Onward and upward...

Keeping Current

av8coffee — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:39:10 +0000

Now that I have a current instrument rating I have to keep it current. Luckily our friends at the CAA have it all in writing how thats done!

Part 61 deals with Licencing and AC61-17 details Instrument Ratings. My IR is for VOR and ADF navaids only, both used for non-precision approaches. Getting an ILS endorsement is a bit of a pain in the arse as the closest place is at Ohakea. It’s close (only 13 nm) but the RNZAF is very unhelpful when it comes to using it, so I didn’t bother. So, to keep this instrument rating of mine current I must

“…within the preceding 3 months or for 3 hours instrument time, including 3 approaches, to be have been completed within the preceding 3 months to maintain currency. The 3 approaches may be completed in actual or simulated conditions, be the same approach type, and one approach may be carried out in a synthetic flight trainer approved for that purpose.”

…which is generally the hardest aspect of holding an instrument rating.

3.5 hours in EBH

av8coffee — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:44:20 +0000

I turned out to be a rather nice day on the 16th. Op’s had me scheduled for 3 day flights ( 2 mock PPL’s and a first solo check) in ZK-EBH which is one of the leased aircraft that Massey has on line. It’s an older model Cherokee being a PA28-151 officially. Normally the -151 model has a 150 horsepower engine however most of the -151′s in New Zealand have been upgraded to -161 standard, 160 horsepower so are basically Warrior 2′s. Another of the differences from the -161′s is the ailerons. The -161′s have differential ailerons, the -151′s have frise ailerons.

Cherokee 151 ZK-EBH

With the fleet replacement being approved last week by the university we’ll probably not be seeing many odd-ball leased in models, although EBH is not too bad as it has the wheel-spats so cruises a little faster than the rest.

My last flight of the day was a night solo circuit check with one of the 50′s. We prefer to use Massey aircraft for night flying as they have a full IFR avionics fit.

Looking like another great night for night flying tonight. I’d like to have 100 hours night by years end.

Finally!

av8coffee — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:09:11 +0000

After a failed attempt on Monday morning to get my instrument rating renewed due to aircraft unserviceability I finally got it done on Wednesday. Yay! It’s been over 5 years since I did the initial issue flight test in the Seneca at NAC. All it took was a couple of sessions in the simulator and then a couple of dual flights to seal the deal.

Monday was looking good weather wise. We got airbourne and headed to NZWU via RUGVI at 5000 feet. After a bit of a mission getting myself sorted in the Wanganui hold we were cleared for the NDB/DME 11 approach.

Wanganui NDB/DME approach for runway 11

Outbound on the approach the ADF needle stops moving…funny…check the ident, nothing! Aaarggh! ADF failure. No worries, stop descent at 2000 feet, we check with Ohakea to see if the NDB was online still. It was so it was our reciever. Bugger. Oh well, onwards clearance to Palmerston at 4000 feet. No worries. On the climb out the NAV 1 goes crazy, 1′s and 0′s on the screen and the CDI bar doing a funky dance, and the NAV 2 CDI fails too. Unheard of!! Cancel IFR and continue VFR. ARSE! What a mission!

We had another go today. I had a Max Rate Turn lesson to teach first in the same aircraft we were going to use for the flight test, the mighty ZK-MBC. The plan was filed PM-OH-WU. We planned for one lap of the Wanganui hold but got two due to another aircraft in the hold below us. After one adequate and one ok hold we were cleared for the approach which went well. There was a 10-15 knot wind from the nor’west but there wasn’t too much drift. Down to 640 feet I commenced the missed approach at 1.5 DME then back to Palmerston at 4000 feet via the Ohakea VORTAC. Almost finished! The clearance for the VOR/DME 07 approach at Palmerston was given to us a few miles out from Ohakea. Ohakea is 13 DME from Palmerston so it was pretty much straight onto the 12 DME arc from overhead. I kept it within limits on the arc and the approach turned out pretty well. The one criticism was that I’d turned inbound a bit too early. But overall a good renewal.

Next on the plan is to build time on an IFR flight plan in order to teach IFR.

Third’s times a charm!

av8coffee — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:33:48 +0000

All set to go yesterday on the IFR renewal and then the fog started rolling in! No worries, reschedule for Thursday. Thursday comes around doing the pre-flight and the TC is broken! AARRGH! Looks like it’ll be next week. Oh well….

Rainy day

av8coffee — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:49:50 +0000

It’s not horrible out there but it ain’t too flyable either! Who decided to put a flying school in Palmerston North anyhow??!! Drinking lots of utilitarian coffee.

SE IFR renewal tomorrow. Good.

Spidertracks

av8coffee — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:59:06 +0000

A big day on Monday, a total of 6.10 hours. The weather relented and allowed me to get two nav’s done. The first one to NZNP with a sneaky stop to grab a coffee from airspresso and the second to MK.

We used a spidertrack unit on the second flight. It uses GPS and the Iridium network to mark you position on a map at intervals you set so basically we can track guys flying around on solo navs. Excellent idea and it only requires a ciggie lighter plug to work.

Been busy

av8coffee — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:47:08 +0000

Finally a few days of good weather. I’ve done 18 hours so far which is pretty good compared with last month so looking good for 40 hours for the month.

Did a test flight in MBH yesterday after an engine overhaul which involved flying around at redline for an hour. I ended up overhead Waipukarau and then headed back to PM but got a call from op’s near Dannevirke to pick up a couple of guys in FI who’d dropped off EBH for a check. Was a great 1.5 hours of low-stress flying from the left-hand seat.

Crap weather again today though!

PALMERSTON NORTH (NZPM):

METAR NZPM 112100Z 10005KT 50KM -SHRA BKN045 OVC060 09/06 Q1007=

TAF NZPM 111453Z 111407
04009KT 20KM -SHRA BKN030
TEMPO 1421 6000 RADZ
BECMG 2123 34015G25KT
TEMPO 2102 3500 +SHRA BKN009 SCT018CB
TEMPO 0207 6000 SHRA FEW020CB
2000FT WIND 35045KT
BECMG 2224 33030KT =

The weather did arrive as forecast!

Below are the SPECI & SPAR for PM and the associated Rain Radar image taken at 0130z.



SPECI NZPM 120135Z 27004KT 3000S SHRA FEW035 BKN040 BKN055 13/09
Q1003=

SPAR NZPM 120125Z
VIS 30KM RED 8KM SHRA=

New month!

av8coffee — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 03:25:33 +0000

August already. On the weekend shift too. Two flights this morning, a good start and another 2.8 hours in the logbook. Hopeful to exceed 30 hours this month. Fingees crossed.

Still looking at renewing the old IR this coming week. Another dual with Wicky Monday morning, just up to WU and back this time.

nice coffee

av8coffee — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:07:05 +0000

Thought this was pretty good!

Here we go again!

av8coffee — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:13:05 +0000

METAR 292300Z 10030G46KT 070V140 15KM -SHRA BKN027 OVC100 12/08
Q0997 WS RWY07

Ugly Weather System

Lovely Manawatu weather again. I had about 5 hours booked today however the atmosphere had a different idea! Another day on the ground. Still, managed to beat last months total by a couple of hours! 25.20 so far.

Here’s hoping for a better August.

SPAR NZPM 292212Z
070/28G50KTS VIS 25KM RED 8KM -SHRA MOD WS AND TURB FNA AND DEP=

...and it just gets better!