Spring is in the air! Sunday 26th April 2009

 

 

Weather Divert - Old Sarum

Sunday flying in the sun in hampshire turns into rain in Wiltshire! We were heading for Compton Abbas where the flyin today was for Naomi House, the charity the hampshire club is suppporting this year, but alas we have to divert to old Sarum.

Free landing fees for a weather divert and Sunday lunch yummy!

Big Helmets?

Flying at the weekend with Richard and his Dad I am reminded that I was not adventurous at all..when I first was awarded my license.

I recall a long trip was to the next airfield that was Dunkerswell to Westonzoyland, map reading all the way, getting lost over the Somerset levels while skipping field to field climbing over the hedges.

The talk was of GPS a new device that might cause more accidents as if two pilots took off one from Dunkerswell, the other from Westonzoyland they might meet half way at the same height and crash! No! We really did have that conversation in the club house fearful of these new devices!

Is that how I treat new technology in my life now, with fear? Is that how I approach new flying challenges now?

Bench of Peace

New Bench of Peace

Dave and I sat on the "Bench of Peace" today, the previous bench we had concreted into the ground needed planning permission! We had previously set it in concrete to stop it walking...again!!

To keep the peace with the locals and the local council we have removed the old bench and replace it with one that is not set in concrete, its ok to have a bench but only if it is free to roam.

Do the UK planning laws need revisiting?

Another Must Have of the Season!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Summit-X-Mug-Orange/dp/B001Q3KLU4

You could see the broken branches

So what was the reason? We know what happened, but not why? A couple on route from Hertfordshire to Jersey hit the hill near to our Airfield, Nr Petersfield Hampshire, UK. Its a hill around 700 ft AMSL, the cloud was low and so he was flying in a valley heading to the coast, but why did he hits the hill? Was he flying IFR or IMC? Was he looking at maps or cockpit instruments? Did he know there was a hill close by? We will not know until the report is written, and we may know the what but not the why two thirty something people hit the trees on the hill, crashed and died.

Tonight I flew over the site in near perfect flying conditions and witness first hand the broken branches where the Aircraft, a Piper, first hit the trees. There is a line of broken branches, broken hearts and broken lives.

I feel sick, I feel like a voyeur, but I know what it feels like to be compelled to fly, just to be in the air.

Home Run

The competion finished at 1600hrs last Sunday and while waiting for
the results I get a call from a club pilot who has been fogged in at
Bembridge!

Calls to Charlotte tell me I might get home as the fog stops 1/4 of a
mile in from the beach, something we are used too at this time of year.

I set off at five and rounded Southampton zone an hour and half later.
Smooth clear air all the way, but the last 5 miles were covered by low
cloud tops we at 1000 amsl, without losing sight of the ground I
probed it cover but it was clear I was not going to make it home.

A short 20 minute divert to Colemorr Common , tied down for the night.
The last leg proved to be a greater test of my judgement than any of
the tasks of the competion!

Did I learn the lesson?

Great day - Sad ending

Planning the task today at Redlands airfield a first! Competion flying
is a blast! The task was set to fly a coarse back to Over Farm and to
spot land. Marks along the way to match ground features with a photo
sheet! Of the 9 I spotted 2! That was a lot harder than I thought.

The circuit at Over was as busy as you would want it to be! Two go
arounds before landing over a tape to a dead stop landing.

On the subject of dead... Two of the spectators, friends of the Over
flying club died on the return trip to shobdon.

There friends were sad and upset which took the edge off the event,
and brings everyone up short. I am not afraid to die doing the thing I
love so much, but when I die I don't want my wife and kids to have to
listern to the news.

Dying unexpectly is I suppose better for the dead and worse for the
living, I can imagine dying as Jade Goodie did is agoney to the person
but removes some of the shock for those left behind. I am please to
say that so far I have experence of niether.

So do we face the reality that the next flight could be our last each
time we pre-flight the aircraft, check the weather and consider the human limitation?

As I type this blog from my tent in Glocester, my thoughts are for the
family and friends of "Two men die in Microlight Crash".....

Redlands - Nr Swindon

I have arrived at Redlands and been judged fir my first cimpetition
task! The spot landing..

Low cloud - Rain - Warm bed

It's 0721hrs the plan was to be over Newbury! I am still tucked up!

M: 07595329158

Ready, Steady, Wait!

This is the view from the hanger at Thorny Island at 1730hrs today, mist and less than 3k viz so we packed up the trike ready for competition and waited too see if it would clear...alas at 1830hrs with a track of 95 miles to Over Farm and with an hours daylight left we called it off and took the kids for a Pizza! We picked up Jack Hampshire from Paul and then back home for early bed.

Dawn tomorrow we shall try again! Its the 1st round of the national competitions, who knows will we make it tomorrow morning, I will keep the blog updated...

Fear Of Flying or Fear of Falling?

Since my first flight to Canada in 1978, I have been a little bit afraid of flying. Over the next 15 years I flew more and more as my job as the "Export Manager" for a Southampton based Engineering company meant spending months away from home flying from country to country. I recall on one tour completing 18 flights across India, Asia and Australia. I became more nervous each flight until I recall having to be off my "Gin and Tonic face" to get onto the Jumbo returning from Melbourne. Illogical fear, but then what part does logic play in fear?

I knew I had to do something about it and so to my first flight in a microlight in Somerset 3 years later at the tender age of 29, being scared stiff was part of the plan! I recall looking up at the wing and the wires and thinking it wont hold! What makes those bumps! Do we have to fly the whole hour?

Its odd if I was so frightened why did I book in and have lessons? What is it about fear that make us want more? That is a question I cant answer just now, but gaining my license at a time when fast was 50-mph and most machines went 45 mph. A 45 minute cross country was a huge distance I was still a little nervy... and so I flew until I had 75 hours or so on my log when a flight on the 09.08.1995 went so wrong I stopped flying the minute the wheels touched the ground. My next flight was logged on 17.02.2001 - "P-U-T"

Now when I recall those feeling as I write it makes me think about my fellow flyers now who are so very nervous every time they fly, the ones who don't like the bumps or who are unsure of there flying. The guys who fly the latest hardware but fret about 15-mph winds. Has my attitude to them become a little hard nose? Should I still worry too?

No I don't worry now, and no I don't need too. I have developed a mechanism though flying on Fly UK when hugh distance and fatigue plays a part, that enables me to relax more and more as it become bumpy or hectic, and the worse it gets the less I hold the bar and worry, I relax more!

I think this comes from a solid understanding of the subject, a very though ground inspection and good planning. Add to this a whole bunch of experience over and the knowledge that if I die flying, I will die doing the one thing on this earth that I love more than I love myself. I am not sure I could live without flying now,life would simply be an existence if I didn't have to face my fears, wouldn't it?

;-0

I am excited! this coming weekend, I am off to compete! My first competition, the first round of the nationals at Over Farm Gloucester.

I have my tent packed, and the trike almost ready, P & M are helping with

dam trimmer issues again! I had Billy Brooks the man himself stumped today...I think its one of those design issues so hopefully the replacement

Parts can be collected from Manton tomorrow!

I posted the news on the HMFC site and have 5 folks coming with me or planing to come I should say...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmd05dB70rU

here is hoping the weather plays ball and its not too dam cold! Must pack the whiskey!

Lessa Spotted Poly

Colemore Common 1030hrs approx. Here we see the lesser spotted "Poly"
En Route to Old Sarum....

May at Colemore

Today’s great news means that planning how we will celebrate our 21^st birthday of Microlight flying at Colemore can now start in earnest. Hunting though my photos this shot taken on finals inspires me to think about the summers flying, it was taken May 2008, roll on summer 2009 clocks forward tomorrow!

Great News! - Certificate of Lawful Use - Colemore Common

Today we received great news! The Hampshire Microlight Club has been working to obtain a certificate of lawful use at its home airfield Colemore Common – Nr Petersfield. Today we had confirmation that our CLU gives us the access we have enjoyed to date. Today is a clear victory for David & Dave, after what has been a long and personally difficult fight! Well done boy’s!

Taking over the chair of the club two years ago we set principal objectives to;

- Engage the members with the club and create an active flying calendar.

- Contiue our 20 year assocation with Colemore as our home base.

- Have the club contribute and participate in the community in which we fly – Hampshire.

- Empower the members to make decisions about the club – its future – its activity.

I am so proud to be a part of the club…..does pride come before a fall?

More Boy's Toys

My toy collection grew today! Dave mass purchased PLB's for the Hampshire Microlight Club this seasons "must have".

Based simply around that well known principal that "He who has the most toys when he dies, wins" this has to be the ultimate toy? One which you can use while you die in the cold water just off the Scottish Highlands where we will fly later this year.

I shall have my PLB strapped to me and in my other pocket I shall have a flask of the strong stuff. The instructions in the box said it can take up-to 45 minutes for the signals to be transmitted, a flask of the best Oban will be a welcome interlude while I wait for death or discovery.

Three Quik's - Colemore

Landing in and taking in the air at Colemore, Sunday 22 March 1635hrs under the watchful eye of our friendly objectors, who have to drive to a field close by to even know we are there! How nuts is that.....

Geraldine First Flight...

Sunday Afternoon - Southern Hampshire - Geraldine's first ever flight, "I would go again.." did the bug bite? I do hope so, there are simply too few female flyers..

3000 Years 3000 feet..

Stonehenge from the Air today! Quite a site, did they ever imagine flying machines passing by? Its odd we can fly by but we still do not know why they chose this place, why they pulled the stones from south wales, why go to all that effort?

Why fly by? Because I like it, perhaps that is reason enough!

Somerset Bound

The flying season starts! You can tell when the flying season starts, I can fly without Gloves in my open cot-pit are craft. Its a Pegasus Quik 912s named because for its type, its is..

Dave Baker a mate of mine had full filled a flying ambition to fly from Hampshire our home to Cornwall to see an old work friend who retired from the job. We were to meet him on the way back half way at Westonzoyland Airfield. We stared as 3 Lorrie - Colin - Daryl but lost Lorries passenger to the cold as the returned from about 10% along the way. Colin and I flew on through the bumps and the haze met Dave and had the flight home to die for.... well not quite. Its is however the first time I have flown under an airfield!

No gloves either way, and so that is officially spring!

Colemore on the way home, the counters and counting and there is a surprise or disappointment in store, why do people invest so much of there lives in objecting? Is there really a point when our airfield is in the middle of nowhere, and has been in place for 20 years? I feel sorry for them, investing time and effort in the negative.

I have reached a decision about what to do with the Chairmanship of the Hampshire Microlight Flying Club....I blogg later.