Approach into Stockholm City

A short update on my educational status:

19 hours VFR Single Engine
40 hours IFR Single Engine (7 hours to go)
6 hours VFR Multi Engine
15 hours IFR Multi Engine


Departure: Torp, Sandefjord Norway
Destination: Bromma, Stockholm Sweden
ETD: 06:30 LT
ETA: 08:45 LT

Fuel was arranged the night before. We where leaving so early, waiting for fuel in the morning was not an option. Me, my dad and a friend boarded the aircraft after the pre-flight inspection. I soon completed the checklists for start-up, and we got a taxi clearance for run-up.

After rotation at 55 KIAS, we lifted off into smooth morning air. Convection has yet to start, and the wind was calm, as it usually is in a high pressure system. We where cleared FL 95 direct AKIBA, an IFR reporting point placed on the FIR boundary between Norway and Sweden.

Tønsbergfjorden

After passing the Swedish border, we continued in the "butter-smooth" morning air, getting rid of about 8 US GALs of fuel an hour. With the one axis autopilot engaged, the only thing I needed to think about heading-wise was to adjust the directional gyro for apparent drift. The earth continues to rotate at 15º of longitude an hour, which is corrected with a "latitude nut" in the gyro system. The nut is adjusted according to the aircraft's stationed latitude, and precesses the gyro in the same direction as the earth rotation, canceling apparent drift. But there are other errors, like real drift (friction and such), and with the latitude shifting, it needs to be adjusted often.

High pressure subsidence keeps the polluted factory-smoke in low levels

Karlskoga Airport

Coming up to Stockholm TMA, we got our descent clearance inbound Bromma. The airport, being placed in the middle of Stockholm city, was filled with restriction areas. Condoleezza Rice visited the city this weekend, and there was a total of five restriction areas to dodge on the approach, which opted for an exciting landing.

Target rate-of-descent: 500 fpm

This is the turn for downwind

Before landing checklist complete, setting 10 degrees of flaps on downwind as we were cleared to land. I set the LLZ frequency to confirm the right runway, which is a nice safety feature on unfamiliar airports.

Downwind

Turning base, enjoying the freedom of traffic free air, while seeing the traffic jammed highway

Final Approach

We landed 08:50 LT, giving us five hours of shopping and eating in this beautiful city. A bus gave us easy transport to several large shopping centers, no more than 5 minutes from the airport! Enjoy the last picture.