04/03/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to speak to students of St. Mark’s Catholic School, Hounslow. Today, i went to meet them and talk about my flying achievements,  work with Rotary International and to talk about poverty. Little did i know, the School is right under the final approach for Heathrow runway 27L and 27R.

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01/03/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

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01/12/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

We are about to take delivery of a set of Union portable hand control for the Cessna and Grumman. Read the rest of this entry »

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23/08/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Monday of this week i arrived at Cranfield for a flying lesson only to find that the weather would stop all flying for the day..

Instead i did some ground school on Navigation and attempted the exam. I failed and got 70%. Fear not, having gone through the paper with the examiner i attempted paper 2 and it was with great joy that i felt when i was told that i passed and achieved 80%…This meant that i have completed all 7 ground exams after 4 months of PPL training. I have my RT practical to do and take the general flight test once all training is complete.

My PPL Exam results:

Air Law and Procedure    75%

Meteorology  80%

Human Performance and limitations 100%

Aircraft General and principles of flight 86%

Flight planning and performance 84%

RT Theory 96%

Navigation 80%

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16/08/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Monday of this week i went on a nav ex with Mike. This included flight planning, making notes on the map, tracking lines, radio com channela to use, fuel calculations and weight and balance. It was a surpise to me that with full tanks and only 2 people we were just within weight and balance limitations for this aeroplane. take off a gallon for taxi and take and we would be in limits…

You can just make out my track marks - with radio com, hdg, drift, TAS, i thought i put on the map my safety alt and my alt to fly but will be in my next map. I suppose i want to put as much useful and helpful information on the map so that i am only needing to look at that instead of lots of bits of paper.

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07/08/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

I have a few days break from flying and it has given me some rest time aswell as time to continue with ground school. My next subject is flght planning and performance. It involves science and common sense. I am not put off this time round by techy concepts and different language - “Nothing is difficult just different” - words that Alan Meredith said to me once and i have never forgotten it nor will I.

Today i have learnt about Mass & Balance - or weight and balance. So what is the difference between weight and mass?

well mass = the amount of matter in a body (everything has matter) and weight = the force that is produced when mass is subjected to gravity. a body will always have mass but if there is no gravity acting on the body then there is no weight - I wrote in a footnote of my notes, think of a spaceman in space, has matter but no weight

understanding this concept Read the rest of this entry »

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04/08/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Today was my final day with Jack and flying at Norwich Air Centre. It felt like the end of something, like the end of a briliant holiday. I did get to make friends with some nice policemen who also fly this helicopter

Today we would do an intruduction to Navigation. Ex 18a, 18c anf finish the day with some touch and goes, EFATO - (engine failure after take off) and a couple of flide approaches and flapless approaches.

i would like to own a Diamand star one day or a liberty
I got there just before 09:00. Met Jack and chatted to a pilot who flies for a private charter company whilst i made myself a cup of coffee.

a collection of the private charter aeroplanes
So jack told me to Read the rest of this entry »

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02/08/2007 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Yesterday my brain was worked very very hard and i was glad to be flying with Jack again. I got on very well with him and very much liked his teaching style.