It has been
a long while since my last update, sorry for that! Since we're now finally back
in the sky, I'm sure there will be more frequent updates from now on.
For most of
the time since the last update, we have been studying theory. We had our final
exams on the very last day of February in the following subjects: Aircraft
general knowledge (AGK) about airframes, engines, electronics etc., Principles
of flight (aerodynamics) about the physics that allow airplanes to fly, and
Performance. Performance is practical and contains much useful knowledge
including about how, for a particular airplane, the required runway length for
start and landing changes with temperature, air pressure, runway condition
(wet, snow covered etc.), loss of some particular systems and of course the amount
of passengers and luggage.
I struggled
a lot especially studying AGK which contained a very large amount of facts to
be memorized. However in the end, probably because I focused very much on AGK,
I just barely passed the performance school test. As usual, the Transportation
bureau tests were easier than the school tests. Since I passed all tests in one
day, I had ten very nice days of mid-term vacation during which I was in Malmö,
Stockholm, Uppsala and mostly in Falun.
After the
exams, last week, we finally started flying again. The first flight lesson was
a repetition of basic maneuvering. With an instructor, I did some turning
climbs and descents, sharp turns, stall, emergency landing procedure training
and a few landings. Since my landing technique was a bit rusty, we continued practicing
landings, both with and without engine power, on the next day. After that I
could return to my original study plan, which meant that the next lesson was a
navigation flight via Halmstad to Jönköping, by far the most distant place I've
flown to. This time it was with an instructor and another student, so while my
classmate did all the flying on the way to Jönköping, I was responsible for the
return flight.
Finally, on
Friday last week, we had our first flight simulator lesson. From now on for at
least a few months time, we will have quite a few lessons in the school's
flight simulator. It's a model of a two-engine Beechcraft airplane, but it
doesn't move, and for the initial period it actually flies like the one-engine Cirrus
SR20 we're used to fly. Anway, it's quite fun to use the simulator as well,
mainly because the cockpit is more complex and it feels like you're flying a
larger airplane.
Photos:
It's
actually possible to do skiing even this far south in Sweden! One day at
Vallåsen ski park with the class.
TFHS10, the
students who entered my school in 2010, graduated in January – congratulations to
them! All of them got contract jobs at Norwegian, I'm not jealous at all!
Halmstad
from above on our way to Jönköping!
Landing at
runway 01 at Jönköping airport. I can recommend the café's ham sandwiches
(frallor)!
When me and
a classmate went and practiced crosswind landings at Ängelholm Airport, we
parked at the general aviation parking to switch places. Bet we were amazed
when the Swedish "Air Force One" Gulfstream IV (regeringsplanet)
was parked at the same place. It even departed during downwind approach of one
of our touch & go landings, but we've no idea if any government official
actually was riding it.
I recorded
some of the landings. Unfortunately there's not so much speech, but I did
record the radio communication during this approach for runway 11L at
Ljungbyhed after we've finished our crosswind training.
