During the week, I had some email correspondence with a TB9 pilot in the USA who responded to the advert for the front spat of our now defunct TB10. We agreed a price and shipping details and I spoke to other members of the group and agreed to take it to the airfield on Saturday for Mark to pick up and ship. He runs a packaging company, so packaging it would be easy. So I rolled up to the airfield at 11:00 and met Mark. He was due to do some circuits but decided against it due to the weather. The weather was nice, scattered cumulus at 3000’ BUT a howling wind – Gloucester were giving 050 at 25 gusting 38 kts – sporting!!
However, he did want to have a play with the Garmin GNS 430 – so I suggested rather than him run the battery down on the ground and me come back in the afternoon, why not both of us go up for a local, I would fly and land and he could play with the GPS to his hearts content. He agreed (while at the same time thinking where his next of kin might find his will).
Anyway, we filled up to tabs and trundled off to runway 04 – so the wind was very gusty but at least pretty much down the runway. I could certainly feel the find during taxi. Power checks complete, I line up and give it full power (making a note to hold the plane down and rotate about ten knots faster than normal). Anyway, no sooner have I finished the brief ‘runway rolling’ checks the check of the airspeed shows 70kts and increasing fast! I rotate at 75 kts (10 kts faster than normal) and am amazed at how little runway we used and how fast we are climbing – this thing feels like it is on reheat!
I get the gear up and the gusty wind is making this climb a lot of fun! I climb on the runway heading and decide to get above the clouds (although that would take me sub-zero, there are plenty of gaps to come back down through). We climb quickly to FL55 and I level off at that. Obviously a lot smoother up here although of course the GPS groundspeed is saying some very interesting things to me depending on the heading!
I bimble about over the Malverns, which have a light dusting of snow from the showers during the week. I do a few steep turns – it is great fun to do a level steep turn and ‘fix’ the wingtip to a point on the ground – so it looks like you are pivoting around a point.
Mark plays contentedly with the GPS and I show him that great OBS function to track a direction into an airfield. I snap a couple of pictures off through the open side window.
Coming up to an hour, thoughts turn to the landing and I head back to Gloucester. The ATIS is still giving 050 28G38 odd – this is going to be fun! I descend below the cloud and am given a standard overhead for 04 left hand circuits.
The deadside descent is easy with such a wind and we cross upwind nicely at 1000’. I have to crab a lot into the wind to hold ground track. The downwind leg takes an incredibly short amount of time, but I get everything done and haul her round to base. I pull the MP back and wait, then push the blue VP know fully fine. Airspeed is within limits, but I elect to take only one stage of flaps. RED / GREEN / BLUE – all good – OK, here we go onto finals.
I call finals and am cleared to land. I keep the speed well up from the normal 75 decaying to 70 to more like 85-90. I bit high, but I can lose that easy enough. I am getting buffeted and use ailerons and rudder to keep things right side up. I can certainly feel the gusts. Numbers coming up… now I am over them. Keep the descent going, bit more, crabbing a little….wind must be a bit off centre-line. Airspeed about 85 – hard to tell, but groundspeed looks OK. Keep going – NOW – flare and hold off – rudder to kick it straight – wow, a gentle squeak – tyres have touched – dump flaps and pull the power off.
We are down. Damn – the palms of my hands are sweaty! Mark peeks between his fingers – yes, we are down! Hmmm... maybe this wasn't one of my better ideas!
I certainly give up on the idea of circuits and taxi to stand.
Well – what an interesting flight. I am grateful for Gloucester’s three runways which pretty much means you can land into wind most times – I wouldn’t have fancied that as a gusting crosswind to any great extent. Anyway – good practice and good for the soul.
We had a cuppa in the Aviator cafe on the airfield. I have rarely seen so many people in there - all I can think is that they fancied seeing the planes wobble and dance their way vaguely skywards with the off chance of a bit of carnage!
Next flight maybe I will aim for White Waltham or Old Sarum – oh and must do some IMC refresher training and start thinking about re-validation.
