Author: avtomaton
-
Exam Success: Reflections on Passing the EASA PPL Written Exams
Today, I passed the remaining written exam subjects for my private pilot course. I described my first attempt here. One nice surprise was that retaking the exams is totally free in the Czech Republic. I had assumed that I would have to pay for each attempt, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this…
-
Exploring Karlovy Vary from the Air: Flying to the Controlled Airspace
Karlovy Vary is a stunning location, with its lakes and buildings appearing even more breathtaking from a bird’s eye view. As part of my private pilot training curriculum, I had the opportunity to fly to the CTR (control zone) today, and I was taken aback by the high workload. Although the flight was almost identical…
-
Exploring New Aerodromes: A Pilot’s Perspective on Grass Runways
I enjoy exploring new aerodromes as they may appear similar, but each one has its unique characteristics. While I acknowledge that my experience as a pilot was still limited when I wrote this post, I believe this holds true for much more experienced pilots as well. I’ve already shared my thoughts about grass and concrete…
-
Grass or Concrete: Which is Better for Landing and Why It Matters
Which surface is better for landing? For some reason, I prefer concrete. While grass is softer and results in an easier and gentler touchdown, concrete is flatter and smoother. Moreover, taking off from a concrete runway is definitely better. However, I understand the importance of gaining experience on grass strips, particularly for bush pilot jobs.…
-
Leveling Up: Improving My Landings on a Grass Strip
I had a lot of landings on the grass. In fact, I had REALLY a lot of landings on the grass. Today, I flew patterns on the aerodrome with a grass strip. During my flight today, I made many landings. The main takeaway is that I finally feel like I am in control of the…
-
My Hang-Gliding Adventure: Dreaming of Future Flights
Today I finally flew a real hang-glider after spending some days flying trainers. It was an aircraft with an 18-square-meter wing. My first impression was fantastic, as I was in the middle of the recommended weight limits! In Russia, I only flew training hang-gliders manufactured by Aeros with a 16-square-meter wing, so I was a…
-
Navigating Tight Spaces: Coordinated Turns for Successful Landings
What’s necessary for a good landing on a small landing area? Correctly estimating altitude, wind, applying proper wind correction, and making coordinated turns with predictable altitude loss are all key. Today I practiced these skills, except for wind estimation, which was easy thanks to the many windsocks on the hill. I started with 45-degree turns…
-
Italian Mountain Soaring: Conquering Tiny Landing Spots
I am continuing on my hang-gliding journey, and today I am flying a different hang-glider, which is also 21 sq meters but has a stiffer sail. It is much easier to control, but the start is more difficult and the flight is lower. I completed 24 “takeoff-flight-landing” exercises straight ahead and 4 flights with a…
-
Without an Engine: Hang-Gliding in Italy
Currently, I am flying without an engine as I have come to an Italian hang-gliding school for a week. Since I do not have a license, nor do I have any knowledge about the terrain and aerology of this place, I am starting from the basics with basic exercises. The training approach here is different…