The focus of my most recent lessons has been on circuits, and this time I was introduced to flying a left-hand circuit on runway 06, rather than the right-hand circuit on 24 that I had become used to. It was surprising how different everything looked from the new angle. The visual references changed completely, and it took me some time to adjust to the new perspective. What had started to feel familiar on 24 suddenly felt fresh and slightly disorientating again on 06.
My biggest challenge is still achieving consistency in landings. Some are smooth and controlled, others less so, and I have not yet found the magic formula to make every one the same. The positive side is that I am now taking control of much more of the workload. Greg is stepping back gradually, and although he is still there to cover when I need it, I feel more responsible for the whole flight than before.
One of the big changes is that I am starting to handle radio calls more frequently. If I concentrate too much on flying then Greg still steps in to cover, but more often than not I am the one making the calls now. It is a clear sign that my capacity in the cockpit is beginning to expand. Along with that, I am also running through the downwind checks myself. I first learned the BUMFITCHH mnemonic, but The Pilot Centre checklist is slightly different, focusing on BMFCES: Brakes, Mixture, Fuel, Carb Heat, Engine, Seatbelts. Having this simplified version helped me commit it to memory and keep things flowing in the circuit.
Radio telephony has been another area of progress. I am now asking for airfield information, calling ready for departure, lining up, calling downwind and calling final. Learning the rhythm of these calls has been satisfying, even if I still need to think carefully about the wording at times. I also learned that if the radio is particularly busy, I do not have to call downwind immediately. Instead, I can carry out my checks and then make a late downwind call or position report elsewhere in the circuit. That flexibility took a bit of pressure off, and it showed me that RT is about fitting in safely, not about delivering the calls at an exact second.
These circuits have gone well overall, and each one is building my confidence, but I can also see that I will need to do many more before I am ready for a first solo. Circuits are demanding, and I know consistency will only come with practice. For now, it feels good to be handling more of the workload and to see the pieces of training coming together in a structured way.
Modular Pilot Kiran 