South coast to north coast and something learnt!

Its been quite a good day today, but not quite good enough to go off and do my big triangular exercise. So, with one eye on the weather, there’s a trough on the way after all, I instead take off from Bodmin, turn south and head towards Looe. Once there, I turn to the north and head across cornwall to the north coast. At Boscastle, I turn once more towards the south and head back to Bodmin airflield to overfly the airfield and do the course again.

 

Easy, you’d think, and it was. Beutifull day to go flying in many ways. Flying overhead Dobwalls, it was interesting to see that they are finally getting the bypass they’ve neaded for god knows how long now! Also watched a minute or two of cricket as it passed to my left. So after a rather good flight, I rejoined Bodmin on the downwind leg for a full stop landing on 31. Did my downwind checks, carb heat to hot, turn to base, bring my speed back, select two stages of flap. Keep the kevs at around 1900 because I was a little below my target hieght. Turned onto the final leg, 65Kts on the nose. Kept looking at the picture of the runway numbers getting closer. Still 65Kts, reduce power and pull back slightly so I’m doing 60Kts over the hedge. I flair well. The back wheels go down, then the nose wheel comes down … and thats where it started to go wrong! As I slowed on the runway, the engine really started to shake. I thought maybe I’d caught the prop, and as I slowed it got worse and worse, so without really thinking about it, I pulled the mixture out and stopped the engine. Pointless having it shaking itself to bits on the ground! I made what has to be my worst radio call … "G-SM … er .. the engines made a funny noise and I’m still on the runway" … I can hear the plane behind me declare a go around. I scan my instruments trying to work out what went wrong. It was aorund this point htat I notice that the carb heat is still set to hot. So I push it back in, quickly set the mixture to rich, reset the throttle to a quarter, and operate the starter motor. I’d already made up my mind if the thing felt like it was shaking itself to bits just to turn the ignition off, but it roared into life and I could feel my embaressment rising! I turned the plane around and vacated the runway, only to see my instructer looking less than happy striding towards me, stick in hand. I parked up on the concrete and very embarassed with myself, had to explain what I’d done to his precious aircraft!

 

So what did I learn today. Two things really. The first, to put the carb heat back in at 300 feet above the runway and the second thing I learnt? That Phil, my instructer, will pick up a stick if I screw up. I didn’t ask what he inteneded to do with that stick, but I susspect that my head would have been involved!

 

Thats it for this week, next lesson is booked for next wednesday. Maybe I’ll get my triangular navigation in then! Fly safe, and remebr your carb heat goes in before you land!