James Stewart memorial flight

For some time now, I have been hoping to take in a couple of airfields I haven’t been to before in Norfolk. Part of this is also around my interest in military history, in this case both were bomber bases for the US Army Air Corps in WW2, AND both were the bases that a certain Hollywood ‘great’, James Stewart, flew from during the war.

The weather during the week had been appalling, strong winds and rain showers, but oddly it was always forecast to be calm and clear on Sunday. I awoke with my usual healthy degree of scepticism with UK weather forecasts, but in this case they got it right. OK, not quite clear skies, but scattered fluffy cumulus and best of all from a taildragging point of view, virtually nil wind!

I met up at the airfield with a fellow pilot (and on this occasion, self-loading ballast), Gavin, who has just returned to flying after three months off with a snapped Achilles tendon (nasty).

I had the route planned for weeks and had already checked the NOTAMs during the week, so we were good to go. The plan was to fly from Gloucester via DTY VOR then track towards Norwich airport, neatly slotting between Lakenheath and Marham MATZ’s to land first at Old Buckenham, then onto Tibenham a few miles away then back. All at FL40 if possible. I had planned the route some time ago and had all the changes of frequency marked, circuit directions, the lot. I called as requested for PPR and was told that there was intensive parachute activity at Old Buck and to call some ten miles from their ATZ.

The weight and balance with two of us bigger guys in did not make for happy reading, with room for a meagre, but entirely sufficient 70 litres, so we stuck 30 litres in at the pumps and took off on 27 at about 11:00.

My plan called for FL40, but it was either 3500’ odd or FL60 above the thick but broken cumulus. I opted for FL60 and called for a ‘basic service’ from Coventry. I was soon forced up to FL65. From earlier trips, I recalled a vague notion that there was controlled airspace around DTY at maybe FL55. A check on the map and it looked like we would easily miss it.



I still had a nagging doubt when Coventry called me and said if I continued on track at the current FL for another 5 miles, I would be in controlled airspace. Without hesitation, I confirmed a circling descent back to below the clouds at 3500’. Once established there, a close look at the map showed that I was right AND wrong (i.e. therefore wrong!). The bit I had spotted dropping into BHX would have been fine, but there was a small area of controlled airspace at FL55 right by the VOR. Lesson learned – plan the flight and fly the plan – always go through your long planned route on the day of the flight to refresh yourself on min / max altitudes etc. Some people now question ATSOCAS and debate the value of a ‘basic service’ – well, it certainly helped me on this occasion!

Abeam Northampton, I bade farewell to the helpful but relatively quiet Coventry and switched to a listening watch onto Lakenheath MATZ. Gavin and I were astonished at the apparently huge new ‘hard’ runway at Sywell / Northampton. I knew they had a planning application in, but I didn’t know they had built it now – wow!

We bumbled along at 3300’ odd keeping a sharp lookout for traffic. We saw some, usually below us and certainly no conflict. We were going to thread the gap between Lakenheath and Marham MATZ on a direct track to Norwich until some 15 miles to run, then turn SE to Old Buck.



As it turned out, I decided to orbit Shipdam at 3000’ whiole I called Old Buck for airfield information and the latest on para-dropping. They were OK for me to approach and suggested a downwind right join for 25. We started towards Old Buck, mindful that an overhead join was not allowed (one of the few occasions where I WOULD like an overhead join is at a new airfield!).

We both squinted and instinctively leaned forward to reduce the visual distance by about one foot (like you do!) to try to spot the airfield. It was probably lurking in the shadow of a cloud on an otherwise sunny day. I spotted where it must be and saw large buildings, but no runway. Then we spotted the Jodel that called a few minutes before us as I decided to slot in behind and follow him on the assumption that he knew where he was going! He certainly did as we spotted long sheds aligned with the correct runway heading, which on closer examination were obviously built on part of what must have been the HUGE original runway.



I was a bit too close to the Jodel so called that I was setting up for an orbit on final. That complete we resumed approach. The displaced threshold for 25 is VERY rough and we avoided that for a decent landing. The guy on the radio gave us very helpful taxi instructions to park on the very smooth and neatly mown grass.

We parked up and paid the landing fee, a very reasonable £10 IIRC. The café is basic but clean and with very prompt and friendly service. We took the bacon roll and tea outside to the picnic tables arranged on the grass overlooking the runway (very much like Compton Abbas, and Old Buck definitely reminded me of Compton somehow). It was such a perfect day and such a friendly and generally pleasant airfield, we both remarked that this was flying as it should be – friendly, unfussy and relaxed.

There was a lot of WW2 memorabilia and photos around, including of course James Stewart, who we the Executive Officer here for the Liberator group based here.



Their fuel bowser developed a few problems so I couldn’t refuel as planned. I did want to refuel here as the Flyer Forum fuel survey indicates that it has very reasonably priced fuel. Instead we mounted up somewhat reluctantly, having obtained PPR from Tibenham for the short hop some 5 nm away to Tibenham.

We departed on 25 and did a climbing right turn out of the ATZ to climb to some 2000’ to spot Tibenham. This we did easily as it has three huge black tarmac runways in the classic triangle arrangement. I called on the radio and got some information, basically to say they were using runway 33 for gliding. I approached and got myself oriented with the runways. There were cars and (as it turned out) a glider control cabin on runway 08/26, so clearly that was out, so I slotted in for runway 33 right hand downwind. I spotted a glider on final and was warned about this by the Radio. I continued until final and saw that the glider had come to a halt on the runway by the intersection with 08/26 and wasn’t moving. Then it dawned on me that of course gliders didn’t normally taxi off themselves, but needed man-handling – DOH! So I did a go around. At the same time, I heard another aircraft declare final and land on 03. Tibenham Radio suggested I did a right turn onto downwind for 03 and landed there instead. The windsock was barely moving so that is what I went for.

Man, the runways are HUGE! A decent landing had me down on 03 and the very helpful Radio operator gave me suggested taxi routing to hold by the gliding control cabin while they recovered the glider on 33. Once clear, I carried on and parked up outside the brick building near the clubhouse that turned out to be the AVGAS store.

We shut down and clambered out. There was some sort of MG rally going on as we inspected the poignant war memorial to the 445th US AAC Bombardment Group who flew Liberators from here in WW2 (again, along with the famous actor, James Stewart).



They were again very friendly and helpful in and outside the clubhouse. The glider towing pilot helped us to put 40 litres in the tanks (at a pretty expensive rate I have to say) and I settled up in the clubhouse.

This was only a flying visit as I said to another group member that I would try to get back by 16:00.

We mounted up and cleared the area, heading north to Shipdam then set a direct track to DTY at about 3400’.

We had a listening watch on Lakenheath as we sat happy as sandpipers at 3300’ below some very scattered and thin fair-weather cumulus. The trip back was uneventful, apart from an encounter with a glider not far from a gliding field (yes, that did alert me to keep a particular look out). I suspect we both saw each other as I skirted around him and he continued doing tight orbits, obviously trying for lift in a thermal.

Gloucester were still on a single combined frequency, so busy, but not frantically so. We got a standard overhead join for 27. Going crosswind, we spotted a PA28 in the circuit outside us to our left, so kept a close eye on him. We turned downwind in the usual place and he just kept going. I thought maybe he was departing the circuit. I called downwind only to then see him also turning ‘downwind’ waaaayyyyy outside us – I mean as bomber circuits go, this was mega! He HAD to have been outside the ATZ on the ‘downwind’ leg!

I turned base and called final. There was minimal wind. I made the mistake of coming in a little too fast this time. Well the RV will punish you for this with a very long floooooooaaaaaat! And so it did! I sat there feeling (and probably looking) like a numpty until the RV had humiliated me sufficiently with the tower and assembled onlookers and decided to sound the stall warner and deign to land. Bit of a bounce, nothing dramatic, then down. In the event, I didn’t go far past the intersection with runway 18 and was given a backtrack to vacate.

A great days flying in wonderful weather. I managed to take in two airfields I had not been to before and give myself a decent refresher on navigation and touring. Ready now for a spot of France with maybe some more UK-based ‘airfield collecting’.

Sudden Dread Syndrome

OK, I made the condition up, but it neatly summarises what I felt on my last flight and feel very occasionally when flying. I just wonder if it happens to others?

Last time it happened was on a commercial flight from Venice back to the UK. We had climbed to, oh I guess 25,000' on a very clear day and I looked down out of the window and had a sudden wave of what I can only describe as 'fear and dread' sweep over me. No panic, sweating or uncontrollable twitching like in the films, just a certainty that the plane was going to blow up or otherwise fall apart, eject me into the air and leave me falling to my death without a parachute - weird or what? It didn't last long, but it did unsettle me and I had to look away.

Now I confess that I am fundamentally scared of heights (or altitude if I have the QNH set), which is mainly why I took up flying - yeah I know, dumb or what. But I have since discovered that many pilots are scared of heights.

Well I didn't think anymore of it until it swept over me again at 8000' in the RV6 over the Malverns. Not as bad as before, but a fleeting irrational fear about being at 8000'. I got over it and descended below the clouds to 3500' odd and felt much better - which is really stupid because a fall from 3500' will kill you just as sure as a fall from 8000' - not that I was going to fall anyway!

I just wonder whether others also feel this on occasion? Hmmmm.... maybe I should get 'professional help' after all!

Local

The plane has now been suitably repaired, signed off and flight tested. Not bad, only three weeks beginning to end.

It was decided that the worst damaged area could be ‘flush patched’ by cutting out the affected part and flush riveting in a new piece. The other damage was pushed out and filled where necessary. A slight dent is still visible, but they did a very nice job. The cost was a not at all unreasonable £200-odd. I’ll post a photo when I remember to take one.

I decided to go up for a local to shake the cobwebs loose. Saturday was already booked all day, but Sunday was free. To allow for other group members to book a decent slot, I booked the plane from 15:00 to 17:00. As it turned out, no one else wanted it, so I started checking it out as 14:30.

The weather was good, with decent visibility and scattered cloud at about 3700’. Winds were 290/10 with runway in use 27.

Nice leisurely walkaround making sure I checked all the boxes. Fuel was fine, some 70l – I could only take a maximum of 87 with me and my passengers weight anyway, so not worth topping up for mere one hour local.

I booked out and we climbed in and strapped in. Startup was easy and I taxied to the customary A2 for 27. Power checks were good and I was asked to hold and line up after the backtracking PA28. This I did and gunned the plane for take off. The tail came up quite quickly and the RV started to hop and skip excitedly down the runway. I held her down to build up speed then eased her off as she seemed to do her best to get to circuit height by the end of the upwind numbers! If you haven’t flown an RV yet, then you probably should – they are so willing and responsive with crisp and light handling – if anything, too sensitive in pitch. Not an ideal ‘stable IFR platform’, but a delight to fly VFR.

We headed west and climbed quickly to the cloudbase at 3700’. There were huge holes in the cloud all round, so I decided to continue the climb to get on top. I levelled out at 8000’ with great views of the undercast. A bit of general handling to blow the cobwebs away while Rob took pictures.



I bumbled around my usual local route, start in the west, fly clockwise over the Malverns, then onto Evesham, Winchcombe, Bishops Cleeve then back to Gloucester.

I descended back to below the clouds north of Bredon Hill and did a low (but entirely legal) circuit of my home village north of Bishops Cleeve for the obligatory photo of the house and happy waving neighbours (at least I think they were happy and waving…..).

I got the ATIS and called for a rejoin. We were given a standard overhead join for 27 right hand. I talked my passenger, Rob through what I was doing. I don’t find this at all distracting as it is what I used to do while learning.



On crossing the upwind numbers at 1000’, I noticed the other aircraft in the circuit a fair way to my left. I would turn downwind around the same time as him, but as he was much further out, I would be a decent way ahead. I asked my passenger to keep a close eye on him as I turned and called downwind. I was given number 1 and turned base as normal.

Power off, carb heat on, bleed the speed back to flap limiting arc and pull on one, then two stages of flaps. Turn final, speed bleeds back from 80kts IAS to 70kts. Call final, cleared to land. Height good, speed good. A bit to the left, get back on centreline.

Look for windsock, can’t see it. Call for spot wind as I seem to be holding the nose to the right to hold the centreline. Sure enough wind is given as 290 / 11, so a slight crosswind from the right. I think this through in my head so I am ready to give left boot and right aileron if a crosswind landing is required.

I hear the PA28 behind me calling final, he is given ‘continue’, so he must be close to me. I put this out of my mind, that is his problem, although I do aim to have landed and stopped in time to take the first turnoff past the 27 displaced threshold rather than roll to the end and force the poor sod to go around.

Over the road and over the displaced threshold. Roundout, chop power. She eases down to a good hold off height. Back on the stick into the holdoff, little more, stall warner chirrups like one of those 1970’s ‘trimphones’. Back on the stick more, stall warner constant. Back more, don’t let it land….don’t let it land….don’t you DARE land……The RV gives up the battle to stay airborne drops the final foot or so for a decent three point landing. I continue to pull the stick back to ‘anchor’ the tailwheel on the ground (something I occasionally forgot in my early days of taildragging, which allowed the plane to skitter drunkenly all over the place. That is the sort of thing you only do once – OK twice in my case!).

I do easily make the first runway intersection with little use of the brakes, aided no doubt by a headwind. I cannot say that I noticed any crosswind, if there was one then I catered for it without particularly thinking about it – not bragging it up, just stating a fact.

We taxi in as I give way to a hover-taxi by a lovely looking green metallic Gazelle helicopter. Park up, shut down and carefully manhandle the plane past the Citation bizjets in the hangar, to the allocated parking slot, hunched up in the front right corner like a scared churchmouse (I have a seriously sad imagination).

A good flight although I now really fancy stretching my wings a bit. Booked and hope for a landaway to Old Buck and Tibenham next Sunday. Then I really must start considering a weekend overnighter to somewhere I haven’t been yet in France. I have a standing invite from a fellow Flyer Forum member which I want to take advantage of, we’ll see.

Honey I crunched the plane!

Not something you ever want to say to fellow group members and the title is in no way intended to convey my feeling – I feel truly terrible as it was 100% my fault.

I visited Little Rissington recently. It is ‘sort of’ open to the flying public, but is owned by the MOD and you have to get PPR and a briefing from a resident maintenance organisation there (Devonair) to land.

This involves reading the flying order book and understanding the taxi rules etc. Basically, most of the historic taxiways joining the three runways are disused and the way you get to the Devonair hangars is to taxi along runway 32 to then end then take a grass taxiway some 100 m or more to the Devonair hangars.

Well, I turned up and landed on 22 and turned off onto 32. I got to the end and for the life of me I couldn’t see a grass taxiway. I did see one of two bollards, but not apparently arranged in a linear manner that indicated a taxiway. I did see a tarmac track with grass patches on it, so I thought that must be what they meant by a grass taxiway. I carefully followed this, weaving in the RV6 as it is a taildragger and the forward visibility (in common with virtually all taildraggers) is poor. I can normally managed by craning my neck, but on this occasion, I decided to ‘play it safe and weave’.

I approached an intersection with another taxiway checking left and right for traffic and obstructions. I spotted one of the folding, low level road signs (you know, the ‘accident here – can you help’ type) on my left and moved slightly to the right to make sure the wing didn’t pass over it – I was clear of it. I heard a cry from my passenger saying ‘STOP’. I looked to my right and stopped a split second later as I saw a shape disappear under the right wing.

Now you see it....


I didn’t feel anything in the aircraft and of course hoped that whatever it was (my passenger said it was another sign of a different type and he didn’t see it as it was edge on until we approached it). Don’t get me wrong, I am not in any way attempting to ‘blame’ my passenger, only to indicate that although both of us were looking, neither of us saw it until the last second - I fly with this guy fairly often and he knows the drill.

So of course I shut down and got out and investigated. I was sick to see that the edge of the sign (made out of car licence plates) has scratched the underside of the wing and as the wing dipped, it lead to a deep scratch, then a dent – in total about 30-35 cm long. We carefully lifted the wing off and man-handled the plane to parking.

Now you dont..... (the feet were nicely concealed by the grass lip)


The dent did not appear to have pierced the metal (although on closer examination later, it did in one place). Well, I was mortified. I would be pretty hacked off if it was my own aircraft, but as it is a group of six, I felt worse. Bottom line is that the chap from Devonair told me that I was on the tarmac taxiway marked as ‘do not use’ – of course from the Devonair hangar, I could clearly see the grass taxiway now and the bollard lines. My only defence is that I did not see it from the end of 32 as the airfield has something of a ‘domed’ shape, so some of the bollards were out of line of sight.

What would / could I have done differently? Well, I did think of calling on the radio for taxi instructions, but dismissed this as it is only a ‘radio’ service, manned by the military, who were on the other side and because of the shape of the airfield, couldn’t see me anyway. What I could and should have done (hindsight being perfect) was to shut down at the end of 32, got out and walked around to be certain. I didn’t do that, so it was my fault. The sign was edge on and devilishly hard to see, we only saw it when ‘it shape changed’ as we approached it, but then I shouldn’t have been there anyway. An expensive lesson learned.

We have since had the aircraft examined by our LAA Engineer who took photos and communicated his repair suggestion with the LAA and gained their approval. We will have the shallow dent beaten out and smoothed and the deeper dent cut and patched with a flush patch (much like an inspection panel). Hopefully this won’t take too long, days not weeks. I will of course bear the full cost of the repair as I hope it is unlikely to exceed the policy excess.

Well, lesson learned. If in doubt, have the courage to shut down and check it out yourself! I guess ‘there are those that have and those that will’. I write this account for the benefit of others who may be able to learn from my mistake. This incident and cracking the perspex cover of a wing tip light is the full extent of my aircraft ‘incidents’ in some 440 hours of flying – so on balance, maybe I am lucky!

Winter flying in the Cotswolds

I had hoped for a quick landaway to Little Rissington, but the worst snowfalls for 20 years pretty much across the country put paid to that. So instead on the Saturday morning slot I had booked, I thought I would take my neighbour to look at the snow (and to see how bad it was around Little Rissington).

Gloucester had manfully stayed open throughout the snowfalls and had the main runway, 27/09 fully cleared. The other two runways and most of the taxiways, were however uncleared, so there was a lot of backtracking on the main runway - never mind, at least they were open. There was minimal to nil wind, so no nasty crosswinds for taildraggers.

We checked the plane out, booked out and primed and primed and primed. About 14 primes on the mixture and two attempts to start saw the Lycoming cough and spluuter into life - no terribly convincing, it doesn't like the cold!

We held at A2 while we did the power checks and allowed time for the oil temperature to rise to 40 degrees. Once it had, I called for departure on 27. Take off was good and we climbed rapridly in the cold air and headed east climing to 2200'. As we neared the Cotswold ridge, 2200' started to look optimistic and I dropped 100'.



The cloudbase was lowering while the uplands of the Cotswolds came towards us. I ducked again to 1700' and got below the cloudbase and proceeded towards Little Rissington. Well, we found it eventually and had it not been for the large hangars, I would never have seen it - it was covered completely in a very thick blanket of snow - so no landaway I guess!



The weather to the north looked good with some sun as we found a large 'hole' in the low cloud. I couldn't resist it, so up we went and were easily VMC on top by 3000'. I continued climbing to 4500;' to get a decent view of the undercast and headed west again.





We were virtually overhead Gloucester again where we found a smaller but big enough hole to get back down again. I dropped to 2000' and stooged around while I collected the ATIS and waited for a training flight to get back to the overhead. I called up and was given a standard overhead join for 27. Although I allowed the Cessna to get within two miles of the airfield before we were within 5, we still seemed to catch him in the overhead. I allowed him to get well ahead and took a wide descent, keeping him in sight all the way.

Well, I should have guessed that it was a particulare flying school as the circuit they did was incredibly wide, so I had to go wide to stay behind. I turned final and lost him in the ground clutter. I stayed out wide about 1.5nm before thinking of turning on final, when I spotted a Cessna at about out height, but further out - I could not believe he was actually in the circuit, but blow me down, there he was. I slowed down and went as wide as I dared, but by 1nm final, I was too close, so I called the tower and they gave me a go around.

This I did and was warned about another training Cessna (same school different plane) just ahead - oh no, here we go again! ATC took pity on me and advised me to turn downwind tighter to the runway (than their 1.5 nm!). This I did and became number 1 - phew! Why the schools teach such HUGE circuits, I really don't know.

Nil wind and a good approach saw a good landing and I backtracked due to there being no cleared taxiways. Parked up and shut down.

Really nice flight and we were gone 1.3 hours just bimbling around for the hell of it.

One of the other group members took the plane off my hands and he told me he couldn't find anywhere else nearby that was open.

Next flight is an all day booking once I get back from Canada. Hopefully, I can try for Old Buckenham and Tibenham.

Brecon Beacons

I had a couple of hours booked on Saturday morning as I was overdue to fly my daughter's boyfried, so off we went. The weather was playing ball. An earlier breeze had settled down to nothing much at all, although it was a little misty.

The plane checked out fine but of course I had to fill up with fuel (I am sure the rest of the group swear they are the only one that ever fill up with fuel as well).

I thought I would do a local to take a look at Wales and the Brecon Beacons. We were given the 'long march of death' to C1 for 09 - Ron thought we were planning on taxying to Brecon! Power checks OK and off we went. The take off was fine in a minimal wind (3-4 kts), but I was surprised to hit a fair bit of chop on climbout until I topped a haze layer at 2500', when it very much smoothed out.



I headed SW for a bit, then west past Ross on Wye towards Abergavenny. We climbed to about 3800', well above the haze layer with a high overcast at, I would guess 15000' - nice and smooth up here, what a great view as we started to see some of the Welsh mountains with their peaks just sticking through the haze layer.

We got to Abergavenny and I decided that it was so nice, that I would wander up the valley to Brecon and check out the Brecon Beacons (much beloved of the SAS special forces, especially their selection process!).



We flew low over Fan-y-Big (Yes, it REALLY is called that - I couldn't make this stuff up!) and scraped over Pen-y-Fan - very exhilarating! I headed NE towards Hay on Wye. About 5 miles past Pen-y-fan, I hit quite a lot of chop, I had managed to get us into a bit of rotor, which surprised me as the wind on the ground was so light - lesson learned! I tightened my shoulder straps (to stop myself getting beaned on the head by a sharp downdraft) and started a climb to climb above it. What a schoolboy error!

Once at Hay, I set course for Credenhill barracks north of Hereford, avoiding the danger area, to pay my respects to the UK's finest! Then onto the Malverns as Rob wanted to use his new camera to get a photo of the beacon as his parents had walked up their onn their visit from Germany late last year.

Time was passing as I approached the end of my booking, so I headed for home via Tewkesbury. I picked up the ATIS and listened out on Glos Approach. It must have been one of those blips as they were as busy as hell, with 'standby's' being given out all over the place and muiltiple aircraft all converging on the Gloucester overhead.

This was made worse by a pompous windbag 'aerial survey' (he seemed very proud of this)chap who decided to refuel at Gloucester. Well of course he didn't get the ATIS first and his radio call on a very busy frequency was full of hugely timewasting 'if you could see you way clear to...' and 'at this moment, currently overhead (what other moment would it be?)' and 'thank you very much indeed sir' and loads of information that no one cared about, like his magnetic heading - oh my God I could go on. Nothing wrong with a bit of civility, but cut the cloth to fit! The frequency was backing up and this windbag obviously loved the sound of his own voice far too much to let anyone get a word in. He continued in this manner pretty much all the way to landing!

I orbited Tewkesbury waiting for the traffic to thin and was given a standby when I called. I spotted the Cotswolds Robin G-BGBA a few hundered feet belowas he also apparently orbited and headed into Gloucester. I lost him in the haze a few minutes before I was cleared to approach. I then started looking hard for G-BA as I could hear that he was also approaching the overhead and I knew I was quicker (even throttled back, I was doing 120kts vs the Robins like 95kts). I felt the hairs on the back of my neck bristle as I decided to drop the nose and do some sharp turns so I could see below me. I was glad I did, as I could now see G-BA in front and below me waggling his wings. He obviously saw me gaining and descending from his bubble canopy, but I couldn't see him because of my low wing and long nose (the aircraft, not mine). I turned and did an orbit for spacing and advised Glos Approach of my actions. It wasn't THAT close, but close enough that had I continued for a minute more, it would have been either very close or he would have been forced to take avoiding action.

I didn't ask for a direct join as they were way too busy and instead followed G-BA in keeping him in my sights at all times while trying to open the gap. I was given left hand circuits for 09 wil minimal wind. I reported crosswind as requested and just turned downwind when 'windbag' was using about three times the word count necessary to say he was at 1500' on his downwind direct join - oh joy, Mr. Pompous 500' above me and itching to descend. He was advised of me and I was by now late downwind. He gave a vague acknowledgement that he could see one aircraft ahead (wonderful! there were TWO aircraft ahead of him, be and G-BA in front of me - I just hoped iot was me he could see!).

I had G-BA in sight as I turned base and cranked in the flaps. I had gained a bit, but I guessed that G-BA was a student pilot under instruction and if so, the instructor would be aware of the traffic piled up behind him and get the student to land long and vacate the runway reasonably quickly. That is what happened as I called final and was thankfully given a 'continue'. There was enough of a gap for an easy land after and I was pleased that the controller offered this. I accepted and focused on landing.

Speed good, height good. Aim past the numbers as I don't want to hold up Mr Windbag or he will lock the tower frequency during a go-around! Held off and off, stall warner blaring, no flying left as we touched - good one. Keep the speed up and I was given a sensible vacate first right onto another runway rather than taxi to the end. This I did and held short of the 27 intersection to allow for a landing aircraft (as instructed).

I taxied back and shutdown. A very fun and satisfying 1.5 hour local. As I put the plane away, the owner of the lovely RV7 that will attempt the 1939 London - Cape Town record wandered into the hangar to do some work on his plane. I was in a hurry so didn't ask him about 'when', but I would love to know so I can be there to see him off - that is one hell of a record to go for.

A very nice flight as I packed the January group record sheets for my first stab at the group books. Next time, I think I'll try a landaway, maybe to Little Rissington as I haven't been there yet - more 'airfield collecting'!

Local skills practice

I had booked the plane for Sunday for a 'tour' of two WW2 bomber bases in East Anglia that the actor, Jimmy Stewart was based at in WW2. But the weather had other plans. With sever weather warnings and gale force winds forecast for Sunday, I thought discretion was the better part of valour and cancelled the Sunday and booked the spare morning slot on Saturday instead (of course in the event, the storm came through quicker than forecast and Sunday was one of the most lovely flying days of the year - typical UK forecast!!).

The weather was forecast to deteriorate during Saturday, but I figured I might get lucky in the morning. For once I did. There was blue sky with very scattered cumulus at 2500' and light winds at about 200/10.

I promised my neighbour a ride, so we set out for the airfield. He is keen to learn to fly on his return to Canada in the summer and already has a couple of lessons booked in the UK to get him started. I bought him the excellent 'Stick and Rudder' book for him to read first. He was interested in seeing a stall, so I figured I might as well do a local with some general handling refreshers for me, as I only had the plane booked until midday.

So I checked tghe plane out and got it ouit of the hangar. Low on fuel (as usual), so off the the pumps first. I took care while taxiing to keep the stick in the correct position and parked into wind at the pumps, although not a howling wind, it was good practice to carry out the correct taxi techniques.

I topped her up to about 3 hours worth of fuel then set off. We were given E1 for 22. Power checks were good and I lined up after a departing Cessna 172 and started the take off run. Stick slightly forward of neutral and feed in right rudder. Tail coming up, bit more right rudder. Hold her down while speed build, then relax back pressure and up she jumps. I am 'catching' the Cessna ahead, but I continue a right turning climb through the circuit height as we head to the north.

Mark wanted to see stalls in action, so we climb to about 4000' between the Malverns and Bredon Hill. First I start with a few normal turns and steep turns and explain to Mark the primary and secondary effect of controls and co-ordinated use of the rudder. The RV really only needs a dab or rudder to get it into and out of the turn, once in, it seems quite happy on ailerons alone (as with most modern, well co-ordinated aircraft).

We move onto stalls. I carry out and explain the HASELL check and do three clean stalls. Power off, carb heat on and maintain altitude by gradually pulling back and back on the stick. The stall warner starts to blare, then at just under 60kts indicated, the stall starts. I allow it to properly develop. The RV has a more pronounced stall that normal training aircraft, that said, it is not scary or viol;ent, just a little bit more obvious than in say, a Cessna or a PA28. It give plenty of warning, but when it does stall, there is a noticeable drop of the nose and it always dropped the lefty wing. I hold the left wing with right rudder, power to full and stick slightly forward of neutral (with the powerful elevators on the RV, if I pushed the stick fully forward we would probably be in a near vertical dive - overdoing it a tad I suspect!)

On one occasion, we took 150' to recover, on the other two, only 100'. I think the stalls got Maqrk's attention and hopefully put into context what he had read in 'Stick and Rudder'.

We did some climbs and descents, then I decided to practice a forced landing. Power off, carb heat on. Trade speed for altitude to get to best glide. Decinde where the wind is coming from and find a field. Although I was near a disused airfield, it was out of range, so I selected a large field, but it was very close and I was way too high. So I orbited the field to lose height and tried to time mu turn into final.

Again, I was way high, so flaps on and some heavy sideslip. I got the picture back and was sure I would have made the field when I spotted someone walking their dog in the otherwise deserted field. I wasn't too far away when I put the power back on for the go around and I hope I didn't scare him too much!

I explained to Mark how sideslipping worked and that it was one of the two main methods used for a crosswind landing, but that crabbing and kicking off with the rudder in the flare seemed to be the one most widely taught at the moment.

All too soon, we had been in the air for one hour and were approaching 11:30. The plane was booked by another group member for 12:00, so I headed back to the field so I could get down and switched off in plenty of time.

I grabbed the ATIS and asked for a direct join. I was told to report at 5 miles as we headed back. I set the plane up for airfield approach and did the 'downwind' checks (it is precisely on direct approaches that people forget to do the 'downwind' checks, because of course there is no 'downwind').

I am in luck, the circuit is not crowded and we get a direct to final join behind a Firefly. I can't see him until some directions from ATC, then Mark spots him. We are far enough back as I slow down and deploy flaps.

I get the wind as 200 / 12 and I am comning in on 22 - this accords with the airsock and I briefly explain how I calculate the crosswind component to Mark. Basically 20 degree off runway heading, with 30 degrees you take half the wind, so in this case guess at a 5 kt crosswind component. Nothing to worry about, but be aware of it and ready to counter with left aileron and right rudder if required.

Nicely established on final as the Firefly touches. I hear ATC asking the Firefly to keep speed up and vacate next left. I am quite confident that he will vacate before I am over the hedge, so I expect a late clearance. The tower instead gives me a 'land after' which I am very happy to accept. Sure enough, the Firefly is off as I come over the hedge anyway.

Start the roundout, power off and flare and hold off, and off and off. Stall warner blaring, off more yet and we touch and stay touched. No noticeable crosswind component as I continue to ease the stick back to the full rearward limit of travel (back in the b*ll*cks as my first instructor so graphically described it) to nail the tailwheel on the gound as we taxi to the exit.

We get her back to the stand as a Citation jet calls for taxi just outside my hangar. I cautiously hold well clear of his jet blast as it would ruin my day if her blew us over. Once he is well clear, we venture forward and shutdown and hangar up.

A nice flight with some skills practice. Not what I really wanted to do, but valuable and fun nevertheless. I'll just put my East Anglia trip on ice for another time, maybe in February when I have a free landing voucher for Tibenham?

Mark has his first couple of lessons booked so I suggest we trot over to Transair to buy him a logbook.



An important moment in learning to fly, that first logbook. And yes Mark, here is that photograph, sorry!

I think my flying plans for 2009 are starting to shape up now. I have tentatively pencilled in the second week in October for a one week trip to visit my brother-in-law's brother who live in Texas and is a retired USAF Colonel and an FAA instructor. I plan on hiring a plane there and doing maybe a three / four day flying tour around interesting places in Texas, hopefully with Canada Dan if he can get the time off. I also plan a couple of weekends in France and maybe a bank holiday weekend to Copenhagen if nthe weather plays ball.

Meanwhile, I am now the Treasurer for the G-GDRV group and am in the process of taking over cheque books and bank statementsb etc. It isn't too tough and I have done it before. I guess it was about time I contributed something to the group.

Checkride in the RV6

With the RV6 now finally out of annual (it has taken since the start of October), I was due for a checkride with an instructor according to group rules (they state that you must have a checkride if you haven’t flown in the RV for 30 days).

So I turned up on a very cold Sunday at Cotswold Aero Club for a checkride with the CFI, Phil Mathews. Now, neither Phil nor I are particularly small guys, and I had to check the weight and balance carefully. Mercifully, the aircraft had just the right amount of fuel for us to be within the dual occupancy overall limit (i.e. not a lot, but enough for circuits).

We booked out and hauled the plane out of the hangar. I primed it carefully, but it was very cold and didn’t start first time. More priming and she fired and caught. We taxied out and ran the power checks at the hold for 27. Hmmmm….. the digital engine monitor showed the correct 1800 rpm, then when I switched either mag off, it jumped around hugely from 1350 to 1650 and pretty much any number in between. The engine note was fine and sounded like a consistent, minimal drop on both sides. I did this a couple of times and Phil agreed, the engine sounded fine, just not the gauges (oh how I hate digital number readouts for rpm – a rare occasion when analogue gauges are far better). Then I remembered the email from Manuel saying that the rpm readout was incorrect on mag drops, it was fine for carb heat check as both mags were on.

So in the vernacular of the AAIB, Phil and I ‘elected’ to continue the flight! It was pretty quiet at the airfield and I was given a quick clearance for take off on 27. I lined up and applied power. Looking carefully ahead and feeding in right rudder as the power came on to hold her on the centreline, the tail came up. I held her down to flying speed, then relaxed forward pressure and up she came eager as always.

I obviously came onto the right 10 degrees noise abatement turn too early as Phil corrected me that I had to be at the end of the runway before starting the turn or I might infringe the active helicopter circuit (I thought I was, but there you go – more care next time).

Up we went with the usual crisp rate of climb and I was at circuit height as I turned crosswind. So power back and turn. I wasn’t too happy with my handling on the first circuit as I climbed to 1200’ QFE before sorting myself out – not impressive height-keeping on my part!

I called downwind and did the checks. I had time to admire the scenery. It was so cold and there was so much frost everywhere that the landscape below looked like one of those artificially coloured black and white photos from the old days, everything had so much colour bleached out of it! Shame I didn’t have time for a photo!

The first landing was OK, not fantastic as I did a slight ‘Spitfire hop’ as I touched too soon, the stall warner was blaring, but it wasn’t yet ready to quit flying. It is amazing how quickly one slips back into bad habits flying nosewheel aircraft as I would of course have ‘got away with that’ in a nosewheel aircraft. Well, at least I anchored the stick back into my b*ll*cks and got the tailwheel firmly on the ground before powering up again. I did feed in right rudder, but found myself onto the left of the centreline – hmmmm… not a great T&G – I’ll do better next time.

Next time was better, but still not perfect, just a very slight hop, nothing to speak of. Take off better, but still not great.

Third T&G was fine and the take off much better. On climb out at about 500’, Phil calmly pulled the throttle and announced ‘let’s have a bit of an engine failure shall we?’

‘Yes – rude not to’ I replied. I quickly pushed the nose over, set up for glide and pointed at a decent field just to the left of my line and said ‘THERE!’. I was high, so I pulled on flaps and started to lose height. Then I noticed power lines in the field, but fortunately running directly in line with my landing run, so I could easily land alongside them. We continued until it was clear that I should be able to make it if I sideslipped off some height as I was starting to do, when Phil called for me to continue, but to fly straight ahead to 1000’, then turn and carry on climbing to 1500’ to the downwind for 27. This was going to be a glide PFL from the downwind.

I reached the desired height and location and Phil pulled the power. I applied carb heat andtrimmed for best glide. I was judging the approach and turned a ‘racecourse’ style downwind to final turn. I had deliverately left myself high, but somewhat too successfully! I was wwaaayyyyy high!. I pulled on all flaps and started a somewhat ‘wimpy’ sideslip. I changed the sideslip direction and got the next slip about right as we headed down. I was still high, but not too bad. I straightened out over the displaced threshold, a bit high and fast and brough her down into the flare. And held off, and off and off, and off, and off – errr! We touched very nicely (the best landing of the day) about half way down the long 27 runway. OK, poor heightkeeping, but we made it and it was a decent landing.

Phil was happy but suggested I did some PFL’s myself to nail the height better. With hindsight, I think what I did was to automatically account for a headwind that simply wasn’t present at all – it was dead flat calm.

Well, mission accomplished. A nice checkride and I now feel ready for some locals and landaways in the RV6.

2008 reprise

2008 was a very varied year for me aviation-wise.



It started with me buying into a new 1/6th share in an established group for G-GDRV, an RV6 based at Staverton. With a nasty confluence of problems of weather, my availability, instructor availability and aircraft availability, it took me until May to get formal tailwheel difference sign-off.

After that, the weather scotched a couple of planned trips to France. But then I got very lucky with truly horrific summer weather in the UK (the year that there was no summer) in July where as chance would have it, the two weekends that I had booked the plane for cross-channel trips, both turned out to be about the only two decent weekends we had all summer. So I managed a weekend trip with Mark, my Canadian neighbour to Caen with a low level flight along the invasion beaches in early July and a long-promised and oft cancelled trip to Deauville for Honfleur with my wife in late July.

I then did a local with Gavin, a new flying buddy I met at Gloucester and he reciprocated with a trip in his Robin tailwheel based at Oaksey Park on a lovely autumn evening.

My ‘big trip’ for 2008 was a one week holiday to see Dan, my buddy in Canada and then to do a four day flying tour between Canada and the USA. A lot of things could have fouled it up, not least of which being the weather, but it all fell into place and we managed to fly from Ottawa – New York – NY low level city flight – Niagara – Toronto City – Ottawa. It is hard for me to say whether this was the best tour I have ever done or whether it was the trip to Italy in 2006.

I managed one more local flight before damage to the RV6 canopy meant that we took the plane into early annual for running repairs. This lasted from early October until the end of the year.

In desperation, I resorted to full hire from Cotswolds and took the opportunity to get checkrides on types I have not flown before, specifically the Eurostar microlight and a Robin DR400. But even these trips needed several bookings to find sensible weather.

So, like an anorak’d train spotter, these are my ‘achievements’ in 2008:

• In 2008, 39.2 Hours total, 27.9 as P1 and 11.3 as P U/T
• Took and ‘passed’ FAA BFR
• Passed Canadian PPL ‘difference’ written exam to get a Canadian PPL based on my standalone FAA ticket.
• Tailwheel difference training and sign off
• First time flown as P1 in Canada
• First time flown as P1 in the USA
• First Canada / USA border crossing
• First low level city flight (New York)
• Flew 3 new aircraft types and 7 aircraft registrations
• First flight in a microlight
• Landed / taken off from 6 ‘new’ airfields

Well, that’s about it. I look forward to 2009 with trips to continental Europe with the wife and other flying friends and a ‘big trip’ maybe in October around Texas.

Local with visiting family

My sister and her husband have travelled fro New York to meet up with my sisters ‘boys’ who have come from Vienna to spend Christmas with my mother in Cheltenham. With such a gathering, I of course volunteered to give them a joyride around the local area. The snag being that my own aircraft (share in an RV6) is still awaiting its permit, so I decided to get checked out in and hire a Robin DR400 from Cotswolds.

The day dawned OK, with broken / scattered low, thin cumulus cloud (initially 1100’, but rising slowly during the day) and an easterly wind. It turned out to be a high pressure system, with the ATIS at Gloucester reporting 1036. It was also pretty cold.

So we trekked to the airfield and I checked the plane out. I was going to have to do two flights, one for the ‘boys’ (aged 22 and 25!) and one for Linda and her husband. The fuel was good and the weight and balance worked out. With the pressure so high and the temperature so cold, it would also be flattering for aircraft performance.

I loaded the boys up and gave them the required safety brief. It was a bit embarrassing when I couldn’t seem to get the canopy open again, until I realised I had to rotate the handle an extra bit to disengage the latch! I called for taxi, to be told by the tower that I had not booked out! Damn! Forgot that! They had a combined tower and approach, so were busy, but they were good enough to advise me to hold and eventually took my booking out on the radio.



Wit was 04 in use with a wind of 050 / 10. So we taxied out and did the power checks. I tried to talk the boys through what I was doing for their interest. Checks complete, I was given clearance and we were up and away in a remarkably short distance considering we were reasonably heavily laden.

I climbed out to 1500’ with the cloud base only just a bit above that. The boys were keen to get on top of the cloud, so with large openings all around, I circled in a large gap and was easily above them at 3000’. We were around Tewkesbury at the time and had fun picking out the abbey. It can be so calm and peaceful there above the clouds, I wonder why I don’t do it more often.



We bimble around as I show them normal then steep turns and climbing and descending. We wander over to Cleeve Hill where we walked the previous day and check out another crop of walkers, having descended again below the cloudbase to about 1700’. It is a lovely, sunny day, but very cold with extensive frost all over the hill.

I pick up the ATIS and request a direct join to Gloucester. I am given a left downwind join for 04 as we head back in. The rest is pretty uneventful as I land and taxi back in. I shutdown and we head back to the club. My sister sees the size of their grins as they both decide that they MUST have a plane as well!

Well, I repeat the process with my sister and her husband with the exception that I refuel a bit first – not too much as we can’t take on full fuel with this load.

While I am bumbling around Gretton, I hear another aircraft on frequency abandon plans to go to Bembridge and decide to head for Wellesbourne instead. They are already east of the airfield and headed to Wellesbourne – which would have them crossing where I am. So out of caution, I call Gloucester for am position report on this aircraft and state my own position and altitude and put my landing lights on. The other aircraft sees me some three minutes later (I never see him, but I am looking into sun – that’s my excuse anyway). Can’t be too careful!

They seem to enjoy the flight equally well and I reward myself with what I am afraid I must say was a pretty good landing – not a true ‘greaser’ (those are rare), but definitely one of my better ones.

Well, that’s the last flight for the year, but the good news is that I already have a checkride sorted out for the 4th January in the RV6. So hopefully, I will start 2009 as I mean to go on – with a lot of great flights!

Sign off on the Robin DR400

Although the annual is now complete for the RV6, we still need the LAA 'permit' before anyone can fly it, so that will be early in the new year. In the meantime, I noticed a few months ago that the Robin DR400 had rejoined the Cotswolds fleet, so in my enfroced abstinence from the RV6, I though it would 'have a go' in a type I hadn't flown before.



I booked Phil Mathews for the checkride, the immensely experinced head of the flying club and the CFI. Taciturn and a man of few words, but he will tell you when you have gone wrong and will encourage you to analyse your own errors and tell him what went wrong.

He explained the oddities of the aircraft and I did the walkaround check. Three fuel drains, a non-dippable fuel tank, so rely on the gauges, well obviously cranked wings and fabric covered, etc.

Pulled her outside and clambered in. Run through the checklist and locate all the switches in an unfamiliar layout - a fairly spartan VFR fit, albeit with a nice GPS. She starts readily enough, then the first bit of fun - the braking system. Phil explains that this was lifted directly from the original DR221 series (a taildragger), so no toe brakes, instead and old American car like brake / handbrake, so right hand on the throttle, then when you want to brake, close the throttle and use the same right hand to pull the brake. Oh, an full rudder deflection engaged the brake in that direction for a better turing circle, problem is that it stays engaged until you unlock it with rudder movement away from full lock! Sounds complex to explain, but once shown and once youv'e tried it a copuple of time, it is easy enough.

The weather isn't wonderful, but plenty good enough for a few circuits, which is all Phil think I will need as I am familiar with the Alphas at Cotswolds.

Take off is easy and uneventful, full power, hold her straight and a positive, but not stenuous rotate just past 50kts. She climbs very happily at about 900 fpm with us two big guys on board. She handles much like a PA28, not crisp, but solid. I do notice I need to carefully watch the yaw and stay active on the rudder for a nice balanced turn.

She runs out at 95kys at 2300rpm as I call downwind for a touch and go. We are pushed out wide to about 2 miles by the PA28 in the circuit in front, not his fault as he is forced out wide in turn by the Slingsby in front again. I turn in to base and see that I am going to be close to the PA28, so on final, we slow to 60kts to let the PA28 get further ahead. The tower seems concerned about spacing and gives me a 'go around', but Phil elects to have a word and tells the controller we are now flying very slowly and is very confident there won't be a spacing issue. The controller accepts this and we continue - good practice for slow flying anyway for me.

The first landing is a normal fully flapped landing, just to get me used to the feel of the plane. This goes pretty well as Phil gets me to chop the power quite high in the roundout, but she glide extremely well and settles for a gnetle and flattering touch. Clean up, full power and we are very quickly flying again.

This time we go for a flapless. So 70kts approach, chop the power high and round out. Hold off, and off and off and off and off and off - well, you get the idea, the bloody thing floats halfway down the runway before deigning to touchdown - this thing handles like a bloody glider! Power and we are up quickly, which is just as well as there wasn't much runway left - even at Gloucester!

This time, Phil asks for and is given a full PFL glide approach from the overhead. So we climb to 2000' into the overhead and Phil chops the power. I go into the engine failure routine and set her up for best glide at 75kts and get her nicely trimmed. We seem to be losing about 600fpm, a very decent glide. I carefully position for left base on runway in use 22 and carefully compare the picture with the known wind and altimeter readout to judge my approach. I am high, but I can always lose height, I can't get it back!

Still high, but no flaps and bit close. So I pull on one stage of flaps. 1000' now and probably half a mile in a 10kt wind. Full flap now. Coming in but still high. Bit of a sideslip fopr 10 seconds, still high but watch out for the sink over the factory building on short final, so live with it. Good call as we come in high but OK for close on to the numbers on 22. Round out and flare. Really hold this plane off and try to keep it flying until it gently stalls in the last foot for a good landing. Pleased with that, been ages since I have done one of those.

Phil announces that he is happy and we taxy in. He asks if I want to go up by myself. Sure, why not. So we hold just past the tower as he hops out and I call for taxy again for a local.

Up and away from 22 again in a 10kt wind and I am buffeted a bit on climbout, I guess we are that much lighter. I climbout to about 2200' and head west then north.



It's pretty murky with some very thin and scattered cloud at 1500', but generally, I can fly up to 3000' clear of cloud. Visibility isn't great. I head over towards Tewkesbury and checkout the abbey. Then on to my favourite landmark, Bredon Hill. A few steep turns to get the feel of the plane, then onto buzz my Mother's house in Bishops Cleeve - at a perfectly legal altitude of course. I head back towards Winchcombe and collect the ATIS.

I call for a rejoin and request a direct join for runway 22 as I am pretty much on the a very extended final for the runway in use. I am given this and asked to report at four miles. So I trundle in with a cruise descent at about 100kts.

The approach is uneventful as I carry out my 'downwind' checks. The approach is good and the landing also pretty rair. This really is a solid and forgiving plane.

I taxy in a shutdown. I have recorded 30 minutes of P U/T and 35 minutes of P1 pottering about the neighbourhood. Between the time and the landing fees, I notch up a Cotswolds bill of about GBP180 - ouch!

Well, that's the DR400 checked out on. I have it booked for next weekend for a two hour slot to take my sister and her husband flying around the local area.

G-GDRV inches closer to the end of the annual!

While I was at Staverton on Sunday waiting for my checkride in the Eurostar, I spotted that Manuel was in and working on the RV6, which is still going through it’s now protracted annual with running repairs.

The RV6 has been out of commission, due to a crack in the canopy since early October, so we decided as a group to do the annual and some accumulated ‘fixes’ at the same time (a few smoking rivets and the like).

Now as a group, we are fortunate enough to have a licensed aircraft engineer as a group member who is the person that formed the group originally. So what happens is that he does most of the work (with help when available from other group members) and charges the group a sensible rate which is offset against his own payments due to the group. Of course we also have all of the work signed off at the appropriate stages by an approved LAA inspector.

But what this does mean is that as Manuel is part time, the annual take longer in elapsed time and is still going on to date.

Manuel and another group member were in the hangar on Sunday working on the plane, so I thought I would wander over prior to my checkride and see where we were.



The bottom line is that the crack has nearly been repaired and all work has been completed and signed off, it is ‘just’ a case of putting it all back together (fin, spats, cowling, seats etc. – so non-trivial) and giving the engine a test run and a test flight. So it may be that G-GDRV is available again before the end of the year.

I was under the impression that the group were working on the plane on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, not Sunday. I felt bad that I couldn’t volunteer to help while I was there (not that I am mechanically minded or capable) as I only had a two and a half hour slot negotiated with the wife and she doesn’t like me spontaneously overstaying at the airport (the famous ‘what if you are dead in a field somewhere?’ argument).

While I was there, a chap appeared and started talking to Manuel. It was clear from the conversation that he was the pilot of the lovely RV7 that we currently share a hangar with that is going to be used in 2009 to challenge the long standing Alex Henshaw ‘Mew Gull’ record for a solo return trip to South Africa. I introduced myself and wished him the best of luck. I do hope he publicises the date in advance to I can turn up at the airfield to see him off. This will be a hell of a challenge and he will get very little sleep.

But back to the annual, even once ready, all of the group will have to arrange and undergo checkrides before disappearing into the wild blue yonder as group rules say no P1 unless you have flown the RV6 in the last 30 days. So the usual logistics problem of getting the yourself, the aircraft, a suitable instructor and the weather all in the same place at the same time, all given very short hours of daylight and virtually no ability to take time off during the week – hey ho, I may be doing full rental in parallel for a few more weeks yet!

Making love to a fat woman!

Apologies for the politically incorrect title, but as the old joke goes:

It's like making love to a fat woman - it's a lot of fun, but you're too ashamed to tell anyone!

That's me trying to sum up my first experience of flying a microlight, in this case the Eurostar EV97 from Cotswold Aero Club at Gloucestershire Airport.

I have been having withdrawal symptoms for some time now, ever since the group RV6 went into a protracted annual in mid-October. This is now coming to an end, but I can't wait.

So I decided to try some different types on normal 'full hire' rates. They now have a Eurostar microlight and the Robin DR400 on the fleet, neither of which I have flown. A quick toss of the coin and the Eurostar it was.

This has recently been added to the Cotswolds fleet with the collapse of the Skytime flying club on the other side of the airfield. It is owned by Mike Edwards, who is also an instructor, but when I booked I was allocated Roly as the instructor based partly on our combined weights (me 100 kg and Roly a mere slip of a chap) and Mike's non-availability on Sunday afternoon.



The Eurostar arrived from it's previous sortie and Mike Edwards clambered out to confirm the fuel would be fine for me. Roly turned up and showed me the main points of the walkaround. There are a few very important differences as of course this is Rotax powered and a very spartan VFR fit. Being classed as a microlight, it has a MAUW of a mere 450kg (anywhere else in Europe the exact same plane can fly at a far more sensible 544kg - but oh no! Not in good old CAA-land). Still, I expect this will all be addressed by the new EASA legislation - one lives in hope!

The differences on walkaround can be summed up as:

- For the first flight of a day, open the oil cap and pull the prop through until you hear gurgling and the oil registers on the dipstick
- There is only one fuel drain but it is very tricky to operate and you have to have the flaps down to do it.
- There is no way of dipping the tanks, but the gauges are pretty accurate
- DON'T refill with AVGAS, it takes Mogas stored in the hangar

Other than that, it looks at first sight like any other small two-seater. We clambered in and secured the straps. There is no mixture control and no carb heat, but there is a strangely operated choke for cold starting. Oh, and the throttle is spring loaded so that if the throttle friction is not set, the throttle will pull to fully open - a good thing to remember on startup unless you want the plane to surge forward out of control!

Being a Rotax engine, startup was instant (once I read on the checklist to set the magnetos to ON that is). I set the engine revs to a disconcerting 2000 (the reduction gear drops the prop revs to about half that). Anyone used to conventional Continentals and Lycomings etc. will be quite thrown by the high revving engine note as I realised how much I have been flying using non-visual clues like engine note etc.

I should have got a photo of the panel. It is a very spartan and unapologetic VFR fit - no glass panels here! No GPS (eeek - how will I navigate?), Direction Indicator, Artificial Horizon, VOR, ADF, DME etc. It did have a compass, slip indicator, altimeter, Rate of climb, engine monitoring gauges and a handheld radio secured on the panel, but that was about it - accidental IMC in this would be a brief and terrifying experience! No danger of that today though as the early fog had virtually burned off leaving CAVOK, clear skies and nil wind.

We were cleared for the 'long march of death' to 09 - all the way on the other side of the airfield.

The power checks were very straightforward and we were cleared for a right turnout to the south west on 09. I lined up and applied full power. Even loaded to near the limits, the plane surged forward. I didn't quite have the trim right and had to apply forward pressure to hold the nose down as we accelerated quickly. The airspeed indicator is marked in miles per hour and we VERY quickly reached the magic '50' (a piffling 43 kts!), so I relaxed the forward pressure (note this was not really a 'rotate' at all) and the plane shot skywards, possibly even more energetically than the RV!

I climbed at about 85 mph (74 kts) and the ROC showed about a 1000 fpm climb - again, impressive. We climbed to about 2200' and left the power in until about 100 mph (87 kts) then pulled it back to a relaxed cruise rpm (well, for a Rotax that is) of 4500 rpm. The engine note sounded crazy to me as I am used to the old heavy metal, but I guess this is normal for a Rotax. I trimmed the plane out for level flight. The level flight picture looked low to me, but gave excellent visibility. The trim lever is by the flap lever and is very sensitive.

We cleared the airfield environs as Roly got me doing normal turns to get the feel for the plane. It needed a little rudder to get into and come out of the turn and just a bit of pressure to stay in a balanced turn. Without the benefit of an A/I, I would guess I was putting in 45 degree turns.



The up to 3000' to practice slow flight and stalls. Roly got me flying near and then on the 'back side of the drag curve' at 50 mph (a silly 44 kts)! The he asked me to do co-ordinated level turns at this speed. I carefully coaxed it into a co-ordinated turn with careful use of aileron and rudder and managed to maintain height. It didn't so much turn as feel like it was rotating on the vertical!

Then a few stalls. First clean. Roly insisted I held it into a full stall, which I did. There was plenty of warning and the early stages of the stall were simply mushy controls, but as I continued to abuse it, wings started to drop, which I held with rudder. Recovery was simlicity itself, a bit of power and nose down and it was flying again instantly.

The plane is very light and has very little in the way of inertia. This was amply illustrated when I pulled the throttle closed, as there is point in the engine rpm where it positively feels as though someone has thrown an air-brake out!

We spotted and avoided a Cessna and helicopter and as it was busy around the Severn, headed a bit over towards the Malverns.

More stalls with first one then the full stages of flap were even slower and more innocuous, including the simulated 'base to final turn'. Roly explained about the lack of inertia and that the plane had to be positively flown all the way to the hold-off playing with power. We practiced 500 fpm descents holding first 70 then 60 mph as practice approaches.

Then we headed back to Gloucester. I called them and was given a standard overhead join for 27 with right hand circuits. On the approach, Roly spotted an aircraft headed for us at the same level, but just off to our right. A turn to the left put us out of harms way (the normal turn to the right would have put us right across their nose, so not a good idea. The other plane carried on without any sign of recognition, I swear they didn't see us.

We continued approach as I put in a cruise descent. The overhead join went well and the Eurostar can put in a sprightly rate of descent when you want it to. I came across the upwind numbers at the required 1000' and shot the first circuit.

The circuit was quiet. I did my downwind checks, BUMPFFICHLL, but there was so little that applied to this plane it seemed pretty pointless (Brakes: No handbrakes, Undercarriage: Fixed, Mixture: No mixture, Pump: No pump etc.). I left myself a bit high on final and passed the latter part of the approach essentially in a glide descent with an approach speed of 65 mph. I cut the power once in the flare and held off and off. We touched, nice and smoothly. I dropped the flaps, applied full power and I swear in the count of three we were up and flying again.

we quickly gained 1000', then on the downwind leg, the tower gave me a 180 degree left turn to put me on downwind for runway 09 - they had changed runway direction on me in mid-circuit. Given that there was hardly a breath of wind, I did wonder why, but hey, this is ATC and I do what I'm told.

The second landing was again fine, but again, I left myself a bit high with a steep descent. The third and final landing we aimed for the intersection with runway 22, about 2/3rds of the way down 09 and for a 55 mph approach for a short field landing. Well, I was a tiny bit faster than that, but stopped in an amazingly short distance in a nil wind situation. Wow!

Back to Cotswolds and into the lockbox where the Mogas is stored. Between Roly and I we figured out the hand pump and found it to be amazingly efficient as it made short work of a 20 litre jerrycan.

Well, what do I think of it?

It was great fun. It is a very light plane with very little inertia and it responds far quicker than I am used to to power changes. It handles very nicely and is very crisp in roll, sprprisingly so for such small ailerons (again, a very light aircraft). Rate of climb is very sprightly. Landing is fine and easy, but I suspect again because of its light weight that crosswinds might be interesting.

I probably burned a mere 12 litres of Mogas (at 89 pence a litre) in the hour I was flying - a pittance. The high rpm whine of the Rotax will take some getting used to, but that is hardly a major consideration.

Give the Eurostar another 100 kg MAUW and you will have a perfectly practical short-strip tourer on your hands.

I once described flying the Piper Cub as similar to driving a bombed out old mini with no doors around a muddy field. I would describe the Eurostar as driving a go kart - huge fun.

I like it, I like it a lot!

Owning a dog and barking yourself!

It seems perverse – owning a share in an aircraft, then going out and renting another, but that is what I am trying to do - yep, I own a dog and I am barking myself (the plane certainly isn't a dog, but I probably am barking!!).

Since my last flight in the RV at the start of October, it has been ‘off the road’ in for its annual and for repairs to the canopy etc. We have the financial luxury of one of the members being an aircraft engineer, so he does most of the work (it is still of course signed off by external inspectors in accordance with LAA rules).

The downside of course is that he can hardly work full time on it and other members of the group help and do what they can with the time they have to spare. All of which means that annuals can become protracted, let alone when there is major repair work required (to a nasty crack in the canopy).

Bottom line is that the RV won’t be back in the air until mid-December earliest, more realistically, early next year. The according to group rules, we will all have to undergo checkrides (not a bad thing).

So in the meantime, I am biting the figurative carpet in desperation to go flying. So I am in the process of arranging checkrides on one of two types I haven’t flown before, both based at Cotswold Aero Club. I hope I can get up in the Eurostar, technically a ‘microlight’ but it looks and flies like a two seat group A aircraft. If that (or more likely the instructor) isn’t available, I will have a checkride in the newly ‘restored to service’ Cotswold Robin DR400. That way at least I am doing some flying and adding types to my log that I haven’t flown before.

Oh the joys of aircraft ownership.

Still, at least I am better off than the group I left two years ago – I heard a couple of days ago that three months ago, a new member of the group landed the Piper Arrow (yes – you guessed it) wheels up at Old Warden – nothing wrong with the undercarriage, except that he forgot to put it down. So at the very least, one shattered prop and a thow away shock loaded engine (having only recently replaced the engine. I feel so sorry for them, at least I don’t have it that bad.

Out of group currency

Our group rules state that if you haven’t flown the aircraft (an RV6) for thirty days, you need to have a checkride before flying solo or with passengers. I guess the reasoning for this is that the RV6 is a fairly twitchy, performance taildragger and landing and take-off skills (particularly crosswind) may deteriorate rapidly the longer you leave it.

No matter what the rationale, I signed up to the group rules like everyone else, so of course I must abide by them. The last flight in the RV I took was 7th August. Since then I did a one week business trip to India, followed quickly by a one week flying tour of Canada and the USA in a rented Cessna 172. I got back at the start of September and quickly booked two slots before the 30 days ran out on the RV so I could stay current according to group rules.

Well of course the ‘great British summer’ intervened and I had to let the first booking go because the weather was so bad, you couldn’t even do circuits. I had to scrub the second booking even after turning up at the airfield due to very gusty winds and low cloud at or below the 1000’ circuit height.

So that’s that! For the first time since I got my taildragger sign-off, I am out of currency.

The problem I then had was finding an instructor spare at the time I wanted (as I didn’t want to take a half day holiday as I only now have half a day holiday left until the new year). Two evening bookings came and went due to the weather, then I managed an early morning booking with Phil at Cotswolds towards the end of September.

The day dawned almost perfect for flying. Scattered and high cloud and nil wind. So I trekked over to the airfield and checked the plane out. It was low on fuel so I would have to refuel. I made contact with Phil who agreed that circuits would be the best use of our time. He would man the office while I refuelled and meet me at the pumps.

Of course the ATIS advised me that the self-serve at the pumps was out of order, so I radioed a request for the fire crew to help. Phil wandered over as I was finishing and we strapped in.

Runway 27 was in use as I taxied over to A2 and carried out the power checks. All was fine and quiet and we were probably the first departure of the day , it was just after nine o’clock.

I thought my take-off actions through before calling for departure, then with clearance, lined up and gave it full throttle. All went according to plan and the plane started hopping excitedly as I held it down to gain airspeed, then flew it off. Right 10 degree noise abatement turn, then climb for right hand circuits on 27. I cleaned up the flaps and before I knew it on the crosswind leg, I was at 1000’ circuit height – the RV really climbs – even with full fuel and two large guys on board.

So far so good. Phil reminded me not to start the noise abatement turn until the end of the runway as I could infringe the helicopter circuit – ooops! First mistake!

Then the approach and landing. Looked very good. Good angle, good airspeed, good approach. Nice flare, power off and hold off, and off. Stall warner chirps and we touch. Good one - but then it all went a bit pea shaped as I didn’t seem to control the roll out. We skittered left, then right as I got to grips with it with rudder peddles. OK, under control now, lots of runway left, clean up flaps, power up and take off again. Much to his credit, Phil did not intervene (but I know he would have if he felt he needed to).

Once safely airborne and climbing normally, I apologised to Phil for the sloppy performance. He calmly asked me what I though went wrong. I thought about if and replayed the landing in my head, then I realised, What an idiot – I didn’t bring the stick fully back on landing so ‘anchor’ the tailwheel to the ground – a legacy of the recent 12 hours or so I had in August in the Cessna 172 nosewheel aircraft no doubt! So basically, the tailwheel was either ‘light’ on barely on the ground as I skittered around in effect on the two mainwheels only – what a schoolboy error! But that is what I like about Phil – he doesn’t over-control and he doesn’t lecture. He will ask you to analyse your own scenarios and tell him what happened. Of course he will tell you if you either don’t know or don’t understand what happened.

Well, cut a short story even shorter, the next few circuits went pretty well. One of the landings I flared a bit too high and dropped probably two foot instead of squeaking it on, but hardly a shocker. On the downwind of one of them, I gained about 200’ I didn’t want as I was distracted by a whistling sound. We never found the cause of it, but think it is airflow and airspeed related as it disappeared on approach speeds.

In the end, Phil was happy and so was I, so we came in for a final landing. This was again reasonable and I even managed to make the first intersection past the numbers on a nil wind day.

As we carried out the shut down checks, I noticed the right mag was giving excessive mag drop. Probably just a bit of fouling as I had been doing circuits on fully rich with lots of low power and low airspeed on the approach. It will probably burn off with a bit of leaning in the power checks next time. Nevertheless, I noted both the whistling and the mag drop in the tech log for the next pilot to fly so they can make their own decision and assessment.

A good lesson and I guess I can now see why 30 days was set, especially after my initial schoolboy error. But the rest went well and feel pretty confident again – and even more determined not to let myself get out of the 30 day currency period again – too much hassle!

We’ll see what the forecast is for the coming weekend. I have an early morning ‘bimble slot’ booked, but if the weather forecast is fair and the plane remains clear, I might book the Sunday for a bimble over to Duxford with my daughters boyfriend, Rob. I think he would like wandering around the various exhibits there and I know he hasn’t been there yet.

Well unless there is a really lucky break in the weather on a weekend, that is probably my ‘international touring’ over until next spring. Maybe some UK day trips and keeping my hand in over the winter.

CAN/USA: Summary

Flying
Ottawa Checkride: 0.5 Hrs logged 20l fuel
Ottawa to Massena: 0.8 Hrs logged 33l fuel
Massena to Westchester: 2.7 Hrs logged 94l fuel
New York low level route: 1.1 Hrs logged 41l fuel
Westchester to Niagara: 2.8 Hrs logged 91l fuel
Niagara to Toronto City: 1.2 Hrs logged 41l fuel
Toronto City to Ottawa: 2.4 Hrs logged 82l fuel

Total: 11.5 Hrs logged 402l fuel

Costs
Total cost from Ottawa Flying Club (wet rate): $CAN1770.00
Extra fuel costs (over and above OFC): $CAN 120.00
Handling charges: $CAN 60.00

Total cost of flying: $CAN1950.00


Highlights
Minor scud running the last 30 miles into Westchester for New York
New York low level flight around Manhattan etc.
Niagara Falls
Coming into and flying out of Toronto City airport – very scenic
Flight over Kingston on a glorious day
Serious sideslipping into Ottawa having been left very high and short by traffic and ATC
Getting US ATC units to understand my callsign (they are used to the American format of numbers and letters), the Canadian ‘UK style all-letter’ format seemed to defeat many of them!
1-800-WX BRIEF – flight planning made a pleasure US style
Having a serious discussion with Canadian customs about forgetting to declare the purchase of three New York branded baseball hats for a total of $US12.00

Mistakes and irritations
US Homeland Security – the all important ‘appearance of doing something’
Not adjusting the radio / intercom leaving the radio too loud and the intercom too quiet.
Lining up on the wrong runway to land at Westchester, spotted it myself in enough time though
Accidentally knocking off the intercom and thinking it was my headset leading to one hour of silence and miming
Forgetting to close my flight plans – twice!
Taxiing past the hold at Westchester without clearance

Personal Firsts
Flying P1 in Canada
Flying P1 in the USA
Crossing the Canada / US border
Using the US flight following
Touring in a Cessna 172

Summary
All in all a great trip and one where all the prior planning and preparation paid off and made it so much easier and less stressful than it could have been. I was delighted with the relative freedom and relaxed attitude to flying that exists in Canada and the US. Great countries to tour with huge airports and modest if any landing fees. The highlights had to be the New York low level route and coming in to Toronto City – both highly recommended.

Next Year
I hope to visit a relation in Texas, join up with my buddy who will travel down and do a few days flying touring around Texas, New Mexico and Utah – yeehaa!

CAN/USA: Toronto City to Ottawa

Route: CYTZ (Toronto City) DCT Oshawa DCT Trenton DCT Kingston DCT Brockville DCT CYOW (Ottawa International)
Logged: 2.4 Hours
Fuel: 80 litres approx

We had an evening and a short morning in Toronto. In the evening we treated ourselves to a superb meal and fine wine at ‘The Keg’ (upmarket restaurant chain) in downtown Toronto. The next morning on checking the weather channel, it was calling for cloudy in the morning and rain in the afternoon. Rather than risk getting ‘stuck’ into Toronto by sticking with the original schedule, we decided to have a quick whip around the ‘Hockey Hall of Fame’ as early as we could then hot foot it over to the City Airport and make it out before midday.



This is how it turned out. I was a bit miffed that the Hockey Hall of Fame didn’t open until 0930, but there it is, we managed to have a look and buy a few souvenirs. We got the free ferry to the island and wandered around to the handling office. I did the flight planning with the equally wonderful Canadian equivalent of WX BRIEF, in this case 1-866-WX BRIEF. Got the weather, NOTAM’s and lodged a flight plan.

Dan headed out to the plane to untie it, pack it and do the A-check, while I settled up at the desk. Well, this was by far the most expensive of the whole trip, with handling and landing fees coming out at $CAN35 - about £18 - what I would pay for a single landing at Gloucester.

They were very helpful on reception and a talkative mechanic wandered by and told me that because of the airshow due that weekend (Canadian and USA Labor Day), there was a Spitfire in the hangar. Of course I just had to have a look on the way out.



There was also a nice line-up of yellow Harvard trainers on the pan.



Dan had done a good job and I just checked the oil and fuel. Full to the gunnels, we mounted up and started up. I got the ATIS and called for taxi. Again we were given 08 as the active runway, but with a bit of a crosswind, though not much to write home about (one becomes very blasé about crosswinds in a nosewheel aircraft!).



We lined up behind what looked like a Seneca twin and completed power checks. I called ready for departure in turn, but the tower cleared me to line up and jump ahead of the twin (who of course would take longer to do his checks).



We lined up, powered up and were off. A straight ahead departure as we were already headed in the right direction. I was initially cleared to not above 1500’. I reported level attained and was directed to continue until past the chimneys not above 1500’ as there was a plane towing a glider above. Eventually we saw it as it headed the other way. The tower then cleared us to climb to 2500 and continue en-route.

I switched to Oshawa Tower and followed the Lake Ontario shoreline towards Oshawa. Once clear of Toronto controlled airspace, I climbed to 3500’ with a thin and high overcast at what I would estimate to be 6000’ – no bother at all!

I called Oshawa and advised them that I would be routing through their overhead

I wasn’t sure whether Canada had anything like the US ‘Flight Following’ so I resorted to the ‘UK Method’ of simply independently contacting each major airfield en-route for flight information service. Oshawa seemed busy enough with what sounded like circuit traffic so I called them and advised them out of courtesy that I would be routing through their overhead at 3500’. The weather seemed to be improving with the cloud becoming more broken, then scattered, then lovely bright sunshine with a handful of very scattered ‘good to be alive’ fair weather cumulus.

I stayed with Oshawa for a while, then switched to Trenton. I know that Trenton is a major Canadian Forces Base and that this is where many of the C130’s are based that fly everywhere, including to Alert near the North Pole. I had read up on their procedures and they seemed likely to route me either to the north or the south of the airfield via published VRP’s. Nevertheless, I called them at 30 miles and asked for a transit through their overhead, might as well try to get some nice photos. They gave me a squawk, but couldn’t see me. I called again at 15 miles and they now seemed to see me. They advised that I contact the tower. I asked again for a transit, but the tower routed me via the northern VRP and asked me to report north abeam the airfield at Frankford. Well of course Frankford wasn’t a published reporting point (why do airfields do that – publish VRP’s then not use them but use others that are not published). A quick scan of the map showed the town in question.

I reported at the point and was given another reporting point, this time Foxboro, again not a published VRP. The map showed it easily enough so well and good. At that point they gave me ‘contact en-route frequency’ (i.e. sod-off). So I ‘sodded off’ and tuned into Kingston on 122.50 on listening watch until we got a lot closer.

My original route had me routing north and inland of the town, but looking at the scenery and Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River, I decided to head south of Kingston just over the water, so I could get some nice photos pointed north away from the glare of the sun. At 15 miles, I called Kingston Tower to advise them that I would route through their overhead at 3500’. They were very quiet and helpful, with one aircraft doing circuits.



The views were excellent and Kingston looked like a really nice town from the air. We flew over the Royal Military College, set at the tip of a peninsula and over the old Fort Henry built in the 1830’s to protect the entrance to the Rideau Canal from those pesky Americans (who got a pasting from Canadian and British – OK mainly British troops - in the Canadian / US war of 1812).



We then routed north but parallel to the St Lawrence looking at the famous ‘thousand islands’ in the St Lawrence. We headed to Brockville, due south or Ottawa and changed to Ottawa Terminal on 127.70. The Ottawa frequency was very busy indeed and I was just about to give my call approaching Brockville when they called what sounded like a slightly wrong version of my callsign asking if it was ‘on frequency’. Given the various jumble of letters I was now used to hearing from US controllers for my callsign, I piped up and asked ‘C-GCOH was that for me’. Well, I guess it wasn’t, but she gave me a ‘C-GCOH pass you message’ anyway. So I ran through the usual format, stated inbound to land and requested joining instructions. She quickly gave me descend and maintain 2500’ and report Manotick. By now it was blazing sunshine with not a trace of cloud in the sky.

I confirmed this then set about asking Dan (who lives in Ottawa) where the hell Manotick was – again using a VRP that was not one of the five published VRP’s – why do people do this? Dan showed me on the map. Apparently a very classy town eight miles south of the airport on the Rideau River. We trundled along listening to a very busy frequency with the lady controller efficiently handling many flights in both English and French (yes, I know that mixed languages in the air is a very bad idea for situational awareness, but such is the ‘dual language’ political correctness prevalent in Canada).



I called at Manotick and she told asked me to do a rate one right hand orbit to allow a commuter Embraer to cross in front coming into one of the main Ottawa commercial runways. I did this and Dan spotted the commuter half way around our turn. I called orbit complete and got a ‘continue’. At three miles she advised me that I was number two into 05 to an Cessna 152 doing circuits and that once I spotted him to slot in behind him.

Well I was still at 2500’, then Dan spotted the C152 which seemed to be doing pretty wide circuits. I did managed to slot in behind him, but now had to slow the plane down a lot and lose height fast. Throttle to idle, check speed, flaps to near full, some throttle back in and sideslip like hell! We were coming down fast now and while not gaining, still close-ish to the 152, but as they were doing circuits, we should be OK as they would be off and away as we were flaring.



So I continued and had to keep full sideslip on until short final, where I unwound it for a normal short final approach. We flared, touched and rolled without use of brakes to the taxiway at the end of the runway to exit left and do the after landings.

We were down and back! I pulled in to parking and shut down. Dan bustled about efficiently unloading and doing the tie down while I completed the journey log and got my pilot stuff together.

We were down and back by 14:00ish. I wandered back to reception and had Agata help me complete their impressive computerised system while she worked out the fuel refunds I was due from the receipt (their policy is to still use their wet rate, but to give me credit for the amount of fuel I uploaded at their own Ottawa rates – so I would ‘suffer’ any higher rate per litre I paid elsewhere – fair enough I guess).

She told me the final figure and I meekly handed over my now battered Visa card and settled up. In parting, I confirmed with OFC that I would main on their system even though there was no cash credit on my account as I would want to rent from them in future. They seem to be a pretty good outfit, albeit with somewhat tired aircraft (aren’t they all) and very much a busy school, not so much a club. Of course I had to treat myself to an OFC branded polo shirt on the way out.

Well a good final leg to the trip, getting out ahead of the forecast rain which may have cost us a day. We had been remarkably lucky with the weather en-route, but Dan has always said (and I believe him) that the weather is far more stable and predictable in Canada and the US than in the UK.

CAN/USA: Niagara Intl to Toronto City

Route: KIAG (Niagara International) DCT Niagara Falls DCT Niagara on the Lake DCT St Catherines DCT Hamilton DCT CYTZ (Toronto City)
Logged: 2.8 Hrs
Fuel: 41.2 litres

The first thing I had to do once I landed at Niagara for the next leg was to book Canadian customs. This is similar but easier than booking US customs. There is one number, 1-866-CANPASS. You call this, tell them where and when, then you must arrive 30 minutes either side of the quoted time. You can’t get out of the aircraft before the time, but after that if they haven’t shown up, call them again to get a clearance number and the inspectors badge number. You must give them between two and twenty-four hours notice.

So I called 1-866-CANPASS. They asked me about the where and when. I was planning to land at Toronto City airport (on centre island right in the heart of the city). I did this with the required two hours notice (one hour to turnaround at Niagara and one hour en-route). He asked if we bought anything in New York that we were now bringing back. I thought about this carefully and took him at his word – ‘anything’ – assuming he didn’t really mean ‘anything’. So I thought about it and asked Dan. Dan recalled that he bought three New York branded baseball hats for an extravagant $US4 each in Chinatown. As a laugh, I told the customs officer who to my surprise seemed to note this carefully and asked if we bought anything else. No that was it. I thought no more about it as he confirmed our slot was booked.

I finished flight planning using the wonderful 1-800-WX BRIEF. Dan had gone for light refreshment so I checked back at the counter. I couldn’t see anyone fuelling the aircraft, so asked them again explaining that I was on a quick turnaround. ‘Oh, it’s all done’ they said cheerfully. I explained that I was asking if it had been refuelled yet or not, as I couldn’t believe that it could be done so fast. ‘Oh yes, all done’ they replied. I could hardly believe it – so fast? I went outside to check and sure enough, fully fuelled. WOW!

I started arranging my kneeboard with the route plan and charts I would need for the next leg and filing the previous legs charts when Dan re-appeared with generous take-away sandwiches. So we both stood there on the apron cramming them in as I checked the plane for flight.

I went back to the handling service to settle the bill. The bill for handling and landing fee? $US3.00! They even apologised for charging this explaining that they were compelled to by the airport – I laughed and explained that I wished that was all I had to pay in the UK.

We mounted up at the appointed time and called ready for taxi. We were given the same runway for departure (runway 10R). I taxied but got confused by the taxiways and accidentally crossed the holding point as it was so near. I stopped and asked for confirmation of the holding point and had I crossed it? They simply asked me to do a 180 and line up at the board behind me. Well, I guess that was my mistake for this flight (I always seem to make one).

Power checks complete I called ready for departure and was given clearance for a left turnout climbing to 3500’ for the Niagara Falls sightseeing pattern. Off we went with a gradual climbing turn, aiming to reach 3500’ before reaching Navy Island in the Niagara River, one of the VRP’s acting as the start point to join the ‘racetrack’ pattern over Niagara Falls.



I changed frequency from the Tower to 122.05, the self-announcing frequency for the Niagara Falls pattern. I called at Navy Island as we followed the bearing for the railway marshalling yard which formed the SW end of the racetrack which then went clockwise behind and in front of the falls.



We made all of the appropriate position announcements and heard several helicopters doing the same, no other fixed wing traffic. We did spot one helicopter a couple of hundred feet below us, but the others seemed to be far below – quite what they knew that I didn’t about the ‘not below 3500 feet’ part of the restrictions baffled me and not for the first time did I conclude that published restrictions did not apply to helicopters (although 3500’ did seem extreme to me given that they are quite happy with you bumbling around downtown New York at 1100’!).



We did two trips around the pattern at Niagara Falls before self-announcing our departure on the NE leg direct to Niagara on the Lake for the border crossing into Canada.

I switched to the local St Catherine’s Airfield frequency and let them know I would be routing near their overhead at 3500’. Basically, the plan was to route clockwise around the shores of Lake Ontario to Toronto City airport. We could have gone straight across and I could see the other side, a mere 26 nm - farther than the 'short channel crossing', but not by much. But as we didn’t have either liferaft or lifejackets, I decided to stick with the shore.

Passed St Catherine’s, I switched to Toronto Centre on 133.40, advised them of our plan and got FIS from them. The weather was OK, not sunny now, but the broken cloud was thin and high and no constraint. The Toronto advised me of opposite direction traffic at my 11 o’clock at the same height and 4 miles. A quick glance and we couldn’t see it. So I announced that I was descending to 3000’ and turned on the landing lights. I heard the opposite direction traffic call visual, but we never saw him.



We carried on past the rather nice looking St Catherine’s to the rather unlovely Hamilton.



Again, opposite direction traffic at 12 o’clock, this time 500’ below. So check altitude and sharp lookout. Again, we didn’t see them. About 40 miles to run I asked for descent to 2500’ and Toronto Centre agreed. I asked if they wanted me to continue descending to remain clear of their steeped descending airspace, but they said no, to continue at 2500’ until they released me to Toronto City.

We could see the city skyline in the distance as we continued. At about ten miles Toronto Centre advised us to contact City Tower on 118.20. They advised us that runway 08 was in use and the wind was 080/10G15. OK, straight down the runway, so no problem there. The plates said to avoid over-flight of Ontario Place, which we would normally do for a long final on this runway, so I tried for an angled approach to avoid this noise sensitive area.



Two mile final and cleared to land. The approach was good as we touched down. I hit one of the rudder pedals by mistake and pulled the plane a bit to the right, then corrected with some left – come on Steve, start thinking! We exited left and were told to taxi to Porter who are the utterly dominant FBO at the airport (a Canadian commuter airline). I pulled in next to another Cessna in what looked like a parking space and switched off. I was ten minutes early, so although I opened the window, we stayed sat in the plane.



Five minutes before the customs time, a guy walked up and said we couldn’t park there as it was part of the manoeuvring apron. He was right, although there were holes for tie-downs, they had been tarmac’d over – Ooops! As we spoke, I saw another Cessna ull forward out of a crowded flight line, so I started up and headed for there.

By the time we got there and shutdown, it was the stated arrival time, so I got out and started to unpack. Dan tied the aircraft down. Still no customs, so Dan and I started walking to what looked like the main passenger terminal. We were intercepted by an airport security van who asked us why we were walking airside. I explained and he ushered us into the van and said if customs didn’t show up that we should call them for specific clearance as they probably weren’t here at all and often didn’t show up.

OK, so I called them on 1-866-CANPASS. He asked if we had anything to declare and I said no. There was an ominous pause on the line as he said ‘you earlier declared that you were in possession of baseball hats, are you still in possession of these items?’. OK, OK, you got me! I forgot all about the baseball hats worth $US12! I said sorry, that I forgot about those and I got the now standard ‘I see’. He then cleared us and gave us a customs clearance number and his badge number which he advised us to note on the flight log and carry on us personally in case questioned by customs when leaving or arriving in Canada at another time. So I noted it on both the Journey Log and in my pilots logbook.

I realised that I was now a bit tired. While this was not the most number of hours I have flown in a day, it has been tiring, especially the New York low level route, where I was far from relaxed with all the traffic about.

We headed towards the building to the left of the main Porter hangar where I had seen people going to and fro. This was the main entrance to the Porter helicopter facility and acted as handling for GA. The lady on the desk was extremely bright and helpful and agreed to refuel. She said the courtesy van had now knocked off for the night and if we were OK with it, could we walk the 200m to the dock where we could get the free ferry to downtown Toronto, where once we got off, we could get the free bus to Union Station (very near our hotel). OK, so far I like all this free stuff!.



Well, that was it. We had arrived. I felt immediately at home with the impressive Toronto skyline. This is where I was born and raised and despite my many years in England, this still feels like my real home.

An easy flight with a pretty clear procedure for seeing the falls themselves, if a bit too high for my liking. Toronto City has to be one of the best and most scenic city airports there is anywhere in the world. I seriously recommend this particular airport to anyone.