The only problem was that his group had agreed to move the plane from Gloucester to Oaksey Park (south of Cirencester) that weekend. So Gavin agreed to call me during the week once he had settled in and if we could get some decent weather (the great British summer is of course in full swing with rain, showers, high winds and only fleeting glimpses of blue skies!).
Well, he tried to call me on Thursday, but instead we both played ‘telephone tag’ leaving various messages for each other on various devices. But anyway it worked, so I figured out how to get to Oaksey Park and set out at 17:00 from a showery car park north of Cheltenham with threatening skies and headed south towards Cirencester. Once clear of the ‘Cheltenham Bowl’ and on the ridge headed towards Cirencester, the clouds became scattered and white cumulus with lots of lovely blue skies between – what a difference ten miles can make!
At Kemble, I took three attempts to find the right road and eventually did as the road became a really narrow single track road. I knew it was the right road but dreaded meeting someone coming the other way and slowed to 20 mph or so as I crawled into Oaksey village. Two attempts and I found the road headed south from the village, again very small single track. Eventually, I drove past an un-prepossessing side road with a very small sign saying something about ‘Runaway One Fitness Club’. As I drove past at a blistering 20 mph, I thought ‘Hello – Fitness Club?, Runway? – RUNWAY! Sounds like airplaney things to me – maybe that was it?’. So about 100 metres later (yes, it took me that long to follow this long, tortuous thought process) a cartoon light-bulb appeared over my head as I searched for somewhere to turn around. Well, I only had to wait about another mile before I found a spot and backtracked.
Sure enough, this was the place. As I was driving to the clubhouse a rather nice biplane landed on the grass runway over my shoulder and overtook me as it touch with the grace of a prima ballerina – and looked every bit as pretty!
I parked up at about 18:00 and had a look around. What a complete contrast to the relatively bustling Gloucester. The guy who obviously ran the airfield gently enquired if he could help. I explained I was waiting for Gavin (blank-ish look) as I elaborated that he was part of the group who relocated here in the Robin last weekend (saying this as I glanced into an open hangar seemingly full of Robins of various shapes and sizes!). This drew a look of recognition as he nodded and wandered off to help Mr Biplane fuel (bit of a shocker for me when I saw a pump price of £1.75 a litre! Wow, crap, it is cheaper at Gloucester!).
Gavin wasn’t there yet, but no problem as I wandered around the clubhouse and hangars taking a look. Apart from the biplane, which quickly fuelled and was put away for the night, nothing else was stirring. The airfield manager bade farewell and said he couldn’t wait around and hoped Gavin didn’t need any fuel as he was locking it up now.
I soaked up the quiet and welcome solitude and realised just how different and placid ‘strip flying’ was from a full ATC field. I could see that I would be quite happy with either for different reasons, but that on balance, the sheer ‘lord of all you survey’ feeling of a deserted grass strip would be my preference! I could positively feel my tough day and the clockwork key in my back starting to unwind!
Gavin arrived at about 18:30 after a fraught day and a hectic drive and still seemed to be steaming (probably as I was a mere half hour earlier).
We headed over to the plane as Gavin gave it the A-check. I tried not to chat as I know how distracting it can be to check a plane and listen at the same time (well, it is for me anyway – after all, I’m a guy!).
Gavin was saying that this was only the second time he had flown out of Oaksey, the first time was on the Saturday, when he volunteered to be the ‘ferry pilot’ to take the plane from Gloucester to it’s new home at Oaksey, and on that day the weather was horrible and blustery and lead to an ‘interesting’ and no doubt entertaining first landing at Oaksey. Apparently, he hit a bump shortly after landing and became airborne again (I did spot a bit of a ridge about 100m along from the start of runway 22).
The weather was ideal. Scattered cloud and a slight breeze starting to die as the evening wore on and almost straight down runway 22.
We got chatting to another pilot that turned up and wheeled out his Robin DR400. He to Gavin the ‘secret procedure’ for self-refuelling and recording the invoice etc. so we filled the planes tanks. The drawback of this Robin is that there is only one tank and there is no way of ‘dipping’ it, you either filled it to the brim, or relied on fuel gauges (I know what I would do!!).
The DR400 took off nicely enough as we mounted up and started up. The plane started first time and the 300 hours engine sounded very sweet as we taxied to the end of runway 22. Blinds calls on the airfield frequency and we line up, full power and start trundling down the grass runway. Gavin keeps the tail on the ground until 40kts, then lifts the tail. Compared to the RV (not a fair comparison, but one I have to make as that is what I am now used to), the acceleration is modest and far more like a PA28. The tail comes up and we continue to accelerate in this attitude for what seems like quite some time, before Gavin rotates at the appropriate airspeed. Unlike the RV, it doesn’t seem to hop around excitedly and require serious efforts to hold it on the ground so you don’t try to fly too early.
We are off and climbing at 500 fpm, following the noise abatement procedure. We continue the climb and level out just above 2000’ heading towards the five valleys and Stroud and the ‘bends in the river’ on the River Severn. Gavin trims the plane out and it seems very stable and is quite happy to fly level ‘hands-off’ and chugs along in an economy cruise at 2200 rpm at 90-95 kts. Gavin demonstrates a few turns and steep turns and shows that he needs considerable back pressure and a few more rpm from the engine to maintain a level steep turn – this explains the impressive steep turns with an upward spiral (difficulty level of 2.4 – impressed the Russian judge!) that he made in the RV where at one point we had a 1000 fpm climb going on!
We monitored Kemble Information throughout the trip and only caught a couple of blind calls from aircraft either doing general handling near Tetbury or a circuit to land at Kemble.
He then generously handed control over to me to have a play. I started by getting a feel for the controls and how light / responsive / heavy / harmonised they were. Then a few normal rate turns to get used to the level picture. Then a couple of steep turns and yes, considerable back pressure and another 100 rpm on the throttle.
By now, we were over the bends in the river where the Severn is quite wide and devoid of boats, people, vehicles and pretty much anything! But we were at 2500' - no bother, timne to see how well the plane sideslips, so power nearly off, carb heat on and a side-slipping descent gave a pleasing 1500 fpm descent. So of course down we go to check the river out from a relatively low (but of course perfectly legal) level of probably 150’ ASL. I suspect some punters in one of the local pubs thought it a bit odd to see a plane where they are used to seeing boats.
Fun over and power lines approaching, I put the plane into a climbing turn back up to 1500’ or so for a stately bimble back to Oaksey.
Gavin resumed control and of course we got quite a few pictures. I marvelled at the honey coloured light of the sinking sun at what was now near 20:00 and the long shadows this drew on the ground. What a perfect evening for an aimless bimble!
We navigated around Kemble and headed for the Cotswold Water Park and the distinctive ‘ex-quarry’ lakes. I was the first to spot the grass airstrip, but only really because it was on the right hand side of the nose so Gavin was blind to it.
A check of the windsock showed the wind hadn’t changes and was still light and straight down 22. Gavin positioned for a long final onto 22 and gave the appropriate blind calls. I videoed the landing on my camera as Gavin deliberately landed a bit long to get past the irritating ridge across the runway which is conveniently marked by the upwind windsock (probably deliberately). He touched well into the stall warner and the aircraft stayed down and surprisingly quickly came to a halt well before we reached the hangar.
We had a bit of trouble getting the aircraft back in over the uphill lip of the hangar - pretty bad for a pair of hefty guys weighing in at 95kg a piece!
Well, what a lovely evening and how relaxing grass strip flying is - no ATC, no landing on indemnity, a real 'sort yourself out' kind of thing. I could certainly get used to this with the right machine.
Now - where did I leave that Glasair Sportsman 'two weeks to taxi' brochure????
