- All weather pilot -

Some of us..
Already immune to this thing..

I mean this word..
In aviation, we call this word "kata keramat"..
For those who are so tough in flying in weather..
We call them 'all weather pilot'..
Means they are so brave and dare to fly in weather that make you think more than twice to start your aircraft..
Awesome right..
I have my own experience, fly in bad weather..
On navigation..
Alone..
Quite scary that time.
But it is a unforgettable memory..
I smile when I think about it..
What a nice experience..

Long time ago..
But I want to post it here..
To share my experience with the others..
And for knowledge to the other cadet pilot who will request start for NAVEX..

Date: 7 November 2010

Exercise: Navigation 15

Aircraft Registration: 9M-NRG

Routing: To Terengganu

Today was my unlucky day..
Because I will fly alone..
Normally all of us will bring a mutual pilot (partner) on their navigation exercise..
Because the flight time more than 2 hours..
Its quite boring to fly alone..
No one to talk..
No one to have control for a while when you want to do something else..
Sometimes you feel tired, you can ask your co-pilot to take the control..
You can have a rest for a while..
Nice right..
But you have to do yourself..
Everything..
Because you are alone..

In November and especially December, the weather at Kota Bharu quite bad..
Monsoon season..
Raining all the day..
For Navigation, worse..
En route, cloudy..
Hard to see the ground..
Early in the morning, I have to standby because the weather still not improving..
Hazy..
The ATC only allowed instructor to airborne first..
Then they will advice..
Me and my batchmate, Faizal (APAC 2152) standby for clearance from the instructor..
The weather still not suitable for Navigation solo..
In the meantime, we take a picture at the aircraft..
Fill the plenty of time..
Faizal fly have his mutual partner, Philbert (APAC 2156)..
Our route is about the same..
So we plan to depart together..
Then the operation room advise us..
The weather is suitable for solo..
Then all of us run and jump to the aircraft..
We want to have the clearance first..
Who start first, got the opportunity to call early..
We go through the checklist..
Even we rushing to beat the others, safety is always the first priority..
Never ever disregard the checklist..
Read by sequence..
One by one..
And then proceed with the others..

ME: Kota Bharu Ground, Apac 2161, Assalamualaikum..
ATC: Apac 2161, Kota Bharu Ground, Waalaikumussalam go ahead..
ME: Apac 2161, request startup for NAVEX as per flight plan, POB 1, endurance 5 hours, in 9M-NRG, copied information ___ of QNH ___
ATC: Apac 2161, start approve, time check ___
ME: Start approve, Apac 2161..

Continue with my checks..
Key in the flight plan..
And at the same time I can hear the others doing their RT..
Finish everything..
Ready for clearance..

ME: Ground, Apac 2161, request ATC..
ATC: Apac 2161, ATC clear to leave Kota Bhatu control zone to Terengganu as per flight plan, 6000ft, squawk 5400..
ME: Clear to leave Kota Bharu control zone to Terengganu as per flight plan, 6000 ft, squawk 5400, Apac 2161 and ready for taxi..
ATC: Apac 2161, taxi to holding point Charlie, contact tower..
ME: Taxi t holding point Charlie, contact tower, APAC 2161..

I'm clear for taxi..
Increase the power..
Aircraft start to move..
Tap the break to test it..
In good condition..
Do the instrument check..
All working..
Continue taxi..
At Charlie, switching to Tower, 122.50..

ME: Kota Bharu Tower, Apac 2161, Assalamualaikum at holding point Charlie..
ATC: Apac 2161, line up runway 10 number 2 for departure..
ME: Line up runway 10, number 2 for departure..

Ok..
I wondering who behind me..
Because I heard no one request taxi while I taxi just now..
Maybe I that time I already on Tower frequency..
And then I heard Apac 2152..
He's the one who behind me..
I taxi first, but he depart first..
Aiseh..
Buang karan betol..
hehe..
But that is normal..
Sometimes number 3 or 4 for departure..
Worse right..
Waiting for the aircraft in front of you depart first..
And plus when the PIC taxi the aircraft "slow and steady"..
I think we can finish one bungkus of nasik lemak before he line up..

Ok..
Back to our story..
He depart first..
And then me..
The height given by the ATC is the same..
He at 4000 ft, me also at 4000 ft..
We just follow the instruction..
They know what they are doing..
The weather is marginal..
Can see the ground..
But a bit cloudy..
And GPS as the secondary reference..
Continue our NAVEX..
And switching to Terengganu Approach frequency..
The ATC KB transfer us to ATC Terengganu..
Apac 2152 the first one, I'm the second..

ME: Terengganu Approach, Apac 2161, Assalamualaikum..
ATC TRG: Apac 2161, Terengganu Approach, Waalaikumussalam, go ahead..
ME: Apac 2161,release by KB Tower, overhead _____ at time___, estimate_____ at time ___, 4000ft, POB 1, endurance remaining of 4:30 in 9M-NRG, squawking 5400..
ATC TRG: Apac 2161, copied and clear to enter Terengganu control zone, maintain 4000ft, runway 04, QNH ___, report again _____..
ME: clear to enter Terengganu control zone, runway 04, QNH ___, report again _____, and request climb 6000 ft..
ATC: Apac 2161, approve and climb 6000 ft..
ME: Climb 6000 ft, Apac 2161..

I heard Apac 2152 request 6500 ft..
So I would like to climb..
And 500 ft separation with him..
We continue our NAVEX..
And I keep in touch with him, via company frequency..
Talking with him, about the weather..
It getting worse..
He know I'm alone..
So he want to keep in contact with me..
And plus, it start to rain..

Enroute back to Kota Bharu..
Cloud was so thick..
Hard for me to see the ground..
And I relay on GPS..
My position not so far form Apac 2152..
About 2 min separation..
Then we have been transfer to KB Tower..

At that time..
They ask me and Apac 2152 hold overhead Pulau Perhentian..
I'm below him..
Hard for me to see the island..
I relay on GPS..
And ATC ask me to descend overhead Pulau Perhentian..
While continue holding, I heard MAS commence go around at the airfield..
I wondering..
Why the aircraft go around??
Maybe because of the weather at the aerodrome..
Heavy rain maybe..
Thats why the ATC hold me here..
Wait for the weather to clear..
And plus runway 28 in use..
Without ILS.
Then the aircraft manage to land using ILS runway 10..
Then..
My time..
ATC clear me and Apac 2152 to continue our NAVEX..
And I'm the first one..
Because I low than him..
Easy for them to control and to give clearance..
I report myself at Bachok..
I have been clear to KB town at 1500 ft..
During that time, Apac 35 with Eagle was holding at KB Town, 2000 ft..
They want the student to land first, instead of instructor..
I join lefthand downwind runway 28..
On final..

ME: Apac 2161, turning final to land, runway 28..
ATC: Apac 2161, surface wind 300 degrees 10 kts, clear to land..
ME; Copied, clear to land Apac 2161..

The wind is quite strong..
But headwind..
So, I think no problem for me to use the flap..
Apac 2152 was the second and Apac 35 number three for approach..
Confirm to land, I put flap landing..
Near to touchdown, round out and flare..
I thought my landing gonna be ok..
But I'm wrong..
My aircraft balloon..
And touch the runway hard..
And start to bounce..
Bounce..
And continue bounce..
It getting harder and harder..
I stunt for a while..
Then I decide to go around..
I advance the power to full..
And continue climb..
I'm sweating..
"Habis lah aku kali ni", I whispering..
Apac 2152 and Apac 35 manage to land..
Ok..
Second chance..
While doing the go around, I glance at the hangar..
They are a lot of cadet waiting for us..
They watch us..
And of course they become the audience of my bouncing landing just now..
Alamak, kantoi..
Malu la plak..
But its ok..
Dont care about that..
My focus now is to land the aircraft..
I continue approach..
On final..

ME: Apac 2161,turning final to land, runway 28..
ATC: Apac 2161, surface wind 300 degrees 08 kts, clear to land..
ME: Copied, clear to land, Apac 2161..

The windspeed lower than before..
And I decide to use flapless this time..
And..
I land safely..
Alhamdulillah..
Continue taxi to hangar..
After shutdown the aircraft..
I went to OPS room..

They talk about us..
And they said they become "cuak" when I commence go around..
I smile..
Because not only them, me also become "cuak" just now..
And they wait for us..
Because they said at the aerodrome was raining..
Heavy raining..
So we become the hero on that day..
Hero of the weather.
And some of them call us, all weather pilot..
I just smile..
And I will not flt again in that kind of weather on future..
Never ever, alone..
With mutual partner, maybe..
Alhamdulillah..
Amazing experience..
And safe to tell the story..
Insya Allah..
See you again next time..

Lets fly, high to the sky..
(",)

- Waiting for the clearance -

- Philbert, Apac 2156 -

- Faizal, Apac 2152 -

- Apac 2152 insight -

- Cloudy -

- Can't see the ground -

- Airfield insight -