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Circuits

Congratulations on reaching your first lesson of circuits ~ Well done!

In your first five lessons, you learned to manoeuvre the aircraft around the sky, we’re now going to put all your knowledge into action during a 6 minute circuit.

You’ll take-off, climb, turn, fly straight and level, descend and approach the stall just as you’re touching the wheels back on the ground.

Most students initially feel overwhelmed by the circuit, as there’s so much to do in such a short space of time, so the key to this lesson is prior preparation. If you take the time now to learn circuit procedures from the diagram, then all you’ll have to do is action them, rather than try and learn them whilst flying.

During your Brief, you’ll learn the following and more:

  • Introduction to circuit procedures and techniques
  • Introduction to landing techniques

Lesson Techniques

There isn’t too much theory to this particular lesson, more just the practical side of getting out there and doing it!

Circuit Diagrams:

Download and print the diagram applicable to your aircraft and keep it as a reference. If you have a Flight Simulator program on your computer, why not try flying some virtual circuits and practice the procedures.

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Cessna 172 Circuit Diagram

Download 726.63 KB

Pre-landing Checks
BUMFH Check“What to do and say” and (explanation)
B – Brakes“Off and working”
(park brake off and foot brakes working)
U – Undercarriage“Down and locked”
(Your aircraft has fixed undercarriage, but it’s a good habit to learn
now as you may fly retractable undercarriage aircraft in the future)
M – Mixture“Full Rich”
(set to Full Rich in case we baulk the landing and need full power to go around)
F – Fuel“On, Both, Sufficient”
(Fuel Shutoff valve is ON, Fuel tank selector is set to BOTH, fuel
quantity is sufficient for another circuit if we baulk this landing)
H – Harnesses and Hatches“Locked and Secure”
(check your own but also that your passenger’s seat belts are on.
Check that windows and doors are latched properly)

Circuit Radio Phraseology:

During your first and second circuits lesson, your Instructor will make the necessary radio calls to allow you to focus on flying the aircraft. As your proficiency increases, you will begin taking on this role and aviating as well as communicating in the circuit.

Here are some sample radio calls for you to get started:

Basic Structure of a Radio CallLocation traffic, Aircraft type, Aircraft callsign, intentions, runway, Location
Event:Example Radio Call:
Radio Check
(test that radio is working before 1st flight of the day)
Redcliffe traffic, Cessna 172, Yankee Romeo Echo, request radio check
Taxi CallRedcliffe traffic, Cessna 172, Yankee Romeo Echo, taxies for runway 07 or 25,
for circuits, Redcliffe
Entering and BacktrackingRedcliffe traffic, Cessna 172, Yankee Romeo Echo, entering and backtracking runway 07 or 25, for circuits, Redcliffe
Turning BaseRedcliffe traffic, Cessna 172, Yankee Romeo Echo, turning Base,
runway 07 or 25, Redcliffe
Turning FinalRedcliffe traffic, Cessna 172, Yankee Romeo Echo, turning Final,
runway 07 or 25, touch and go, Redcliffe

Resources

Readings

Reading Material

bak_text_bookflying_text_book radio_text_book

Chapters on Circuit Pattern

Useful Links & Files


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Cessna 172 Circuit Diagram

Download 726.63 KB

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Sample Radio Calls for RPL

Download 705.04 KB

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Summary of First 5 Lessons

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CAAP 166-1 Operations At Non-Towered Aerodromes

CAAP 166-2 See & Avoid At Non-Towered Aerodromes

Instructor’s Tips

  • Come to this lesson having already learned the circuit diagram. Specifically the speeds and pre-landing checks
  • Most stduents don’t get the ‘feel’ for circuits and landings until well into their circuit training, just keep trying and it will eventually click.
  • The landing flair requires a slow and smooth increase of backpressure prior to touchdown. If you jerk the controls, the landing will be rough.
  • If you need to take a break during the lesson, just ask the Instructor to fly for 20 seconds while you refocus yourself.

Questions

This section gives you an opportunity to search for information, which is a skill that will come in handy during your training. Use resources such as your text books or the Internet to answer the following questions.

  • What are the pre-landing checks? (BUMFH)
  • What speed limitations are imposed on your aircraft’s flap extension?
  • Why are Redcliffe’s runways called 07 and 25?
  • What is the circuit height at Redcliffe Aerodrome?
  • What is the minimum and maximum quantity of oil in quarts, for your aircraft?
  • How many litres of fuel do you need to conduct a one hour flight? Be sure to include reserve fuel and taxi fuel in your answer

Learning Objectives

By the end of this Briefing and Flight, you will be expected to be able to:

  • Correctly name the 5 legs of the circuit
  • State from memory, the pre-landing checks
  • Recall the approach speeds to be flown on both base and final legs
  • Perform start, taxi, pre-takeoff and shutdown checks with minimal Instructor assistance