The weather wasn’t great today, so instead of cancelling the lesson, my new instructor Mina suggested that we use the time to fill in some of the remaining gaps in my training. The plan was to cover steep turns and get an introduction to IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions). We decided to head out towards the Oxford area, where we could climb above the clouds and make the most of the day.
Mina is a brilliant instructor. He is patient, knowledgeable, and has plenty of commercial experience, which really shows in his teaching style. He plans to return to commercial flying in the future, but for now he brings that real-world professionalism into every lesson.
Flying in cloud for the first time was a surreal experience. Once you are inside, everything outside disappears into a complete white-out. You lose all external reference points and have to rely entirely on your instruments to maintain control. It’s strange at first, but also an incredible demonstration of how important instrument flying skills are. We climbed to just above 5,000 feet before starting the lesson.
The focus began with steep turns, where the goal is to bank the aircraft to around 45 degrees while maintaining altitude and control. It’s a real balancing act. As the bank angle increases, more lift is lost, so you need to add power and adjust back pressure to stay level. Like slow flight, it is all about coordination and small, smooth corrections. Once I settled into it, I didn’t find the manoeuvre too challenging, and I started to enjoy the rhythm of it. One of the more interesting moments came when, while turning, we hit our own wake turbulence — a quick bump that reminded me how dynamic flying can be.
After finishing the exercises, we headed back to Denham. The wind on final approach was a left crosswind at around 15 knots. Mina was happy for me to handle the landing but reminded me that if anything didn’t feel right, a go-around would be the safest option. Despite the conditions and one moment where it felt as if we were almost stationary in the air, I managed a smooth and safe landing, which felt like a great way to finish the flight.
It turned out to be one of those unexpectedly valuable lessons. We made the most of poor weather and turned it into a day full of learning and new experiences. I am looking forward to many more lessons with Mina, as his calm, methodical approach is already helping me develop even more confidence in the cockpit.
Modular Pilot Kiran 