I called by daughters ex-boyfriend and he was at a loose end so we met up early on Sunday morning at the airfield. The weather was warm and sunny with no clouds, blue skies and virtually no wind. A non-pilot would think it was perfect flying weather, but looking at the lateral visibility showed haze and much reduced lateral visibility, certainly less than 10km. So my view was that it should be OK and I might be able to get on top of the inversion layer, but in any event, I was OK with it, even though it would give ‘goldfish bowl’ type visibility.
I did check the NOTAM’s courtesy of SykDemon Light and checked the TAF’s and METARs for airfields en-route. They seemed to be saying that it was CAVOK out east, so perhaps it was better on that side of the country. I quickly planned a route to Wickenby (North East of Lincoln in Lincolnshire, North of the Wash) for the simple fact that running the engine hard as I have to (still running the new cylinder in) and for ideally at least bone hour legs, meant I needed somewhere far enough away at the 160 – 170kts the plane was flying at 75% power, and Wickenby fitted the bill. I have also never been there and it has a couple of shorter runways (around 500m or tarmac), so a bit of added spice for interest.
We topped up with fuel and I made a point of putting the fuel caps on my seat so I wouldn’t forget to put them back on – worked a treat! I lined up on 27 and applied power and we were off. A clean take-off and hold her down to pick up speed, then cruise climb at 110 – 120kts for better cooling. Climbing to 5000’ showed me that the visibility was indeed not good at all. I was finding my heading drifting as I didn’t have a horizon at all and fell for some of the conflicting visual queues and put the plane in a slight bank. I rebuked myself as I should know better and instead started checking the Attitude Indicator and Direction Indicator carefully a lot more frequently, in effect, dusting down my lapsed IMC rating skills, but hey – fun for that!
I settled in at 5000’ and headed for DTY. My forward visibility was pretty horrible, I wasn’t at all sure that this ‘see and avoid’ thing was going to be of any real use to me, so I was relying on ‘big sky’ theory as much as anything! I contacted Coventry Approach who were as helpful and professional as ever. Approaching DTY they warned me about the 4500’ ceiling for controlled airspace. Damn, I did plan the route and looked carefully at the various bit of controlled airspace and for the life of me I spotted the 5500’ bit but not the 4500’ bit. Had it not been for me squawking Mode S (i.e. passing my altitude), and Coventry warning me, I would have busted the airspace – thank you Coventry. In the blink of an eye (but without negative G!), I descended to 4400’ and held it there until they confirmed I was clear, when I climbed again to 5000’.
I changed to Waddington LARS to help me over the mess of military airfields in the area (courtesy of WW2 when this part of the country was ‘bombing central’). I was way over their airspace anyway, but it’s good to talk. Near Waddington I advised them that I wanted a gradual cruise descent to 2000’ into Wickenby and they were fine with that. I tried Wickenby a couple of time for airfield information on the standby box, but got no reply. I know they are a ‘Radio’ and just assumed that they were either unmanned or more likely on a weak, handheld Icom, so I couldn’t hear them.
At ten mile to run, I switched from Waddington to Wickenby and got the airfield information. They were using runway 32, so I would be OK for a left base direct join. There was no one else on frequency, so I wasn’t worried about barging into a busy circuit. I announced my intentions, as I scanned hard for the airfield. For the life of me I couldn’t see it. I knew exactly where it should be and was looking there. Then it dawned on me that the disused WW2 triangular-type airfield that I was looking at WAS Wickenby, but that the two short ‘X’ configured runways were the small remnant of the much larger disused set of runways I was looking at – DOH! I realised I was too high to loose the height to get in direct so flew along the runway at 2000’ and joined the left hand circuit descending on the crosswind.
Wickenby EGNW
This was going well. I called final as I set up for what looked like a really short runway (well, compared with Gloucester’s 1000m runways, it was short, one gets spoiled at Gloucester). I got the speed nailed, but was a bit high. A little sideslip sorted that out. Ooops, a bit low now, add some power – better, back on, power down and hold that approach. Over the public road, good job there were no triple decker buses going past at the time. Drag her in over the displaced threshold and flare and hold off. Past the numbers and still holding off, stall warner squealing (good). WE touch softly (maybe slightly tailwheel first), I dip the wing a bit, but bring it back, we stay touched and I let her roll to a taxi speed about 70-100m past the intersection – so landed on a 500m hard runway with 250m to spare on my first try – happy with that! Backtrack and look for the exit near the intersection of the runways. I ask on the radio for help and just then spot the grass taxiway. We taxi in to the parking spot indicated and park up. I shut down and pop the canopy as quickly as I can as the heat really builds up fast in this bubble canopy.
Wickenby tower and cafe
With the engine stopped and the canopy open we are greeted by – nothing at all – no sound, just sweet, warm air and gratifying silence! Wonderful!
We pop out and I pay the fee at the portacabin next to the tower. The guy on the radio if the only guy there that day so he is on the Icom and not on the more powerful radio in the tower as he is also doing the fuel and everything else. We pay the entirely reasonable £10 fee and head to the café on the ground floor of the old WW2 tower. The guys in the café are very friendly and welcoming and whistle up a bacon bap and tea in short order. I have a chat with the guy in the café and he tells me that there is an amazing Sbach extreme aerobatics plane around the corner, so we head off to have a look. A real beauty she was too!
We wander to the main gate to see the WW2 memorial. On the way a couple of guys are pulling out some WW2 Austers in full military marking – lovely, I want one (actually I probably want a J3 Cub in USAAC markings, but maybe some day!)! Walking back to the tower, we see the Sbach take off and pull some low level aerobatics as it headed south, and why not?
Wickenby WW2 memorial
Back in the tower, we wander up to the first floor where there is a nice little WW2 museum with all sort of memorabilia.
Wickenby museum
I check the map and looking carefully, I can now see the small 4500’ bit of airspace the guy in Coventry was referring to, damn that’s a tricky one to see! I don’t want to make a full day of this, so after just over one hour on the ground we mount up again and take off. I climb again to 5000’ but find that some very scattered cumulus has now developed, so after going through a few of these on instruments, I decide to drop to 4500’ which I will have to at Daventry anyway. The visibility hasn’t improved and I am partially on instruments due to the goldfish bowl visibility.
Cloudscape at 4500'
Past DTY now and both Rob and I spot a black speck at the same altitude at my 1 o’clock. I quickly put the plane into a left turn in time to see a large black bird whizz past on our right, that wouldn’t have helped the canopy! We spot a glider below and I again alter course. I pick up Gloucester ATIS who are giving runway 09 in nil wind. I ask for an am given a direct downwind join. I come in behind another aircraft, but find I am gaining too quickly on it. I am about to ask for an orbit for spacing when Gloucester call up and ask if I need a orbit (well spotted guys). One orbit later I continue, but find that the aircraft in front went wide and is still on one mile final. I am forced out wider that I would normally to maintain spacing. I call final and get the expected ‘Continue approach’. He is down on the runway as I am approaching short final. I concentrate on my approach and resolve to land long as I need to get to the far end of the runway to turn off and I don’t want to force anyone behind me to go around while I trundle along the runway having landed near the numbers.
I get a ‘land-after’, then the guy on the runway asks for a backtrack – isn’t he listening to the RT? Doesn’t he have any situational awareness? The tower decline the request and point out that I am right on his tail. I land long as I wanted and make a decent landing. We trundle into parking as I do the post-landings off the runway and loosen the straps so I can see over the nose (I can do this if I crane my neck, so I don’t really need to weave). We park up and shut down. Rob knows the score and quickly gets the hangar doors open while I faff about. We push her back in and I do the post-flight paperwork.
A reasonable flight, but somewhat marred by the poor visibility. Wickenby is a really nice and friendly airfield and I was pleased to have gone there.
