THE IKARUS C42 First Solo | Circuits | Pattern Work | ATC | Cockpit Audio |

[@markantonyb2190]

When I speak to my kids about getting my license next year, we often speak excitedly about the adventure of flying to different places for visits. But truth be told, when I watch videos of circuits I genuinely feel just as excited about doing the circuit and landing practices. Really appeals to the OCD / perfectionist streak in my personality!

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Yeh honestly - all parts of flying are great. Sometimes I just feel I need some time in the circuit. I don't find it as enjoyable if I'm honest - but then you spend most of you solo time training in the circuit so you get a lot of it then. Good luck and keep it up mark!

[@KevinWolters]

Nice video Ben! Indeed always good to be critical and try to make them all greasers. Keep up the good work Have a nice weekend!

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Cheers Kevin!

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

Excellent video. I know this was four years ago abd you will have a lot more experience now but I would say those landings were a ling way down the runway. A lot of microlight airfields have short runways. I learned to fly at Barton on its grass strips. I'd aim for the numbers with a touch down half way to the first jet marks. But that's just me.

[@JoeRichardson02]

Nice landings Ben!

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Cheers Joe! They were ok ..and improved!

[@ranbirsingh7666]

Another GREAT video... sorry for the delay in replying 🤣. Keep up the good work ✈️🤘. As they say practice makes perfect 👊🏼.

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Hey cheers Ranbir! Awesome fun in the circuit...

[@davidcassidy8390]

Great videos Ben, thanks. Can't wait to get my hands on the C42 when I get back to flying this year.

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

If I can inspire - all the happier for it!

[@jedwig61]

Good landings, which got progressively better. I liked the view with the cockpit dials and your analysis. I shall rewatch this one again when I start training again in the new year. Are you posting any more videos this year?

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Thanks Jed. Yes I plan to release a couple more. Kit bag video next. Plus one or two more, hopefully

[@captainsamA320]

I love flying the c42 it’s an easy and forgiving plane lovely and smooth and solo flying is definitely different than having someone else with u but such an enjoyable plane

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Couldn't agree more - so enjoyable to fly. Very forgiving. I enjoy the sky ranger too - have you flown one?

[@captainsamA320]

Ben Atkinson I haven’t flown a sky ranger yet I heard they are harder to flying and take a little bit more work ?

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Not necessarily harder to fly, but more rudder needed. You can get ridiculously out of balance very quickly but it’s all good for the training!

[@captainsamA320]

Ben Atkinson yea them c42 are definitely forgiving and handy for a simple autopilot too

[@flyingkub]

I would warn about putting the flaps on late, I had them jump out on me with a C42 once, so better to get them in earier (but you picked that up anyway). Another great video.

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Good point. Yes I did. But all good! Thanks for watching!

[@Farweasel]

Eurostar flaps can do that too sometimes. Located between the seats they're almost akin to a car handbrake lever with a button on the end. I think somehow you can miss the locator hole some sort of pawl locks into but the pressure of the spring can half hold it , half let it slowly slip. Then it goes with a hell of bang and shakes the whole plane. So powerful - First Thought was 'Christ some bugger's collided with us!'

[@JodelFlyer]

Good video Ben and interesting to hear your self review. Well done!

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Ahhh thank you. I always watch your videos. Yes - as I eluded to - not necessarily the right analysis ha...but certainly worth de-briefing sometimes.

[@stuartwaite2030]

Good fun these C42's aren't they :-) Great video with good cockpit audio. Like your post flight analysis too. I'm not sure why you were convinced you needed more right rudder during the final stages of approach though - you were mostly off to the right of the centreline and right rudder would have exacerbated this. You need to get it centered much earlier in the approach. The POH suggests using the crab method initially then kicking it straight and using the wing low method for the last 100 feet or so in a crosswind. I think your instructor's words running through your head of MORE RIGHT RUDDER, MORE RIGHT RUDDER is just in the flare when the gyroscopic "P" effect causes a left turn tendency as the rotating mass is tilted

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Thanks Stuart for watching. So much fun, awesome aircraft. I was referring to counteract the crosswind (though light) - I need a bit of right rudder to straighten the aircraft slightly (as you say, debatable) but for any right rudder I need left stick to counteract that drift from the cross wind and rudder inputs. But yes - that too - in the round out / flare - more right rudder was a very common phrase on the previous training videos!! HA. thanks again for watching

[@Ljw-low-ljw]

Hi - great channel, just subscribed. I’ve had three lessons on a c42 and loving it. Any chance you could do a video on startup and pre flight checks in the c42?

[@andrewmartin8739]

Well done , the location of the forward looking camera sometimes make the approach look worse on playback, I have mine on the passenger side so that I can review from a passenger perspective , sometimes I judge the approach to critically from the P1 seat , from the other seat it's usually not that bad , good circuits anyway 👍

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Yeh very true - need to try clamp the camera centrally to get a good idea. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@arnsabob]

Hi Ben, hope you are well, another great vid, well done. How do you like flying the C42 compared to the sky ranger? I am looking to possibly buy my first plane having qualified earlier this year(in a C42). Can pick a sky ranger up for a lot less than a similar hours c42 and just interested to know your thoughts.. Pete.

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Hey Pete, thanks for commenting & watching. Honestly if I was buying one - a skyranger would be a great choice. The main differences are the overall feel of the aircraft is of course more ‘solid’ in a c42, but there’s really not much difference in that department with a well built sky ranger (I believe the well built but is important!). In terms of flying the skyranger is far more fussy on rudder...but actually....is that a bad thing? You really learn to use your feet. And of course - temperature. If you fly in winter (or just a chilly day which can be any time of course!) you really do need to wrap up in the skyranger. It’s quite an amazing difference. But I could get past all those points personally for what the price difference is. Certainly try and fly one, they’re more characterful maybe, but you just don’t quite have that finish of the Ikarus.

[@arnsabob]

@@BenAtkinsonVideos Thanks for the reply Ben, i'll keep you posted and hopefully bump into each other one day in the not too distant future... I fly out of Beverley air field, a great place to drop in if you are ever up this way.. (Yorkshire) Pete

[@musoseven8218]

All looked like nice landings to me, Ben - but I can see what you mean though, practice makes perfect, good to strive for perfection. Can I ask, do you check the Ts&Ps on the take off run too? And do you put flaps in with wings level?

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Not on the take off roll but in the climb you check T’s and P’s. That’s what I was taught. You really don’t have long on the take off roll to check much in a microlight when solo!

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Ohhh and yes generally flaps go in when roughly wings legel

[@musoseven8218]

Ben Atkinson, thanks Ben, perhaps Ts & Ps take off run checks are more of a GA aircraft check then, as there's more time? Fixed wing microlights do seem to get airborne VERY quickly don't they - one or two up LOL!

[@CudHppr]

Hey Ben, what clamp are you using to hold your phone on the center column there? Cheers pal, all the best

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Hey Dave - it’s not my clamp. The club fitted it but I know it’s an amalgamation of a go pro mount to the column, which doesn’t fit properly so there’s a Cable tie on one side of it. And the bolt on the other. Than a standard spring loses phone mount with ball joint connection into the go pro style mount. No simple answer on that I’m afraid

[@CudHppr]

@@BenAtkinsonVideos Ha! No dramas, still good to know, gives me a start to fashion one myself! Thanks bud :)

[@ForFunFlyer]

Nice vid, mate! Getting smoother every circuit? 🤙🏻

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Thanks Jolmer mate! Good to hear from you

[@heidbummer274]

Hi Ben, Informative, helpful and entertaining as usual. Its interesting to see your progress on the C42. I found a video by chance on KZbin, posted by Stuart Waite kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGS7hoN7aqyhe9E Its worth looking at, as Stuart's flying in the C42 is a very smooth, using a couple of interesting techniques which make a lot of sense. I hope we can convince Stuart to make a few more video's of this ilk, as they will be helpful to all microlight pilots and in particular those flying the brilliant Ikarus C42. Keep up the good work.

[@BenAtkinsonVideos]

Hey Neil, sorry about the late reply! I like Stuart's channel - its great. Maybe I'll have a go at that style of video too in the near future. Thanks for watching, as ever!! Ben

[@heidbummer274]

Hi Ben, Not a problem, didn't really expect a reply. From my point of view its always helpful to see others do things I can learn from. I would love to see some vids on how your approach to flying has/is changing after qualifying, I thought it interesting in Stuarts vid that his constant trimming during slow and faster flight was useful for qualified pilots. The C42 lends itself to that kind of trimming (trim buttons on stick). The reality is that apart from training wide ranging speed changes in level flight would be little used. Obviously on the GST - not using APT in the correct order would probably mean a fail. I guess that is why pre and post qualifying, our flying changes, often for the better. A case in point - if flying a Cessna/Piper type aircraft climbing at 70kts and levelling out for a cruise speed of 95kts - APT very relevant and useful. In the C42 I take off one stage 60Kts - then clean 70Kts levelling for 70kts cruise. APT not very useful. Any future vids you do on anything you find out/learn about flying will be excellent. What's good, it makes us think. Cheers Neil