Brought the logs up to date (except of course for the Sunday flight) and again invited Martin along. I made the mistake of confirming the arrangement on Saturday evening and took a couple of beers over – suffice to say it was gone midnight before I stumbled back to my house, negotiating the tricky 15 metres or so across the drive before collapsing into bed – I could tell the wife was impressed!
Fortunately, by Sunday early afternoon, I was feeling a lot better as I booked us out for a short hop to Shobdon. It was breezy with Gloucester giving 240/15G25. So off we went in the gusts towards Shobdon following a Cessna 182 who was going to the same place about 2 minutes ahead of us, fortunately with his retractable gear, that is pretty much where he stayed – I didn’t fancy trying to spot him to overtake.
The weather turned solid overcast past the Malverns, but still fine at 2600’. I was showing Martin how to follow a course, how to trim and explaining the instruments. We were approaching Shobdon in no time, so I took control and started the descent for a direct left base join for 27. I have been there once before and knew pretty much where it was, but by 5 mile I still hadn’t spotted the airfield, the both Martin and I spotted it at the same time.
Good approach and a nice landing. I was a bit dozy so sailed past the mid-point turn off when I could easily have made it, so probably annoyed people by taxying to the end before vacating the runway. We parked up and sauntered over to the café.
Horror! No toasted bacon sandwiches! They are on a Sunday menu, so can’t use the frying pan but could do grilled sausage sandwich (ever heard of grilled bacon?? No, never mind – sausage sandwich will be fine!). Martin is on a steep learning curve and finds ‘customer service UK style’ hard to understand after Canada!
We sit around watching the world go by. One of the local Cessnas is doing circuits with the pilot flaring and holding off consistently too high in my view, then stalling it on the gear – that has got to hurt! Only she does it time after time. I think she could hold off a good five feet lower. I know everyone is an armchair critic watching landings – maybe mine don’t look so clever either. We also spot an R22 doing hover practice and turning on the spot in the gusty conditions, that must be a hell of a challenge! There is a fair bit of gliding as a tug tows three off while we are there.
We saddle up and move out. I am delayed at the hold waiting for a glider to land on the grass, so I get the camera out and snap a nice photo.
I follow the noise abatement procedure while keeping a close eye on the R22 ahead. I move above him as he continues around in the circuit, then off the Gloucester. On the way, I give Martin control and get him to do a couple of normal VMC turns. He does OK for a first attempt and also learns to trim properly.
I pick up the ATIS around Malvern and give Gloucester a call. They are not busy and eventually I get a right base join for 27. This is Martin’s chance to take some pictures of his office in Cheltenham as we fly over it.
We land on 27 and I taxy in. Quite a nice flight in gusty condition and Martin still seems to love it. I bring the logs up to date and hand them in over the desk at Aeros for maintenance on Monday.
Such a simple couple of hours with a modest landaway, but I am reminded how fortunate I am to be able to do something like this. It really is great fun and very satisfying.
Next up, hopefully more taildragger lessons next week at Sibson.
