Day 5 – VH-YTD / Day 6-7 – First Weekend in ADL
Decision making, TEM, Correction
The first week of the training has just past. At the last air exercise on the Fri, it was the first day that I fly on a windy day with gust wind up to 22 KT while I had a chance to fly with a new instructor, Kennedy Mel., for a lesson because that day was Dean’s day-off. Everything was same as usual, I took a hi-vis vest, a radio headset, a bottle of water, and current charts and checklists, then we walked few minutes form the tower to Hanger 54 where we need to fill the key record, take the key, take the MR, tear the last MR to the record tray, fill the MR and input the SAR time to the computer sys. Then, we followed the corridor to a yellow door. At the other side of that door, we can take the cushion from a big cupboard if we need. Of coz, I took three. Walking out the big gate of Hanger 54, we passed the pedestrian crossing to the parking area. One is worthy to share is that we should maintain vigilant all the time in every operation. In the tarmac, we may see that some aircraft’s propeller is spinning already. We should keep distance from those aircraft and walk from the back of those aircraft. Although it may reduce the threat of being driven into propeller from the front, we do need to be aware of the propeller blast when we walk behind any started aircraft (it is more hazardous in case of jet blast). After finished the pre-flight checklist (encompassing airframe external inspection, some call that walk-around checking and electrical system checking) and the pre-start checking, we started the engine. Practice makes perfect!? Well, it is better do use the word “familiar” in stead of “perfect”. Why I come to here is getting some experience in a real aircraft. Theory is important, but I care about practice as well. Using “cranking” the aircraft as an example – “push and turn”, it is not a difficult action, isn’t it? Alright, after we start the aircraft, we should give some attention on the RPM gauge and Oil pressure gauge for a while in order to make sure the RPM is below 1,500 rpm before the pointer of the oil pressure gauge is pointing within the green range. Ya, we need to release park brake and then start to taxi to the run-up bay. Well, what I need to do? Request taxing from parafield ground! How about if we notice traffic after getting airborne? Although I have studied some theory or aviation knowledge at the ground school, but so what? Without experience and at the starting of learning stage with nervous feeling, I did the thing wrong – forgot notice the RPM gauge or even taxi to the wrong direction. Luckily, I have great instructors who always give me warning at the first time.
Learning flying is not only focusing on the skills in manipulating an aircraft! On the other hands, I am learning how to make a better decision by means of think before do, do followed by correction. That why I try my best to type the diaries every day during the trip.
Yesterday, it was a nice Saturday. I waked up at approximately 08.00. I was considering if I should jog around the dormitory area. The reason why I though so is silly, I don’t want to get hurt since I want to complete all the fly exercise in this trip. Well, it is not a reasonable excuse to stop doing exercise. I was just asking myself, what if I can be a real cadet pilot in the future? Therefore, I did go outside jogging around the campus and even went to somewhere nearby the parafield airport. Try to make prevent is better than evade from accident. I did the warm up exercise, wore long sport trousers, scanned every cross section before passing them and so on…Btw, doing exercise is trying to make me feeling relax. So, just tried to slow down a little bit and enjoyed my jogging exercise in Adelaide.
Everything was great in the morning and even in the afternoon, I and my calss mates went to a German town in Adelaide, named Hahndorf. We had a big meal at an exotic resterurant, where we can taste the crispy skin pork knuckle, traditional potato dumplings, and of coz we can consume some alcohol. Walking at the street with lots of maple (tree) with the most astonishing red autumnal leaves that it is rare to see in Hong Kong. It is also very impressive to see some building decorated in European style in Austrila. Some chose to buy the candle while others chose to had a scoop of ice cream cone. Awesome! After that, we went to the highest summit in Adelaide – Mount Lofty. Despite of little hazy, the Altocumulus with the sea blue sky, such a wonderful picture showing in front of me!
After all the site visiting activities, we also played basketball inside the campus. Unfortunately, there was one incident happened, that is what I don’t want to see! A room mates who was just fallen on the ground, although he can walked back to our unit, his hand was feeling unwell after a night. Therefore, he need to go to the clinic, so lucky that he need some rest only. From the lesson, I have learnt that the “lucky mindset” should not apply for a student pilot. Threat and Error Management, is what my instructors taught to me in every mess briefing. Invisible danger may be existing in every event. Next time if I do really have that chance to play the basketball with my friends, I should give a warm remind to everyone although accident is happening always.
Time to do some chair flight and make practice tmr. Have a good night~
