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Lots and lots of circuits, interspersed with the occasional trip to remind myself that aeroplanes can turn right and fly above a thousand feet from time to time.
12 All Over The Sky
In which I mush around the sky like I've never stepped foot in an aeroplane
before, discover that there are always Days Like These, discover go-arounds
and aim the aeroplane at a hole in the forest.
13 Dawn 'till Dusk (and then some)
In which I go I go 170odd miles by train in order to go about the same by
plane, meet lots of people with strange names and encounter the Biggest Burger
Known to Aviation.
14 Circuit Basher
In which I discover I do remember what aeroplanes are for, though
not how to make them go at the height and speed I want them to. And in which
I put many crosses in boxes and forget the difference being being hijacked
and having the radio conk out.
15 Oh for some tidy weather
In which I bounce around the circuit some more, wondering whether
someone just made up a direction for the so-say "prevailing" wind
which doesn't seem to prevail very often at all.
16 Some days the weather wins
In which I discover just how many words I can extract from a 15 minute
once around the circuit in a howling gale.
17 More of Those Days
In which wind and 'one of those days' syndrome combine to turn me
into a clutz all over again.
18 A Selection of Circuits
In which I remember (again) how this is supposed to work and am reminded
that there's a whole eight hundred metres of runway out there and it's not
strictly necessary to plop the wheels on the first two.
19 Five Million Landings
In which I land an aeroplane and land an aeroplane and land an aeroplane
and land an aeroplane and land an aeroplane and land an aeroplane...
20 Day Tripper
In which I take a longer walk for a longer flight to a pleasant seaside
pub and some interesting weather.
21 Interesting Shapes
In which I practise some more unusual circuits and in particular
discover myself to be a miserable shot when trying to hit the runway from
a glide.
22 The Other End of the Ether
In which I visit the people who talk to aeroplanes.
23 All Change
In which I discover the ups and downs, some quite literal, of a change
of base and have an extremely busy afternoon's flying.
24 Dodging the clouds
In which I get a lovely flight of a lovely aeroplane and continue
to try and crack some of the continuing niggles in the circuit and up and
downs in the landings.
25 Up and down again
In which I bounce some more around the circuit, waffle some more
on the radio and find out that real weather is rarely as obliging as exam
weather.
26 Still at it
In which I spend an hour trying to land twenty feet in the air and
refresh some forgotten earlier bits and pieces.
27 Skiving in the sunshine
In which I play truant from the circuit in order to fly around sightseeing
with family on a lovely day!
28 Going Around
In which I tear around the circuit on a windy day and discover the
merits of going around when it all goes pear-shaped.
29 Chasing Radiowaves
In which I spend a pleasant afternoon chasing radio beacons around
the sky.
30 Back Home
In which I get back in the circuit and carrying on bashing at those landings.
31 Students and Spitfires
In which I try my hand at navigation to join very many other students and
pilots to eat lots and look at pretty aeroplanes. And in which I discover
what the scenery looks like upside down.
32 Word of the day
In which I endeavour to land the same way two attempts running with mixed
success.
33 Circuits & Thumps
In which I rediscover crosswind landings with decidedly unmixed lack of success.
34 Concentrate
In which I, for a change of pace, bound around the circuit in the opposite
direction to usual, watch some far superior flying to my own, and remember
why I ended up doing this in the first place.
35 First Solo
In which my instructor leaves the poor aeroplane to my tender mercies and
I manage not to break it.
36 A moment of Muppetry
In which I get some more "on me own!" time, and commit a couple
of thoroughly dozy mistakes which happily fail to bend anything.
37 Trying not to be number three
In which I endeavour not to follow the prevous two aeroplanes off the edge
of the runway and practise a bit more of the solo stuff.
38 Traffic Traffic!
In which I encounter an unusually busy circuit for middle-of-nowhere Pembrey
and get to practise my decision making (and my go-arounds!)
39 Could be tidier!
In which I work on some recurring niggles and make a daft mistake or two while
enjoying myself hugely!
40 Navigating the Showers
In which a howling crosswind gives me an excuse to get out of the circuit
and do some 'best guess' navigation to lots of places beginning with Ll.
41 Out to the Countryside
In which I get another ride in a lovely aeroplane to a lovely airfield courtesy
of a Flyer Forum Student FlyIn.
42 Bangs and Bumps
In which I fail miserably to pop some balloons, and in which I am reminded
again that there are "Days like These".
43 Up in the wind
In which I get carried away with the challenge of a crosswind to play in and
fly a silly number of circuits
On to Part 3...
Going places
