First taste of the sky

[GrumpyGnome]

8 minutes ago, toto said:

 

I'll go with how I am advised from my local club ...... and excellent mentor.

Absolutely right toto. You'll soon get to where you want to be....

[Peter Jenkins]

Toto

 

Some Clubs sign off pilots to fly solo once they have seen you fly and consider you to be a safe pilot.  Most clubs though will have someone standing beside you until you have passed your A Cert or Bronze SAA Certificate and then you can fly on you own without a minder standing beside or close to you.  It's very like full size flying where you can be sent off solo once your instructor thinks you are safe.  But solo is a circuit around the airfield and land back - end.  After that, you have more dual instruction as well as solo flying but when you are flying solo your instructor is sitting in the tower ready to give you any help you might need.  You do also have to fly a navigation flight and land at a different airfield whose staff will be briefed that you are coming and are a student pilot.  Once you have done all that, and you have passed your ground exams that might include passing the RT licence so you can legally use the radio, you will get your flying test.  Pass that, and you become a fully fledged pilot.  It's the same with the A Cert.  Other Clubs will usually accept the A taken elsewhere but might just ask to see you fly or to actually fly the A test flight as a confirmation that you are safe without it being a formal test.

 

I speak as a BMFA Qualified Instructor and Club Examiner.

 

Cheers

 

Peter

[David Davis 2]

I think that you may go through a couple of phases before you pass your A Certificate.

 

1. Flying with the instructor on the buddy box gradually working up to all of the manoeuvres that are involved in the A Certificate.

 

2. Flying the model by yourself but with your instructor, or some other qualified person who flies the same mode, standing by your side ready to grab the transmitter.

 

Many clubs adopt this practice.

[leccyflyer]

10 hours ago, toto said:

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

It depends entirely on your club rules Toto. IIRC your club does not permit you access to the site until you have achieved your safe solo criteria, which may or may not require passing your A test or SAA Bronze, Different clubs have different rules and the fact that you will be taking the advice of your club and instructor is exactly the right answer.

 

Club rules also change over time, sometimes quite dramatically. My main club when I lived in England had a rule that you were required to pass the club's own General Flying Test, before you were allowed to fly solo. That was similar, but simpler than the BMFA "A" test and didn't include any theory or questions to be answered. When the club affiliated to the BMFA, created a new flying site and were required by our public utility company landlord to put more formal written procedures in place the committee decided that the BMFA "A" test would become our new standard. The number of members of the 120 member club holding any form of BMFA certificate was very small and we gave everyone a year to pass their "A" at least, no mean feat with only one fully certified instructor/examiner.

 

Thanks to a huge effort by the club approved instructors, club examiner and area examiner, we were able to get around 75-80 members through their A test in that year. Those who didn't do that were learners, non-flyers and a few who just didn't want to take a test. However, with that base of a large number of A certificate holders it got easier as time went on, but those without an A test had to be accompanied by a competent, certified, flyer, standing alongside them. The safety benefits were enormous and one of the nicest things to see was the improvement in flight line etiquette and general safety. The new site layout and safety culture in place made that happen. We did lose some members for whom that safety culture was not desirable and they moved to other clubs in the area. When I think back to the practices we considered completely normal when I'd first started, compared to the safe environment which resulted it was a bit of a shock.

 

My experience in a dozen years of living in Scotland, in three different locations, being a member of four clubs, is that generally, things are much more laid back and much less structured up here, none of those clubs required an A or SAA Bronze for solo flight, just a check flight with a senior flyer to give the okay that you were safe. In a couple of my clubs there were some efforts made to encourage taking those tests but with very little take up and these days most of the flyers that I fly with do not have any formal qualifications and  my current clubs are run with a very light touch indeed. I appreciate that things may be quite different in other clubs in the region and I try to get out to local fly-ins to sample as many clubs as possible.

[toto]

I dare say all will become clear. 

 

Given that all the necessary manoeuvres are being introduced bit by bit into my training sessions, I'm guessing there is a plan / logic behind that. Once they are all in, repeat each until compotent then put them into an overall schedule in the order an examiner would want them ..... once you can perform the schedule satisfactorily, book your test and swat up some more on the questions element.

 

Sounds like a reasonable plan of attack.

 

Toto

Edited May 5 by toto

[Trevor]

Toto, rest assured that your mentor will have no interest in standing beside you, getting a sore thumb on the trainer button, when he feels he is no longer needed. Asking him to check that you can safely (if not prettily) fly the various manoeuvres in the A test before he lets you off the leash sounds like a good plan, so that you can then practice in your own time. 

[toto]

Not today I won't.......

 

Absolutely abysmal weather up here in Scotlandshire. Horrible day that will only please the ducks.

 

I need a plan to keep myself amused for the day. 

 

Toto

[Cuban8]

23 hours ago, toto said:

I dare say all will become clear. 

 

Given that all the necessary manoeuvres are being introduced bit by bit into my training sessions, I'm guessing there is a plan / logic behind that. Once they are all in, repeat each until compotent then put them into an overall schedule in the order an examiner would want them ..... once you can perform the schedule satisfactorily, book your test and swat up some more on the questions element.

 

Sounds like a reasonable plan of attack.

 

Toto

In my experience of teaching newcomers and keeping an eye on their progress when they become competent enough to fly 'unplugged' is a common pitfall of still allowing the model to drift away and out of a controlled circuit or close flying area. Some flyers are more prone to it than others and I'm not sure why that is.

[Trevor]

44 minutes ago, Cuban8 said:

In my experience of teaching newcomers and keeping an eye on their progress when they become competent enough to fly 'unplugged' is a common pitfall of still allowing the model to drift away and out of a controlled circuit or close flying area. Some flyers are more prone to it than others and I'm not sure why that is.

This has come up before somewhere recently. I believe that it’s due to concentrating so hard on the model that the brain effectively ’zooms in’ on it and loses all sense of distance and perspective. Even for experienced fliers this can happen in moments of stress, resulting in such phenomena as ‘the tree jumped out in front of me!’

[Peter Jenkins]

1 hour ago, Trevor said:

This has come up before somewhere recently. I believe that it’s due to concentrating so hard on the model that the brain effectively ’zooms in’ on it and loses all sense of distance and perspective. Even for experienced fliers this can happen in moments of stress, resulting in such phenomena as ‘the tree jumped out in front of me!’

I think one reason is that the pilot may not have been trained to stand still with straight ahead ponting at the middle of the field or runway in use.  If you turn to face the aircraft all the time then you lose your frame of reference and any sense of where you are.  If your neck has reached its comfortable turning point that tells you that you need to turn back into the right flying space.

[toto]

I still sometimes find myself turning my body core rather than just following mymodel by turning my neck. This usually means I'm over shooting the circuit. Same if I am having to lift my head too much ...... definitely too close ( overhead ) to the pilot stance. 

 

Just getting used to your spacial awareness and circuit references.

 

Toto

[Cuban8]

20 hours ago, Peter Jenkins said:

I think one reason is that the pilot may not have been trained to stand still with straight ahead ponting at the middle of the field or runway in use.  If you turn to face the aircraft all the time then you lose your frame of reference and any sense of where you are.  If your neck has reached its comfortable turning point that tells you that you need to turn back into the right flying space.

Good point.

[toto]

Well ....

 

looking forward .... as usual ..... we are meant to have a mini heatwave coming ..... I'll believe it when I see it.

 

however ..... it does ( believable or not ) give room for optimism. In fact, even without the heatwave, we have been doing rather good on the whole the last few weeks so I'm booking myself in for a Saturday session.

 

The batteries are already charged and I accept that charging them this early ahead of Saturday, they may lose a bit of their Oomph. I also know that the past has shown that even with a less than fully charged battery, I am getting 7 minute flights with around 30% being left in the tank so happy to have that " early charging " option. I dislike having to rely on me being available on the Friday night before the Saturday to do my charging. If anything untoward crops up .... it puts me either under pressure ..... or means a night shift in the shed.

 

I'm already thinking ahead as to what I shall be doing. ....... Uber focused ...... 😄😄😄

 

roll on Saturday

 

toto  

[leccyflyer]

Your batteries won't lose any oomph by being charged days before you use them for flight. The issue is that leaving them fully charged for a length of time - weeks or months, some would say several days, ultimately degrades their long term lifespan. Lipos do not self discharge in a few days to any extent, they are not like NiMhs in that regard.

[toto]

A rare ray of sunshine .... 😄

 

thats good as my attention is fully on discharging and I am nearly at the end of the road with that.

 

happy days ..... one step closer to Lipo management heaven 

 

toto

[aidan mcatamney]

Good stuff Toto and happy flying for you this Saturday coming.  My attention will not be on flying this Saturday as its the International North West 200 .  The world's top road racers are in town and tomorrow and Thursday is practice day, with the first  three races taking place on Thursday evening followed by a break on Friday and Saturday is the the main race day with 6 more races.  Super Stock, Super Twin and Super Bike etc etc.  The speeds those bikes reach are not for the faint hearted and all on public roads.  I think if it was me on board a Honda or Ducatti going for a lap around the course at lightning pace I surely  would have a laundry problem 😂 lol.  I take my hat off to those brave young men who line up on the starting grid hoping for NW200 glory and a place on the podium.  The great Joey Dunlop was a hero of mine. My late father supplied pub grub for many years to Joeys Bar in Ballymoney where Joey and his wife ran a very successful business.   Sadly Joey is no longer with us but bar is still as popular as ever and still in the hands of the Dunlop family.  I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting the great man on many an occasion and he was such a humble and likeable person.  His charity work is well known and it was on a trip to Estonia with vital aid for the underprivileged that Joey lost his life.  While there he took part in a friendly motor bike race which ended in tragedy.   Among his many achievements was 26 victories at the Isle of Man TT.  He will be forever remembered.   We wish all the riders a safe weekend on the North Coast and that the spectators enjoy the summery weather which has been forecast for the event.  

[toto]

Hi Aidan ....

 

you enjoy your motorbike weekend. It does good to have another interest and yours sounds like another healthy one.

 

I used to go to the trial bike trials up at the falls of Killin every June when I had my caravan up there and by luck the weather was always on our side which was just as well as the competitions took place over the falls of Dochart  .... a rocky outcrop over the river Dochart. 

 

as you will know .... trial bikes are at the opposite end of the speed scale but what a skill as these guys take their machines over incredible  ..... sometimes gravity defying rock faces. Some as young as maybe nine years of age. ..... crasy.

 

I have a few amatuer photography shots of the action. I will try and look them out.

 

cheers and enjoy

 

toto 

 

 

[toto]

And it's Thursday already .....  a quick week so far due in part to the Monday Bank Holiday. 

 

I feel it in my gut that the weather is going to play a blinder. A nice T shirt day would be good. That will bring the club members out..... and the midges. 

 

Roll on Saturday.

 

Toto

[toto]

Just been dealt a major body blow.

 

The motorcycle club have the site this weekend ..... that means no flying. What a disaster.

 

Oh well ..... looks like the Tiger 60 build will see some progress this weekend instead. 

 

I'm off to cry in a corner. ☹️

 

toto

 

 

[GrumpyGnome]

JS will be your friend......

[toto]

He certainly will Grumpy ....... I have put him on stand by.

 

I'll charge my transmitters anyway ...... won't do any harm.

 

I maybe even start reading up on my BMFA Regs etc and look at the A test requirements ...... its been a while.

 

toto

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Someone mention me ?

[Jake Bullit]

Time to go "off piste" with the Tasman perhaps? 🙂 

[toto]

Hmmmmm

[toto]

What a day NOT TO BE FLYING .....

 

Beautiful weather and at a loose end. I'm thinking of paying my other ( original ) club a visit today just for the Craik.

 

I may see if there is a chance of a flight tomorrow with them. In reality, this is probably be where I sit my A test as the Examiner is a member here. If I get a flight or two in, it will let me refamiliarise myself with the set up.

 

However, better news ...... it looks like I will be losing one of my dysfunctional, one man crime wave neighbours. Not confirmed as such but a very strong rumour from a good source. .... this means that I can make use of the good weather and do some of my model set ups outside the shed as there will be no prying eyes.

 

Cheers for now.

 

Toto