My flying is getting interesting now. Before heading for Chrismas Break, I had passed my Nav Ex with 96% and flow first Solo Nav Route.

The Route was quite simple, EGHH→Wells→Crewkerne→EGHH .

There was something wrong with the DI or wind.On the first leg I had to correct more than 60° to keep the track! Second leg was about 10° correction and third was less than 5°. This was very strange.

I had very low cloud base and sometimes I was really worried that I will not make to Wells looking at what is in front of me. Had a few diversions to stay VMC. On second leg it was much much nicer, I had climbed to 4k feet and cloud were not that bad. Return leg to EGHH was annoying to say the least!

Radios, well, handled quite well, until 3rd leg, where after request to change from Bristol to Bournemouth radar … I couldn’t hear controller due to weather and close proximity of a danger area with loads of radio broadcasts ( which I could hear in my ), quick “back with you” to Bristol and listening out on a second COM for interference with Bournemouth sorted the issue and after some time requested change again… But now I had Bournemouth controller chatting up guys and there was so much rubbish on a radio that I couldn’t report my position at VRP… Fortunately she was looking at the screen and crap was cut out seconds before I came into controlled airspace.

I’m not proud of my landing, I flare too high. Then tower requested me to speedup vacating the runway and I was so compliant that I forgot to break in time for smooth deceleration and was struggling to keep the wheels not skidding and turn in time for taxiway… bad stuff.

Now after break… winter is really annoying, doesn’t look like I will be able to fly soon.