Circuits and Engine Failures

When I went flying last week (7 May), the weather was quite normal, meaning, grey skies. Luckily, there was only a very slight wind coming from the northwest. A front was predicted to reach us but not until late in the afternoon. The air was cool but the walk-around check was completed without any incident.

I got into the aircraft with my flight instructor. I was happy to have the canopy closed. After pre-start checks, I gave the taxi call and we started rolling toward runway 36. Although I usually fly once a week, it felt like a lifetime since I sat in a plane.

Today the airfield was unusually busy, being a private non-towered aerodrome. I completed the pre-takeoff checks, and waited for an aircraft to land. I then gave the takeoff call and lined up on the runway.

To start off, we were to do a couple of circuits before my flight instructor showed me what we should do in case of an engine failure in the circuit. He told me that you should always have a place to land in your mind – if not, and then you’ll only have a few seconds before deciding on one.

I applied full power, and we accelerated down the runway with force. In a few hundred metres I gave a bit of back pressure and we were airborne, retracting flaps as we went. On downwind leg, I could see another one of our planes waiting to take off, as a Maule M-5 was on final. A small ultralight was already downwind in the circuit, along with a Jabiru.

After two nice circuits and landings, my instructor took over and simulated an engine failure while downwind. He explained that he could try to make the cross runway, or try landing in one of the fields to the west of the airfield. We turned right, and descended towards the field. Before we got too close to the ground, he applied full thrust and we started climbing again.

We flew over the top of the airfield and joined crosswind back into the circuit before going around for another touch-and-go. This time my instructor simulated an engine failure while in the climb. The sudden drop in G-force was almost enough to make me lose my lunch.

Fortunately for us, there is a neighbouring airfield close to ours, to the north-east. One of its runways is almost lined up with ours, although a little offset. We adjusted our heading to the right a little, and descended down to the runway. Before we touched down on the runway we gave full power for a missed approach, but it would have been a perfect landing had we continued.

I flew back to join the circuit again on downwind. I could see the front coming in as a dark band of clouds stretching across one side of the horizon. After another touch and go, I went around and prepared for the last landing, which was to be another glide approach. The power went down earlier than previously, and I tried to cut in a little closer in fear of not making the runway, but in the end I almost overshot and centreline and came in too high. I needed to use the full 45 degrees of flaps (compared to a usual 30 degrees) to bleed of speed and altitude. I was able to get her down safely and make an otherwise uneventful landing.

After we secured the aircraft and headed inside, my instructor decided for me to do the Air Legislation Exam the next week. That is the test student pilots must take before flying their first solo.

My time is coming...

The GPS track still showed a shortening of the base leg. My instructor thought that was most likely why I found that I didn’t have much time to get prepared for landing and ending slightly high on final some of the times.

The lesson lasted 1.0 hours. So far, I have 9.7 hours total. The minimum required for the RA-Aus licence is 20 hours. I am getting there...