Yesterday's flight marked two "firsts" for me, my first Cessna 172 solo and my first solo in Shek Kong Airfield, Hong Kong. However as this is not the first solo, yesterday's flight is worth some analysis into some events that occurred during my solo check and solo flight.
The Plan:
I flew with an examiner and instructor I haven't flown with for a long time, full of experience and wisdom, I always enjoyed flying with him. He always had a way into a student's mind when he/she was feeling confused and confronted. Well enough of the instructor description, what was the plan?
In our pre-flight briefing, we gone through various emergencies but placing special emphasis on fire on the ground and/or in the air and how to deal with it. Thankfully I had the procedures memorised and rehearsed in my mind and that was done with ease. Our plan for the flight was to first do a glide approach starting from the abeam point and then a low level go around. The second circuit will be a glide approach towards the end of the downwind (basically what's different here is you turn straight towards the runway) and a landing. The third circuit will be a flapless, the fourth will be a normal approach and landing and the last will be a short field landing (just for the fun of it).
Note: He did not allude to sending me solo that day, it was a little bumpy due to the winds and the clouds were increasing in number.
The Pre-Solo Check:
To be really honest, it was very routine except for the amount of traffic in the circuit yesterday, due to the clouds no one was able to depart the circuit or more specifically, the airfield area. I negotiated with another pilot (he is my schoolmate as well) and he and his instructor agreed to climb to 2000 feet and stay around the west of the airfield so the circuit will only be occupied by 3 fixed wing aircraft (including myself) which is the limit.
We decided to do a short field takeoff just to stay proficient again, the recipe for a short takeoff on a 172 is very simple: Flaps 10 degrees, hold the brakes, throttle to full, confirm engine gauges in the green and then release the brakes and go!
It is to be noted that operating out of a runway with a displaced threshold such as Shek Kong, it is technically not correct to rotate before the piano bars. During the takeoff roll on a short field, I like to keep the aircraft accelerating on the ground using some (very slight) forward pressure. As soon as I am on the piano bars I glance at my airspeed and it is in the green arc so I give a little back pressure and we are in the air. One must hold it in ground effect until Vx is achieved and the attitude shall be established soon afterwards.
"Clear of obstacles, speed check, flaps up, Vy attitude." I recite as I climbed away.
As I approached the abeam position on downwind, the throttle was pulled to flight idle to simulate an engine failure. By instinct I pitched the nose up to gain altitude as well as achieve best glide speed of around 65 knots and start trimming up. I looked and planned a rough estimate for a key position which is half the circuit height which is, in this case 400 feet. I plan to use the constant aspect method to place myself on a good glidepath on final which I did. My final approach was the best I have done, without power I was right on glidepath to my final aim point of the piano bars with full flaps.
As I begun my roundout and flare my instructor called, "You bounced! Oh no! What will you do?"
Note, I did not bounce and it was time to do a low level go around. I applied full power while adding forward pressure to stop the nose from ballooning and stalling the aircraft (we were below 50 knots at that time already), as soon as it is under control I selected 20 degrees of flaps to reduce drag and started aggressively trimming off the forward pressure (Not too much on this particular Cessna 172R I flew, she is pretty nose heavy compared to others) required and adopted Vx attitude with flaps 10 after a positive rate of climb was confirmed. Once again, clear of obstacles, flaps up and Vy attitude. Easy as 1, 2, 3!
Subsequently, we proceeded with another glide approach, a flapless and a normal landing. All of these were performed with ease.
Until it came to the last circuit, a short field landing. This is not a pre-solo item, however we elected to practice it for proficiency. There's no real difference other than a pre-selected landing spot and more discipline on speed control and heavy braking after landing, 60 final and 55 crossing the fence does really well.
Remember how I said this particular 172R is nose heavy compared to the other 172R and the 172SP we have?
In the excitement of a seemingly perfect approach I seemed to have forgot and literally chopped the power a little too enthusiastically as I approached my aiming point. The nose drops as a secondary effect of power reduction rather alarmingly, I yank back on the yoke out of panic and I entered a slight balloon, it took a bit of concentration to keep that attitude stable and I held off and touched down a little flatter and firmer than usual. Heavy braking and back pressure!
We did get stopped in a short distance however as I backtracked the runway.
Just like my first solo I am daft enough to not realise my instructor's intentions, we did a full stop landing early, way earlier than the end of slot (30 minutes to spare....) so I asked, "So early? What's next?" I thought we were doing a full-stop taxi back to take-off again!
"I am sending you on your first solo!" He says.
Well... Not really my first solo, my first in Hong Kong for sure. Finally, after seven months I am going solo again. Emotions similar to my first solo returned in a wave, the excitement of the upcoming freedom and opportunities to learn!
However, unlike any student first solo (because although on paper it was a first solo, it really wasn't), he ordered my to fly 2 circuits and land in time for the next slot which should be able to go until the end of slot. He also didn't really brief me on the performance difference I should expect when I am solo, reason being it was in reality a sixth solo!
The Solo:
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| Secretly judging your landings... Taken on the ground waiting in the run-up area |
The only aircraft in the circuit at that stage was another Cessna 152, after he landed and after another Cessna 152 landed I was ready to go. I lined up with the centerline and slid my heels to the floor and applied full throttle.
I rotated and was surprised at the acceleration, soon enough I am climbing rather quickly at Vy on my first two solo circuits here in Hong Kong. Abeam point, power 1600-1700 RPM and flaps 10, speed 80 knots. Abeam 3-ponds (our base turn landmark) power 1200 RPM and flaps 20 and turn base.
Two rolls of trim up and a little more gives around a good setting for 70 knots, adjusting the power for height I roll onto final and select the final stage of flap and feel the aircraft decelerate and settle at 60-65 knots. One small dash of trim up and I am basically flying hands free, I recited the wise words from my flight instructor in Melbourne when I started flying. Airspeed, aimpoint, aspect! The approach was flown at 60 knots, 5 knots slower than usual which is as expected as I am lighter.
I might be committing heresy here but 65 all the way down seems a little too excessive for me when you are solo, 60 knots is more natural and more comfortable. The 172 really handles well at low speeds. Besides, I had not a lot of fuel onboard at this stage and it wasn't gusty at all, in fact the wind died down and it felt smooth on final.
I was experiencing a crosswind (Not gusting) from the left and as I approached the aiming point I smoothly and slowly (very slowly indeed, as I am anticipating a significantly heavier elevator after this) cut the power to flight idle and look to the far end of the runway and level off. As the aircraft sinks I just apply a tad more back pressure just enough to stop the sink while adjusting with the rudder to maintain centerline.
My touchdown was reminiscent of my solo landings in Melbourne, it was an absolute greaser (not meaning to boast but it's true) and on centerline. Flaps up, re-trim, and full power!
As I rolled onto final for this last solo landing for the day, I nearly called "Tooradin Traffic." It was etched into habit, however I didn't let that happen of course. I came in a tad low so I delayed the flap extension and applied more power to level off. After the glide path was established a reduced power and put in full flaps.
I made the same mistake as my short field landing this time, I pulled the power too vigorously and did not respond quickly enough to the pitch down moment and ended up scaring myself a little and flaring late and far too quickly. I ballooned but this time I used power as I sunk onto the runway, at least I managed to salvage a smooth landing. However this time it was a smooth landing but not a good landing for sure. Looking back, I should've gone around.
I thought back on it on my way home from lunch after the flight, and realized that complacency settled in after that very good solo landing, and spent the afternoon visualising what had gone wrong on that final landing. As this isn't my first solo, it's therefore more worthy of critical acclaim and self-debriefing.
That being said, the aircraft wasn't damaged, I recovered with the appropriate actions and I have successfully completed my first Cessna 172 solo and my first solo in Hong Kong.
Stay tuned for more solo flights here in Hong Kong!
Have fun, fly safe!
--
Howard
