Multiflight Flight Training Centre student Adam Rahnavard is moving ever closer to completing his Private Pilot’s Licence. He has been keeping us informed about his PPL flight training progress here in this flight training blog. Read here what he has been up to as he gets closer to the end of the PPL course at Multiflight at Leeds Bradford International Airport at Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK:
PPL student Adam writes: “The end of the PPL course is very much in sight now and in terms of what is now left all I have to do is some preparation/revision for the mock test and then if that goes well the final skills test. Much of my last ten hours has been dominated by nav and it is good practice at this stage to polish all the maneuvers that are tested on the skills test so individual items can be practiced.
This lesson was going to be a complete run though of everything bar the diversionary aspect of the test. The list Paul presented to me on arrival that we would be going through today is as follows:
- Performance take off
- Straight and level flight
- Slow flight
- Climbing and descending
- Cruise climb
- Stalls (clean, base to final and final)
- Medium level turns
- Steep level turns
- Rate 1 turns
- VOR position fix
- Practiced forced landing
- Engine failure after take off
- Circuits
There was quite a lot to get through and inevitably some of them were going to be rusty. Paul reassured me this was to be expected and the purpose of this lesson was to iron everything out.
After take off we headed out to the Wetherby area to conduct the lesson. Paul started by testing my medium and steep leave turns, the first ones were not perfect but I was able to alter slightly to meet the standard he expected. Slow flight was trickier than I recall to get right when requested to fly at 80kts, again I was able to do this quite well.
Climbing and descending were no problem as were my medium level and steep level turns once I calculated the extra back pressure right when entering the steep level turns. I needed a refresher on the VOR position fix but soon again got the hang of it and was able to confirm our exact location.
The area I was most rusty on were really the ‘PFL’s or practiced forced landings. It had been a while since the lesson on these so we spent some time going through them again, ensuring I was going through the drill in the correct way for the test.
On return back to the airfield I did three approaches to check my glide, clean and normal approaches.
This was quite a taxiing lesson but helpful in again helping me to polish rusty areas of my flying and to focus my mind on the final and technical part of the test. I have to be honest and say that ‘test’s in general are not something I enjoy but then who does? I know if I can get this right I will achieve my dream of becoming a qualified pilot! Paul had a number of pointers for me but seemed happy to now move on to the mock test.
All that is now left is a short nav exercise to complete my 10 hrs required solo, mock test and then test. If the weather behaves itself I could only be a matter of weeks away and all my hard work paying off.”