Spent this weekend at Omni aviation in the Philippines. For the plane spotters among you, here we have RPC 3 Niner 1 in "clean" (left) and "dirty" configuration. On the left, Fog is joining the circuit for Linguien strip and is yet to deploy flaps and dirty up the aircraft. On the right, 3 Niner 1 is being pre-flighted by the Fog. e has just switched on the master and deployed 40 degrees (max) flap. This increases lift and also increases stalling speed allowing the pilot to land slowly.

I spent the weekend doing touch and go's. Touch and go's are tiring and mentally demanding. the involve all regimes of flight being compressed into a short space of time. We take off, fly a circuit and land briefly, build airspeed and rotate the aircraft back up into the circuit. Omni is short, narrow and has HT wires at one end. After one hour of circuits I am always bathed in sweat. Here is a typical circuit. Remember each only lasts 5 minutes.

After pre-flight taxi to holding point.
Me: "RPC One zero four niner holding short Omni 20"
Tower: "1049r, report airborne"
Me: "will report airborne, one zero four niner"

Advance throttle and taxi onto threshold. turn 180 and align aircraft on centreline. Close window, check instruments and fuel again. Advance throttle applying back stick to help aircraft get rolling.

10 knots approx and hit main runway. Rudder inputs to compensate for crosswind if necessary and aerilons into wind.

40 knots and airspeed indicator comes alive. Midfield now and airspeed at 50 knots.

55 knots. Roll aerilons level and rotate aircraft. Stall alarm chirps briefly and nose lowered. As aircraft climbs out, maintain runway heading using handy cloud.

Me: " 1049'r airborne"
Tower: "report base"
Me: "will report base, 1049'r"

Passing 700 feet indicated - flaps up.

Passing 800 feet turn into left hand circiut towards Angeles Church.

Approaching 1000 feet throttle back, nose forward, turn downwind.

Maintain 1000 on downwind dropping 10 degrees flap abeam the new mall.

Tower informs me of traffic in my vicinity and asks if i have a visual. Negative is the reply so he aske me to extend my downwind leg.

Begin my turn onto base as tower informs me I am now number 1 to land. Looking for Fog's aircraft but stilll can't see him.

Me: "RPC 1049'r on base"
Tower: " Report airborne"
Me: " will report airborne, 1049'r"

drop 20 degrees flap and decending now on base leg. Aircraft balloons as flap comes out so nose lowered. Adding power into final turn onto long finals.

Still low and slow. Apply power while feeling for the distant centreline. Adding more power and drop final 30 degrees flap.

Zoom. Foggo and RPC 391 pass me on same track at 2000. I focus on Fog in his 172 and allow too much speed to bleed off the aircraft. Damm.

Still slow and low. Throttle way in and still no appreciable speed gain. can't lower nose. airspeed dropping again. Stalll alarm sounds...damm windshear.

Throttle right in and maintaining 60 knots IAS just. Off centre, correct, drift correct...

Break the glide, hold , hold...now flare...

the nose comes up, stall alarm sounds continiously and aircraft touches down hard.

Way off centreline, rudders to compensate. Half runway used, flaps to 10, carb heat in, throttle to full. airspeed building.


50 knots, looking for 55 but not going to get it. Rotate, beep from stall warning. Looking for powerlines. damm that was low... maintain ground track, retract flaps and report airborne.

You have just spent 5 minutes with me in the cockpit.

And we pay to do this?????