Circuits

That was fantastic!

Today's lesson focused on circuits. No, not the electrical type. While having knowledge of electricity is an advantage for pilots, a circuit (or airfield traffic pattern) is a flight path used in airports that standardize approaches and the movement and flow of traffic for each runway in an airport. A circuit looks something like this:
Circuits are used to maintain a natural order to airport traffic, giving pilots that are entering a circuit educated guesses about where other traffic might be coming from. If you're interested in reading more about circuits, you can find more information here.

The nice thing about practicing circuits, is that you're constantly practicing takeoffs and landings. And even more than that, today felt like all of the skills I have learned in my previous lessons were put to use while practicing circuits. A lot goes on when you're doing a circuit. Each circuit preformed takes around six minutes. I'll take you through it quickly:

- take off
- climb to 500'
- while climbing, perform post take-off checklist
- at 500', turn to the crosswind leg.
- climb to circuit altitude (1000 feet above ground level)
- turn to base leg, level off at circuit altitude
- perform pre-landing checklist
- inform ATC that you are turning on base-leg
- look out for traffic while turning base-leg. ATC may inform that you are in line (after other traffic to land)
- also while turning base-leg, reduce engine power to 1700RPM
- configure airplane for landing. Flaps to 20 degrees, 65knots airspeed
- turn to final leg, continue approach, cut engine to idle, listen for a landing clearance from ATC
- Extend flaps to 40 degrees, 60knots airspeed

Don't worry if you didn't understand some of the terminology there. I just laid it out to show the steps that have to be taken in a matter of five or six minutes. As you can imagine, it is a pretty intense exercise. As well, with Buttonville airport being as busy as it is, there is no such thing as a "perfect circuit". Circumstances (such as traffic, crosswinds, landing clearences, etc.) will dictate adjustments that have to be made with little or no delay. For instance, in one of the circuits we did, I was on the final leg, about 15 feet above the ground, over the runway. Because there was traffic on the runway (which seemed like somewhat of a botch-up by the ATC), we never got the landing clearance. We had to glide the airplane along the runway, about 10 feet from the ground. An airplane is not allowed to touch down unless it gets landing clearance from ATC. Because the landing clearance never came, we had to preform a missed approach. Full throttle, climb back up, and do another circuit.

It was all on the fly (pun intended). It may seem like a lot to handle, but that's why the instructor is there with me. To make sure I perform the things that need to be done.

All in all, my instructor said I did well. He said that I've demonstrated I can fly the circuits successfully, and land the plane safely. The only thing I have to work on, is after touchdown, to keep the nose-wheel up in the air as long as possible. Doing that helps a lot of things. It's less wear and tear on the nose-wheel, it makes for a smoother landing, it conserves the breaks, etc.

The next few lessons are going to be mainly circuit practice under different conditions. Such conditions will include crosswind landings, runway change mid-circuit, and engine failure mid-circuit.

My instructor has already started the "paperwork" for my solo flight. He said that it shouldn't take me too long before I am capable of flying an airplane being the only soul on the plane. Man, that will be an accomplishment I could only have dreamed of only a few months ago. I can't wait. Things are good in the neighborhood.