Project Propellor 2009

Project Propellor is an annual event that is organised to bring veteran RAF aircrew together for a reunion. What is special about it is that the veterans are conveyed to the reunion by private pilots volunteering their time and aircraft to fly the veterans I n and back.

I have volunteered for this for three out of the last four years, but to date have not once managed to fly veterans in. The date chosen seems to be cursed with poor weather. The first year, it was only at Kemble (just over the ridge from Gloucester), but thick cloud sat on or below the ridge until 14:00 when it lifted enough for me to squeeze through – unfortunately, by then the veteran concerned had given up and gone home. On the last occasion at Bruntingthorpe, the weather was again very poor with a very low cloudbase and all I could managed was a low-level local, never getting above 1000’ and considerably lower cloudbase towards the north east.

This year the weather had been great leading up to Saturday so I was hopeful. It was again being held at Bruntingthorpe, a mere 35-40 minutes flying time to the north east. Saturday dawned and I threw the curtains back and ……….FOG! You have got to be kidding! Where I lived the visibility was about 200m first thing in the morning and it was plenty thick. I set off to the airfield more in hope than expectation.

At the airfield it wasn’t quite as bad, but was still less than 800m visibility and no cloudbase as such. I prepped the plane and loaded with the required amount of fuel and parked the plane up. There was not a breath of wind and it was warm and humid. The fog was starting to lift and form into low cloud and the visibility was improving. Maybe 1km now with 600’ cloudbase. It was worth hanging around to see if it would become flyable.

I spotted my veteran talking to others in the main terminal building and introduced myself. He is an ex-pilot in the RAF who got ‘stuck’ in training command in WW2 flying Avro Ansons on navigation training exercises from Northern Ireland. We chatted as we waited for the weather to improve. There were a few other pilots and veterans in the same position at Gloucester as we reviewed our respective personal minimas and strategies for Bruntingthorpe, who themselves were reporting an unofficial 500’ ceiling and 2k visibility (they are at 500’ elevation).

My slot time would have meant a 10:30 departure, but I thought there would be plenty of slots available, so vowed to ‘see what it was like for an 11:00 departure’. As it happened, by 10:50, the weather at Gloucester was now broken, thin cloud with rather nice sunshine, probably 1300’ cloudbase and 7km visibility. We checked with Bruntingthorpe again who were giving 3km and 800’ cloudbase and that was it, it is worth a try!

I saddled up while giving John a careful safety brief, especially the harness and canopy opening. We buttoned up as late as I could and taxied out to 27 for power checks (it can get very hot under the Perspex bubble canopy on the ground in weather like this). Power checks complete, we lined up and took off. I climbed to 1300’ and set course to DTY. Nearing my home village en-route, Gloucester called and warned me of many aircraft holding around Wellesborne at 500’ trying to get to Bruntingthorpe. I considered my options and with some good sized gaps in the thin cloud, decided to power up and go ‘VMC on top’. I was above the cloud by 2000’, but carried on to 3000’ to get a good view downwards. Still perfectly legal as there were sensible sized ‘holes’ in the cloud, so I was always in sight of the surface.

I continued to DTY and noticed one of two spots of significant vertical development where the cumulus was already starting to ‘tower’, but fortunately, these were off my route. I got a ‘basic service’ from Coventry and on hearing that I was ‘on top’ another aircraft called me for an update on conditions ‘on-top’, which I was happy to give him.

I was hoping that I could sit up there in the sunshine and cruise all the way to Bruntingthorpe and let down through a gap there, but once I got to DTY, the view north looked like a solid undercast, so scrap Plan A!

Plan B was to drop through a hole I spotted just north of DTY and try a ‘scud-run’ in. I transferred to Bruntingthorpe Radio who were frantically busy (good sign as others had clearly made it) and giving runway 24 in use and giving me the QFE. I set to this as I was VERY interested in ground clearance and was below the cloud and about 800’ above the ground, scraping my head against the cloudbase. I turned on every light I had, especially landing and taxi lights so others could see me. I set course using Ded Reckoning for Bruntingthorpe (it wasn’t in my GPS). Eventually I spotted a large airfield and another aircraft appearing out of the murk. I avoided him and studied the airfield. Big enough, but where is that huge 3000m runway that we couldn’t use? I dawned on me that I had found Husbands Bosworth glider airfield about 2 miles to the east – ooops! I set course for Bruntingthorpe. I didn’t so much see the airfield first as start to spot aircraft appearing all over the place around me!

By this stage, the radio calls were interesting as the place was frantically busy. A particularly unusual (though undoubtedly necessary) radio call from the ground went something like ‘RIGHT – SHUT UP EVERYONE! Now, who is that on short final?’

By the time I spotted the airfield, we were coming in on left base for 24 (we would use the 800m x 23m taxiway that ran parallel to the huge runway which was being used all day for motor sport). I tucked in behind a plane and turned final. Both the grass runway and the hard taxiway were being used for runways, but as they were next to each other, we were not doing simultaneous landings. The guy in front opted for the hard runway, then I saw that they were backtracking aircraft up the runway to parking. I knew I was too close to the guy in front to give him time to do that, so called a ‘go-around’.

I tucked in behind someone else and came around again. Again, same thing, so I went around again. Third time lucky? On final, I was close to a Cessna. He opted for the grass as I let him get a bit further ahead so I could land on the hard. I managed it this time around. I cam in a bit fast given the last minute ‘dive’ once I had cleared the trees. No matter, I just held off and off and off. She touched, hopped a bit and touched nicely a second time and stayed down. I backtracked and followed the marshalls into parking.



Well, we had made it as had (it later transpired) some 65 out of an expected 105. A large number given the poor conditions.

Bruntingthorpe is an interesting place, full of ‘cold war’ machines, including a Victor tanker aircraft that can still do fast taxi runs (including becoming briefly airborne by accident in May 2009). John went off to find colleagues as I spotted some Flyer Forumites and said hello as we all compulsively watched and gave a critique of every landing (like pilots do!). One was a very impressive ‘triple bouncer’, from a PA28, another was a real ‘smackdown’ by a twin and yet another was a ‘I like to use ALL of the runway’ long-ish landing. I wandered around the old aircraft, including going inside the particularly ugly ‘Super Guppy’ that is based there. For me the star of the show was a dilapidated but still astonishing ex-Luftwaffe F104 Starfighter. The wings are tiny and the leading edges can only be described as ‘sharp’!





The Spitfire display due at 12:55 was cancelled due to the poor weather and by 14:00 a lot of people had started to depart. I started to rain and I sheltered under the wing of the Victor for a while. The weather had sort-of improved, probably a bit higher cloudbase (maybe 1200’) but the forward visibility was poor. I decided to check the plane. While over there, Adrian asked if I wanted to have a look at his spanking new Cirrus SR22 while he checked it over. I sat in and tried it on for size while the glass cockpit booted up – WOW, what a view! Artificial terrain, side-stick, soft leather – GA for the 21st century!



John spotted me and asked me what I wanted to do. I said if he was done, we could wander off. WE got back to the plane, checked her out and mounted up. I joined the queue for departures, which was nearly as bad as when I landed. I got away behind a PA28 heading in the same direction. I levelled out at 1300’ and headed towards DTY contacting Coventry. It was clear that I was catching up quickly on the PA8, so I put a further 100’ on and overtook in the prescribed manner, waggling my wings to let him know I was there.

Sure enough, pretty much overhead DTY, the weather changed abruptly into clear skies with scattered thin cumulus, better than when I left it three hours ago and still in the same place (but then there was no wind at all). I climbed to just over 3000’ and levelled out there.

I handed over to John to fly for a bit and warned him at the sensitivity of the controls. He handled it like a pro and when he did lose or gain height (it is VERY sensitive in pitch) he quickly got it back.



I was so busy chatting to John that I didn’t spot that we were headed towards one of the glider sites directly on track. First I knew about it is that there we a glider spiralling in a thermal and another off to one side. I took control and did my best to steer well clear. Once clear, I handed back to John while I got the ATIS for Gloucester.

I recalled from the NOTAMs that there was some sort of glider competition from Bidford. Well off my track, but the gliders themselves would be around here. Sure enough, I started to spot them. I called Gloucester Approach and they warned me about ‘many gliders on the Cotswold ridge to the North East’ – precisely where I would cross. I took control and dropped altitude, coming across the ridge in the Gretton / Gotherington valley at low level – if they were this low, they were in trouble and landing! Sure enough, I started to spot them well above me. Once clear, I climbed again to 2000’ QFE for the standard overhead join for 27 at Gloucester.

The circuit was uneventful followed by a good landing. Unfortunately I didn’t quite make the early turnoff from 27 and certainly didn’t want to over-work the brakes, so I had to roll to the end and endure a baking hot ‘long march of death’ around the taxiway back to parking. I was very happy to get the canopy open at Cotswolds with the sweat now stinging my eyes!

John clearly enjoyed the day and I was pleased to be able to get him there given the poor weather conditions. He insisted on paying for his share of the fuel, but I insisted more strongly that he was going to do no such thing! We settled on him inviting me and my wife over to dinner one evening.

A good trip to another ‘new airfield’ for me. The plane is flying well, although now it is or course coming up for a 50 hour check, so more downtime. I really must book it for a weekend shortly for a cross-channel foray.

Back in the air!

In mid-April, one of the group members had a groundloop or two in the plane. We were lucky and the damage was limited to one slightly bent undercarriage leg with damage to the spat and tyre. It could have been much worse, as judging by the pattern of damage to the spat, the tail must have lifted considerably and it was lucky that we didn’t get a prop strike with all the attendant consequences that would have entailed! After much to-ing and fro-ing (the main culprit for the delay being good old HMRC holding on to deliveries from the US), the plane was finally back in the air in early June, some two months later.

This of course combined with a one week business trip to India, such that the earliest I could sensibly fly the plane was the week commencing 22nd June. I booked the plane for Tuesday 23rd and the weather even seemed to be playing ball. I left early from work and had to put the aircon in the car up to nearly full blast as the sun was out to play and it was hot under the glass – alarm bells were already ringing as I imagined myself under the bubble canopy of the RV6 with the sun beating down!!! I don’t think it is a great idea to go flying after a hectic day at work as my head is buzzing about loads of things, but I make a huge effort to relax and blot these thoughts out. It’s at time like this I wish I was the ‘Karate Kid’ and could focus the way the old Japanese guy taught him!

I gave the plane a careful A-Check and apart from a non-functional strobe (which I noted in the tech log), it seemed OK, oh and of course not enough fuel, even for a few circuits. I hauled the plane out by myself (not easy manoeuvring a taildragger by the prop past other closely hangared aircraft) and spotted my instructor striding across from his previous lesson. It is group rules that we need to do a check-flight if we have not flown the group aircraft for more than 30 days and although I was entirely compliant with legal currency rules and confident of flying the RV6 personally, one must of course abide by group rules as well, so it was up with an instructor for me.

Phil is a very experienced and laconic instructor of few words, but when he does say something, you had better listen. He went to book out while I taxied over to add a bit of fuel – enough for circuits anyway. Phil joined me there and hopped in. I am not a small guy (6’ 2” and 210 lbs) but Phil is larger (girth-wise anyway), all of which made for an interesting fit in the RV as I would have to grab for his thigh every time I wanted to use the flaps!

Well, I dropped the canopy as late in the start-up checks as I could and started to taxi. Of course Phil spotted that one of the fuel caps looked a bit ‘proud’, so a quick conversation with the Tower and they were happy for us to attend to this at the hold as there was nothing behind us. The runway in use was 09, so it was the ‘long march of death’ to the furthest holding point as the sun beat down through the bubble canopy. Yes, I got hot and yes, the sweat started to trickle into my eyes! At the holding point, Phil hopped out as I luxuriated in the cool of an open canopy and mopped my fevered brow! Phil got back in and the fuel cap was indeed a bit lower. Power checks complete, we lined up and held on 09 until we spotted a helicopter loitering near the end of the runway. Once visual, we were cleared for take-off. I fed in full power, started getting nimble on the pedals and quickly checked the rpm (normal for full power) and airspeed (some indication, so pitot is clear). The take-off was uneventful as the tail came up and as usual, I had to work to hold her down as she hopped and skipped desperate to get airborne. A little chirp on the stall warner and I eased forward a little, then she climbed away nicely.

I spotted that we were sharing the circuit with a PA28 from one of the schools, although he was well into base as we approached downwind, so no problem you would have thought. I held 1000’ QFE nicely (the RV is VERY sensitive in pitch and any poor trim or inattention will have you 200’ out of your target altitude in a few seconds). By the time I was base, I was visual with the PA28 who now seemed to be on about 1.5 mile final – what has he been doing? I really do hold the speed of the RV down in the circuit. Anyway, concentrate on my bit. Power back, speed bleeds slowly back to the flap limiting speed, take both stages one notch at a time and get established on 80kts on base. Altitude coming down, turn final. PA28 now just landed, so I continue and concentrate on bringing the speed back to 70kts and getting the picture right. The tower clears me to land before I can call final (not much point until the PA28 takes off again). I acknowledge and am cleared for a T&G and concentrate on my approach, let’s make the first one a good one. I come in over the threshold with good speed and height and chop the power, round out and flare. I flare possibly a little high, so ease forward a bit. Stall warner sounding as I ratchet it back, and back and we touch and stay touched. Not a greaser, but not hard either, so a good ‘starter for ten’.

Power up and around we go again. I spot the PA28 now on downwind as I am well into the crosswind, so I delay the downwind turn to follow him on a wider circuit that I would normally do and wider than indicated by the airfield. Phil gives me the sound advice to drop a stage of flaps. I chop the power and wait for the speed to bleed back to the flap limiting speed (which takes some time) and drop a stage, then hold the speed at 80 kts to try to give the PA28 some space. He seems to go on and on and on before turning base. He has got to be on the edge of the ATZ by now. I sort myself out on base. By now he is on a 2 mile final and I am going as slow as I care to. I turn onto final behind him and try to concentrate on flying my own plane. Approach and speed looks good. Both Phil and I watch this guy now on very short final as he carries out a series of alarming turns or PIO’s that look very close to the ground. I don’t think this is a glide approach as his approach angle was way too low to be doing it without power. He executes what looks to me like a very alarming landing and even the laconic Phil comments ‘That’s unusual’.



Anyway, my turn as I am cleared for T&G just as I almost on top of the threshold while the PA28 has just got wheels up at the other end. Chops power, hold off and off, touch and stay touched. Again, not pillow soft, but not hard either. Power up and away. I look up to see the PA28 still climbing out. Phil speaks to the Tower on the radio and gets permission to ‘overtake’. Phil takes over (spoilsport!) and pulls the plane well inside of the PA28 (not difficult!) and hands back when we are at 1000’ and very close in to the runway on late downwind. No bother, this will be fun. Again, I sort the flaps out and come in for a high final. I start to try for a sideslip, but Phil says not to worry, it will come off. So power off as I do a glide approach. It does indeed come off as I round-out and flare. This time I don’t hold off as long as I should before we touch and I am instantly punished by a minor bounce. OK, no worries, keep her straight down the runway and hold her off again, this time we touch nicely and stay touched ‘two for the price of one’ observes Phil, ‘just trying to get my monies worth’ I reply. Off we go again and Phil is happy and says I can do this one to land if I want. Well, I’m hot so why not.

Because we have overtaken, I have room in the circuit and fly a normal (i.e. tighter than 2 nm) circuit. I come in to land and I am on a sensible final when Phil points out that we have caught back up to our friendly PA28 again as he is only just taking off from a T&G! I land long as the exit is at the end of the runway, but not long enough as we still have a considerable taxi. It was probably the best landing of the day, a nice one to finish on.

OK, now ready for some flying. I am pleased with my performance given the ‘stress factors’ of being wound up from work, slowly baking under the bubble canopy and having to be careful not to mow down someone in front of me in the circuit. Although I hadn’t flown for two and a half months, I really did feel back at home immediately, a bit rusty of course, but not as much as I expected. I will of course give myself some refreshers now on steep turns (yeehaa!), stalls (whooooaaaa!) and PFL’s (booh-ring!).

Now for Project Propellor this weekend and I must then book the plane for a cross-channel day or weekend shortly.

G-GDRV still out of commission

Back from holiday now only to find that G-GDRV is still out of commission. The leg has been shipped and repaired in the USA. Apparently they have shipped it back but it is now stuck in customs. The shipper will only speak to the US firm that repared the leg to tell them where it is and we can't seem to get in touch with the US firm.

Bottom line is that it seems unlikely that G-GDRV aill be back in the air until early-June.

Meantime, here she is still on jacks in the hangar. Withdrawal symptoms or what!!!

Bad things come in threes?

Let’s hope that bad things really don’t come in threes!

Recently, I taxied into a sign at an airfield and dented the underside of the port wing. This meant repairs costing some £200 and the plane being out of action for about three weeks.

The plane was up and about again around the middle of March, which allowed the group to get flying again (including my own ‘trip’ to East Anglia and a very pleasant evening bimble locally).

I did not have the plane booked at all over the easter break as I thought it only fair to give the other group members a look in over the weekend and bank holiday break. The weather was generally excellent – warm, sunny with scattered cloud and very light, if any wind.

One of our other group members who is relatively new to the group is doing tailwheel training and was hoping to be signed off for difference training by his instructor very soon. So I was surprised when I received a group-wide email saying that the plane had ground-looped with the instructor on board while doing circuits at Enstone. Apparently, it was a low speed groundloop at the end of the roll-out from a landing.

This resulted in bad damage to one of the spats, disconnected and damaged tailwheel and the left main leg being bent back slightly.

I do feel sorry for the member concerned as must have been quite a shock. I am sure we will understand the circumstances later.

Subsequent inspection has indicated that the left leg is indeed bent – some 2 inches backward – and probably needs to be replaced. A new spat is required, so we may use this as an excuse to replace both spats with a newer type with more ground clearance more suited to grass strip operations. The tailwheel and linkage is also damaged.

In any event, it looks like we will be ordering and fitting a few new parts from that nice Mr Vans in the USA. So it looks like the plane will be out of action for a good few weeks. Let’s hope that’s the last of the bad news for 2009!

Evening bimble

Now that the clocks have gone forward one hour, it is a lot lighter in the evenings, so it makes those pleasant, quiet evening flights after work during the week a possibility.

With this in mind I booked a Wednesday evening for a relaxing ‘local’. I hoped to get away early, but of course no such luck. It wasn’t too bad though, I was at the airfield just before 17:00. I wandered out to the plane just in time to see another group member finishing up moving the plane back in the hangar – to be fair, he had waited with the plane out on the ramp until well past my booking start time of 16:15 and had assumed that I was a ‘no show’.

As luck would have it, it was our group member who is also an aircraft engineer and had recently installed our new Mode S transponder (this is now mandatory for all VFR flights in many European countries). He ran through how it all worked, which saved me a fair bit of reading up.

[RANT MODE ON] Just how pointless are Mode S transponders for VFR flights? Suffice to say that now there is a large area of the Netherlands that has imposed a ban on the use of Mode S transponders for VFR flights as far from ‘improving safety’ (as we were of course told by the bureaucrats) it produces so much ‘clutter’ that the controllers now cannot see ‘the wood for the trees’. Apparently, many pilots and controllers told the authorities that this is precisely what would happen, but were told that they were wrong etc.! So now some £2000 poorer, our group have been forced to buy a bit of kit that frankly will do nothing for us, in fact it will probably end up being a step backwards! Only governments and civil servants can do this! [RANT MODE OFF]

The plane had sufficient fuel and had already had a thorough check for the day, so I gave it a quick once over (walk around for obvious damage, physically check the fuel and oil levels), booked out and hopped in.

There had been a fair bit of wind during the day, and it was still a breeze at about 220/13kts at ground level. Nothing for a nosewheel aircraft, but worth knowing about for a tailwheel, particularly as regards likely runways and crosswinds. Fortunately, Gloucester have a runway 22, so no real crosswind, maybe even a nice headwind to flatter my landings with an agreeably short ground roll! Also, as the evening draws in, the winds tend to settle a bit anyway.

So I was soon rolling and airborne from 22. I was by myself tonight with a relatively light fuel load. So I was rewarded with amazing aircraft performance and 2000 fpm climb rates – wooo hoooo!



I bumbled out to the north west and paid my respects to the Malverns. I was up around 5000’ with very scattered and thin cumulus at about the same level. The visibility was great and the land below looked like a crisp and sharp aerial photo. It wasn’t too bumpy, just a few around the Malverns, so I tightened my shoulder straps so I wouldn’t smack my head against the canopy (not a good idea when you are flying solo).

It was quiet and peaceful, with only a handful of planes on the Gloucester Approach frequency. As usual, I bumbled over to Winchcombe, but this time descended to 2000’, the flew along in front of Cleeve Hill and the ridge of the Cotswolds just for the sheer joy of it.



A mandatory orbit or two of my home village, then back to Bredon Hill to get the ATIS and call for a rejoin.

Just heading back to Gloucester, I spotted a high wing jet some 2000 feet above me (where I had just been before I descended). It was either and HS125 or a C17 going into Fairford or Brize.

Given 22 right hand with a standard overhead join. I reported as usual at 2 miles and was told to switch to the tower frequency. I called the tower and unexpectedly got a ‘pass your message’ – I responded hesitantly that I was now closer than 2 miles and joining overhead for 22. He asked if I had been passed across from the Approach frequency as the penny dropped at his end. I confirmed and got the usual report downwind. Bit of a comms failure in the tower there methinks – to be fair, I have never personally heard this happen before at Gloucester, so I guess they were distracted.

As I flew crosswind, I spotted a Cessna outside and ahead of me at the same height. I wasn’t sure if he was going to depart the circuit or turn downwind. I was just about to turn downwind, when I saw him turning in a downwind direction, albeit further out. So I assumed he WAS in the circuit. Knowing that it was probably one of the local flying school Cessnas, rather than ‘have a race’ on the downwind leg and maybe unsettle the other pilot, I asked for an orbit for spacing (now aren’t I nice?). I did this and got suitably behind him and continued the circuit.

The wind had calmed a bit, but was about 230/09kts as I lined up on final for 22. I reminded myself that I was a lot lighter than normal, so drop the approach speed a bit and get ready for more float than normal.

I managed most of this and landed with a small ’spitfire hop’ (that’s my excuse anyway).

Then the final hurdle. I pulled up at the hangar with the hangar next door locked (so I couldn’t borrow their towbar) and our hangar with the jets parked up and no one else around. So I had to man-handle the tailwheel RV6 into a tight hangar space, single handed without a tow bar. In the event, I managed it pretty well – whether by luck or judgement I am not sure!

A great flight on a very pleasant evening. Well, another 0.9 hours logged and now up to nearly 450 hours total time. A nice bit of ‘quality time’ all by myself. I’ll do more of these, offering places to people at work that expressed an interest in going up with me.

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!