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Autor: Til

Dad, host, private pilot
International Flying

International Flying

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Visibility: about 8 kilometers under a blue sky (inversion)
Temperature: 14°C
QNH: 1022 hPa
Location: EDAY
Equipment: Cessna 152 (D-EMFM)

A friend of mine is collecting hours for his commercial pilots license. In order to do so, he is taking trips. And he asked me if I wanted to come with him!

Friday morning, we meet at the airport, he is here by motorbike. The weather is good. A bit of haze below a blue sky (inversion). We take our time to prepare the flight. It is about the learning experience and we are in no hurry. I am going to be the navigator. I take a copy of the flight plan and fold the map so that it will be easy to turn pages in the confined space of the cockpit.

We are flying to Jihlava in the Czech Republic today. My friends brother is working there.

The flight will be about two and a half hours. We will head south via the cities of Cottbus and Görlitz were we will cross into Polish airspace. After about ten miles we will cross another border into the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. We will fly over the city of Liberec in the western foothills of the Riesengebirge mountains.

Our course continues south and lets us pass the capital city to Prague at a safe distance to the right. Jihlava is a mid size industrial town, about 130 kilometers south east of Praque. The airfield is small and does not have a paved runway. It could be a challenge to find it.

After preparing the route and submitting our flight plan, we go out to the aircraft. “Foxtrot Mike”, a yellow Cessna 152 is going to be our ship for the trip. I do the outside check while my friend gets his GPS ready as a back-up.

We take off to the west. Before we can climb over the misty weather, we have to clear the controlled airspace of the near by international airport. We go south and navigate by the lakes and highways and eventually start climbing. The inversion is higher than we thought but nothing keeps us from going higher. So we climb all the way to flight level 75 or almost 2.5 kilometers (7500 feet). This is the highest I have been in a small aircraft. The sun is shining up here, we are playing with the clouds and the air is silky smooth.

Air traffic control

We are flying Visual Flight Rule (VFR) in uncontrolled airspace. But it is still a good idea to use the flight following service. We call the “Flight Information Service” on the radio, tell them who we are, were we are traveling from and what our destination is. The controller provides assistance like warnings about approaching traffic as well as information about restricted air space and other security relevant information.

On todays trip we start with the controller in Bremen center. Before we cross the border to Poland, we are handed over to Munich center. They are able to clear us for the short cut through Polish air space (very convenient) and hand us over to Praha center right away.

The Czech controller is friendly, professional and not very busy. He gives us information about restricted air space (we are cleared to cross) and hands us to the controller of the military airport of Caslav, over which we would like to cross.

As we are in the airspace of Caslav, we listen to a military pilot with a technical problem. His gear did not deploy as it should. First he performs a low pass to give the tower a chance to visually inspect his gear. Then he goes around and lands. I can see him touch down successfully and I see the fire trucks that had been waiting next to the runway. Very intense experience.

Caslav is close to our destination. And before long, we see a town that can only be Jihlava. The airfield is not far from the highway and much easier to find than we had feared. We fly over the airfield once to get an idea of the area and then my friend lands the little Cessna on the grass strip. What a trip!

The Czech people are known for uncomplicated hospitality and an appreciation for all things technical. We are greeted by friendly aviators and everything is easy at the small airport.

There and back again

The next day starts with a quick breakfast at the local bakery. No coffee as we are planning our trip without potty break. At the airport we are submitting our flight plan. We say good bye to our friendly hosts and take off. The weather is similar to the previous day and we climb up to 8500 feet today. We both like the high altitude. The world looks calm and quite and being up with the clouds is a spectacular feeling.

Of course we are highly concentrated but we are also more confident than yesterday. We know that the controllers are friendly and the navigation is doable.

Cold air

About an hour before our destination, we are over the Lausitz region of Germany. There is a lot of open-cast mining in this area. The ground looks like the moon, a very sad sight. We are both looking at the map and confirming our position as the engine suddenly changes its pitch. That grabs our attention!

The RMP have dropped by 200 and they do not come back with more gas. We diagnose the problem as carburetor icing and I pull the leaver for the carburetor heating. After a few seconds, the RPM start going back up and the engine sounds normal again.

We have fixed the problem but we are still alarmed. So we sink to a lower altitude with warmer air.

Back home

Not so long after our icing experience, we have to begin our decent into our destination. We are welcomed back by the flight instructor. He is eager to hear how our trip was. When we tell him about the carburetor icing he looks at us with a blank expression. He explains that of course we have to use the carburetor heating in regular intervals at these altitudes. Had he told us before, we would have been less shocked. But neither one of us will ever forget this experience!

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on April 3, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/international-flying/)

1 out of 2 (or 3)

1 out of 2 (or 3)

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Visibility: good
Temperature: 12°C
QNH: 1018hPa
Location: local aviation administration
Equipment: Computer in the testing center

I am at the testing center of the “Joined Aviation Administration” of two states. It is located in an old office building with a friendly atmosphere at the international airport.

I am taking the first part of the theory exam today. Seven subjects are being tested. The exam can be taken in up to three individual appointments in any combination of subjects. A very friendly way to test the hundreds of questions from the text book.

The exam itself is a computerized multiple choice test. My original plan was to break it up into two appointments. However, reality caught up with me and I only managed to prepare two of the subjects as thoroughly as I wanted. I would have loved to do four today.

At the testing center I am still on the fence if I should try the other two subjects anyway. But in the end I decide it would be better to be back for a third appointment voluntarily than involuntarily after failing “Aircraft Performance” or “Flight Rules and Air Law”.

I pass “Special Procedures” and “Human Limitations” with 92 percent and 96 percent respectively. Somehow fitting :-)

Now it is back to ground school for the next round!

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on March 31, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/1-out-of-2-or-3/)

Studying

Studying

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I am studying for the theory exam of the private pilots license right now. That’s why there will be no exciting reports about exotic trips and flying adventures for a bit.

For now just navigation, meteorology, aerodynamics and law. Wish me luck!

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on March 18, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/studying/)

Flight Radiotelephone Operator’s Certificate

Flight Radiotelephone Operator’s Certificate

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Visibility: special VFR
Temperature: 9°C
Location: deep in the woods behind the airport

I am at the Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway today (this is the actual title, I looked it up!). The building is in the woods on the far side behind the cities’ airport. There is a lake here, a few military installations and the “FNAEGTPR”.

Today I am being tested for my radio license. We are a group of seven in the waiting room. One person is from my flight school as well. We catch up while we are waiting.

The test starts with theory. 100 multiple choice questions in 60 minutes. I get 95 points, everybody in the group is above 90.

For the practical test, we have an air traffic controller here. Everybody gets a map of a different airport. We can choose our own call sign and our destination. I am getting the international version of the radio certificate. So I do the departure in English. Everybody else sticks with German.

I have been training for today both at my flight school and online. I feel well prepared but I have also heard a lot of stories about traps build into the test by the controllers.

Either this is all exaggerated or I have a darling of a controller. He speaks slowly and clearly, the departure routes are demanding but not cruel. He asks questions to see if we are up to speed but no traps.

For the approach we get new airports. We have a minute to find approach routes and frequencies and then we go on. All goes well, we are all routed into the approach pattern of our respective airports when my neighbor loses his orientation.

His virtual Cessna is approaching Runway 25, so the runway heading is 250 degrees. He is on the base leg, one 90 degree left turn away from the runway. So his heading right now is 340 degrees.

The controller asks for his current heading and he says 160 which would be the opposite heading. He is turned around in his head and because of the stress of the exam, he does not manage to snap out of it.

The controller asks him again and then a third time. Then he asks him to perform a go-around maneuver and fly the approach again. The poor pilot checks his map, repeats the calculation of headings on his scrap paper and sticks with 160 degrees. He will have to be back in two weeks time and try again.

After landing we get our licenses and the others go home. I have to stick around a bit longer for the language proficiency test. It is part of the international license in order to make sure that I can say more than just the standard phrases in English. I listen to different tapes and answer questions. Then the controller interviews me – more of a chat, really.

On my way back to civilization through the woods I hear the deep rumble of a starting airliner behind the trees. I am one step closer to the private pilots license.

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on March 2, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/radio-license/)

LiveATC

LiveATC

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Visibility: undetermined
Temperature: 19°C
QNH: 1013hPa
Location: subway
Equipment: the mighty iPhone

I am listening to American 142 heavy being cleared for take-off from runway 31 right by New York departure control. A Boeing 777-200 from JFK to London Heathrow. I understand about every other word of the fast exchange of information, carried out by trained professionals with a lot of routine on a less than clear connection.

The voices in my head are thousands of miles and half a dozen time zones away and are brought to me by LiveATC.net on the mighty iPhone. LiveATC is a free service that lets you listen in on ATC, the Air Traffic Control.

Luftsportgerät

I am working on my radio license at the moment. Every pilot has to have one of several levels of radio licenses in order to be able to participate in the elaborate system of communication in the air. With my sports pilots license I only had a small section of the theory test to cover radio communication. With this limited radio license I can not fly into the controlled airspace of larger airports.

Now I have to get the next license because flying in controlled airspace is part of the requirements for the private pilots license I am working on.

The trick of the efficient radio communication is standardization. There is only a limited number of things I can communicate to ATC. For this I have to use standardized phrases in a standardized order. If everybody knows what can be said, it is much easier to understand what is being said. This makes possible the rapid exchange of information despite interferences on the radio.

For a low time student, this means practice, practice, practice…

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on February 20, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/liveatc/)

Meet Charlie Oscar

Meet Charlie Oscar

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Visibility: about 10 kilometres
Temperature: -7°C
QNH: 1042 hPa
Location: EDAY
Equipment: New Rider MD3, 100hp engine (D-MPCO)

Late last season, my old flight school got a new aircraft. It is another Rider MD3, like the ones I trained on. But this one is brand new, has a lot of bells and whistles and a stronger engine.

I took D-MPCO (“Charlie Oscar”) for a spin today and was very impressed. All the aircraft of the flight school are well kept but you can tell right away that Charly Oscar does not have as many hours under her belt. She is new and shiny.

Fresh snow fell last night and the airport is white. A little cloud of snow dust blows around me as I start the engine. I have not been in an ultra light since I started my training for the private pilots license on the Cessna. But Charlie Oscar handles well and I feel comfortable taxiing out to the runway.

The air is very dense today, the aircraft is light with only one person and half full tanks but I am still surprised how quickly she takes off. It feels less like a take-off run and more like a big leap into the sky. I have reached pattern altitude before the first turn into the crosswind leg and I have to reduce power well before that. Wow, this is fun!

I do a bit of pattern work to get to know Charlie Oscar. The runway is snow covered and although it is not very much, it is very slippery. After the first landing I drift to the left and the aircraft starts turning before I can catch her. The fresh snow breaks the wheels a lot but not necessarily at the same rate. On the second approach I set full flaps to come in as slowly as possible. I am prepared this time and manage to hold her steady.

After that I go north for a quick trip around the block. Visibility drops out there and I turn back. The sky to the south is blue and the sun warms my face. I smile, this is pretty sweet!

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on February 10, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/meet_charlie_oscar/)

New Airport

New Airport

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My idea of fun is going to the airport. I am going to test our new international airport today. It is due to open this summer. Before that, there are dozens of test runs with hundreds or thousands of volunteers. Today is my turn!

The shuttle bus picks us up at the train station and takes us to the construction site. All of the buildings are there already and I get a pretty good idea of the whole set up. It is a modern, very large airport complex. Nothing like the two old and improvised airports it is going to replace. This one is build for easy access and large crowds, but it is also build as the international gate to the capital city. And it is build with a lot of self esteem.

The test run starts in a drafty tent with long rows of pick nick tables. We are a group of about 200 testers today. We register, get our safety gear and wait for the briefing to start.

The day is organized by the “Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer”-Team. “ORAT” is hired from the Munich airport. They did a remarkable job when the new airport in Munich opened, a few years back. The dividend of the good planning back then are consulting jobs now.

We get “tickets” for two trips. One in the morning, the other one after lunch. Each tester plays two passengers on each of the flights. On the first round I am two friends who are flying to Budapest on Lufthansa.

We are walked over to the terminal building, go through a wooden temporary door and walk up a flight of stairs that still need their finish. The grandness of the entrance hall appears in front of us as we ascend the stairs.

“Will they be ready?”

The main floor of the terminal is about twice as big as a football field and maybe six stories high. There are four majestically high but also surprisingly delicate steel pillars in the middle of the room. Three sides are glass from floor to ceiling. On the fourth side is a high wall with a balcony about half way up. The check-in counters are grouped together in little pavilions on the main floor. Ther walls are dark wood that harmonizes nicely with the cream colored marble floor and brushed steel used for railings and handles.

The first impression a feeling of grandness. This has nothing in common with the two active airports of the city. Maybe its closest relative is the now decommissioned terminal of the former inner city airport which was build in a time in Germany, when nothing could be big enough. The building is impressive, no doubt. It is build by a country that is strong and knows it. It is flooded with light, open, transparent and the smaller structures of the check-in gazeboseffectively counter act the feeling of individual smallness. The architect was trying to impress but not to intimidate. I have mixed feelings about the terminal and they will stay with me for the rest of the day.

One of the other testers looks around and is surprised. “This is never going to be ready in time!” he exclaims. Trust me, I know. They will be ready.

What happens to lost luggage

Before we find our respective check-in counters, we pick up test luggage. The bags are close to the entrance. Piled up higher than a man are rows and rows of bags, suit cases and trolleys. Some of them damaged, many marked with spray paint, all of them seasoned travelers. Maybe ten thousand maybe more. A friendly worker picks out two per person. They are heavy, I get a cart.

The Lufthansa check-in desk is easy to find. Only two of the pavilions are active for the test today. I am greeted by a friendly Lufthansa employee who has one supervisor and one member of the ORAT-Team as observers standing behind her. I request a window seat on the right side of the aircraft so that I would have a view of Budapest on final approach. The Lufthansa lady only hesitates for a fraction of a second before she smiles at me and says “no problem, sir!”.

Security is uneventful. The area behind the check-point is going to be a shopping area. It is probably going to be nice but right now it is a construction site in full swing. Workers are everywhere and it is loud and dusty.

At the gate we gather. We have time to talk to each other before the flight “boards”. I make friends with a student of aeronautical engineering and a travel agent.

After our “flight” we have lunch in the tent together. We are all of the same opinion: The new airport is impressive and we will all be back. For a next round of tests and for an actual trip.

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on February 10, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/new-airport/)

Second first solo

Second first solo

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Visibility: about 10 kilometres
Temperature: -1°C
QNH: 1025hPa
Location: EDAY
Equipment: Cessna 150 (D-EALX)

It is a cold morning. The first of the season, really although it is nearly February. The grass on the airfield is covered in white frost. The atmosphere is dense and cold and the wind sock hangs down with not enough air movement to shake off the nights frost.

There is a lot of activity on the airfield. A crew of four workers is getting three of the Stemme motor gliders ready that are parked on the apron. They perform checks and wipe the ice off of the wings. Two or three other aircraft are being made ready on the apron.

At the door of the flight school I find a note “Meet me at the hangar”. I arrive over there as the instructor has just started to pre flight the little Cessna. I check the fuel and we pull her out of the circular hangar.

Lima X-Ray starts up almost immediately. Good girl. We taxi over to the apron and give her a minute to warm up. The carburetor pre-heat expedites this process.

We take off into the cold. The sky is grey but the ceiling is more than high enough. There is almost no wind. Perfect conditions for a low time student.

The first landing is a greaser. I round out, hold her parallel to the runway until the stall horn chimes and then let her settle onto the runway. Just like I learned it. The flight instructor is happy. He gives me a bit of advice on the timing and tells me to fly a larger pattern. He starts talking about a solo.

After the second landing he breaks. He tells me to do another two of three landings on my own – if I feel like it. Is he kidding? I’m thrilled!

I am giddy but not quite as excited as with my first solo. After all I have flown aircraft on my own before. I know that I will be able to land it somehow. On take-off the missing weight of the instructor is noticeable but not as much as in the ultra light. I reach the pattern altitude a bit faster, that’s about it.

Lima X-Ray and I have started to become friends. I treat her gently and she forgives my clumsiness in return. My first solo landing is very respectable. Not as greasy as when the instructor was sitting next to me but good enough. As I take off after my second landing, I pass the instructor while he walks down the side of the runway. Apparently he is not afraid for his property enough to stay out in the cold.

After two touch and goes, I announce my intention to finally land on the third run. My instructor comes on the radio and tells me to keep going if I like. I sure do!

After six successful landings I have had enough. Lima X-Ray and I are done for the day. We go back to the apron and taxi by my first love, the trusted Lima Juliet. She is about to take another student to his wings. I waive at my old instructor and he smiles at me.

To be continued…

(originally posted on January 25, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/second-first-solo/)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

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Seasons greetings with a bit of (harsh) pilots humor.

 

 

To be continued…in 2012!

 

(originally posted on December 25, 2011 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/merry-christmas/)

Instrument flying

Instrument flying

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Visibility: right around 1.5 kilometers
Temperature: 11°C
QNH: 1014hPa
Location: EDAY
Equipment: Cessna 150 (D-EALX)

It is a miserable day with visibilities so close to the VFR minimums, that only the fact that it is Saturday is getting aircraft in the air. I arrive at the flight school and we start our morning with an extended theory lesson.

Around mid morning we go out to fly a few patterns to see if the visibility has improved. It has not. In the down wind leg we are just about able to see the runway.

Back in the briefing room, we continue theory of radio navigation. Today I am introduced to the concept of the VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Radio). This is a network of ground based radio stations. Their signal can be picked up by the VOR receiver in the aircraft which displays the relative position of the aircraft to the station.

We go through the theory. Then we simulate a trip on the computer. After that the flight instructor looks out of the window. The fog has not lifted. “Today would be a great day to get some real life experience” he says refering to the poor visibility. I’m game.

Our half hour trip will be a triangle to the south. My job will be to follow VOR and compass and to fly the aircraft without looking out of the window (there is not much to see out there anyway). The job of the flight instructor is to tell me the new headings at the way points.

We are departing to the south, following the VOR receiver in the cockpit to a close by VOR station. I hold the course and maintain the correct altitude. Maintaining the correct attitude with the artificial horizon is something new to me. It requires a lot of my concentration.

We use the VOR station as our first turning point and change the course to the north east. Again we follow its signal, this time to guide us away from the sender.

The next turning point, which will bring us on a western course back to the airport, is more complicated to find. We calculated the time after which we should get there and we know the heading for the last leg of the trip back home. As we are getting closer to the turning point, we start calling in to the airport to get our bearing.

At about 30 degrees south of the final bearing, I begin a left bank onto the new course. I peek out of the side window. Beneath the clouds and the fog I see something dark which may or may not be the lake that markes our way point.

We keep confirming the heading to the airport and before long, we see our home field through the mist. This was great training. I’m sure I will be tired tonight!

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on November 10, 2011 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/instrument-flying/)