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Sep. 12th, 2018 03:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
camwynI had another solo flight this past Sunday. My instructor was there when I took off, but had another student to handle, so they took off to fly elsewhere as I was coming in for my ... I think first ... landing.
(I had five this time.)
I got my radio calls right this time, although to be honest that was in no small part due to the tower calling *me* with my mid-field information before I could report in. (When you are flying around an airport in the standard pattern used there, if the airport has an air traffic control tower, you are supposed to call them back when you are about even with the middle of the runway you departed from and wait to hear where to land, whether you're cleared to take off again, whether you need to get your ass off the runway as fast as possible because there are other people behind you, etc. This is 'reporting midfield' and does not need to be especially chatty or detailed on the pilot's part; you're reporting in, the tower is doing most of the talking, and you're repeating back the critical elements to show that you heard the tower accurately.) I had no fear of losing my sunglasses this time, as I was flying with the doors on-
Yeah, the helicopter in my icon there? That's basically what I fly at the school, although the paint job's a little different. It's too small for climate control beyond a very basic cabin heating system for winter, so if it's hot out they take the doors off before flying, which means it's probably best not to make those fancypants turns from the Magnum, PI credits because you're held in your seat by the forces of physics and a restraint system that's fundamentally no different from the front passenger-side safety belt of a 1980 Ford Fairmont.
- anyway, doors on, so the wind wasn't going to blow my sunglasses off, although I did have a moment of 'oh God my bra strap'. Got over it, though. Saw a pair of bald eagles as I was coming in for my last landing, which is always something to see.
My dad asked me, when I told him afterwards, how I knew that I flew well if my instructor wasn't watching from the ground. I told him, honestly, that the tower never said "Helicopter 3217X-Ray, what the hell do you think you're doing?", and that I considered this a good sign.
(seriously, I live in fear of getting a message like that from the tower)
(I had five this time.)
I got my radio calls right this time, although to be honest that was in no small part due to the tower calling *me* with my mid-field information before I could report in. (When you are flying around an airport in the standard pattern used there, if the airport has an air traffic control tower, you are supposed to call them back when you are about even with the middle of the runway you departed from and wait to hear where to land, whether you're cleared to take off again, whether you need to get your ass off the runway as fast as possible because there are other people behind you, etc. This is 'reporting midfield' and does not need to be especially chatty or detailed on the pilot's part; you're reporting in, the tower is doing most of the talking, and you're repeating back the critical elements to show that you heard the tower accurately.) I had no fear of losing my sunglasses this time, as I was flying with the doors on-
Yeah, the helicopter in my icon there? That's basically what I fly at the school, although the paint job's a little different. It's too small for climate control beyond a very basic cabin heating system for winter, so if it's hot out they take the doors off before flying, which means it's probably best not to make those fancypants turns from the Magnum, PI credits because you're held in your seat by the forces of physics and a restraint system that's fundamentally no different from the front passenger-side safety belt of a 1980 Ford Fairmont.
- anyway, doors on, so the wind wasn't going to blow my sunglasses off, although I did have a moment of 'oh God my bra strap'. Got over it, though. Saw a pair of bald eagles as I was coming in for my last landing, which is always something to see.
My dad asked me, when I told him afterwards, how I knew that I flew well if my instructor wasn't watching from the ground. I told him, honestly, that the tower never said "Helicopter 3217X-Ray, what the hell do you think you're doing?", and that I considered this a good sign.
(seriously, I live in fear of getting a message like that from the tower)
