Flying Katana

Flying Katana

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Visibility: good
Temperature: 16°C
QNH: 1008hPa
Location: Drewitz
Equipment: DA20 Katana

As part of my training, I have to fly two different kinds of aircraft. My flight school has a deal with a flight school in Drewitz. They train on a DA20 Katana, an Austrian built light trainer.

Today is a great flying day. In the morning I had the second part of my theory test. In the afternoon I go flying.

The plan for the day is to take the trusted Cessna over to Drewitz. There we will fly the Katana for about an hour before we go back to Strausberg. The weather conditions are easy and we will not file a flight plan for the half hour trip over to Drewitz. But we plan the flight on the map and talk about the Fürstenwalde VOR which is about half way on our route and will be our guide.

Cottbus-Drewitz Airport (EDCD)

Like many airports in the region, Drewitz is a relic of the cold war. The runway is the right size for an airliner and the hangars are reinforced concrete, overgrown with grass. On approach I’m having a hard time. The runway is so much wider than the one in Strausberg that it is hard to estimate the altitude correctly. There is a new, beautiful terminal building that my flight instructor is making fun of. There are no commercial flights in or out of Drewitz.

The Katana D-ELPN (“Papa November”) is waiting for us already. We park the Cessna next to it on the apron and change planes.

DA 20 Katana

The DA20 is a very popular trainer. It is about the same size as the Cessna but that about sums up their similarities. The Katana is a low wing composite aircraft. That means the fuselage is mounted on top of the wings. It is made primarily from composite materials, not from sheet metal.

The aircraft is powered by a Rotax engine, much like the ones powering many Ultra Lights. It is very efficient and quiet. Last but not least, this Katana has a constant speed prop. The pitch of the prop is adjustable. This allows the engine to run at it’s most efficient RPMs. The constant speed prop is new to me and the settings are a challenge.

Up, up and away

We go through the check list and the flight instructor takes his time to explain “Papa November” to me. We start the engine and go. The Katana has a free moving front wheel. The steering works by breaking the main wheels individually. It takes me a long time to get used to that and I’m sure the controller on the tower has fun watching us meander down the taxi way.

We take off and the air flow through the small windows is cooling us down. We were starting to steam under the large glass canopy. Once airborne, I feel at home in the DA20 instantly. She reminds me of the Ultra Light aircraft I fly but is a bit more stable. The visibility, without the wings above us, is stunning.

Traffic

We climb above the pattern altitude to do some air work. While we are doing our “lazy eights”, we hear a formation of military C-160 Transall transporters announce their intention to perform some short landing maneuvers in Drewitz. They are very close to the ground and we decide to stay out of their way and watch the spectacle from above. They are coming in low and slow, touch down on the outmost edge of the concrete of the runway and break violently. Watching the large turboprops from up here is a treat!

After the two big guys are gone, we have the pattern to ourselves again. We do two or three touch-and-go’s before we call it a day. The Katana was clearly a great experience but I am also happy to be back in “Lima X-Ray” for the way home. The trusted Cessna and I have become friends.

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on May 11, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/flying-katana/)

2 out of 3 – or almost only counts in horse shoes, hand granades and thermo nuclear warfare

2 out of 3 – or almost only counts in horse shoes, hand granades and thermo nuclear warfare

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Visibility: good
Temperature: 16°C
QNH: 1008hPa
Location: local aviation administration
Equipment: Computer in the testing center

I am at the local aviation administration for the second part of my theory exam today. I know the drill already. Sign in, find a computer in the examination room and go.

When I sign in, I tell the examiner that I will have to come back for a third appointment after this. I had a busy time at work. He informs me that I can only take two appointments and that there is no third unless I fail one of the parts.

Stupid of me not to confirm the test centers policies. On the other hand I could not have made more time available for studying anyway. So I will see how far today gets me. I am going to try tree subjects without preparation today – “Meteorology”, “Aerodynamics” and “Flight Rules and Air Law”.

After about three hours I’m done. The test goes well. I have studied a lot for “Navigation” and one part of the exam is the very example trip that I practiced last night. I answer the questions half from memory and get 100%. Not bad for the subject I was most insecure about. But it also means I spent too much time preparing for it.

“Flight Rules and Air Law” is one subject I did not prepare. I know many answers and some are simply guessing. I have a bad feeling in “Meteorology” and am fairly confident in “Aerodynamics”.

After I have finished the test, I go out and tell the examiner to not hold anything back from me. I failed “Flight Rules and Air Law” by one point. I would have needed 75% and I only got 73%.

The friendly examiner says how sorry he was. I smile at him and tell him that the overall result was better than I had expected.

To be continued…

 

(originally posted on April 30, 2012 by tilbo at aloft.blog.com/2-out-of-3/)

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/)