14 April 2021
After clicking the PC-12’s push to talk (PTT) button during an early evening flight back into London, I said, “Scottish, Exchange four six eight uniform, radio check.”
“Reading you five,” came the reply from Scottish control, after a short delay.
“Ah, OK. I just wanted to check as it seems a little quiet up here today.”
“Yeah. It’s just you and me this evening.”
My heart sank. I don’t think I’ve ever flown in such quiet airspace in my entire career and that includes flying in the middle of nowhere over far flung parts of Asia. It is a very sad state of affairs which I, like everyone else, just want to end.
During the last lockdown, I was lucky to still be flying occasionally. It is not easy however, and without the luxury of an operations department, I have to do all my own flight planning. The Covid-19 situation has forced me to stay sharp when it comes to navigating the various regulations and restrictions each country has imposed. A trip that used to take me a few minutes to organise, can now take me days whilst I wait for various permissions to come through. More often than not however, it’s just not possible to actually perform a flight due to the restrictions.
That exchange with Scottish Control did remind me of how I used to find talking on the radio somewhat daunting during my PPL training. I guess it was the fear of making a fool out of myself with other pilots being able to hear it. I’ve never been a fan of public speaking and for ages I had the same sort of fear when using the radios.
“If you just stay within ‘the box’, you will never get any better”
Thankfully I got over it but I still like to refer to the PTT button as the ‘muppet’ button because even now, I’ll push it and then make a muppet out of myself having either completely misheard an instruction or just plain forgotten what it was I wanted to say!
While I moan about all the current issues with planning flights around today’s restrictions, compared to when I learned to fly, the actual flight planning itself has become a lot easier than 15 years ago. We did have computer-based information for the weather and Notams, but it was much harder to get the latter. I remember wading through dozens of Notams from the NATs website narrow route brief (is that still a thing?) before a flight, trying to work out where they were. These days it’s great to be able to visually see them on a chart in any of the modern app-based flight planning systems.
Fifteen years ago, GPS was a bit of a thing, but there was no chance you were going to be allowed to use it during a lesson. More oddly though was the fact the GA community seemed rather anti the idea of using such devices over the tried and tested method of dead-reckoning. While I knew not to rely on it entirely for navigation, I could see its uses and was quick to adapt to using it once I had my PPL.
Flying from Bristol Airport and often heading over towards London, I was very aware of all the airspace around there. As I didn’t want to get myself invited to Gatwick for a tea and no biscuits meeting, I went out and got myself a Garmin GPSMAP 96C, which was a wonderful bit of kit and allowed me to fly safer and without the constant worry I was clipping some corner of airspace my dead-reckoning calculations were drifting me into. These days of course we have all manner of GPS navigation systems and apps available to us.
The biggest thing that unsettled me during my PPL training was my first solo. My instructor at the time was not unrestricted and so he wasn’t able to sign me off for my first solo when he thought I was ready. I felt ready and was champing at the bit to do it but had to fly with the CFI before I was allowed. Unfortunately, I blew it. My nerves got the better of me and I made a bit of a hash of the circuits with the CFI who, after about half a dozen of them, suggested we land and have a chat with my instructor. I think I’d put too much pressure on myself to go solo that I was overthinking it all. It was one of the first setbacks I had in my flying career but I overcame it and flew solo after another session of circuits with my instructor. That first solo comes when you are ready, and not willing yourself to do it will change that.
I’m reminded of the best bit of advice I’ve ever been given. It’s especially applicable after you get your PPL and begin flying within your new ‘box’ of experience and ability. It’s a good place to be but every so often you need to push outside the confines of the box. As you keep doing this, the box will get bigger and you’ll gain more experience, and in doing so become a more confident pilot. If you just stay within ‘the box’, you will never get any better.
Currently dividing his time between a Cub, a Catalina… oh, and a PC-12
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