Passenger to pilot windrusher style

Its been a good few weeks since I updated my blog so here we go.

A year after completeing my Bronze I have managed to get my XC endorsement. For the last few months all thats been remaining is my 100k Nav Ex and after a couple of failed attempts, one in the snow and one in less than poor visability I finally managed it. The task was BIC-HUSBOS-GRW-BIC and we would fly it in the motor glider.

On the day the weather was overcast at 3000' so at least the airspace would not be such an issue and the visability was about 15km. I flew the aircraft as if it were a glider and Mike P, my examiner, used the throttle to simulate lift and sink. We made our way to HUS BOS which was not to difficult and after a look at the airfield turned east to head to grafham water. Half way there we simulated getting low and some field landings and then cut the task short with Mike asking me to get us home. heading back over Northhampton I missed the A43 and started to head a little too far west, realising the picture didnt look right I took a 'climb' and found the A43 by tracking along the M1 a short way. The rest of the flight home was pretty uneventful and Mike signed me off sighting that had I not rectified the situation correctly at Northhampton I would be doing it again...

Since then I made a silver duration and Height attempt in the K8, I was shot down after an hour and fourty by spread out in conditions that were a little marginal wind wise for a K8. But I managed to get the height done after getting to brackley and then climbing in 8kts to cloud base as I was blown back to the airfield. John Wright signed me off for that.

Lee