Needless to say the weather was poor in the week leading up to the trip and forecast to be showery with some thunderclouds in the Rhone valley on Friday, with Saturday OK, but forecast to be cloud and rain on Sunday. Had I been going with Chris or even with my non-pilot flying buddy, Dan, I would have gone for it – but I just knew that the wife would not enjoy the flight and would be worrying about the weather for the weekend, so I reluctantly abandoned plan A.
Plan B was to fly out to Le Touquet on Friday and back on Saturday, so just a quick overnighter. While I have been to L2K several times and many of the other channel coast ports and towns with my flying buddies, I haven’t yet taken the wife (as she reminds me frequently). As L2K is so close to the town and it is a nice town, let try there.
So the usual route was planned:
EGBJ DCT GWC DCT SFD DCT ALESO DCT LFAT
She works Friday morning so turned up at the airfield at 13:15. So flight plan and GAR filed, off we went in broken cloud at probably 3000’ but with good visibility. Changed quickly to Brize and was given clearance to clip the western edge of their zone at 2800’ with Fairford inactive.
We were warned of opposite direction traffic at 12 o’clock and 8 miles, similar height – hmmmm… not good! Could I see him? Could I buffalo! Another call saying now three miles, 1 o’clock and 100’ below. That’s it. I tell Brize I am turning to the left. 15 seconds after having done so, I spot him probably 200’ away and slightly below – glad I turned! I advise Brize that I am visual with the traffic and I recognised the guys face – they thought that was funny as I searched for new underpants!
The rest was uneventful. As seems to be usual, as I approached the coast the cloud lowered and the visibility got a lot worse. Coasted out at Beachy Head with FIS from a not-very-business London Info.
The vis over the channel was very poor as usual. No horizon so flying partly on instruments. I call L2K and thank the stars that the brittle and over-stressed French lady isn’t manning the frequency. Instead it is a low voiced, laconic guy. Approaching the coast I call as instructed and he seems very confused that I am up at 2500’ and still 3 miles from the coast. He starts to tell me to do some very odd things when a helicopter with a similar callsign pipes up and says he thinks he has mixed the two of us up – indeed he had.
I join right downwind for 32 and make a normal approach with a nice, soft landing. It is Friday and there is a fair bit of traffic on the ramp, but there are at least spaces. I park up, shut down, unload and put the cover on for the first time. After 30 seconds of trying to put it on back to front and wondering why the opening in the cover was too small for the prop, my wife resolves this enigmatic riddle and turns it around – aaahhhhh! I’m sure I am not the only pilot who has the mental agility of a Irish Setter for at least an hour after a flight!
The wife is in training for Macchu Picchu and the Incas trail so she decides to walk into town, oh joy! We check out the Westminster hotel – very posh with prices starting at €140 per night. Nice but lets save some money for a really good meal. So we go into town and settle on the two-star ‘Les Embruns’. It is clean and tidy and a bargain at €65. Bath and change and out for the evening. First priority – BEER! I enjoy a couple of cold ones then set off for a quick look around town and to find a restaurant.
We settle on a nice restaurant very close to the large market about half a mile from the town centre. A good, honest and reasonably priced meal. I get chatting to a German chap and his wife and find out he is from Koblenz. I plan a trip there later this year and got some good tips from him on the history of the place, where to go and stay etc.
Next day is window shopping, Cafes, lunch and sightseeing.
My wife is drawn to the estate agents windows and bemoans the fact that we don’t live in Brighton. She wonders why airplane groups based in Brighton don’t chip in and also buy a group owned apartment in L2K – any explanation from any of the many Shoreham groups? I remind here we already have a second ‘holiday’ property in Peterborough – Peterborough / L2K – what’s the difference??
We stock up on half a case of wine and, yes, walk back to L2K airport in the mid-afternoon.
The ramp is heaving as the effects of good weather and a free landing fee have their predictable effect. G-reg aircraft everywhere.
I uncover the plane and load up. Flight plan filed and away we go. But first a detour to see Montreuil from the air. I have heard of this and heard it is a nice town, so thought I would check it out from the air. At 1500’ we find it easily up the river. Nice old walled town. That looks well worth a visit next time I am al L2K. The turn on track for ALESO and home.
Usual channel visibility, so up to FL45 and onto partial instruments!
Uneventful trip back. Spotted a couple of gliders (aka sky rats) near Lasham as usual. Listening out to Farnboro Radar he was so busy and had such a queue, I didn’t have the heart to ask for FIS, so just stayed on listening watch.
I then heard him speak to a helicopter who was obviously south and south east of London. First he warned the helicopter that he was approaching the TRA/RAT set up for the Epsom Derby and asked his intentions. The helo was vague in his reply so the controller explained that the RAT went up to the base of Class A and that he would have to route around it. Sounded to me like the helo was clueless about the well publicised RAT. Some time later the controller warned the same helo about the RAT and the Red Arrows display at Biggin. Again it was well publicised and the helo driver seemed unaware and asked when the display was scheduled to finish and the RAT lifted. I’m sorry, but it’s guys like this that obviously don’t bother with planning and certainly don’t bother with NOTAM’s that get right up my nose and give everyone a bad name!
Brize were uninterested in anything unless you wanted zone transit, so guess what – yep – zone transit please!
Called Gloucester and given standard overhead join for 18 with left circuits. By the time I called near the overhead, they changed to 22 right hand circuits. I advised I would orbit the overhead and go for 22 RHS. As I was descending deadside I heard a tailwheeler call deadside descent. I was looking everywhere when someone shot in front of me heading the other way – he was doing a left join for 22 – not right. I didn’t recall hearing ATC agree to this!
I do my circuit and land immediately after the same aircraft. He trundles off up taxiway H – which has been NOTAM’d as closed for several weeks now. He is told to stop, wait for me and follow up Taxiway A. Another ‘I don’t bother with NOTAM’s’ merchant, who clearly isn’t too bothered about circuit direction either. I am tempted to have a friendly chat with the guy, but don’t, which I now regret.
A nice trip. Not what I was hoping for, but a very nice trip with the wife with more planned.
Next stop – Project Propellor.
SO C’MON GUYS – CHECK THE BL**DY NOTAMS!!
