First Flight Navigation Training

Another hot and sunny day – and off to Redhill again.  This time it’s a Flight Navigation exercise.  I’d started planning the flight the previous day (on the ferry back from Caen) and finished it off this morning once I could get access to the wind forecast from the Met Office.

Flight was from Redhill to Bough Beech reservoir, then on to Bewl Water, on to Tenterden, then back to Bough Beech and then back to Redhill.  The Instructor reviewed my Flight Plan and was generally satisfied that it was reasonable.  So off to the Aircraft to fly the route.

Take off using Runway 26L then 180 degree turn, climb to 1500ft and on to Bough Beech.  When overhead Bough Beech, turn right onto a heading for Bewl Water and climb to 2300ft.  I ended up slightly to the right of Bewl Water and slightly earlier than planned so the actual wind was a little different from the forecast.  Turn over Bewl Water and set course for Tenterden.  More or less got this leg bang on, ended up over Tenterden more or less at the planned time.  Then it was back to Bough Beech – a leg of 27 nautical miles.  This time I ended up a bit to much to the right so needed a course correction of approx 6 degrees.  Pass over Bough Beech at 1500ft then on to Redhill.  ATC cleared me for an overhead join, then an early right turn onto downwind, then it was a normal circuit approach with descent and final approach.  Landing was reasonable despite the slight crosswind, then taxi to refuel the aircraft then back to the hanger.

Overall, I more or less ended up where I should have – but the legs were short so I would needed to have been pretty bad not to manage it.  Back in the “office” the Instructor set me a much longer flight to plan for my next lesson which will give a much greater opportunity to get off track.  Hopefully that will go OK – watch this space for details.

Flight time today, 65 mins with one landing.  Exercise 14b for anyone interested.