I Bought Another Hire Aircraft And Got Really Nervous About Flying It Home | Let's Go Flying
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- In this episode I bought an additional hire aircraft and after a love/hate relationship with my previous Eurofox, I was super nervous about flying it home. Thank you to Charlie Appleby and James Walker for their encouragement and support whilst I was trying to take the easy way out! They weren't having any of it!
What a great video! 👍🏼 Thanks for the mention 🙏🏻 It was great to be able to share in your experience of collecting the EuroFOX 🥳 Looks like 2024 is going to be a great aviation year for you 🤞🏼
Video quality was spot on!
Geoff, honestly, thanks for coming down that day it really was appreciated. It was a challenging day to fly both with the crosswind and the thermals so thank you! I am quite liking the Eurofox too!
Lets hope Faith dosent baptise this aircraft 😂😂
Awesome purchase there Nick🛩️
I think it unlikely. I reckon that was a combination of a hot day and too much fizzy drink. I imagine the lesson has been learnt.
@@mothmagic1 there was millionaire shortcake involved as well 😂😂
Yes hopefully she doesn't, however, she has written off ever getting into it as apparently, and I quote, "it looks like a minion"
@@LetsGoFlying oh that's going to be a thing now 😂😂😂😂 'Bello'
Excellent video as always!
I converted to a EuroFox from the more conventional C42 a few years ago and it is definitely a different beast, especially when it comes to landing on a short strip.
We all feel a little nervous at times, though maybe we don't like to admit it. Well done for showing your honest thoughts on being nervous, rather than false bravado for the camera.
Thank you. Yes they are a different beast entirely! Very rewarding when you get it right though!
Another great video Nick. 👍.
As a pilot with not many hrs , it is difficult to get used to different types. I went from a. C42 to a Skyranger Nynja , then bought a share in a Skyranger Classic .
All the principles are the same , just the handling is different i suppose. 👍
Thank you. Yes they are all very capable but very different. The Eurofox by far feels the most different in the circuit and in landing configuration which took some getting used to. I think it is because it is super slippery compared to the others and there’s no “drag flap” as such with it being Flaperons so feels very different!
Hope Anna likes it ?
She had her first flight the other day and it got her seal of approval!
Landing looked great. I think you are a fine pilot. Be well. You have some fine friends too I want to add.
Thank you kindly. I am indeed very lucky to have the friends I have!
Congratulations to 10 k subscribers :))
Thank you very much!
Nick your words really hit home with me. I only recently completed my first qualifying cross country flight and I can really identify with a lot of the things you mention. Being a bit higher, looking up through the canopy, thinking I can't fly the aircraft - they all tend to make me want to talk myself out of flying sometimes. I never allow that to happen and I love flying, but it's just really good to hear that there are common things we feel as pilots that we think 'is only me'. Best wishes mate and keep up the awesome work. 👍
Thank you - I am glad you take some comfort from that! No it is absolutely not just you! Almost 500 hours in and I still get nervous from time to time. I have got quite settled into a routine lately so this pushed me out of that comfort zone somewhat but it was good for me to crack on and do it. The past few days since I filmed this video, I have done about 6 hours flying in this aircraft so I am getting to know it now. Good luck with your GST!
@@LetsGoFlyingReally appreciate that, thank you. I think that when we start training we imagine that all pilots must be superhuman! It's good to know I won't be the odd one out... 😉👍
Great video. Great landing too!
Thank you! It was a challenging day but I thoroughly enjoyed it!
We all feel nervous occasionally. The flying community is really supportive.
Btw, if you like lower level flying, you should try the Gyro, it’s great fun 😊
On the whole they are yes but I have also had experience with the other end of the spectrum where I was told that I was the issue and that it's not normal to feel like that so I felt it important to share. I've never been in a gyro! Maybe one day!
Another interesting video👍💜😊
I really thought that you were wed to the Skyranger - really surprised when you sold it😢 Is that to help with you new business venture?
Oaksey, not too far from me - quite a long flight for you that day though💜
Some nerves are good I think, a fine line, but better a few nerves than over confidence and then pride before a fall and/or complacency.
Good luck with it all👍😊💜🤞🙏✌️
Ah yes well the Nynja had to go as it is being replaced by something else! This aircraft is a replacement for the PA-28 I used to lease out. I have decided to stick with leasing/hiring microlights as opposed to group A aircraft so this is the latest addition to that side, however, I will be using it until my new aircraft is ready!
Lovely looking plane there Nick with amazing visibility...Nice landings too considering you've had to switch to your left hand on the stick 👏
Yes it's a lovely aircraft. Luckily the Eurostar is the same configuration so I am used to swapping hands for different aircraft so I can't claim to be a complete beginner!
An excellent video, not only for the flying and great video quality, but for your openness and honesty. It will give confidence to other pilots who fight similar demons!👌👍
Thank you 🙏. I’d definitely rather be nervous on occasion than fearless! A few nerves can make you ask questions and keep you honest and safe!
Can you do a walk round of your new aircraft please
Certainly sir!
What are these two antennas on the both sides of windshield?
Well spotted! These are for the Pilot Aware system which is an electronic conspicuity device if you weren’t already aware.
Great video as always.
I appreciate that. Thank you!
Nice one Nick. You say nervous but it is good to have a bit of adrenalin pumping around. Good to see you relax into the flight.
Great video, I completely relate to the issues you mentioned. Keep it going please.
Every type has their little differences which is what makes flying so interesting. Good to see you airborne again. Mire videos before we run out of Summer? Some people try collect as many types as possible, i think it's more sensible to collect as many airfields as possible. Gives you more confidence when you go somewhere different which may have a nonstandard approach and circuit. I think every low hours pilot cand take reassurance from you words on this video.
You are absolutely right. No day or trip into the air is ever the same which is why sometimes it can be a daunting prospect but you are absolutely right - this is what makes it so interesting!
Getting to know your new airplane and how it preforms, you may want to fly everyday for at least a week or two then once a week to stay current with it and run it though all it can do, such as stalls, steep turns and such, so you can be confident in all your flying. Thanks for sharing and have a grand day.
Really solid advice there! That is actually exactly what I have been doing! No two days are the same when you are flying either so currency is everything. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Good job Nick, you flew it like a pro.
Thanks Terry! Come and have a go!
Great vid as usual. Thanks.
When that Eurofox was rolled backwards out of the hangar I saw the tailwheel, and though "sensible chap. He's ditched the ugly training wheel". Then the front of the aeroplane emerged from the hangar and...... Oh dear!
Time to go tailwheel matey. So much better for grass strip flying! And more fun, too!
I totally agree with what you were talking about in the aeroplane on the flight back. As the late, great John Farley (Harrier test and development pilot, who I was privileged to meet once - he signed my copy of his book) once said "everyone who flies should feel apprehensive about it. If you don't, you didn't ought to be an aviator". And the late Brian Lecomber, who I met many times at various airfields, IMO the best piston engine aerobatic display pilot said "you have to consider that every aeroplane has thousands of ways of killing you. Be forever vigilant and aware. Do not take being in the air, not our natural environment, for granted". Both gentlemen died of old age in their beds.
I was always apprehensive in my flying, but loved aerobatics (up high!, so my first mistake won't be my last!) and farm strip flying. Here's something I wrote after 'pushing my envelope' one very windy day in the confines of the Barton circuit:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expanding the Envelope
By Vince Chadwick
“Why do you want to do it anyway? What are you trying to prove? You can always save it for a better day”.
It was that internal voice, particularly strident if you haven’t flown for a while, which most pilots know. The one that doesn’t want you to fly when conditions are not so good. Doesn’t want you to fly at all really. The one that reminds you about your family responsibilities, the cost of it all, and looks for any excuse for you to stay earthbound. And on days like this, it constructs imaginary would-be accident reports in that smug 20/20 hindsight style that such documents adopt:
‘The pilot had spent some time in the morning and afternoon in the airfield tower. He had noted the wind, which was 270 to 330. It was never less than 25 knots, and sometimes gusting over 40. He seemed, according to witnesses, unable to decide whether to fly. Eventually, he elected to do so, despite the conditions and the misgivings of some fellow club members about flying tailwheel aircraft in such strong winds.’
But how, then, does a pilot extend his experience? How does he push back the corners of his personal envelope without pushing his luck? Catch 22; you learn through experience, but gaining that experience demands that you venture beyond what has already been mastered. Well, Geoff had decided that he was definitely going to fly. This was a perfect opportunity to learn.
One the attractions of flying for Geoff, something which had drawn him to it in the first place, was that a pilot makes his own decisions and enjoys or suffers the consequences himself. No ifs, buts, maybes, or interference from third parties; just you and the aeroplane and the sky. There is a certain purity about that, something rarely found in everyday life. But Geoff was under no illusions about the risks. He had the greatest respect for the sky. Flying today would be interesting. It would be a challenge. If he sloped off home without flying, he would consider himself a wimp. The conditions were difficult, but within the aeroplane’s limits (just). And he did have several hundred hours P1 time. If he couldn’t hack this with his experience, he had no right calling himself a pilot.
The gale buffeted Geoff as he left the tower. The big metal hangar doors were crashing and banging in their tracks as he wheeled the Chipmunk, single handed, out onto the windswept apron. The rudder banged hard over as soon as it left the confines of the hangar, putting on the wheel brake on that side. He slid the wooden rudder-lock in place, but even so it was like handling a live thirty foot weathercock. He parked it facing the taxiway, initially, but there was no way it was going to stay in that position. So, with difficulty, he turned it around into wind, set the brakes, and did the checks. The gusts were rocking the wings and lifting the aeroplane bodily on its undercarriage, and once more Geoff heard that nagging voice. He ignored it, climbed in, donned straps and headset, and called “clear prop”.
Taxying wasn’t too bad; he did it slowly with minimum power, keeping the stick forward when travelling downwind, and using the brakes sparingly. The rudder needed care with such a strong wind from behind, requiring firm foot pressure to prevent it being blown to full deflection either way, which would apply one brake, hard, risking a nose-over.
He completed the power checks, lined up, held the stick fully back and the left rudder pedal fully forward, and opened the throttle. Geoff was expecting a lively take off one-up into this wind, but as he brought the stick forward after only a few yards, he was surprised how the tail came up immediately with a nice crisp elevator response. They were airborne almost as soon as the tail came up, lurching, bucking, and swaying, climbing at an unusually steep angle to keep within the flap limit speed.
Geoff hadn’t flown for a few weeks, and it showed. On the first approach, he was behind the aeroplane. He tried to hold 70 knots, but the ASI swung between 60 and 80. The aeroplane was held aloft in updrafts, then plunged down in areas of sink with a viciousness that lifted him from his seat despite the fully tightened harness. At the same time they were rolling violently and involuntarily, with wing drops of 30 degrees or more in either direction. Using wildly thrashing hands and feet, and power changes that made pedestrians on the nearby road look up, he managed to maintain runway heading down the roller coaster ride to the threshold, but the speed was all to hell. Then, just when he thought he was high, he was thrown down again, towards the numbers, in sudden sink. Power on, ease back the stick.
Clear of the sink, he soared up again 20 feet before he had the power off and the ‘plane levelled. There was no smoothness. The aeroplane was flying him, rather than as it should be. But he knew this, and was not unduly worried. Geoff used course stick and rudder to correct another vicious wing drop. He was half way down the runway now, with the speed falling and the ground coming up fast. The stick felt mushy, with poor aileron response. He was too slow, with too rapid a rate of descent, and on the back of the drag curve. He threw the landing away, applying full power, with forward stick to unload the wings, and went around.
“OK”, said Geoff as he swapped hands on the stick to retract the landing (mostly drag) flap in the climb out, “get your act together. Stabilise the approach at 70 knots, watch the threshold, ride the turbulence, and wheel it on. Otherwise you’ll be up here ‘till the fuel runs out.”
There was no comment from the nagging voice. It had stayed on the ground. Like it always did.
The second approach was much better. Geoff was getting back into the groove. He allowed a slightly longer final, trimmed accurately to 70 knots in a rare bit of still-ish air, and concentrated on the threshold and on holding the attitude. They bucked and rolled in the turbulence and shear, rose and fell, but Geoff ignored it. Using stick, rudder, and throttle, he kept the threshold perspective and the speed as close as he could to where they should be, arriving over the numbers only slightly high, nose down, and at 65 knots.
Power right off, ease back. The mains touched. Geoff ‘felt’ the stick forward to pin them onto the ground. Not bad. He was beginning to relax and enjoy it.
The subsequent landings also went well, and his last even elicited a complement from the tower. Geoff acknowledged, just managing to reach the PTT button on top of the forward-held stick. He eased the stick further forward as the aeroplane slowed, and the Chipmunk rolled to a halt in the ‘wheeler’ position, just as the tail, despite full forward stick, sank gracefully to the runway.
“Piece of cake”, thought Geoff.
There was no sign of the nagging voice. There never was. Afterwards.
©Vince Chadwick
Ha ha no I am not nearly good enough to own a tailwheel! You make a very valid point and that was really well written. Very wise words indeed. There is definitely a "line" though. I have my own pre-determined minima for wind, visibility, crosswind and cloud base. If it is within those limits and I have the nagging voice, I do indeed ignore it but outside of those - I won't even entertain the idea of leaving the ground!
I watched a video recently where someone did ignore what they were seeing and it so easily could have both ended in disaster and also been completely avoided by having a pre-determined set of minima for VFR flight.
@@LetsGoFlying Tailwheel holds an undeserved 'difficulty' reputation. It does demand correct technique in that it will not forgive the errors a nose wheel lets some pilots get away with, requiring a properly executed hold-off and accurate use of rudder for instance, but it's not per se 'difficult'. From your vids, I'd say you are a careful, thoughtful, and well skilled pilot and, with suitable training, would have no problem with tail wheel. I converted onto the Chipmunk from the Cessna 150 in 1979 with about 60 hours total time in my log book, soon after I'd got my PPL in 1978 in about 50 hours. And in 35 years of taildragging I never ground looped (came close once!). So it can't be that difficult.
Thanks for the compliment on the 'nagging voice' piece. I used to write articles for 'Pilot' magazine back in the day, among other publications.
Sure I caught a glimpse of this at Rossall last week Monday after?
I think the Fox series can be really great for flying around. Visibility must be great. Interesting landing gear you have on this one ;)
Thank you for sharing and keep up the flying!
When you get cocky and think you don't need to use the checklist is when you f*ck up and kill people. Very disappointed in you...
Ha ha it looks like some kind of hybrid with that dolly wheel on the back doesn't it! I don't fly with that on might I add! Yes the vis is very good indeed! Thanks for tuning in!
Nice, although maybe music too loud compared with vocals 🤔 IMO 😉
Noted! I thought I had sorted this issue out! I think with the new recording equipment it has reduced the voice decibels down a bit. I will adjust the music accordingly in the future!
Excellent video! Thanks for bringing us along. 😊
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
Nice video again. Thank you.
But how come, on your flight down to Henstridge, you were sat on the left in some shots and on the right seat in others?
Thank you! Well it's my camera - for some reason, when you turn it around it reverses the image. Sometimes I pressed the selfie button and sometimes I turned the actual camera around which is why it was a bit inconsistent!
@@LetsGoFlying Ahh, so you weren't changing seats then? 😁
Great video with honest content
I appreciate that! I try to keep it as real as possible!
Did I catch site of this aircraft at Rossall last Monday afternoon?
@@ianchick297 not Monday but Wednesday I flew it to Rossall…
@@LetsGoFlying went with James up to the south lakes as part of my Nppl tuition on Tuesday hopefully will see this stunner soon
Great video Nick :)
Thanks! Hope all is good with you mate.
@@LetsGoFlying yeh all good man, not flying much these days as I’m focused on the business but hopefully return soon and get the cameras out! :)
Anna Eurofox review incoming
'Anna Reacts' 😂
@@itsmephil2255 that would be great.
Oh this should be fun!
@@LetsGoFlying please please please make this happen Nick 😂😂😂