Sunday, November 28, 2010

Local on a cold day

I had booked to fly on Saturday, but the weather was very cold, a bit breezy and murky visibility. I was still up for a trip to the airfield, but as I was scraping the ice off the car, it started to snow so that was it, way too many risk factors, so scrap that. Sunday was a beautiful, if very cold day. No wind and a little cold mist, but likely to disappear as the day wore on. I checked the booking system and to my surprise, there were no booking for the plane today, so I took two hours until lunchtime and headed off for the 20 minute drive to the airfield.

I was out to the hangar and carried out the A-check in freezing conditions, literally -4 degrees, it would remain sub-zero all day. By the end of the check, my fingers had ceased to work, but I carried on and opened the hangar doors and carefully edged the plane out past the Cessna Citation jet parked where it makes the move the most difficult. It took me five attempts to get it past the jet so that the wingtip cleared the hangar door frame on one side and cleared under the wing of the jet on the other. So it was back into the clubhouse for a coffee and book out and give my fingers time to come back to life!

I climbed in and buttoned up. Fortunately, although it was so cold, the canopy didn’t mist up with my breath. The engine eventually caught at the fourth attempt and much priming. The ATIS was giving runway 09, the one furthest away. Having said that, probably not a bad idea as the taxi around would give the oil enough time to come up to the 40 degrees minimum we need for take off.

At the hold for C1 at 09 where I turned for my run up checks, I noticed two deeply gouged furrows in the turf to the right of the runway that went on for many metres and wondered what had made them, surely not an aircraft? The power checks were fine but the oil had still not come up to temperature. I pulled up to the hold and watched the oil temperature count off until it was right, then called ready for departure. The tower asked if I was ready for an immediate departure. I replied with a crisp ‘affirm’ and was given immediate clearance while another aircraft turned final.

Malvern Ridge from 4000' on a cold but very clear day - and no - none of these photographs are in any way photoshopped or 'improved', it really was that clear!
Malvern Ridge on a cold day

I was hopping along the runway in very short order, the aircraft performance even more sparking given the relatively light fuel load, only me on board and the very cold and therefore dense air. I climbed and made a left turnout heading for the Malverns. I levelled out at just over 4000’ and marvelled at the near unlimited visibility up here. Once I was past 2500’ I was out of the low murk, almost like getting n top of an inversion layer, once on top the vis was awesome. I could easily see the Welsh Hill in the distance with a dusting of snow on them.

Bredon Hill on a lovely cold day
Bredon Hill on a cold day

Basically, I just poodled about, cranked in a few steep turns for the hell of it and took several photographs, trying for various different effects. I also discovered that the heater is pretty ineffective, to the point that I tried switching it off thinking it might be warmer without the draft, I was wrong, but only just - the heating effect was marginal. I think my farts were heating the air inside the plane every bit as effectively! The Malverns looked lovely close up, then I set course to Bredon Hill and the Cotswolds around Winchcombe. I picked up the ATIS and headed back to Bredon Hill for my run back to the airport. I had heard a few aircraft calling for joining at Gloucester and formed a mental picture in my mind of where they were and roughly when they would arrive at the airport and delayed my call so that I would not add to a sudden knot of aircraft all arriving at once.

Looking south towards Gloucestershire on a very cold, clear day
Into the sun on a cold day

I called and as usual was set for a standard overhead join for 09 and to report at three miles. I ran in to Gloucester and did my approach checks and descended to 2000’ on the QFE. At three miles I was told to report downwind. I dropped from 2000’ to 1000’ on the deadside descent and crossed the upwind numbers at 1000’ as normal. By the time I got my call in, it was late downwind and I could see the traffic I was following had just turned a long-ish final as I turned base. I was a bit high, so power off and let the airspeed bleed back to flap limiting speed, then crank on both stages of flap. I turned final with the traffic in front now on short-ish final. I was still high, so side-slipped some of that off. When I unwound from the side-slip, I called final, noting that the training aircraft in front was about to land pretty much on the numbers and would therefore not technically be clear at the far end of the runway by the time I wanted to touch down myself. I was relieved when the tower gave me a ‘land-after’ which I was happy to accept.

I rounded out probably a bit high, but no matter, I ‘felt’ the aircraft down to a sensible hold-off height and started to hold off. I don’t recall hearing the stall warner (although it was working fine on the pre-flight check), but then I knew I was light and the air was thick, so probably I was still flying, so I held off more. The wheels touched very lightly before I wanted them to, so held off some more. Before I knew it, I was down and on the wheels (wow, that was gentle!), and pulling the stick progressively all the way back to make sure the tailwheel was anchored onto the runway. Not that I needed to worry too much as there wasn’t the slightest breath of wind, but it is all good handling.

I didn’t think I landed that short, but it was a fair old trundle to the end of the runway for the exit at A2 and I was hoping that I wasn’t holding anyone up behind me.

I taxied in and shut down. As I jumped out to get the towbar, Steve Noudjiam trundled up in his world record breaking RV7 and gave me some sign language. I thought he was asking me to leave my plane where it was as he was behind me in the hangar. Strange, I thought he vacated that hangar a month ago. I wasn’t sure so indicated that I didn’t understand. He popped the canopy and said he was in the hangar for another month and it was OK, he would put my plane away after his as he wanted to run his engine for while as it hadn’t been used for over a month.

I was fine with that. I wandered into the hangar and did the paper work and shut the plane down properly. By the time I had finished flapping around and was headed back to the clubhouse, I heard Steve chop the power to his RV7, so I walked back as two of us putting the planes away past the Citation still making it tough was a good idea.

No sooner had we put his away and nearly put mine away, then the new member of our group appeared wanting to take the plane out. No problem, so we wheeled it out for him. When I booked, I was the only booking that day, but apparently he had seen my booking and thought he would take a slot right after me – good thinking, the engine is nice and warm and the A-check is done – why hadn’t I thought of that?

I stopped in the clubhouse for a coffee and a warm up. In conversation with a few people there, I discovered the secret of the deep ruts near runway 09. It turns out that they were made by G-EWHT, the ‘nice’ Cotswold Robin that I have flown aerobatics in. It turns out that it made a ‘heavy’ night landing off the runway, then banged up over the runway lip onto the runway and the pilot taxied it back in. By ‘heavy’, because the plane is aerobatic, it is equipped with a ‘G’ meter, the meter read -3 and +9! Given that it is maximum rated to +6, that was one hell of a heavy landing. I was surprised the wheels and legs were still on and not through the wings. However, all is not well as apparently there was creasing to the aircraft skin and it turns out that there is twisting to a couple of the ribs and the firewall. I wasn’t so much a heavy landing as a crash where the wheels and legs stayed on!

What a shame. The plane is due for an insurance company inspection on Monday but it wasn’t looking promising, get ready for an insurance write off of the nicest plane in the Cotswold fleet.

On the way home, I was thinking about the various aircraft I have flown and realised that five of the aircraft that I had now flown had been involved in various accident, two of them (if this one is) having to be written off. I hasten to add that I was present at only one of the accidents, where I was in the right hand seat as the non-handling pilot – so as Bart Simpson would say ‘It wasn’t me – you can’t prove it!’.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Brecon beacons

I am just on my winter flying schedule now, mainly locals to keep my hand in with the odd nearby landaway if the weather looks really good. Well the weather was really lousy in the week leading up to Saturday, high winds and rain, but Saturday was virtually perfect, slight wind (straight down the runway), virtually clear and sunny sky and unlimited visibility.

I decided on a local, but to fly around the nearby Welsh Hill and Brecon Beacons just for the hell of it, especially as the wind was light, so there shouldn’t be much chop or rotor on the leeside of the hills. We took off from runway 22 with the wind 230 / 07. Climbed to 4500’ and headed west.

Herefordshire from 4000' on a lovely day
Herefordshire from 4000'

I threaded my way carefully through the two prohibited zones that the SAS use. I tightened my harness just in case of turbulence and headed down the Wye valley to Hay-on-Wye and into Wales proper. I was down to about 3500’ by now and dodging the odd small cumulus cloud, or maybe going through it. We cut across and carried on the Brecon and moved into the hills to the south of Brecon for a low level plan along the highlands and crests. There were loads of mountain bikers enjoying themselves on the rough tracks. I was really enjoying myself, just poling around low-ish level doing nothing in particular and enjoying the view.

Brecon beacons
Brecon beacons

We did this for a few minutes, then headed out and back towards base via Abergavenny. I picked up the ATIS and listened in to Gloucester who now seemed pretty busy. I called for rejoin and was asked to report at three miles. As I was about to call 3 miles, I heard two others also call at three miles, albeit joining from different directions. Instead I called and told Gloucester where I was and that I would do an orbit or two to let the others get well ahead and space myself out a bit.

Orbits complete, I joined for a standard overhead join. The circuit was busy alright as we passed overhead on the crosswind a plane taking off underneath us. There was no contention as I kept it very tight to the upwind end of the runway. I called downwind and could see two ahead, one ahead of me downwind and another well outside, possibly on a downwind, but one that was outside the zone, so could be another ‘bomber circuit’. The guy outside called orbiting at the end of the downwind for spacing, so I slotted in as number two behind the guy in front who was now on base. I turned base and tried to slow down a bit so I was properly spaced to the guy in front.

I managed it, although I didn’t get a ‘land after’ until I was pretty much over the hedge, but at least the tower did warn me to expect a late clearance. I flared slightly high, but no matter as the plane eased down, stall warner now blaring. I held her off and off until she finally gave up flying and settled into a nice, fully stalled landing. I kept the speed up to vacate as normal, but I think the guy behind me had gotten too close and had to go around.

Taxiing in there was a lovely Stearman warming the engine – wow, he was going to be cold today in that open cockpit! A very pleasant flight on a lovely flying day – can’t beat it!

Lovely Stearman at Gloucester
Boeing Stearman

Monday, November 01, 2010

Halfpenny Green

I booked the plane for Saturday morning, hoping for good weather and vaguely planning a brief landaway. The days leading up to Saturday were far from promising, with high winds, low cloud and occasional rain, but Saturday turned out almost perfect, light wind, clear skies with maybe a few very scattered flat cumulus clouds starting to form.

I met up with Rob (my daughter’s boyfriend) at the airport and I had already checked the plane out. He helped me pull it out of the hangar and I started up and taxied over to the pumps as there was barely enough fuel for a couple of circuits, with one tank virtually dry. I called for taxi clearance after I had put some 70 litres in and was told that I hadn’t booked out – ah! I thought it was all going a bit too smoothly, UI had forgotten. The guy in ATC relented as he wasn’t too busy and took my details over the radio. I taxied to the hold for 22 and did the power checks carefully, as the previous pilot had reported engine rough running while on the right tank, from the description, almost certainly carb icing, but can’t be too careful. The engine and tank were fine.

Line up, power up, dance on the peddles to keep her straight down the runway, tail up and keep her down. She starts to skip, hold her down a bit more, still only looking down the runway and judging the airspeed by sight and the engine by sound. I daren’t take my eyes off the end of the runway for a second for fear of the plane starting to weathercock in that moment – I think most taildragger pilots would say the same thing, maybe I should ask them? Anyway, we are easily up and climbing to the right heading north as I have decided to pop into Wolverhampton / Halfpenny Green airport, as I haven’t been there since I was training in 2001.

We climb to 4500’ and I let Rob have a play with the controls. He isn’t bad at all, but betrays that he is a ‘Flight Simulator Pilot’ by the way he only ever looks at the instruments and does not fly by visual reference. I give him the usual patter about how to fly visually. It is only a short run to Wolverhampton and I take care to avoid flying anywhere near the Birmingham control zone. I call up Wolverhampton and see that they are operating on runway 16. I ask about the wind and they say it is 150/08 – OK fine, just different from Gloucester who were giving 200/08. By the time I spot the airfield, we are virtually on top of it and still at 4000’. So I opt for a standard overhead join which goes pretty well. They are very quiet and there is only one other aircraft moving down there. On base I hear someone calling ready for departure and on final I see him lining up. No bother as In continue my approach. I get the expected ‘lad at your discretion’ (this is an INFO tower, not a controlled airport). The guy on the end of the runway starts moving, so I continue. He is well clear and airborne as I come in for the landing. Approach has been good, bit fast, but I hold off well. The stall warner is screaming, hold off some more and when we touch it is barely a touch and we stay down and solid and roll slowly to the end of the runway (as that is the quickest taxi to parking). Well that was about as close to a ‘greaser’ as you can probably get in an RV6 (certainly as close as I ever get!).

Rob and G-GDRV at Halfpenny Green Airport
Photobucket

The INFO guys are very helpful and talk me around the route to parking, not that I needed it, but a nice touch, but then they weren’t busy. We park up on hard standing by the tower and shut down. It is a beautiful day as I head to the tower to pay the landing fee, while Rob explores the delights of the café, in the tower building, but one floor below. The guys in the tower are very friendly and seem keen to encourage return visits. I explain that I haven’t been here for eight years or so and quickly explain that it is only because it is so close to Gloucester that it is a bit embarrassing, a bit like a trip to Kemble, a mere ten minutes away – some intrepid aviator! They mention my plane and say that Manuel had it based at Wolverhampton while he was preparing it for his round-the-world flight.

The airport café is basic but very nice. Good choice of food as I opt for the mandatory toasted bacon sandwich and coffee (I have never quite got the hang of tea, despite living in the UK most of my life). Rob pays for the meals as he has a burger and fries brunch. We chat away watching the very odd aircraft come and go, it is pretty quiet here.

I know that I only have the plane booked until midday but I don’t know if anyone has booked it after me. But as a good group member, I won’t push it and assume I can simply roll up late, so I call time as we saddle up for the return trip. We trundle around the taxiway behind a Cabair PA28 (presumably on a training flight), so I give him lots of space in case he stops suddenly or does something unexpected. I complete my power checks sat behind the PA28 and call ‘ready for departure in turn’. I could taxi past the PA28 on part of the taxiway that looks a lot less used, but I am not stressed about it. The instructor in the PA28 twigs and radios that he will pull forward so I can get past – how nice!

I line up, apply power and I am away on runway 16. I modest right turn puts us on track for Gloucester and well clear of Birmingham zone. Up to 4500’ again as we trundle over the Malverns for a quick look. I get the ATIS and call Gloucester for a rejoin. There are a couple of aircraft calling for a join at the same time and I note in particular a PA28 joining the overhead from the opposite direction a little closer than me. I call as instructed at three miles and hear the PA28 call three miles a few seconds before me. OK, I don’t like this and tell / offer APP that I will do one orbit at three miles to let the PA28 get well into the overhead before we potentially jostle for position. Orbit complete, I join and call for deadside descent, which I am given. Gloucester do seem to like to police the circuit and they ask where I am when I am in the crosswind. I can see the other aircraft and we seem to be pretty well sorted out. I call downwind and complete the pre-landing checks. On base Rob notices the PA28 so far out that at first I assume he isn’t in the circuit. It dawns on me that he is and I take my base wide to try to get behind him. I do get behind but I am closer than I would like. It turns out he is doing a T&G, so it will probably be OK. TWR tell me to expect a late clearance as I bring the speed back as much as I dare.

Worcestershire from 4500' on a beautiful flying day!
Photobucket

On very short final I am cleared to land. I flare and set up for the hold off with the power off. Looking good, stall warner starts with a chirrup, but we touch very gently before I would like. We hop slightly, more chirruping and we touch again, but a bit harder – OK this is a bounce now. In probably no more than three seconds I weigh up my options as I don’t like this, it feels like one where the bounces will get bigger and bigger. So do I carry on and try to control the bounces, apply power and go around or apply a shot of power and try the hold off again. I opt for the third option and smooth out the bounce and re-flare (this is what I did at Avignon fighting a nasty gusting crosswind) as I have plenty of runway on 22 and it is not problem to turn off at the end anyway. This works pretty well and my ‘second landing’ from the same approach works well. Oh well, good practice I guess.

We taxi in and shutdown only a few minutes past midday on a perfect flying day. Do we wheel it back into the hangar and put the plane back to bed. As it turns out later, no one else had it booked, which I found surprising on such a great day. I really should have checked this and I wouldn’t have minded a detour to fly around the Welsh Hills on the way back and see if we could spot the SAS troopers sweating their cods off on Pen-y-Fan, but maybe another day.