I got to the airport yesterday and was told that the simulator was busted. No worries, we just hopped into a plane.

Did a short field with obstacle take off and almost just as soon my FI told me to put the foggles on.

The entire flight was done with the view limiting device. I only really knew where we are by the radio calls my FI were making. We did the flight test which I executed within tolerances. The only issue I had was that my rate one turn (a 360 …

My FI called me at 6:30am in the morning to see what I thought of the weather and if it was sutable for our long x-country. I had gotten up at 6am to be prepared for the call.

The flight was scrubbed because the GFA was showing thunderstorm activity around Buttonville around the time I was to depart. Additionally the METAR for Muskoka was showing really low visibilities and ceilings.

Needless to say, I went back to bed

I had a lesson a few days later which was all about instrument …

My Solo short x-country flight yesterday went without a hitch. It was the first time that I actually felt comfortable behind the yoke.

My first x-country (with my FI) a week earlier was a disaster. I was really nervous and wasn’t totally prepared. She reassured me that it was only normal.

I got up early, had a decent breakfast and did all the necessary planning. I headed to the airport with enough time to spare, so much so that the plane was still out with another student. I got the necessary questions …

I had to cancel my lesson today… it was going to be about instrument flying. There are two possible scenarios that the flight test exmaminer will ask you to use this technique:

1. Recovery from unusual attitudes. The examiner will put the plane into either a stall or spiral then ask you to recover using only your instruments.

2. Turning around. The scenario being that you accidentially flew into a cloud and you need to find your way out. The quickest way out is the way you came in! So you will …

Today couldn’t be any better for my first x-country flight (so far). I’m looking at the TAF and it is showing variable and 3 knots as the winds for Buttonville. The upper winds are a joke too: 5KT at 3000′ and 8KT at 6000′. All thanks to a quasistationary (I love that word) high pressure system sitting over southern Ontario.

I’ve planned my route as follows:

DCT Claremont (SHP) DCT CNF4 DCT CYPQ 030 CYPQ DCT Cavan (SHP) DCT CYOO

Departing and returning to Buttonville (YKZ) with a 30 minute stop at Peterborough. …

Boourns! That high pressure system didn’t stay over Ontario as long as I’d hoped – quasistationary my ass!

In anycase the TAF for YKZ this morning:

TAF CYKZ 141143Z 141224 VRB03KT P6SM FEW100 SCT250 FM1500Z 17010KT P6SM FEW040 BKN150 BKN250 FM1700Z 21012G22KT P6SM BKN050 OVC120 TEMPO 1824 P6SM -SHRA BKN020 OVC050 PROB30 1924 2SM TSRA BR BKN020CB RMK NXT FCST BY 18Z=

My planned departure for the short x-country was 20:30UTC. For those of you that cant decode the TAF, among other things it says:

18:00 – 24:00 UTC: Light Rain Showers, Broken 2000′, …

My lesson today was less than stellar. I think it was because I was just too tired and couldn’t concentrate.

We took off from runway 03 today via taxiway charlie. This is an old and rarely used taxiway and the first time I’ve ever used it. The grass growing through the cracks in the pavement is a side of Buttonville that is rarely seen

We departed to the North and I was asked to get our asses to Bradford and to keep an eye out for the Holland Landing airport. …

Today’s lesson was awesome!

On the advice of my instructor I had reviewed the procedures for landing at an uncontrolled airport before my lesson. Mind you this was at 6am this morning.

We hopped in the plane and did a diversion from Claremont to Greenbank airport. The idea being that we are going to land at Greenbank – a grass strip. Of course when it came time I totally forgot what calls I need to make when.

My FI asked me which runway we were going to land on. I took a look …

With the end of a semester comes exams. I only have one, but its the one I’m least prepared for.

Navigation.. such a bitch. All of the things I’m learning will never be used in the “real world”. However it is in the theory that can by applied.

What scale is the VTA in? What map projection does the VNC use? How wide is a VHF airway? How much does that airway diverge? What are the pros and cons of using a Transverse Mercator projection versus a Lambert Conic projection? When do …

“We then hit a brick wall. I hit my head on the ceiling even though I was strapped in firmly. The airplane shook violently, so much so that the instrument panel became a blur….I could see that we were climbing at 6,000′ per minute. I called Air Traffic Control and said “We are unable to maintain altitude, do you see anything in radar in front of us”. “Yes, you are penetrating a level 4 area of weather, it’s about 15 miles wide and 60 miles long. You are cleared to …