ALL BY MYSELF!

By Brian Barry

Believe it or not, there is actually someone out there crazy enough to let me fly their airplane ALL BY MYSELF!

I started my lessons in June at Rocliffe Flying Club which operates out of a small un-controlled airport in Ottawa, Canada. The circuit there is pretty tight due to noise abatement issues so the less planes in the air the better.

I finally received my Category 4 medical certificate yesterday, which was the last document I needed before being allowed to be pilot-in command of an aircraft. Between my holidays, my doctors holidays, and Transport Canada being shut down for 10 days due to the big power failure it was a long time coming. Also, since I'm over 40 years old I needed a 12 point ECG. Oh well - the joys of getting old!

Anyways I showed up at the field thinking perhaps this would be the big day. Light winds and not much traffic in the pattern. Things were looking great. My instructor James and the Chief Flight Instructor took care of all the paper work and issued me a Student Pilot Permit. I did the pre-flight on Cessna 150 GNBL and waited for James to show up. As we were taxiing out towards the active runway James kept looking out the window. All of a sudden I could hear this roar, and lo and behold there is Michael Potter(of Cognos fame) bringing his big Spitfire in on final for some touch and goes. It's the first time I've every seen him there. Wow, this could get interesting. The Spitfire is very fast and needs LOTS of room to maneuver. As I get closer to the runway the Stearman biplane from the Canadian Aviation Museum (located beside the runway) is backtracking getting ready to take-off on runway 27, which it the one I am just about to taxi into position on! Wow - what happened to my quiet airport. There was also two other airplanes in the circuit doing pattern work! Things could get hectic up there. It was like being part of an air show!

We finally took off and stayed in the circuit for a touch and go landing on runway 27. It was pretty cool flying with a Spitfire buzzing around. We all made room for him and he showed us a few good landings and take-offs. He then headed off to places unknown. I'm sure he announced where he was headed but there was a lot of radio traffic and I was concentrating on flying the plane. The Stearman headed out over Ottawa and one of the Cessnas in the circuit landed, so things quieted down nicely. I showed James two good landings so he told me to make the third one a full-stop and he would get out and let me go solo. I didn't feel nervous - actually kind of excited. My third landing with James was one of my best.I taxied up to the club and James got out. It's solo time!

I taxied out to the run-up area, did the takeoff checks, made the radio call and taxied into position on the active runway. Lots of room in the plane now! Full power, rotate at 65 mph, and up she goes. Wow - leave a 200 lb instructor behind and the performance is much better. I was having a lot of fun flying the plane without someone looking over my shoulder. Made the radio call on downwind, did the pre-landing checks, and set up for the landing. Made the radio call for short final and put her down a little short with a bit of a bump. Not too bad, but not my best landing for sure. Oh well, at least I didn't leave any pieces of the plane on the runway. They call them trainers for a reason!

Many thanks to Chris Kiff for all his fine instruction this summer. I'm glad he wasn't there to see my first landing though!

It was great to finally fly by myself. I felt really comfortable flying the plane. I should have my licence by Christmas. What an great adventure!