Page4 Experience of Flying
Experiences with flying
A few opportunities present themselves in life where you can either say Yes or No and I’m sure you will all have had such moments.
I left home in the late 1950’s to do an Apprenticeship with the English Electric Company in Bradford. At that time the Company was making the magnificent “Lightening” fighter aircraft.
Apprentices at the Company were offered “almost free” flying lessons at the local Yeadon aerodrome not, I may add, in the fighter aircraft.
I guess the Company felt that a workforce making aeroplanes should have a keen interest in knowing how and why they flew.
Living quite close to the township of Yeadon, there were no problems in getting to the airfield on my bike so — why not have a go ? – a positive Yes.
I had passed my driving test for a motor-bike and a car at home so felt I had some skills in controlling vehicles propelled by an engine but I could see that a light aircraft was a different proposition. For a start, you can’t stop a plane in the sky because it just tumbles to the ground whereas you can stop a bike or car, if traffic allows, whenever you wish. AH HUM!
As we all did in those days, we looked to see if we could get inspiration from the “Teach Your Self” series of books (now-a-days we Google). and, sure enough, they had done a book for flying. Wow, with my pristine “Teach Your Self How to Fly” I felt I was almost in the air. The first lesson (one hour) was booked and the Company would reimburse me when I showed them the receipt. As they say – Chocks away!
Yeadon (now Leeds/Bradford airport) was very much like a war-time camp and it took me a bit of time to find the instructor. He didn’t look at all like “Biggles” my flying hero but, no matter, he was quite friendly. The aeroplane used for lessons was an Auster which was a high wing, four seater plane so that the instructor and pupil were side-by-side.
The tricycle under-carriage meant that the plane, when on the ground, was pointing slightly towards to the sky and the engine interrupted one’s forward view.
The first lesson was at ground level; one had to move the plane along the taxi ways at the perimeter of the airfield and learn all about the instrument – engine rotational speed, airspeed indicator, altimeter and horizon indicator, fuel gage, compass, etc. In good visibility one can easily see one’s horizon and the planes attitude in relation to it BUT, in cloud, it is impossible. The horizon indicator is vital in this circumstance. Most of the instruments on the right side are for monitoring the engine – oil pressure and temperature and those on the left hand side are more electrical in nature. A hand throttle changed the engine revs and one’s feet were placed on peddles connected to the rudder. The two bars with wooden grips at the ends are usually referred to as “the sticks”. One is for the pupil and the other is for the instructor and they control the ailerons.
Compared to a car there was a feeling of “looseness” or delayed action; on revving the engine the plane only moves forward gently whereas a car would be speeding down the roadway as the wheels have a direct contact with the road surface. With taxiing there is a similar feeling that applying the rudder only changes the direction of the plane slowly.
The forces are very similar to those experienced on a push bike. Pedalling gives a forward force – with a plane the engine provides this force and it is called the THRUST.
When riding there is always a force due to air resistance and this is called DRAG. A head wind gives more drag and one has to pedal harder (THRUST increases) to keep up a good speed. In biking we don’t often think of the other two forces, WEIGHT, the force due to rider and bike pressing down on the road and there is a reaction of the road pressing up on the wheels. With the aeroplane, the wings passing through the air gives and upwards force and so we don’t need the ground anymore; this force is called LIFT. The plane flies in the air when Thrust is equal to Drag and Lift is equal to Weight.
My first lesson was not awfully good and my second lesson had to be on the ground also.
On the third lesson we did get into the air and what a feeling of ecstasy! I had never been in an aeroplane before and to see the ground slip away and see houses become little dots on the landscape was unbelievable. The Horizon indicator came into its own in the air as the two small lines had to be kept just above the long line and then the plane was in a “straight and level attitude”. After a few more lessons I’d mastered turning, climbing, descending and even been given a chance to land the Auster.
All was going fine but then, with little warning, the Company felt that they could not support the lessons any more and I could not afford the full fees; my wings were well and truly clipped. But then there was a reprieve. At Keele university I managed to join the Air Squadron and flying began again. This time I had to agree to serve King and Country; if there was an outbreak of war I would be called up to fight on the front line. Without too much consideration I was prepared to take the risk and to resume the wonderful experience of flying.
This time the aircraft was a De Havilland Chipmunk which was being used for instruction and training. The instruments were not too dissimilar to those in the Auster but the pupil and instructor were in tandem positions so contact had to be made with radio conversations. All flying personnel had to have a logbook and each sortie (lesson) was recorded with brief details of the aims for, and outcomes from, the flying exercise.
In recent years I have visited disused airfields from WW II and sometimes personal memorabilia are displayed from the war years. It is always sad to look at old logbooks of aircrew which terminate abruptly- stark evidence of lives that have ended abruptly by the tragedy of combat.
Training with the RAF was thorough and comprehensive – basic flying with manoeuvres to recover from stalling and spinning, emergency landing, instrument and night-time flying, aerobatics, cross-country and navigation and many, many lectures on meteorology; the air may look to be uniform and peaceful but when an airliner drops six thousand feet (May2024) one realises that air turbulence is ever present.
I have to admit that all my flying experiences were fantastic and could have continued much longer. However, marriage plans were on the horizon and I was fully aware that a great deal of time had to be given over to the RAF. It was about 40 miles from Keele to the airfield at Shawbury and on several weekends the weather was unsuitable for light aircraft to fly so the whole weekend was wasted. Reluctantly, I asked to have early release from the forces and resigned in the summer of 1968.
Extra details
Controls
By adding movable parts to the wings (ailerons) and tail sections (rudder) the aircraft can be controlled. The control surfaces are marked in yellow below.
The two flaps on the inner part of the main wing are very important as they increase LIFT. In normal flight they are fully UP but for landing and take-off they are fully down
The flaps, the rudder, the stick, and radio communications are four basic yet major components of flight. Mastery of these will give you a solid foundation for flying.
Stick/Yoke
The stick is the primary control for pitch and roll movements of the aircraft. This control can be turned left or right for roll movement. It can also be pushed forward and pulled backward for pitch movement. Turning the control left and right moves the ailerons of the aircraft. The ailerons are surfaces located on the backside of the wing towards the tip. When using the ailerons for roll movements, one aileron will go up and the other one will go down. This affects the flow of air over the wing. The aileron that moves up or down depends on which way you are turning. If you turn the yoke to the left, the left aileron will move up while the right one moves down.
The forward and backward movement of the yoke allows for the nose of the aircraft to pitch up or down. Pushing the stick forward will cause the aircraft to aim down and pulling the stick backward will cause the nose to pitch up. These movements are used mainly when climbing or descending. When taking off you will pull the stick backwards in order to pull the nose up. This increases the flow of air under the wing creating lift.
Rudder
The rudder pedals are arguably the most important controls on an airplane. The pedals control the rudder which allow the aircraft to yaw in the air. This control surface provides stability, allows for controlled turns, and allows you to line yourself up with the runway when landing, among other things. The rudder pedals also control the nose wheel and brakes when the aircraft is on the ground. The brakes are applied by putting pressure at the top of the rudder pedal. The nose wheel is controlled by pushing either pedal in the direction you would like to go. Rudder control is extremely important in flight. Without this control input, the aircraft would not fly as effectively as it should. It is imperative that new students grasp the importance of rudder control, as this is sometimes overlooked when first learning how to fly an airplane. Rudder, rudder, rudder!
Communications
Communications is a vital part of learning how to fly an airplane. The ability to talk to others allows for a much safer flying environment for pilots as well as those on the ground. Without radio communications airport and airspace could not safely exist. Even the smallest uncontrolled airport relies on communications for coordination and collision avoidance. Pilots must talk to each other as well as aircraft control towers when necessary. It can be scary at first, especially if English is not your first language. The best way to become proficient at communications is to practice! Do not hesitate to get on the radios to talk to pilots or the tower.
Good luck.
Gliding to safety
If engine failure occurs the stick must be pushed forward and the plane adopts a gliding position.
You are now ready for your first lesson.
Words of caution
With recent Climate Change worries we have to question the wisdom of unabated increases in air travel and air freight. Both are growing exponentially as the following graph shows:
Passenger traffic fell during the Covid pandemic but has now returned to high levels. Undoubtedly, in a Global world we need a global transport network and flying is the obvious method to use. However, it would be sensible to question ourselves on travel plans and try and restrict air travel to only those journeys that are really necessary.
For an article with a little more physics you can read an article from Physics Education.
For a few more details click here .