PPL(H) Hours 8.4 to 12.1

Well I didn't write anything last week because I had a really bad second
day's flying. Having done really well the day before side-slipping round a
hover square I think I went in to it with too much confidence. Early in the
second hour I came down a little too hard on concrete and instantly got the
S300 shaking around violently in ground resonance. It took the instructor
by surprise too as he didn't think I'd come down hard enough to do it. So a
few panicked seconds with him back in control and I have to do it again. I
land ok, but my nerves are shot. That was the first time I've actually had
to accept that this is something I'm going to have to work at! Then a bit
later we're practicing hover turns (again, which I'd done ok the day before)
and the wind's a bit stringer than it's been so far, gusting to about 20
kts. As I pedal turn to the left I'm thinking "the nose is going to swing
left, it's gonna go left, wait for the left, anticipate the left..." And
then it happens, and what do I do?? Hammer down on the left.... A couple of
pirouettes later and we've stopped. Not sure whether the instructor stopped
it or I did, but I think I have to admit it was definitely more him than me.
Second wake up call in one day. After we land my instructor actually gives
a little wry smile that he's found something that foxes me, the git.

So, this week I went in on Wednesday more apprehensive than ever before
about the day's flying. I know I have demons to exorcise and it's going to
take all my conscious control to do it. I'd figured out in the interim what
I'd been doing wrong the week before. I found that using the anti-torque
pedals I have to keep both legs tensed, relaxing pressure off one while
applying it to the other. I'm sure this is normal, but it loads up the
reflexes, and it's all too easy to send the fire command to the wrong leg
when their both armed like that. It's also damned uncomfortable. My back
was sore from mid way down, past my arse all the way to my knees the next
day. So, I need to find a comfortable medium where I feel I'm properly
balancing the controls and can react when need be, and at the same time
relaxed enough not to need a chiropractor after each flight.

Of course the first thing my instructor did this week, after the lift and
hover taxi out to the practice area the other side of the airfield, was to
land, and again, and again. I've developed a real mental issue with landing
since the ground resonance incident. I'd gotten it down pat before, but now
I just can't help tensing up and I feel if I land well it's by more luck
than skill. Realising that the machine's going to tip backwards onto its
skids and not trying to correct for it has helped me overcome a little of
the problem, (since the S300 hovers nose low, left skid down.) So I'm not
trying to push the cyclic forward in the final few inches of landing
anymore, but I still have an issue with handling the power during touchdown.
I need to get it sorted, before it becomes a real phobia, and I guess all
there is for it is practice. I just wish there was more feel through the
S300 dampened skids, as I can rarely feel when I've got one skid down and
all it's going to take is the smallest power reduction to bring the other
down. I don't feel it's helped by being told to concentrate on the horizon
during the whole manouever, as how are you supposed to know if you're
side-slipping, or drifting backwards?

After several landings, including a couple of good ones on concrete we did
some more hover turns and hover taxiing, just to get my nerves under control
again, and then went in to circuits again. I'm getting pretty good at
hitting the altitude and speeds required, but just when I feel like I'm
getting good I get blaise and fail to notice I've gain a 100 feet and lost
10 kts as I dor the FREDA checks or comment to the instructor beside me
about that cool looking EC120 that's putting on a show again, or something
like that. Since it was windier I had to finish my circuits with a sharp
braking turn into wind, which just seems like a natural thing to do. A
couple of basic autos, recovering at 1000 ft, a bit of basic climbing and
descending just to drag up the skils learnt three whole weeks ago and we
head in, and I'm happy as I feel I've regained the confidence lost the week
before.

I only flew one day this week as the following day's schedule was scrubbed
because of the weather. Next flight is Wednesday, all being well. I'm
getting hassled to do the JAR Air Law exam now, so I can go solo. Crikey.. I
want my mum..

Si

Hi all

"Simon Robbins" I don't feel it's helped by being told to concentrate on
the horizon
during the whole manouever, as how are you supposed to know if you're
side-slipping, or drifting backwards?
Si

Hi Simon , I am on 6.5 hrs, The one thing that I noticed and changed was my
sunglass`s, I had been using Oakley minute, They had quite a big frame that
until I noticed was blocking a lot of my peripheral(sp?) vision,, I now use
some without a lower/side frame, It did make a large difference to my ground
awareness / proximity sense,
Have a good one
Tim
ps stay away from Shobdon 12-.2 tomorrow , as there is a bloke with no clue
buzzing around in a r22 :-)

"Tim" h wrote in message
...
Hi Simon , I am on 6.5 hrs, The one thing that I noticed and changed was
my
sunglass`s, I had been using Oakley minute, They had quite a big frame
that
until I noticed was blocking a lot of my peripheral(sp?) vision,, I now
use
some without a lower/side frame, It did make a large difference to my
ground
awareness / proximity sense,
Have a good one
Tim
ps stay away from Shobdon 12-.2 tomorrow , as there is a bloke with no
clue
buzzing around in a r22 :-)

Hah, you know what? For weeks I've been using a good pair of wide, rimless
Ralph Lauren shades for my flying and they're really good. Then I lost them
(I think I put them on the counter in a shop and forgot to pick 'em up,
either that or my cat's pinched them again.) So I've been using my old
Oakley Minutes that have a busted, taped together arm. So, you're probably
right. Think I'll go out and get another pair of something else...

No chance of me being around Shobdon, I'm laid up with a bad cold and all
the aches and snot that accompany that. Looks like I'm going to have to
scrub my own flying this week. :-(

Si