Crosswind local

I decided to go for a local after work to keep my hand in as it has been nearly three weeks since my last flight. I guess ‘life’ just kinda gets in the way!

The weather wasn’t ideal, changeable weather, generally overcast cumulus with some dark ones, but nearly broken in places. The wind was my concern, that and on checking the NOTAMs (some people do you know!), I saw that Gloucester had two of the three runways closed for work. On calling them they confirmed that they would remain closed throughout the evening and only 09 / 27 was in use. The wind at midday was given as 340 / 10 – oh great!

On checking when I left work, they were giving 320/10, a fair old crosswind in my light taildragger, but worth a trip to see if it settles as the evening wears on.

I checked out the plane and noted that it hasn’t been flown very much at all in July, just 5 hours or so by two of us, unlike the frenetic June. I noted the shiny new lockable filler caps, not that we have any problems with fuel theft, it’s just that the old ones were hard to get off and had widened the filler neck and were loose and letting in water on one side. The new ones are ace!!

I pulled the plane out and put some fuel in her, not much, just enough to balance her off and add a bit more weight as I was flying solo. They were giving the wind as 300/09, 30 degrees off runway heading, so take half as the crosswind, so a 5 knot crosswind component on the take-off, should be fine.

I called ready after power checks, lined up and applied full power with some into wind aileron and very ready on the rudder pedals. The tail came up, OK all so good, then a small gust must have hit me as we started to wobble. I caught it easily enough with rudder, giving all my attention to a fixed point at the end of the runway to spot left / right wobble as soon as it starts. In fact, I really cannot and do not glance at the airspeed or engine readings as I really can’t afford to take my eye off the external view for even one second. So as usual, I judge take off speed visually and by feel – the RV usually lets you know when she is ready to fly anyway, by hopping up and down like an excited toddler asking if she can go on a ride at the funfair!

Up we went and I levelled out and throttled back at 2600’ heading first to the south west to the bends in the river Severn, then north to Ledbury and the Malverns, thowing in the odd steep turn here and there simply because I can. The lateral visibility is extremely good, I can see clearly into the distant Welsh Hills.

I hear the scheduled flight coming in from the Isle of Man, with the pilot’s German accent. When he on final, I pick up the ATIS and call for a rejoin from Tewkesbury. While I am at it I get a wind check, hmmmm….. 300/11.

Standard overhead join and call downwind. I slow down on base and crank on the flaps once inside flap limiting speed, which take a while to bleed back to. I call final and get the wind again, ahhh…. 290/10, that’s better. So get ready for a little crosswind from the right.

PAPI’s are out, but I find them distracting anyway, so I am pleased about that. Good approach, bit fast, no worry. Over the road and into the displaced threshold. Chop the power and roundout and hold off. Feel for the wind, don’t feel any, mainly headwind. I am light and it takes a while holding off to hear the stall warner at what seems like a ludicrously slow groundspeed. Hold off some more, she touches and I gingerly pull slowly back to lock the tailwheel on the ground all the time ready for any change of crosswind. Gingerly let her roll to a slow walking pace. Well that was one of my better landings though I say it myself!

The Tower advise me to backtrack to A2 when ready and I manage this before the intersection with runway 18/36. It seems all of the taxiways are close for sweeping as well.

Into the ramp and I shutdown at Cotswolds. It is very hot with the canopy closed and I gratefully pop the canopy and for once in the flight, I am grateful for the relatively cool breeze.

Well that cleared the cobwebs, although it was only a short half hour flight. Good bit of gentle crosswind practice.

I must work up to another cross-channel foray, probably in early September, as August is going to be pretty busy, what with a long weekend in Poland at the start of the month and ten days in Newfoundland towards the end of the month with my buddy Dan – better lay off the alcohol from the start of August to get my liver in training!