RaffertyJ4

A Flying Instructor's Blog

[raffertyj4]

Any idiot can get an airplane off the ground, but an aviator earns his keep by bringing it back anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances that man and God can dream up.

Walter Cunningham, 'The All-American Boys,' 1977.

[raffertyj4]

Number 1!

So whilst I'm lying in bed feeling sorry for myself, I thought it might be a good opportunity to share how I've been getting on with instructing. I've been very busy recently with work so haven't had time to do this yet! I will get better!

Anyway, on the 7th September 2013 I logged my first Instructor hour in my logbook! After a few hours of feeling nervously excited, and constantly annoying other instructors with questions, my first trial lesson 'student' arrived at the Flying Club. I was worried beforehand that I'd get someone who was either a know-it-all, annoying, or someone who would get airsick, but this guy seemed really nice and chilled out. So I did a pre-flight brief with him, and found out that he'd done a few hours of gliding, and that he wanted to do as much flying as possible - works for me!

We went out to the aircraft - G-BJWI - a little Cessna 172. Did a shortened A-Check with him and then we got in and I showed him through some of the checklist. Once ready to go, I taxied onto the runway and did the take-off, but after a few hundred feet of climbing, I handed-over control to him. He *annoyingly* controlled the aircraft really well, and he continued the climb, and then levelled-off and headed towards Sandbanks. 

I only controlled the aircraft for a few minutes for the main part, showing him how to roll, yaw and pitch the aircraft. Otherwise he controlled it all, throwing it around clouds, that kinda thing! When it was time to head back, I guided him towards the airfield, all the way to base leg. He then followed-through on the landing (which wasn't too great...!). 

At the end, he seemed to enjoy it! Which was a relief! First trial lesson completed, hopefully many more to come! 

[raffertyj4]

Flying overhead Bournemouth in a Piper Warrior II with FADEC and G500.

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Me in the right hand seat at Bournemouth International Airport in G-BJWI, a company Cessna 172

[raffertyj4]

Newly newness!

Well! This is my first post on my first ever tumblr account! I have no contacts on here so it seems a bit pointless at the moment. I am soon to be a flying instructor working in Bournemouth in the UK and I am going to use this to blog about my days, my adventures and photos from the cockpit. I am very passionate about not only flying but instructing too, and I’ll blog about students, though I’ll change their names of course! Yay! Looking forward to this now! Here we go…

[raffertyj4]

ROBOTS OR DINOSAURS?

Robots!