So this is me
My name is Markus Andersson. I'm a 34 year old dreamer that have realized that life is too short for not fulfilling these dreams. One of my dreams is to learn to maneauver a helicopter so that I can fly whenever and wherever I want. I will here share my thoughts and reflections and hopefully I can inspire you to fulfill your dreams.
I just love the web! Today I found a perfect summary of the ATPL theory course, thank you Rob Groothuis for that piece of paper! Well structured, divided in each subject. For those of you that are interested to take part of it, just click the link above (links to the pdf document) and you’ll save some time when preparing the exams.
Thanks Rob!
So, what happened? After two months of silence, a Private Pilot Licence in my pocket, I’ve now decided to continue with the next challenge, the Commercial Pilot Licence. Why stop now? Now it’s just to mobilise energy to go through the theory and start looking for some financing (if you have some extra money, give me a call).
This week I started the theory part of the CPL(H) course at Flygteoriskolan. The theory part is pretty much the same as in the ATPL course except from some parts. And instead of studying full time for 6 months as in the ATPL course, this on is based on a lot of home studies, then you meet for 3 x 2 weeks in class and examination.
The first part that started this week will cover the following subjects, Air Law, Operational Procedures, Radio Navigation and Human Performance. For those of you that have gone through the ATPL course you know that it’s shit loads of reading. I for sure know what to do this summer, fun!
Tomorrow I’ll go flying with SE-JUU (see picture below) from Bromma airport, so if you’re in Stockholm and you see a black little bubble flying over your head, wave to me!
I passed the Navigation test today so the status on the theory now is:
COM (Communication): QT (PASSED) LFV (PASSED)
HP (Human Performance): QT (PASSED) LFV (PASSED)
AL (Air Law): QT (PASSED) LFV (PASSED)
OP (Operational Procedures): QT (PASSED) LFV (PASSED)
AGN (Aircraft General Knowledge): QT (PASSED) LFV (NOT DONE)
FPP (Flight Planning & Performance): QT (PASSED) LFV (PASSED)
PF (Principles of Flight): QT (PASSED) LFV (PASSED)
MET (Meteorology): QT (PASSED) LFV (PASSED)
NAV (Navigation): QT (PASSED) LFV (PASSED)
I’m waiting on a date for examination, scaaary! Just one more !”/#* test to pass, also the worst one, Aircraft General Knowledge. It’s easy to motivate your self though when you know that you’re soon done with the PPL(H).
Last friday I left work a bit earlier and headed for Bromma airport where I met up with Jon, my instructor. Knowing that we were going to fly for about 2,5 hours we had to leave as soon as possible to reach our destination before sunset. Our destination was a small village called Älandsbro to visit two friend (Janne och Micke) from the flight school. My flight plan worked well and the flight up there was pretty calm, UNTIL the low-fuel light wanted to tell us something! We had noticed a bit earlier that something strange was going on with the fuel gauge, it was jumping back and forth. The good news was that we only had a short distance left and that our friends had met up with us in the air in their almost brand new R44.
After an exiting end of the trip up there, we had a delicious dinner at Jannes house. Can you imagine a better after work, a beautiful flight over an autumn landscape, followed by a nice dinner and some bottles of red wine and a long discussion about helicopters…of course? Ahhh!
On saturday we inspected the hangar Janne and Micke were building before we flew to Sundsvall airport to visit a flight event that was going on there. I flew solo from Älandsbro to Sundsvall. After a hamburger in Sundsvall we said goodbye to our friends and headed back to Stockholm and Bromma airport.
After this weekend I’m more or less done with my flying before examination, can you imagine! I still have these 2 shitty theory tests left before I can do that though. Have to quit writing now and start study! I will add some photos and videos from the trip later on.
Accumulated flight time: 44.4 hours
080913 Flight time: 3.3 hours
080912 Flight time: 3.0 hours
Had a shitty day yesterday including the Meteorology test (for LFV) that I failed with one point after changing some of my my answers before finishing, NEVER do that! The process if you fail that test is that you have to write a MET test back at the theory school before you can write for LFV again, bah! Did that test today after my solo flight and had a jackpot 21/21 points, so I signed up for the test at LFV tomorrow, please!
Today was a better day. Made a long distance navigation from Bromma airport via Västerås and Eskilstuna airport and then back to Bromma, a trip of about 2 hours. It was good practice, much activity in the air, a bit turbulent, some parts with a bit difficult navigation. Here’s my track:
So now I have 6.6 hours of solo flight, need 3.4 more hours! We’ll see if I can work on that tomorrow.
Accumulated flight time: 37.1 hours
080827 Flight time: 1.8 hours
Everything was planned when I arrived at the flight school this morning and the weather looked good (at least at Bromma airport). The plan was to do a long navigation solo Bromma - Västerås - Eskilstuna - Bromma (about 2 hours flight). BUT (to many BUTs when flying) the weather around Västerås wasn’t that good so we had to cancel it.
Instead we went south for some challenges, autorotations, spot landings etc. Tried to find one of the spot landings that I made on Google maps, one of the most difficult so far, but I couldn’t 
Long navigation on wednesday instead I hope! BUT, before that I have the LFV test in Meteorology tomorrow, so I really have to study tonight.
Accumulated flight time: 35.3 hours
080825 Flight time: 1.1 hours
Started my day with a coffee and some flight planning at home. Wanted to be really prepared for my first long distance solo flight…OK for me it was long distance, about 1 hours flight from Bromma airport to Trosa airport. Here was my track:
I felt really relaxed during the whole flight, that was great! To celebrate I picked up Jon (my instructor) and we flew to Troxhammars golf course for some meat loaf and some bullshit talking. Spent the rest of the afternoon by practicing some autorotations, spot landings in a bit turbulent air south of Bromma.
Tomorrow I have a day off, no flying, but I will prepare a flight plan for Friday when I’m going to fly solo from Bromma to Norrtälje.
Accumulated flight time: 32.2 hours
080820 Flight time: 2.5 hours
Had a nice day in the air today. Started up with some instrument training from Bromma towards Västerås. I put the glasses where I only can see the instruments and not outside the helicopter, Jon told me to close my eyes while he was fooling around with the helicopte, then it was up to me to clear up the mess using the instruments. Really good practice but a bit booring to do the 5 hours of instrument training that’s needed.
After that we flew to a nice golf course “Frösåker” close to Västerås for some lunch. After a quick trip to Västerås airport I had a break for some planning of the trip back to Bromma. The afternoon session started with a short navigation that probably will be my short nav during my examination, good to learn the area since I haven’t been flying in that area that much.
Back at school I decided to do the EK (solo) and radio test that’s needed before flying solo in the control area. Shit, when will these tests end, can’t remember all the test done so far? Next week I have an english test at Flygteoriskolan, a new requirement since march 2008.
My flight lessons on Thursday and Friday are cancelled because of helicopter manitenance
Accumulated flight time: 27.0 hours
080813 Flight time: 2.7 hours
080625
Session 1: Autorotations
Started the day with some briefing of the day. A bit bumpy winds in the afternoon so we went out for some autorotations. Today I got the entering of the autorotation quite good. Feels like I can handle that part of the autorotation in a safe manner now. What I find a bit more tricky is to keep the RPM and speed on the way down, at the same time as you have to navigate to a proper landing spot. It went good, but it’s something that I for sure want to practise more, and I’m sure I will.
After the first session I spent some time at the office, planning the navigation trip that we did later in the evening. Shit, the calculations, was a while since I struggled with those. Had to dig way back in my head to plan my track, calculate the flight time and fuel consumption, weight & balance etc. After a couple of coffee jugs and some struggeling I had finalized my flight planning. I will never forget “The Dane with a TV in the basement” (Ha ha, nice translation…) But I’m sure you get the point. To calculate the Distance (D), Time (T) or Speed (V), just use the formula D/T*V.
What’s the distance (D): Time (T) * Speed (V)
What’s the flight time (T): Distance (D) / Speed (V)
What’s the speed (V): Distance (D) / Time (V)
After the planning I watched a safety movie from Robinson with Mr Frank Robinson him self. A really nasty movie showing how to NOT fly a helicopter. Will finalize that tomorrow with a test on the risks and hazards of flying an helicopter.
Session 2: Navigation (Bromma - Trosa - Bromma)
Ended the day with a beautiful navigation flight from Bromma airport to Troslanda. No wind and a wonderful sunset over the area. The navigation part went good, was a bit hard though to find the destination airport, a really small one. On our way we practised some spot landings and autorotations. Here’s one nice landing spot:
Shit, next time I fly this route it might be on my own. Really exiting that I soon will start flying solo!
Accumulated flight time: 19.3 hours
080625 Session 1: Flight time: 1.1 hours
080625 Session 2: Flight time: 1.6 hours
A bit windy today so we decided to practice some navigation. Flew from Bromma to Gripsholm and had a great lunch nearby the Gripsholms Castle. Had to make a tricky, steep landing on a small spot close to the lake, went well though. Got lost once on our way back, got stuck in the map too long…hehe.
Accumulated flight time: 16.6 hours
080623: Flight time: 1.2 hours
080618: Flight time: 1.1 hours
Two sessions tomorrow, see’ya!