Bird Stock - Isle of Wight...

Over the 700agl hills swoop down into the Vally on idle, base leg over the field and cross the woods, turn onto finals, 30 foot above the cops and 10 foot above the three phase pylons half way up the field. This landing I should mention is down wind, up hill. Over the wires bar in dive for the deck, Full power to climb up the hill and land up hill while climbing and rounding out with speed, the final deck run was 60 meters up hill to the trees, that sixty meters was so steep the touchdown at 60mph decayed before the apex. Welcome to Bird stock Isle of Wight!

Doing that once my heart was in my mouth, once over the cops your committed, the hill was so steep that once on finals your not going to be able to clear the hill there was no option to abort beyond long final. Even if you did, the hill beyond was going to bite. No room for error, and no turning back. Each and every flight I was asking my self is this the right decision to land, is it the right decision to continue to fly people from this field? So there were no accidents or incidents. Does that vindicate the decisions I took? I don't think so. I don't think it was a good decision to do that twice let alone 34 times.

In the saddle when I eyed the field each time I turned finals I was asking the question, does this look right? where am I going if it stops now? Will this amount of energy get me and the passenger over the wood? May be asking the questions is evidence of conscious decision making, may be asking the questions only highlights I was in the wrong place from the very start, if I have to ask these questions about a landing site again, is it the wrong location.

That weekend was about celebrating a friends 50Th Birthday Party, I recall the rounds of 18Th and 21st Birthdays! Now were all on the way there, with decision making like that will I make it?

I flew that field 34 times that weekend, none any less scary that the first, worn out by the intense concentration my bank Holiday Monday did not start until 1200hrs! Thank you Gary & Sarah for a weekend to remember, I loved every second and met and flew great people, beleive me the pleasure was all mine.