In the beginning...

In March 2015, I was fortunate enough to win The Air League / Bristol Ground School ATPL (A) scholarship. These are the 14 ground exams I need to pass in order to reach my goal of becoming a commercial pilot. 

In the beginning: ATPLs unwrapped! One BIG parcel! 

The EASA ATPL (A) includes the study of the following;

- Aircraft General Knowledge- Instrumentation 

- General navigation 

- Meteorology

- Human Performance 

-Radio Navigation

-Aircraft General Knowledge-airframes,systems,powerplants 

-Air Law

-Flight planning and Monitoring 

-Operational Procedures

-Principles of flight 

-Performance

-Mass and Balance 

-Communications-VFR/IFR

Alongside the hefty study folders below, I plan to undertake the online lessons and progress tests (through ATPdigital)  on my iPad mini. The advantage of this being I can study away from home, on the move, or even at work! (During those glorious washout days the airfield!!) The huge advantage being that the software and content can be automatically synched over an Internet connection. Whilst studying alongside my full time job, as an estimate I should complete my ATPL studies by spring 2017.

The exciting contents of the parcel 

All logged in! Time to tackle the maths 

So, before I tackle the first subject (AGK-Instrumentation), first job is to complete the maths and physics module.Since being out of education since only this summer I think refreshing my amateur maths skills can only be a bonus!!  This introductory module is extremely beneficial as it will allow me to form a solid foundation before tackling the more technical elements of the studies. 

That's it for now, I shall be keeping this blog updated during my ATPL studies , when time and brain power allows!! Once again I am extremely grateful to The Air League and Bristol Ground School for this scholarship and opportunity to reach one step closer to my aim of gaining a commercial license. 

Thanks for reading 

Short hop to Bembridge

I had a couple of hours spare on my Saturday off so I took G-BNKH a short hop across the Solent to Bembridge on Isle of Wight (EGHJ). It was a pleasant short trip, just a good excuse to get up in the air and fly to a new airfield, a new one for the logbook. 

First landing on a hard runway in 'KH! 

Looking towards Southsea (home!) and Portsmouth on a murky return to Goodwood 

The airfield was very quiet for a decent Saturday maybe they're all at Sandown? ;) 

CPL hour building...the start

This little chap came along for the ride!

Abeam Beachy Head, East Sussex

Looking South East towards Brighton 

After finishing my BSc Open University degree it meant I could start to plot out a plan to work towards the next step on my career ladder, the commercial pilot's license (CPL). As part of the requirement for the CPL, I need to build a further 50+ PiC (pilot in command ) flying hours. 

With high pressure in charge at the moment meaning some good flying weather I took the opportunity to fly a small nav flight in G-BNKH PA38 not landing away 

Goodwood > Keymer > Beachy Head > Haywards Heath > Petworth > Goodwood

It is days like that day that remind me just why I got a PPL, yes flying is expensive and I haven't been able to fly as frequent recently due to time, uni and work but being airborne is second to none and I wouldn't have it any other way! Anyway philosophical musings over! Enjoy the few pictures! 

Rich 

Night Rating

G-CBLE before being put through her paces for my solo night flying 

Yes, it seems like a eternity since the last post, but work, moving house and the final year of university have all contributed to make me more ground-bound as opposed to air-bound! 

However, I havnt been away from flying for all this time as I was fortunate enough to be awarded a flight bursary through The Air League in 2014, so I used it to gain a night rating onto my PPL over the winter months. 

Coastline of Bournemouth at night from 1200ft 

The night rating comprised of 5 hours flying to include, a dual (with instructor) night familiarisation flight, a dual cross country navigation exercise, dual circuits and finally 1 hour of solo circuits. 

I decided to conduct my training at a fantastic school at Bournemouth Airport because I wanted to experience flying out of a commercial airport, all good for refining my radio skills and accurate flying. It gave me the opportunity to fly in a new aircraft- Robin HR-200 and lastly because I have aspirations to fly commercially in the future. 

The dual navigation leg was highly interesting and beneficial. We flew from Bournemouth Airport (EGHH) -Blandford Forum-Crewkerne-Dorchester-EGHH over a variety of small settlements each identified by the patterns of lighting they use. The weather needed to be perfect for this-good visibility and high cloud base as it was vital to be in sight of the ground at all times! It made me think about possible areas to land, if for example the engine failed, because without daylight, dark areas on the ground could be water, vegetation, high ground, and that perfect field next to a pub is harder to spot, should the unthinkable happen! 

The night rating will benefit me because I can now fly legally after dark whilst building my flying hours. Secondly it has opened my eyes to flying out of a fully air traffic controlled airport, sharpening my RT ( Radiotelephony) skills and lastly the rating is a pre- requisite before going onto to the CPL ( Commercial Pilots Licence).

Thanks for reading, until next time!

New flying group

Just before Christmas 2013 I joined a fairly new flying group based at Goodwood flying a Piper Tomahawk PA-38 aircraft. For me it is a totally different aircraft as it is much older, the wings are mounted underneath the fuselage, as opposed to the top (like the Cessna 172) and it has a traditional cockpit with all the round dials as instrument displays. On the Garmin 1000 Cessna 172s I learnt to fly on, they contained a glass cockpit with all the same instruments as the 32year old Tomahawk, but instead displayed on two digital display screens. I'm looking forward to building some flying hours in this new toy this year!

Where I flew this Summer...

Now the clocks have turned back and those frosty mornings are back I thought I would put up a selection of pictures to illustrate my summer aloft, completing my 'tea and cake' foodie tour around airfields in Southern England. I managed to log a further 13.8 PIC (Pilot In Command) on the Cessna C172 which to some serious hour builders may not sound alot, but not a bad achievement as I juggled my flying between work, university and money constraints.

                                                         Lashenden/Headcorn, Kent

Goodwood to Lashenden/Headcorn, south-east abeam Bewl Water, East Sussex

                     On the ground at Lashenden/Headcorn, with a Britten Norman Islander in the background-used for parachute jumping-which was active    when I visited, so a good lookout is vital to avoid any straying parachutists!

sadly no tea or cake here, as I had spent all my money on a landing fee! Clever of me...

Sandown, Isle of Wight

View from the tower

Undoubtedly one of the best 

bacon sandwiches known to man

'OA, second from back on the flightline at Sandown

Compton Abbas, Dorset

The sun began to break through the autumnal mist as we arrived! Excellent timing!

On the ground at Compton Abbas

A brilliant airfield to fly into, excellent service and very good food, very good local food, the sausages can't be missed! Will return back there in the future that's for sure!

Lydd

Its been a while...needless to say its been a busy summer. Luckily the weather has been very kind I I have managed to get out flying when I can. Here is a selection of views from Lydd Airport on Romney Marsh in Kent, where I flew one breezy Wednesday afternoon earlier in the summer. Sadly no home made cakes here, just a cup of tea and a prepacked average chocolate muffin-but good enough and needed after the flight down there!

Enroute to Lydd, passing north of Rye, just outside Lydd

On the ground at Lydd, preflight checks in progress

                                                    

                                                              Beachy Head, Sussex