toto Posted April 29 Author Share Posted April 29 Seen as progression. ..... hey ..... you may even get someone asking for advice ..... now ..... there's a scary thought.... the blind leading the blind. Toto 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 Model aeroplanes fly better when they have blood on them..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 2 Author Share Posted May 2 Looking good for batteries tonight and possibly the hinges on the Beaver. Fingers crossed that SWMBO has no big ideas. Toto 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Well ..... battery charge was delayed until tonight. Not that it matters as there is a pretty good chance of rain tomorrow with some wind as well so have serious doubts that there will be any flying happening anyway. Not completely ruled out but ..... I have a serious gut feeling here. I will charge the batteries regardless and keep my options open right up to the last minute. Toto 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Batteries on charge ....... forever the optimist .... fingers crossed toto 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidan mcatamney Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 Hope you get dry and calm weather for tomorrow Toto. 🤞 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Thanks Aidan. just off the phone to my mentor. We will be meeting up at around 11 oclock tomorrow regardless and take it as it comes. There is a thirty percent chance of rain from about 11 until around 1 oclock then it tails away a bit .... so I like the odds. A 3 - 4 mph cross wind which is nothing really. If nothing else .... its a coffee and a chat .... better than sitting in the house ...... or worse still ..... decorating, shopping, walking the dog, speaking endless crap with SWMBO .... etc ... etc ....😄 hope the weather is with you as well ..... enjoy the holiday weekend. toto 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidan mcatamney Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 I've just arrived at the flying field and sitting in my car. It's raining , though the forecast said it would clear up by 8pm. But what's more worrying than rain here tonight is the swarms of midges. They would eat you alive lol. Also they have a habit of flying around the camera lens and as I've no cameraman with me tonight I'm going to use my late father's tripod stand and set the zoom at a relative distance. Not as good as having my friend Aidan here as he was with me here on Wednesday night, but the next best thing. The tripod is like brand new and the date is on it 1969. I don't believe my father used it a lot with his cine camera as it is in immaculate condition and I also see that it was made in Germany. Those Germans are engineering geniuses, anything they make Toto, they make it to last. Really top notch quality. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Well I hope the rain clears up for you. I have a Manfrotto tripod and monopod for my Canon 7D camera which I haven't used for a few years now. It has video capability but I have never ventured into trying it. ...... One day maybe. As long as you have a mobile phone or a pad, they seem to be as good as anything for a reasonable amateur video that can give a decent display. good luck tonight and the rest of the weekend. Any videos ..... get them up good Sir. cheers for now Toto 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidan mcatamney Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 Thanks Toto and the same to yourself for a good weekend. Sadly the rain tonight continued and I made my way back home again. But Aidan did get a video of Wednesday nights flying of the Sports 40 and tomorrow I hope to get that sorted out. Cheers for now. Regards Aidan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Well just back from the field. A good day had ..... five flights all between 7 and 8.5 minutes and still plenty reserve left in the tank. On average between 30 - 40 % battery power still left. There was a very slight spit of rain to start with but it came to nothing. A slight gentle wind that all but disappeared. Sky was a bit overcast but visibility good otherwise. My main point of focus today was take off's and landings as always ( can't really do without them ) and once in the air, normal circuits to get going then circles followed immediately with procedure turns and more of the same. A couple of intended aborted landings. Definitely performed better than last week probably due to the absence of any real wind which without a doubt hindered me quite a bit last week although not to the point of not flying at all. Progress, I think, is definitely creeping forward and things are really looking good. Happy camper ..... toto 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Bank Holiday Monday ( forced I may add ..... much rather be earning ) and no further flight prospects ..... Booooooooo .... so the best I will manage is a day in the shed .... if I'm lucky fixing the new hinges on my Beaver repair. Hmmmmm ..... better than nothing. It's all down to next weekend and I'm crapping it to even think of looking forward to it because we seem to be getting a bit of flying consistency in the weather ..... very probably just jinxed it now ....... I hope not as if there was any chance to progress and nail the possibility of reaching solo anytime soon ........ it has to be now. I'm not saying that it should be now ..... I am happy to go by the judgement of my mentor and will follow his judgement religiously but I think I can smell it. The aim is not to be perfect but to be safe enough to be flying alone working towards perfecting your craft towards the A cert. Please correct me if I am wrong. ..... my focus has never been so good ( always with room for improvement ) but I'm wondering what is the level of attainment that needs to be achieved to get you on your way. Happy to be tied to the buddy box but need to know what I am aiming for. Toto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Hopefully, you'll be able to get in regular sessions now the weather is due to start being more co-operative. Little worse than having a good days flying with plenty of progress only then to have two or three weeks away. I guess that you'll be aiming to get to a point where flying becomes second nature, doesn't sap your concentration anywhere as near as much as for your first flights and incidents that cause you a bit of a fright become few and far between. Don't get me wrong.......we all have 'moments' now and again, it's just that they become the exception rather than the rule. Doing well....build up slowly and don't push things too far. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Thanks Cuban8 I think you have my mark. You are absolutely correct in saying that the scary moments are becoming fewer and far between ...... but my experience is .... that now and again ...... I still .... and probably always will ..... still have them. I am trying not to take the opinion that I am beyond " the box " because I know that I am not. I think I have 95% of the time the ability to fly safe ....... if not pretty. What I am trying to gauge is just what the datum line is. I don't want to push my mentor into a premature " release " ..... I have absolute confidence in his judgement and want to stick with that but also I'm trying to work out what I am heading towards. I have never enjoyed what I am doing as much as what I am now. I am the luckiest student going with the learning programme that I am on but need something to mark myself against. Things are most definitely moving in the right direction and my enthusiasm has never been higher. Unfortunately around 4 to 5 months were wasted during to weather and technical issues at the start ....... I'm looking to make up for that and start getting somewhere. Hope I don't sound to hungry or impatient. Toto 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Not hungry or impatient at all. I thought your club needed you to have passed your BMFA A Cert before you were allowed to fly solo. That is without a buddy box, and on your own. Have I misunderstood? I.e. you'll be mentored in flying the A Cert on a buddy box, then let off it for the test (then hopefully permanently). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Maybe I am misinformed. I thought attaining Solo was a path to letting an individual fly safely to progress and practice/ perfect their personal skills towards passing an A cert. I'll looki into it as far as my clubs rules go ..... thanks for raising that Toto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 I think that most clubs get their pupils off a buddy box when the risk of calamity is very much reduced and then the pupil will fly 'unplugged' although with an instructor closely at his side to coach and give guidance. In case of emergency, the tranny can be grabbed and the model recovered before going too far (providing the pupil relinquishes his grip on said tranny!........don't ask🤪) "I'll take it" "No I'm OK" "I'LL TAKE IT" "I've still got it" "NO YOU HAVEN'T"............ Ten feet from the ground........... "You're right, take it" Crunch.😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 58 minutes ago, toto said: Bank Holiday Monday ( forced I may add ..... much rather be earning ) and no further flight prospects ..... Booooooooo .... so the best I will manage is a day in the shed .... if I'm lucky fixing the new hinges on my Beaver repair. Hmmmmm ..... better than nothing. It's all down to next weekend and I'm crapping it to even think of looking forward to it because we seem to be getting a bit of flying consistency in the weather ..... very probably just jinxed it now ....... I hope not as if there was any chance to progress and nail the possibility of reaching solo anytime soon ........ it has to be now. I'm not saying that it should be now ..... I am happy to go by the judgement of my mentor and will follow his judgement religiously but I think I can smell it. The aim is not to be perfect but to be safe enough to be flying alone working towards perfecting your craft towards the A cert. Please correct me if I am wrong. ..... my focus has never been so good ( always with room for improvement ) but I'm wondering what is the level of attainment that needs to be achieved to get you on your way. Happy to be tied to the buddy box but need to know what I am aiming for. Toto Simple, to convince your instructor that you're safe to release into the community. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Thanks for that. I thought it was being suggested that I must be absolute A cert material before I could get to a position where I could put the hours in ( without incumbering a buddy ) to follow my every step. My idea of gaining solo is that you are safe enough to fly alone and perfect your routine towards the test. As I'm sure you will know, part of my restraint has been the lack of a buddy on days when I have been available to fly. I'm getting a little confused as to what I need to be able to do now. Best consult with my mentor as to where I am heading for. Nothing lost so far. Cheers Toto 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatMc Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 (edited) Toto, there is no universal rule on what qualifies someone to fly without supervision. Individual clubs can have their own or even no criteria at all. Edited May 4 by PatMc 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 I may well be misunderstanding.... I've never belonged to a club that required an A Cert, and only had a mentor for 2 slope soaring sessions (no buddy box) to iron out some bad habits from the long and painful self-taught days.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidan mcatamney Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 You have said something very important there Toto and something quite significant also. The words , " I have never enjoyed what I am doing as much as what I am now. " That is the whole essence of this hobby, to get out there and love and enjoy every minute of flight time. Your heart is in the right place for success. You are a winner without doubt. The sky's the limit for Toto. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Jenkins Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Toto IMHO the point at which you should feel confident to come off the buddy lead is when you don't have to think about which way to move the sticks. In order to get there, you need to be ahead of the aeroplane and ahead of the manoeuvre. That way you are not going to be surprised and potentially confused at exactly the wrong time. One of the other things your instructor should do is to put the aircraft into an unusual position and give you control having first demonstrated how recover. The icing on the gingerbread is for you to keep your eyes closed till he says "open" pick up the aeroplane, work out what it's doing and recover to level flight. That builds confidence. Finally, learn to keep the picture of what the aeroplane is doing in your minds eye and try not to lose it. Just needs you to train yourself to do that all the time from take off to landing. You do that before you get airborne so you know what you are going to do in the air. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyGnome Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 We possibly just have different interpretations of 'solo'. To me it means you can fly on your own, without an instructor by your side, or on a buddy-box. So you could, if club rules allow, fly whenever you want, and not rely on others. I believe some clubs require you to have achieved an A Cert before you are allowed to do this. In which case, I guess the first time you fly solo is for your A Cert.... making it much like a driving test, or 'going solo' in a full size aircraft. And much like my driving instructor did, I'd expect your mentor to perform a mock A Cert test, before the actual event (being ready to take control if necessary). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toto Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 I am honestly not trying to rush this. I just need to know where I am heading so I know what I need to do to achieve it. The requirements set out in an A cert or a bronze are pretty well documented but do you have to be ready to actually pass that standard ..... or ...... can you reach a safe standard to be able to practice towards perfecting ? I think the various answers above have sort of answered that ... so I'm not asking again really. .... its a bit of a mixed bag. I'll go with how I am advised from my local club ...... and excellent mentor. Cheers Toto 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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