Helicopter-pilot.info - Lessons 41-45

Lesson 41 9/8/02 Flight test
OK, the flight test is booked for today.
Am I ready? No, well, maybe, but not looking forward to it. For the test I am told to plan a route from our base to an airstrip on a farm via a VOR and back. Compared to some I have seen this sounds quite tame. I plan the route, get the map marked up and do my fuel and weather calculations etc. and am happy with where I am going, relatively happy that is. The weather has been ok for most of the day but is starting to get a little dark outside. The examiner has been in and out of the office for the past hour and each time I think "is this it, are we going yet?", as time goes on the weather gets worse.
At last the examiner comes in and says, "lets see what you can do then", and almost at the same time the heavens open to the worst rain we have had for months. I am told to go and do all my checks.
The helicopter is only about 200 meters away but by the time I got in I was soaked, both the inside of the helicopter and my glasses are steamed up. I am now cold and wet and not keen on the conditions, to date I have only had a lesson when the sun is out and it's warm enough for shorts.
I mention to the examiner that if it was my choice I would not fly in these conditions, his reply was "ItÕs not your choice, lets get going"
I had planned the route and knew which direction I was going and for how long. Unfortunately, due to the wind and rain the examiner decided he would do the take off after which he flew in a completely different direction than I had planned for! After a few miles he then said "get me back on track to the VOR".
Strangely enough we did get back on track, on the way going through a rainbow (no gold). After passing over the VOR I take my next heading towards the farm strip. I know from the map that I should see the farm as soon as I have passed over the M25, so I start looking. My examiner had told me before we left that we are heading for a farm strip. I've not really seen a farm strip before so I'm not too sure what I'm looking for but I'm guessing that a farm with a grass strip will be a start.
As we get over the area the examiner says, " Can you see the strip?" which I confirm I can, he says he can also then tells me to go and land. I circle for a check and after confirming it is all clear and descend for a landing. My examiner took control and said "this is how I would have done it", he then circles and then straightens up.
This is the moment I saw the REAL farm strip.
There are a few times in life when you do something that at the time seems right, but after the true facts have been pointed out, you think "where can I go and hide" and "how can I have been so stupid"
When I said "I can see the strip" what I meant was I can see what I thought was the strip. We could both see A strip (what I saw was just a nicely cut lawn in a farm), but we were both looking at different farms! The trip back was fairly uneventful, through heavy rain, some sun and some cloud. Back at the airfield and it was time for the engine off landings, sloping ground stuff and limited power stuff. The engine off landing was ok, as was the limited power take off and landings. The sloping ground stuff was perfect (even if I say so myself). For the confined are landing and take off I must admit I was a little surprised when I saw the 'postage stamp' I was asked to land in (it turned out to be a little bigger than a postage stampÉ but not much). The landing was successful and satisfying, as was the take off. We headed back to the pads and that was the end of the test, obviously there was more but I won't bore you with all of it. After being asked how I thought I had done I was told I had passed.

I am now licensed to learn.