Training :: JetBox

Aug

Just get on with it!!!

By joeltobias · Comments (0)

I’ve flown every day for the last 10 days which has been great. I’ve been all over the country including trips up to Cumbria and down to Buckinghamshire twice. Along the way I’ve encountered some pretty poor weather but I’m pleased to say that I’ve managed to get all my trips done safely with the minimum of delay. As I reported a few posts ago, I like to do lots of continuation training. Poor weather training plays a large part of that extra tuition.

Our weather system is shocking, and Manchester is particularly crap. If you believe the forecasts, I sincerely doubt any of us would ever fly. I find that the most important decision to take when flying in (or towards) poor weather/deteriorating conditions is when to actually give up and land. There is a strong argument that says that you shouldn’t begin the flight in the first place, but you really wouldn’t get airborne half the time and this was a particular gripe of mine. TAF’s/METARS would often containg Prob 30′s or TEMPO’s containing some real crud. Low cloud, poor vis, rain etc etc. I found myself postponing trips only to get to the end of the day and find that the weather had been perfectly (and safely) flyable. To me, Steve H and Mike B this was getting ridiculous and I hunted out someone who could teach us how to actually get going and critically get back (or at the very least down on the ground) safely. Read More→

Categories : G-EWAW, Training, Trips

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Aug

Continuation training

By joeltobias · Comments (1)

As most of you know I like to do regular continuation training to keep me on top of my game. I do plenty of hours and I’m a very confident pilot which has been known, in the past, to be the downfall of many an aviator. I’m definitely not intending to become a statistic so I have a determination to ensure I keep on with my learning. In the last 18 months I have actually totted up over 55 hours of such training which is quite a lot for a PPL but I think it’s vital. Read More→

Categories : G-EWAW, Training

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May

London Heli Routes and HLS Vanguard (Part 1)

By joeltobias · Comments (0)

Editors note – I’m going to split this post into two separate posts. Firstly because it’s a long one and there’s a lot to take in. Secondly because I need to pack to go to New York and I haven’t done a thing and thirdly because it will keep you interested!!!

The purpose of my trip on Monday was to navigate through the London Heli Routes again for some practise, but ultimately so that I could land at HLS Vanguard on the bank of the River Thames, near the Isle of Dogs. This was a requirement of the CAA before granting me permission to do it solo. With this in mind, JJ (my mate and esteemed instructor blessed be his name, oh holy one, etc etc etc…) and my personal pilot (and mate), Dave ,set off from EGCB to get the job done.

If you haven’t done the London Helicopter Routes, it’s a definite must do trip. I’ve done them a few times before and It’s a great challenge. You really have to be on your game and you really need someone who knows them well to be with you the first few times.

Categories : G-EWAW, Training, Trips

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May

Poor WX and Precautionary Landings

By joeltobias · Comments (2)

On Thursday the weather was pretty poor and I took the opportunity to go out and fly through it. Dave H also wanted to see what it was like flying through rain and therefore it would serve as a double purpose.

The cloud base was about 1000ft and the VIS was down to 6k in light rain in places so it wasn’t actually too drastic (and I’ve definitely found myself flying in worse in my career!)

The trip was pretty uneventful but it proved that often there are ways to fly around the weather safely. But just in case we simulated becoming “trapped in” with no exit route but down and into a field. We chose a field and then practised entering into a spiralling descent into it so as to avoid a bank of cloud.

Categories : G-EWAW, Training, Trips

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