A Better Day...

I decided after my last disasterous flying lesson to improve and to actually land at Sandtoft Airfield.

On reflection my last lesson did not go so well because of a couple of factors, the first was my mind really wasn't on it, I hadn't slept well the night before and I was feeling a little rough.

Part of the problem was also that I guess I was scared of Sandtoft airfield as strange as it seems.

I decided to have an early night last night and also had a bit of a lie in this morning to make sure I was refreshed and even though I had made up my mind to make today a great lesson part of me still wanted it to rain and for the lesson to be cancelled.

I arrived at Sheffield at my normal time and checked out the DA40, it really is a great plane. It flies well, it looks good and the visibility is amazing. It needed fuelling as it does most days, there is a problem with the fuel guages so we always fill her to the top before going out, she has the long rang tanks so in theory I could fly for 7 hours... that would be nice, but once I have my PPL under my belt.

I walked back to the Airport and we got the fuel ordered, I really was getting quite nervous, Justin suggested we go back to Doncaster airport, but I said "No, I need to get it cracked." so off we went, taxied onto the runway without issues, I have been crap at taxi'ing, it seems simple but I have been rubbish at it, but today it all worked.

I lined up, "Golf-Foxtrot-Sierra ready to roll..." and off we went, full power, feet off the brakes and off we went. 60 knots, pull back gently on the stick and up she climbs, "pull forward" which basically means flying level for a bit to build up wind speed and then pull back and start the climb, loads of right rudder to keep the plane straight for the climb.

At 300 feet I put the stage of flap away, for some reason that single stage of flap makes a real difference, she can get airbourne without issue from Sheffield without it, but there is less drama. At 500 feet I start a 30' turn to the left, until parallel with the runway, still climbing as we start to draw level with the runway I gently bank right to avoid an aircraft on approach.

It was great no problems, we head over to Doncaster and pass overhead the airport, there were two Thompson Fly planes on the appron, looked like 767s as we passed overhead, heading towards my nemesis and Sandtoth.

I toined Sandtoft and crossed over the airfield at 1,000 feet as is the custom and turned downwind into the circuit. I asked Justin to do the first touch and go so I could guage the height etc. He did a very good job, landed it without a bumb, off we went... my turn, the first couple were not bad, I didn't pull back enough when we were over the runway to flare the aircraft, but we carried on.

Its hard to explain the whole landing thing, you basically slow the aircraft down and it will descend, law of gravity and all that. As you approach the runway you reduce the power and push the nose down, aiming for the numbers on the runway, the first couple of times you feel like you are nose diving, but you are not, you maintain 70knots on the glid path, when you are about 20 feet above the runway you hold the plane parallel flying down the runway as the nose is now straight you carry on gliding down. You gently pull back on the stick to lift the nose, the rear wheels touch and you are down...

I landed it a couple of times with little or no help from Justin and feel so much better about it, onwards and upwards, next lesson is Thursday weather permitting and I will land it without assistance from Justin. I can do it and I know I can do it.

Flying in a small aircraft is like nothing else, anyone reading this who hasn't flown before should try it.

If anyone is interested, Sandtoft have a homepage http://www.newsandtoftaviation.co.uk/nsa_homepage.htm

The runway is 886 metres long, which sounds a lot, but at 60 knots you will cover that in under a minute. But if you are relaxed and know what you are doing then its all the time in the world.