Helicopter Dreams

I will quote my instructor “It won’t be the best flight you’ve done!” and it wasn’t but I don’t give a shit, because I passed the flight test! I’m since about 4 hours ago a proud owner of a PPL(H) certificate. The weather was OK even though the cloud base was a bit low from time to time, about 600-700 feet.

I started my certification at Västerås Hässlö Airport (ESOW) about 2 PM going through my files, my flight planning for the navigation part of the test, some various question etc. Then we went out on a 1,5 hours sweaty flight going through all part of my flight training. Felt a bit tense but overall the exercises went well. At 4 PM I could put my curiosity aside, the flight inspector told me that I had passed the examination….ahh, finally!

So, what happens now when “Mission 1″ is completed, CPL(Commersial Pilot License)? Right now I’ll just grab a beer and celebrate, cheers!

So, finally it’s time for examination! If the weather is OK tomorrow I’ll get in the car and drive to Vasteras Airport (ESOW) tomorrow morning after finalizing my flight plan for the navigation part of the examination. The weather forecast says about 50/50 for tomorrow, please Mr Weather Guy, be kind!

I’ve gone through the pre-flight planning (weather, flight plan, weight & balance etc), located my certificates (Radio, Theory, Medical), gone through the exercises in my head (quick stops, autorotations, engine failure from hover, 360 hovering etc), what else can I do…hmm? Go to sleep, tomorrow is D-day!

With a bright blue sky and about 10 knots of wind I made my last solo flight before examination today. I flew Bromma - Bålsta - Västerås - Strängnäs - Bromma during 1.6 hours. Had about 20 minutes of instrument training since I had the sun like a spotlight in my face on my way från Västerås to Strängnäs, good training.

I still haven’t heard anything about the CPL(H) theory course at Flygteoriskolan that will start this spring. I want more information before I decide how to do. Sounds a bit strange to cover about 80-90% of the ATPL(H) theory (usually done in 6 months full time) in 2×2 weeks and home studies.

Good news today was that I might get a date for examination during the coming weeks

Accumulated flight time: 47.6 hours

090114 Flight time: 1.6 hours

After 3 months on ground I finally went up in the air today. Had a 1.6 hours refresh flying with Jon. Was a bit nervous that I had lost my sense of flying. It took about 30 seconds to realize that it wasn’t the case, everything was there, I was “back on track”, doing what I like the most….ahhh.

We flew to the area around Ekolskrog, west of Stockholm and did some refresh exercises, autorotations, quick stops, engine failure from hover.  Went down for a hot dog and then returned to Bromma.

I’m still waiting for an examination date!!!

Accumulated flight time: 46.0 hours

090106 Flight time: 1.6 hours

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

The plan was to do a long distance navigation to Stockholm/Skavsta airport today, BUT, the weather wasn’t good enough so I did some solo flying north of the Bromma Control Zone, practising some take-offs and landings.

I got an interesting call from the Swedish Rescue Services today who wanted to send me to Haiti, on behalf of the Red Cross, to set up some radio and IT communications equipment in the worst affected areas from the hurricanes that passed earlier this week. I’m right now sorting out the practical issues so we’ll see tomorrow what happens. If I go I have to leave on Thursday, so I guess I, one more time, have a reason to postpone my theory studies

Accumulated flight time: 38.1 hours

080902 Flight time: 1.0 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:

Visa större karta

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

Had a great day in the air today. Before lunchtime I prepared my flightplan for Norrtälje airport (ESSN) and went away on the first solo flight of the day. As the last time I felt very relaxed and pretty much everything worked as I wanted it to do, and even if I haven’t been in that area before my navigation seemed to work since I managed to get back again

Here’s my track:

Visa större karta

After a break for lunch I was a bit short of time to do the other solo navigation to Västerås and Eskilstuna since Bromma closes at 5 PM. Insted I went out for some solo flying in Bromma contol area to get familiar with all the entry and exit point around the airport.Had a close encounter (not that close but anyway) with a small Cessna that apparently didn’t see me. Lessons learned from that is that it’s sometimes hard to see the traffic around and when flying in different directions everything happens very fast.

More flying next week, BUT, now I have to focus on the last theory tests, have to study tomorrow!

Accumulated flight time: 34.2 hours

080823 Flight time: 1.2 + 0.8 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:

Visa större karta

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