Lovely, calm and sunny weather greeted our Proficiency Day for May. We had seven (7) pilots fly to take advantage of our cheap rates of $100 an hour for these days as well as to retain their currency. Once again a huge thank you to Bruce Dunlop and John Hayler for doing the air judging for our important PPD. Bruce is able to start at 8am each PPD so this gives our pilots a perfect opportunity to fly early and do their flight in the best, possible conditions and to be able to finish by lunchtime.

Our flying events were as follows.

500' LOW LEVEL CIRCUIT (Spot Landing)

In this exercise we simulate very bad weather with low cloud making visibility very poor. The pilot therefore has to slow the aircraft down, use one stage of flap and stay in close to the runway. This is completed with a Spot Landing where the quality of the landing is judged closely as well as the touchdown point. The judges reported today that most of the pilots landed very well with the nose high in the air(column well back) and right in the middle of the runway.

1. 1st Greg Connors 75pts

2. 2nd Craig Whiting/ Mark Whatson, 70pts

3. 3rd Bruce Dunlop 60pts

RIVER BASH

(Co ordinated Flying Exercise up the Maria River)

1. 1st Craig Whiting / Mark Whatson/ Bruce Dunlop, 65 pts

2. 2nd Greg Connors 62 pts

FORCED LANDING

1. 1st Bruce Dunlop 50 pts

2. 2nd Mark Whatson 46pts

3. 3rd Craig Whiting 45 pts

OVERALL

1. 1st Greg Connors 213pts

2. 2nd Mark Whatson 211 pts

3. 3rd Craig Whiting 200pts

Greg was the very proud winner of the PPD for May. He made the valuable comment of what 'great benefit' flying in the PPD has been to his piloting skills in general. He appeals to all pilots to fly on these days to enhance their skills and therefore gain huge confidence and competence overall to be able to handle almost any problem that may arise while flying.

Well done Greg.

Greg on winning the medal made the comment that flying in the PPD each month has improved his flying and overall confidence immensely.

#pilotproficiencyday