Peter's Flight Log

Flight 65: The RPL test

When I booked the RPL test, the long-term forecast was promising. I continued to check the forecast daily, and it was consistently good. Light winds from the north and a few high clouds were as good as it gets this time of year.

So, in the days leading up to the "big day," I continued to review my training videos, rehearse the radio calls, and refresh the knowledge I knew I would need on the day.

When the day finally came, I looked forward to getting to Cessnock and starting the test. I had some urgent work to do in the early morning, so I got in the car and drove north.

When I got there, Phil was ready and asked me to start the process. The Cessna 150 was parked in front of the hangar. I would do the walk-around and then taxi it to the browser to fill it with around 60 liters of fuel.

The walkaround could have been more uneventful. I did notice that the oil was low, so I looked in the hangar for the appropriate engine oil for piston engines and filled it up. I was unsure how much oil I should put in because the engine was cold, and the dipstick was not accurate enough, so I made a mental note to check with Phil later.
It was then time to start the taxi's engine. The Cessna 150 engines are tricky to start from cold, and, embarrassingly enough, I needed help to get it started.

My RPL test had essentially begun, and I couldn't get the engine started!!!

After several attempts, I had to phone Phil for the rescue. Phil came, and just like that, he started the engine. It just needed some magic with the throttle. I jumped in, and we taxied to the bowser to add fuel and engine oil. 

It was time for the ground test.

The ground test

The ground test is more like a conversation and question-answer session. The objective is to ensure that the aspiring pilots have an adequate understanding of legal and aviation issues relating to the RPL license. 

Some questions that I was asked had to do, for example, with the restrictions of my license. How many people can I carry? How far from the departing airport can I fly? Can I drink and fly? When must I do a check-ride? What is the minimum visibility required for a VFR flight in Class G airspace? What are the right-of-way rules when converging with another aircraft at the same altitude?

There are also questions relating to aircraft systems, like explaining the purpose of the pitot-static system, how it affects the airspeed indicator and altimeter, and the potential consequences of a partial or total electrical system failure during flight.

There were questions about emergencies and survival equipment. For example, what survival equipment should be carried when flying over remote areas, and how should it be used in an emergency? What is the use and importance of an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) after a forced landing?

I answered most of these questions coherently and mostly correctly. The objective of this part of the exam was for the examiner to ensure that the student exhibits an adequate working understanding of these topics so that they can safely fly within the RPL restrictions.

Thirty minutes later, Phil declared it was time to go flying.

Drum roll...

The flight test

We walked to the Cessna 150 that I had already filled up. I knew we'd fly for around an hour. A light breeze came from the north, so runway 35 was in operation. That's my preferred runway. 

All good. 

Phil is fun to talk to; conversation flows easily, especially when it is about  airplanes and aerobatics. This would be my second flight with him. But for this occasion, I would pretend I was flying solo, just like I did for real last week.

I expected Phil would ask me to demonstrate various skills, including precision in my circuits, butter-smooth landings on the main wheels, steep turns, stalls in landing configuration, at least one forced landing, and essential instrument flying. Some other skills would be assessed through the flight, like radio communications and the ability to keep airspeed and altitude under control.

Phil asked me to do all the above, and I felt good about my performance. 

One hairy moment when I thought I had blown it was when he asked me to do a full-stop landing. I thought the test had ended because I failed something. I couldn't figure out what since I felt good about my flying up to that point. It turns out that this was just part of the test, and it was followed by a taxi back to runway 35 and a short-field take-off. 

After that, we climbed to around 2500 feet to perform steep turns and stalls. We returned to the airport to establish a forced landing. This was my best forced landing ever. We started at 2500 feet with the threshold of runway 35 almost directly below us to the left. I flew two loops, the first one to the right and the second to the left, to align with the runway. I extended a full 40° flap and dove for a smooth landing on the centerline. I wish I had a video of this (I did not record this flight as it was an exam). The only regret was that I did not simulate a Mayday call, even though I had practiced it in the days before the test and in previous forced landing practices. However, this time was very different. I was concentrating hard on figuring out how to land on a spot directly below me from 2500 feet that I had no mental capacity to give to the radio call.

The First Rule of flying is "Aviate."

The Second Rule of flying is "Navigate."

The Third Rule of flying is "Communicate."

I made a conscious choice to Aviate and Navigate and quickly decided not to communicate because doing so would harm the first two rules. However, having made that choice and recognized how little mental capacity was left for Rule #3, it is clear that I have to train towards making communication as effortless as possible, even in the case of an emergency.

I will work on this so I can do a Mayday call without thinking about it.

After my best ever and most impressive forced landing, the flight test was complete.

As I cleared the threshold and entered the taxiway, I radioed "Cessnock Traffic, Sierra Lima Lima cleared the runway, Cessnock" and continued to park.

I completed the shutdown checklist, and Phil said, "Congratulations!" 

I had earned my RPL!

There was a bit of paperwork to do, including filling out another form and applying for the Australian Aviation ID online, and the entire process would take a few weeks. After that, I'd have a physical ID card and license that I could use to hire an airplane privately and fly on my own.

Until that happens, I'm already starting to engage with the PPL material. There's another set of books to read, skills to learn, and flying to do. The highlight, of course, is the long navigation flights that I have been dreaming about. 

My first post-RPL test flight is tomorrow. I cannot fly as a private pilot because my license is still pending, so I'll be flying with an instructor. I'll practice basic skills, including crosswind landings, forced landings, and communications. I am not in a hurry. I want to get much better in the basics before I enter the actual PPL syllabus. 

My goal is to earn my PPL in 2025. To do this, I will follow a similar high-intensity training regime as I did in July and August.

How does it feel?

Passing the RPL was the first time I felt that my goal of being a pilot is within reach. Getting to here and now has been a long road with many (literal) ups and downs.

I worked towards this goal with two flight schools and two airports (plus a few flights at a third airport with a third flight school). 

Nine instructors helped me along the way. Learning to fly at my current level was one of the hardest yet rewarding things I have ever done.

I had setbacks with the weather. Our flight school airplanes were grounded for a few weeks due to a fatal crash, and I even experienced an actual engine failure during takeoff (something that none of my instructors have experienced!). 

I suspect I'm not jumping up and down in celebration for two reasons: (1) I don't generally do that. I'm a down to earth (oh, the irony) introvert with an engineering problem-solution mindset. When I solve a problem, I move to the next one. (2) I realize this is the beginning of my flying experiences, and I want to get on with it.

The significance of what happened last Thursday will be revealed when I fly for the first time as a private pilot around Cessnock. I'll be flying by the book, straight and level, with a few rate-one turns and a couple of circuits to practice butter-smooth landings. I'll be using my eyes and ears to keep track of traffic, and I'll communicate with other pilots.

And then, I'll share the video of that flight with you.