then had the Monday off as it is a national holiday. Other than that, I have been up in the air every day, either flying or backseating, and have completed 6 lessons now.

We have made a few more trips out to other airfields. We went out to Wickenburg on Thursday, which is to the north west of Phoenix; there was some great scenery out that way. Also, the runway is on quite a big slope, so there was a kind of valley one side, but some daunting hills in front of us as we were climbing out, it took some skill from our instructor to navigate ourselves over them! We also headed out to Buckeye on Friday, which is on the western side of Phoenix. Like Gila Bend, there is pretty much nothing there, although there was a fridge full of snacks in the pilot’s lounge, which we could help ourselves to for a small donation. Best of all though, I was able to backseat one of our instructor’s other students on Wednesday. He is on the course ahead of us, and was performing one of his first navigation flights. We flew out to an airport called Phoenix Mesa Gateway which is on the eastern side of Phoenix. It is a large airport, with three parallel runways, and taxiways the size of an international airport. I flew back, and we actually took off behind a departing MD-80, which was very exciting! This week looks to be another week of general handling, followed by circuits and hopefully our first solo the week after!

Other than that, life is very gentle, and consists of a lot of swimming, tennis, pool, table tennis and even some TV! After those long, hard months of ground school I think we have earned the right to be lazy! There is still a lot of ground work to be done, in terms of reading up about our coming lessons and the aircraft. Also, we have an essay due in soon for our Bucks New Uni Foundation Degree, so I have been working on that this weekend. Best of all though are the local restaurants, of which there are many. It has been great trying them all out, and tonight we are off to TGI Fridays.

Flying in the Wild West

After those long months of sitting in classrooms we finally took to the air on Wednesday afternoon! Flying in Arizona is pretty challenging as the temperatures have been hitting in the forties all week which means the air isn’t very dense. This means the aircraft performance and the engine performance is pretty poor. The sun also heats the ground and by early afternoon that heat is being released which causes thermals everywhere, and hence plenty of turbulence to keep things exciting! Most of all though, it is sweltering inside the aircraft, and I have already come to appreciate how much of a blessing air conditioning is when we get back.

However, we have had some great flights so far. The first lesson on Tuesday was an introductory flight to show the basic use of controls and some general things about the local area and the training grounds. I also back-seated my flying partners lesson on the same day, which is great as I got to observe and take in a few extra things. I flew again on Thursday, and this time it was a bit more in depth things with the controls to demonstrate some of the secondary effects; and also the effects of things such as the flaps. I also got to take off and land back at Goodyear on that flight. It has been a long

while since I landed an aeroplane, which kind of showed in my rather three-wheeled, bumpy effort which is in a video below.

We flew again today at 6.00am, which meant pre-flight planning started at 4.45. My flying partner was first up today, and we flew out west to an airport called Gila Bend, which is basically just an airstrip with a few facilities. It was deserted when we arrived at about 7.15! The scenery on the flight out was stunning, and we got to see it all with the sun just rising up behind the mountains, absolutely beautiful. I flew the return leg to Goodyear, after a quick touch-and-go at Gila Bend, which involves taking off, flying around the circuit, landing and then taking off again without stopping. This is a technique pilots use to practise their take offs and landings. My lesson today was about flying the plane ‘straight and level’, ie. at a constant altitude and at a constant heading. We flew back to Goodyear and I landed again, overall it was a pretty great flight and I was really pleased with my performance. It was strange to arrive back at 8.45 though and everyone is still in bed!

Other than flying, we have been making full use of the facilities here; the tennis courts, gym, swimming pools etc. There is still plenty of work to be done, but it is so nice just to relax a bit in this great environment. A few of us went out to a restaurant called Red Lobster last night which served really nice fish dishes. We are on a long weekend now as it is 4th July on Sunday, so hopefully we will fly again next Tuesday. My plan is to take it really easy this weekend ready for the hard work to begin all over again! 

First Landing at Goodyear

Phoenix at Last!

We have arrived in the glorious sunshine of Arizona! It was a long 10 and a half hour flight on Monday, followed by immigration and a bit of a drive from the airport but we made it in the end. The first thing you notice is the incredible heat, it was up to 45 degrees today which is pretty unreal. It really takes your breath away every time you step outside, and I can only imagine that inside the planes is going to be very hot indeed! However, we are still yet to find out as unfortunately we  started in earnest on Tuesday morning with another week of Ground School! Just when we thought it was all over!

We have had quite a few briefings on procedures at the airport and the local area, and have just started moving on to dealing with the flying side of things. We are due to have our first lesson on Tuesday, though the schedules are not published yet so we will have to wait and see. We also had a big trip out to WalMart to pick up supplies, there are a number of barbecues on site so that is what we are living from at the moment. We also have a couple of swimming pools which we have made great use of so far! And this evening we are heading out on our own to find a restaurant for dinner. We have a couple of cars for the course and it looks like I will be driving so we will see how that goes!

At the moment we are all pretty tired and suffering from jet lag so hopefully the weekend will sort us out and we can be full of energy ready to hit the ground running next week!

Also, nearly forgot to mention, our exam results came in:

• Air Law – 97%
• Mass & Balance – 100%
• Performance – 97%
• Flight Planning – 94%
• General Navigation – 100%
• Radio Navigation – 98%
• Operational Procedures – 96%

Well, I did even better this time around and my overall average for the JAA exams was 96.3%. If somebody had told me that would be my score at the start of the course I never would have believed them! My hope now is that my flying lives up to that score!

Packing for America

Indeed, although we are still waiting for our results we have all been informed that everybody passed everything, therefore we will all be getting on that plane on Monday afternoon! After 7 long months of non-stop revision, it is time to pack those text books away (for now) and start getting my flight bag together. Gone are the pencil cases and calculators to be replaced by headsets and kneeboards.

It has been quite a busy week, half because of preparation though the other half has been fun. A few of us from the course went to Alton Towers on Monday which was great fun, and I got to experience the new ride Thirteen which was brilliant. That was followed up by a visit to London on Tuesday with dinner at the Rainforest Cafe and a trip to see the Lion King. We also visited the London Dungeons on Wednesday morning which was an experience…

The rest of the week has been spent shopping for new clothes for the desert and getting a few of my documents together. Packing begins tomorrow and last minute preparations on Sunday. Then the whole family is coming to see me off on Monday. We fly on BA289 from Terminal 5 at Heathrow. It is due to leave at 1435 and arrive at Phoenix

Sky Harbor at 1710 local time. That’s a 10 and a half hour flight! When we arrive it is an hour’s drive across town to Goodyear airport where we will be living and flying. I think we are treated to meal when we arrive and hopefully and early night, ready for a busy week!

Ground School Defeated!

Wow, I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but… Ground School is over! After a long six months of hard work on top of more hard work I can finally put my books in the cupboard and regain some normality in my life. We celebrated in style yesterday with a big barbecue for our course and loads more, and then a night out in Oxford. And what have I done with my first day of freedom? Well, I spent most of it on the balcony outside my flat enjoying the sunshine with some of the guys from AP309 and 310. Really feeling the burn now though, I have a lot of sleep to catch up on and think some TV and an early night are in order for tonight!

As for the exams, I am pretty sure they all went well. We have to pass everything to be able to go out to Arizona; if any are failed then we are re-coursed. I don’t think I have failed anything, though I shall still be holding my breath until I get that phone call in about 10 days saying what the results are. In the mean time, we still have a few days left at school tying a few things up before we head home. We started Friday afternoon with a brief introduction to RT (radio-telecommunications) in America and some instructions on how to fill in our logbooks and check our scheduling. We also collected our standard issue headsets, though I won’t be taking mine to Arizona as I already have my own. However, it was a great symbol of our achievement and proof that we really are going to be heading out soon. Next week we have a few more odds and ends, plus a few days of lectures. As well as studying for our ATPL we are also studying for a Foundation Degree in Air Transport Management with Bucks New University. Ground School at Oxford makes up a large part of the credits for that, though we do have essays and presentations to do as well, and all this stuff starts to kick off next week as well.

We leave OAA at Oxford for the last time on Wednesday – then it’s back to Heyford to pack and on Thursday morning I’ll be heading home for a week and a half before we fly out on the 21st. I have a few things planned for my time off, but most of all I am looking forward to relaxing and enjoying my new found freedom! 

The Final Hurdle

That’s right, after a long week and a half of pure revision, our final set of JAA exams start this afternoon. I have been practically glued to my desk for the last 10 days or so, which has been a bit of a nightmare really. I am actually looking forward to these exams really, as it will be nice to get in to school and see everyone, and also I have done all the preparation I can, it’s time to get them out of the way. They really are the last hurdle on our path to Arizona, and as of Friday this week I will be one seriously chilled out person once again! Ground School has been fun but I wouldn’t do it again for any money!

Arizona is now only 3 weeks away…