Reflecting on the small things.

Last flight was nothing out of the ordinary really. A standard solo flight out to the practice area, do some airwork and come back.

And yet on reflection it is the very mundaneness of this flight which shows how much I’ve achieved. The conditions were pretty sweet for flying; sunny day, light winds and not a cloud in the sky. The only hiccup being that what wind there was favoured 08.

After a quick briefing with Bob, I strapped myself in the plane and prepped to start her up. As I worked down the checklist something didn’t look right. Carb heat? My eyes flick to the top of the sheet. This is for the M model, not the fuel injected R model. I briefly contemplate the differences; can I just ignore any reference to carb heat settings? I mull it over for a second or two.

Nope, I know nothing about the carburetted models. I need to go back in and change it; I have no idea if I’ll miss something important. Pilot Decision #1 made.

Correct checklist in front of me I carry on, getting as far as the start procedure for the engine. We are back into summer weather, all starts are “hot starts” and fuel injected engines can be a bitch in the heat. Sure enough even after cranking her for 10 seconds, she doesn’t catch.

I try again.

Nope.

Remaining calm, I wait for 30 seconds or so, another quick squirt of fuel and she turns over first time. Situation #2 dealt with.

Cheering inside as I hear on the ATIS that they’ve switched to runway 26 I trundle off for my run up. Once completed I line up as instructed and start my takeoff roll.

On the roll I glance down at my instruments to check all is in order; airspeed is increasing, temperatures and pressures are green, RPM is …….not where I’m expecting it to be.

It’s lower than I’m used to seeing it. Not dangerously low just….lower. I glance back over my instrument panel. All is well: mixture is full rich, oil pressure exactly where I’d expect, temp on the low side of normal. The engine doesn’t sound rough.

Light bulb moment.

I’m in the “R” model. It generates 200rpm less than the S. All is well. No action required. Everything is as it should be. Situation #3 is a non-issue (and is dealt with while still continuing the takeoff roll!)

Onwards and upwards to Claremont.  I start making my position calls to stake out my little corner of the sky. A quick glance down at the local hang-glider strip reassures me that there isn’t any activity there today, despite the decent thermals. I hear another aircraft make a position call. Hmm he’s at the same height and heading towards Claremont. I repeat my call, reiterating my intention to work in the southwest. They take the hint and assure me they’ll take the northeast section. I see them passing a little way in front of me, heading to their spot. Another plane comes on frequency. I leave the two of them to fight it out over the north but the south is all mine. Traffic dealt with, situation #4.

I do what I need to do and head on back, as I pick up the ATIS I groan as I realise that they’ve switched to 08. Now to play the “right downwind*” game.

I make my call to City, requesting the right downwind. I can almost hear the sigh in their voice as they comprehend that I’m a pesky student pilot. I obediently “point it north of the stacks and wait for further instructions.” And briefly contemplate what those further instructions might be. I could do without 15 minutes of chasing my own tail over Bloor Street.

As it turns out I get a fairly benign “make a right hand 360 and then establish on the right downwind.” That I can do. I don’t even bother to power back and drop flaps. One orbit is simple enough, however I’m a little unsure as to where they want me to cross the departure path. I can hear that they are lining up a Porter to depart. Rather than worry about it, I ask if they still want me north of the stacks. They reply that it doesn’t matter. Situation #5 done and dusted.

ATC send me out on an extended downwind and sneak another departure out in front of me. I’m over the bay so I keep some altitude. A decision I may regret later.

Yep sure enough, despite being on a beautiful stable approach at the golden 65 knots, I’m high. I power back and drop everything I have in terms of flaps. I judge the approach. Yes I will be landing long but I’m relatively confident it’ll be ok. I resist the urge to dive into the tarmac and just maintain the speed I need. Sure enough she comes down slightly before Foxtrot. A reasonable landing and I’m off at Charlie, not ideal but not a disaster. I just kept my head and landed the plane. No bailing on the landing, no panic and situation number #6 is put to rest.

A year ago each of those situations would have had be blogging about them individually as something that happened to freak me out. Now I can put 6 of them together in one flight and still call it routine!

* for those of you new to this Blog, because of the large number of very tall buildings in the downtown core. School policy is that student pilots can't accept a left downwind for 08. We have to request the right downwind and ATC hate us for it because we cross the departure path of the Q400s and mess up their traffic flow.