- Messages
- 1,025
- Country
I've started writing out my memories while I was learning to fly as I was talkin with another pilot friend the other day and we regaled each other with our aviation stories... I decided to write down the most memorable parts of learning to fly in the Royal Australian Air Force Cadets, otherwise known as 11 Flight Queensland Air Training Corps (QAirTC), which is now 2 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC), however my first ever flight was at Air Training Centre at YBAF...
True Aviation Memories #1 - First Flight, Feb 23, 1989 VH-MIR
16th Birthday Trial Introductory Flight at YBAF at Air Training Center. It is late afternoon about 4pm. The instructor leads me out to VH-MIR, a factory painted Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk with brown striping and Tomahawk emblazoned on the tail.
He introduces me to the pre-flight walk around before we jump into the aircraft. I'm still growing and need a cushion for added height to see over the instrument panel. We start the engine and give the radio call to the tower, they respond to our taxi request authorizing us to taxi to Runaway 10L.
We trundle down the taxiway as Dad films with the Sony Video 8 Video Camera as we taxi past. We go down the dirt taxiway and onto the main taxiway beside 10L. We reach the runup bay and the instructor runs us through the runup checks.
Parking - into wind, Park Brake - on, Throttle - 1800 rpm, Left Magneto - check rpm drop, Magneto - Both, Right Magneto - check rpm drop, Magneto - Both, Check Oil Temps and Pressure, Check Fuel Pressure, Check Carby heat rpm drop, Throttle - Idle check 600rpm, Throttle 1000 rpm. Throttle Friction Set, Mixture Fully Rich, Pump - fuel pump on/Primer off and locked, Flaps - set for take off, Instruments - check, Switches - Nav, Strobes and Landing Lights - On, Controls - full and free movement, correct sense, Hatches and Harnesses - Secure...
Soon we're ready to fly and taxi to the 10L hold point. We request take off clearance for the circuit and they clear us for take off. We accelerate down the runway as the instructor pushes the throttle up to the firewall smoothly over 3 seconds.
We hit V1 and rotate at 53 knots and rise into the sky. At 500 feet above ground level he executes a 15 degree angle of bank 2 minute turn. We level off at 1000' AGL on the reciprocal heading of 280 degrees. He talks me through every moment of the flight and gives me direction to take the controls and hold her straight and level.
We reach base on extended downwind and he pulls the throttle back to 1500rpm as the Tomahawk slows to below 89 knots which is the flap extension speed. We bank to the left into another descending 2 minute turn to line up with the runway for landing.
ATC gives us clearance to land as we approach at 70 knots, the runway threshold 1/3 the way up the windshield. We flare just above the runway and wait for the airspeed to wash off. The stall warning starts to buzz and squeal as we gently settle back onto the runway.
The instructor holds the nose off as the airspeed washes off and it settles onto the runway centerline.
We slow to the taxiway exit and flip off the landing and strobe lights. We taxi back in to the parking space outside the flying school flight hut. The instructor pulls the mixture fully closed, starving the engine of fuel and shutting down the engine. He reduces the throttle to idle as the prop slowly cranks down to stop, bouncing upon the piston compression. We turn off the magnetos and shut off the electrical switches before filling out the aircraft log book.
We exit VH-MIR, close and lock the aircraft after tying it down, after a beautiful late afternoon flight. As we walk back to the flight hut we talk about further flying lessons.
It was a beautiful day and I was hooked...
True Aviation Memories #1 - First Flight, Feb 23, 1989 VH-MIR
16th Birthday Trial Introductory Flight at YBAF at Air Training Center. It is late afternoon about 4pm. The instructor leads me out to VH-MIR, a factory painted Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk with brown striping and Tomahawk emblazoned on the tail.
He introduces me to the pre-flight walk around before we jump into the aircraft. I'm still growing and need a cushion for added height to see over the instrument panel. We start the engine and give the radio call to the tower, they respond to our taxi request authorizing us to taxi to Runaway 10L.
We trundle down the taxiway as Dad films with the Sony Video 8 Video Camera as we taxi past. We go down the dirt taxiway and onto the main taxiway beside 10L. We reach the runup bay and the instructor runs us through the runup checks.
Parking - into wind, Park Brake - on, Throttle - 1800 rpm, Left Magneto - check rpm drop, Magneto - Both, Right Magneto - check rpm drop, Magneto - Both, Check Oil Temps and Pressure, Check Fuel Pressure, Check Carby heat rpm drop, Throttle - Idle check 600rpm, Throttle 1000 rpm. Throttle Friction Set, Mixture Fully Rich, Pump - fuel pump on/Primer off and locked, Flaps - set for take off, Instruments - check, Switches - Nav, Strobes and Landing Lights - On, Controls - full and free movement, correct sense, Hatches and Harnesses - Secure...
Soon we're ready to fly and taxi to the 10L hold point. We request take off clearance for the circuit and they clear us for take off. We accelerate down the runway as the instructor pushes the throttle up to the firewall smoothly over 3 seconds.
We hit V1 and rotate at 53 knots and rise into the sky. At 500 feet above ground level he executes a 15 degree angle of bank 2 minute turn. We level off at 1000' AGL on the reciprocal heading of 280 degrees. He talks me through every moment of the flight and gives me direction to take the controls and hold her straight and level.
We reach base on extended downwind and he pulls the throttle back to 1500rpm as the Tomahawk slows to below 89 knots which is the flap extension speed. We bank to the left into another descending 2 minute turn to line up with the runway for landing.
ATC gives us clearance to land as we approach at 70 knots, the runway threshold 1/3 the way up the windshield. We flare just above the runway and wait for the airspeed to wash off. The stall warning starts to buzz and squeal as we gently settle back onto the runway.
The instructor holds the nose off as the airspeed washes off and it settles onto the runway centerline.
We slow to the taxiway exit and flip off the landing and strobe lights. We taxi back in to the parking space outside the flying school flight hut. The instructor pulls the mixture fully closed, starving the engine of fuel and shutting down the engine. He reduces the throttle to idle as the prop slowly cranks down to stop, bouncing upon the piston compression. We turn off the magnetos and shut off the electrical switches before filling out the aircraft log book.
We exit VH-MIR, close and lock the aircraft after tying it down, after a beautiful late afternoon flight. As we walk back to the flight hut we talk about further flying lessons.
It was a beautiful day and I was hooked...