Overview

For my first flight I joined Captain Andy Bland on to the flight deck of our 700hp Piper Chieftain. We were to fly a mission whereby we would pick up our customers from Blackbusche Airport, near Farnborough in the South of England.  From Blackbusche we would fly for a scheduled 3 hours 10 minutes.

Our customers we flew are NATS employees. Our mission was to track and locate radio interference at certain points in the country vertically 10,000 feet above sea level.  

I was looking forward to flying with Andy on this mission because we would be airborne for a total of 4 hours 10 mins which would give me a good introduction to the layout of the cockpit, the checks associated with each different part of flight. This would then further my understanding and learning curve to the crucial task of engine management for this aircraft, this alone is a hard job.  Further to the aircraft handling this flight would give me a good understanding of mixing with heavy traffic in the airways from listening on the radio to responding to air traffic controller commands from london frequencies.

 

Flight from Shoreham to Blackbusche

The Piper Chieftain is able to get in and out of airports closer to the customer but still an extremely substantial commercial aircraft.   This may not be obviously apparent, however this is an excellent attribute because our customers do not have to travel to larger airports to start their day (then proceed to wait hours and hours).  One of the many benefits of AERO ALLIANCE is that we will pick up customers from anywhere, for example where we are based, at Shoreham airport we are able to give our customers a 10 minute check in then a 50 minute flight to Paris.  The same would be achieved the same day on the return journey!

 

Fig 1.0 Learning the many switches, buttons, controls and levers

 

The NATS team were closest to Blackbusche airport so we arranged to meet there at 10:00. Firstly I sat myself into the cockpit and familiarised myself with the various gauges, buttons and levers while Andy proceeded with the external walkaround checks. After this we departed shoreham at 08:30 on the dot and proceeded to taxi to runway 02 for a northerly departure.

 

Fig 1.1 Familiarising myself with the cockpit layout

 

As we climbed out at 200 feet Andy reduced the throttles and propellor RPM back to climb power (35 In/Hg Manifold Press & 2400rpm for both engines), whilst setting the correct power and RPM settings we need to keep a close eye on the EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature), making sure it resides between 1450°F and 1475°F. We headed towards Farnborough VFR (underneath cloud) clear of any conflicting airspace. Once we were outside the controlled zone at Shoreham Airport (ATZ) we changed radio frequencies over to Farnborough Radar, this is standard in the Southeast for en-route radio communications.

 

Fig 1.2 Engine Management on the Piper Chieftain During Cruise

Andy called up Farnborough as we needed to become established on their radar screen. They need to know who we are, where we are what what our intentions are.  An example radio call would be in the way of:

 

Aircraft - Farnborough

Radar, Good Morning. (Aircraft Registration e.g. G-ABCD)

Farnborough Radar - G-ABCD Good Morning, Pass Your Message

Aircraft - G-ABCD Is A PA31 FROM Shoreham TO Blackbusche, 2 POB (Persons on board) on QNH1024 (Atmosphere pressure from previous sector), One Thousand Two Hundred Feet, VFR, Request Traffic Service.

Farnborough radar would then give the pilot a unique number which would be entered onto a Transponder.  This code will then be displayed upon the radar controllers screen who would be able to see the speed, altidue, squawk code and heading.

Flying the Mission

After landing at Blackbusche the plane was organised for it's mission.

Fig 1.3 At Blackbusche Andy and I organised taking out 2 seats so the NATS team could then install their equipment safely into the seat rail mouting points.

 

Fig 1.4 On landing at Blackbusche we organised to have all 4 (2 in each wing) fuel tanks filled up with AVGAS (Aviation Gasoline).

 

 

Fig 1.5 Captain Andy Bland signing the fuel loading

 

We then discussed the flight plan already organised with our customers - to where they will be doing their work in the following areas:

Blackbusche > Southampton > Shoreham > Detling > Southend > Cranfield > Oxford > Compton > Blackbusche

I have shown the actual route (until the battery in my portable GPS ran out) in the screenshot below:

Fig 1.6 GPS Routing showing the planned route.

As we departed the stand at Blackbusche to taxy onto the active runway (zero seven) we followed a light business jet to the taxy holding point.  We then performed our further engine checks on both engines here.  This included checking the magnetos, de-icing equipment, propellor governers, low idle etc before proceeding to line up fully after the jet.

 

Fig 1.7 Lining up at the hold behind a light jet

 

We were now given a special unique callsign for the trip, we would now not use the registration of the aircraft for the callsign, but this special callsign.  As we departed Blackbusche we were initially routed to an IFR Intersection point called "HAZEL" (shown on the map route in figure 1.6) which is on the way to our routing point of southampton.  We were wanting to achieve Flight Level 100 (or 10,000 feet on a standard atmospheric pressure setting of 1013.25 millibars) as quickly as possible to initiate our work with the NATS team.

Fig 1.7a Holding altitude from London Control at 3000 waiting to climb FL100

 

As we flew through the cloud at 3000 feet (Fig 1.7a) on the local QNH (local atmospheric pressure setting) we were cleared to FL100 to which Andy responded on the radio and we climbed to the Flight Level.  Andy then asked me to read out the Climb checklists which I did.  I found with aviation the best thing to get stuck in and learn as quick as possible is to read and memorise the checklists.  This will give a good understanding of the aircraft systems; for example how the fuel crossfeeds to which specific tank (there are 4 tanks on the Piper Chieftain) so there is the added selection whether to use the inboard tanks or the outboard tanks, the fuel gauges for left and right wing will show for the active tank.  I would read out an item for example:

I would say "PITOT HEAT.....ON", then Andy would perform the action and read back "ON". I would then move onto the next item on the checklist.  I will be getting my hands on a checklist as soon as possible to read through, then read through again to give myself a perfect understanding on the aircraft systems and what is needed for each phase of flight.  This is a basic level and needs to be actioned.

 

Fig 1.8  The overhead panel

 

As we broke through the clouds at around 4000 feet we were greeted with bright blue skies and a very strong winter sun. The only thing to break the blueness of the sky were jet trails from larger, more time consuming commercial aircraft.

 

Fig 1.9 Reaching the cloud tops at 4000 feet for the climb to 10,000 feet

 

We continued our climb to FL100, Andy was talking to London control all the time as we were getting a step climb, where we would be cleared to 4000 feet, then 6000 feet then finally cleared to climb 10,000 feet. Which we did.  Once we climed to FL100 I took a photo of the altimeter as this was the highest I have flown sitting in the pilots seat (and also the fastest too!).

 

Fig 2.0 FL100

 

The result of climbing through the clouds to on top is simply breathtaking.  I don't think I could ever get bored of this view

 

Fig 2.1 Turning onto a radial instructed from NATS Team

 

In the photo above we are making a left hand turn of 10 degrees which was asked by Bob from the NATS team as they were very close to a fix on the radio interference they were looking for.  At each point marked on the flight plan we would fly around, at 10,000 feet looking for these radio anomalies turning ten degrees to the left, then maybe another ten degrees to the left, or 5 degrees to the right.  This is extremely accurate flying, to which we had to ask London control whether they could grant us this turn every time.  At first this seemed to be a hard task in itself because the already busy controller was arranging Virgin, British Airways and EasyJet commercial aircraft to climb, descent and turn around us.  After some time of turning we were given an exclusive area to work in for 30 mins while we found these radio anomalies the NATS team were looking for.

From Southampton we moved onto overhead Shoreham where the same procedure happened.  En route it would be time for a cruise check.  In my flying lessons this would be an acronym called FREDA which stands for FUEL (Crossfeed and change tanks), Radio (Who am I talking to, is this correct, do I have the next frequency set), ENGINE (How do my gauges look?  All within limits, in the green, oil temperature, oil pressure, EGT, CHT, RPM, Manifold pressure, suction etc etc), DIRECTION (Align the gryo instrument Direction Indicator to the wet compass), ALTITUDE (Am I at the planned altitude, noting any airspace coming up etc).  This is with a simple single engine training aircraft, here we have a complex twin engined aircraft with the addidion of DEICE equipment to be used and checked, TKS fluid on the prop and DEICE Boots on the leading edges of the wings and elevators.  These planes are seriously equipped for the worst weather, I have complete confidence in flying in almost any weather in these machines.

After Andy flying the Southampton "job" he handed control over to me, turned off the autopilot and we headed for Shoreham to do some more work.  I had to keep the altitude at 10,000 feet indicated.  Within the airways there is no tolerance to get the altitude wrong, 100 feet +/- your assigned altitude, forget it you will be in trouble with the controller, the pilot really needs to be on the ball and keep the aircraft flying as it's assigned.  Once trimmed out there is not too much pressure needed on the control column unless making a turn or obviously ascending / descending.  Andy set the bug (orange movable line on the gyro moving compass) to a heading which I was to keep us flying on at all times.

Once we arrived at Shoreham the NATS team had found their next work object to work on and asked us to turn left ten degrees. Andy cleared this with Air Traffic, moved the bug on the HSI and I made the turn ten degrees to the left, they then asked for 5 to the left, then 10 to the right until we had the fix on the radio interference. The NATS team were more than pleased with this, then we moved onto Lydd our next work object. 

 

Fig 2.2 I was flying at 10,000 feet responding to the requests from the NATS team in the back

 

 

Fig 2.3 Sucessful fix! I fly us onto Lydd

 

 

Fig 2.4 While I was flying Capt Andy had control over the radio talking to London

 

We couldn't see much traffic in the skies on this Thursday, despite hearing the controllers were obviously extremely busy.  So when I saw my first commercial jet I had to take a picture (Fig 2.5)

 

 

Fig 2.5 A British Airways Jet well separated on a different track to somewhere

 

Andy then took over while I read through more en-route check lists, familiarised myself with a position report cross checking the paper map with the three GPS units we had aboard the flight today.  While Andy was flying I took the opportunity to take a picture of the NATS team hard at work and one of the pilots up front hard at work, shown below in Figure 2.6a & 2.6b.

 

Fig 2.6a Captain and First Officer on the flight deck working

 

Fig 2.6b NATS Team in the cabin working

 

The day ended with a smooth landing back at Blackbusche to drop off our customers and their equipment.  Then Capt Andy and I would track back to Shoreham Airport, back to base.  On the leg back to Shoreham Andy let me have control all of the way making me aware of the feeling at different speeds and flying the aircraft in VFR (Visual Flight Rules),  which is certainly different to above the clouds because you can easily gauge how fast you're travelling when you can see the towns go by.  I flew the aircraft to position us onto the downwind leg while Andy performed the descent and before landing checks.  I turned the aircraft onto a heading for the downwind leg while Andy sorted the engine and speed management, we needed to get the aircraft from the cruise at 170kts to 110kts for the downwind leg.  As I turned onto the downwind leg I noticed the aircraft was losing height, as I had not flown the aircraft at a slower speed I was very surprised at how much more input on the controls you need comparing to flying at 170/180kts, so much so that we lost 200 feet from our circuit height of 1100' to approaching 900', Andy took over and brought us back on track at 1100 feet while I was left wondering how I possibly could have let the aircraft descend when I knew we needed to keet at the altitude.  After some thinking/debriefing when I got home I realised the aircraft would need a lot more input to keep it flying level and a higher nose attitude with no flaps brought down.

 

Next time I will fly a perfect circuit with a perfect approach onto Final. 

 

Conclusion

Today has given me some fantastic flying experience of a commercial operation with an excellent opportunity to fly the aircraft.  What I have realised though is how hard this job is, pilots really have their work cut out mentally and physically.  I have learnt a new respect for the work that they do, which I could have never of guessed from my Private Pilot training. 

 Now knowing how hard this job can be makes me hungry to be a commercial pilot even more, I want the challenge, I want the hard work and I want the reward that comes with the smooth landing at the end of the day.  I cannot wait until my next flight.

Mike Parsons AERO ALLIANCE Log Book.xls (28.00 kb)