Dirk is Dead

Followers of this blog will know Dirk from the Fly UK posts in June. This morning I awoke first light and though I must call Sandra and Gustav to ask about Dirk. When I got around to calling Sandra said Dirk had died at 0600hrs.

Did Dirk visit to say good bye?

I am really very, very sad we cant fly again, just one more time, one more take off, one more landing, one more swoop, one more roll, one more thermal, one more splash. Today was Dirks last take off his landing will be somewhere else.

Dirk, if they have blogs where you are, I hope the wind under your wings is warm and dry, keep your splasher ready... I hope you will be there to welcome me.........

Blois - France The Trip Begins!

http://www.ulmblois.com/frame-idx-uk.html

Lawn Cut
Fish Water Changed
Pillows Packed
Aircraft Prep ed
Plans Made - Made Again
GAR Forms Filed
Buy Camera
Say chero to Charlotte
Ring the kids...


Its time to fly to France!

As always I feel a pang of doubt about the 65 miles across water 130 if I want to come back! is the risk worth the reward? Do I stay with the aircraft of jump at the last minute in the event of accident.....I a jumper... I hope not to find out if this method works!

Last Leg - Parchute's & PFL's

Flying in to old Sarum seeing friends on the way home the skydiving school has had a "malfunction" on a tandem jump the chute and the bag were lost. Flying Gordon on a search path it's found! The strings were tangled and not likely to open, they landed on the reserve and we found 2k worth chute! Interesting to chat to the Skydivers, "by the time a parachutist can tandem, they have so much experience they look forward to the odd ride on the reserve.." Oh!

Now the last flight home before an Early night in a soft bed..I leave after the airfield is closed and depart for a great if not direct flight home, PFL's for the day across the Salisbury Plain were my first of the day, miss two got one, not a good average and probably due to fatigue.

Approaching Southampton I am cleared for a route down Southampton water and a direct route home. Nill ish wind at Old Sarum turns into a ground speed of 104mph on the coast, into wind and Thorny and its 25mph on the deck, home bed and show, sleep I am so pleased to see an email from Brian who clearly enjoyed himself ;-)

Treebrough Farm - Misson Aviation Fellowship

Twice in two weeks I meet Paul, last week it was on Lundy. He was featured Augusts Pilot Magazine the article was about farm strip flying. Bumping into Paul & Jo & No9 for a second time at Treeborough.

They are planning a move to Africa working for http://www.maf-uk.org/ "If you are a Pilot, Christian , and have a heart to help they might take you too..." Paul commented. Check it out for yourself. There must be a reason I met Paul twice after being in contact through Pilot Magazine while I was on the M.A.F Stand at "New Wine" with the family....hmmm I am listening to see what that reason is....

Treeborough Farm - Exmoor

Taking off from Farway Common the conditions were a little "joggly" with a ceiling of cloud at around 2500feet with great horizontal viz. It was a delight to see the Devon hills rolling out in front of us a welcome sight after 24hrs on then deck. We formed up on Brian in a lose Diamond Formation and flows this for 30 minutes across Devon looking for an airfield we only knew the rough location for! Never the less it was 2nm north of two lakes which were relatively easy to find. I recall a holiday with Charlotte as we fly over the reservoir before kids we had a VW and slept over night and biked around the reservoir, I find myself remembering those precious days as we fly overhead.
Treeborough comes up on the nose and Brian now practiced at using the Bar for Speed and Power for Height gently formed the Diamond to intersect the runway 25 overhead at 2000ft, we split and completed a standard over head join. Two landing Long, two landing Short we are all on the deck in unison. Compliments flow from the PFA on the ground who said the formation and break were "great to watch", "Very tidy formation" "Just like a red arrows formation break to land"...... AH! an ambition is forming.... and as the price of Quiks lowers might become a reality...
Its raining, occasionally and the sky is lowering, now the decision onward or retreat? The wind had gone out of my sails as we had been stranded at Farway and the clearer Sky's to the east called me to follow Colin and Brian home, via Old Sarum.

Sunday - Mark's First Flight

Hitching home from Sidmouth yesterday we were given a ride by Mark
from Honiton, his kids in the back of the van with a collection of push bikes! They were interested to see the Microlights and came across and took a closer look. Mark managed to come back in the morning for breakfast made up of caviar, crab and lobster on crackers washed
down with coffee!

A ride for a ride if your a fan of "not the 9 O'Clock news!" Marks first flight this morning in the back seat with Johnny, they flew the close and the Vally's of South East Devon. Now it's off to see The instructors at Somerset Microlights - Dunkerswell !!! Enjoy your first lesson Mark great to meet you...

We are off to a farm fly in at Treeborough a small farm strip north of Taunton (where my kids were born)

Tonight's plan if the weather plays ball we may be in Fowey Cornwall...

Plan C! - Scillys are off...

Sadly the Isles of Scilly plan is now now officially off. It rained all last night, and the cloud is still on the deck with then local Oriographic still in play. The choices are to stay at the airfield and hope or "holiday". Ron the Engineer from Farway offers us a lift to the local bus route which takes us to Sidbury, where a double decker takes us and a bus load of bus passes to Sidmouth.

We visit the best pasty shop in then world, stroll the town and sleep in the shelters on then prominard. Half awake Half asleep I catch every passer by's conversations, interesting 80% are about recolation of the past and people and places folks have been, the other 20% are about other people. I wonder do my conversations split in then same way?

Bus home , Jon and I jump off for a visit to Liddle, and then try a hitch home...

Thinking Sunday will take us to Newquay...

Good bad forecast

It's wet the cloud is on the deck and so will we be today, the good
news is that it's so bad we don't have to wait in the hope it will
change so it's a walk to Sidbury, and bus to Sidmouth today.

We now need a plan b as Scillys airport is shut on Sundays.

Splash!!

A valiant effort to get all four machines to into Farway Common this afternoon, as so oftern happends we left Hampshire in sunshine and at Portland the weather changed to cloud and some mist, a combination that as caught us out before.

Arriving at Branscombe, we squeek under the "Oragraphic" cloud cover no higher that 100 foot. with approach by flying the Sid Valley, fly up to the end and pop over the fence into
the airfield.

Fuel run next, and a decision to camp here with an early flight tomorrow, as the weather looks like it might not play ball on Saterday.

Colin collected his well earned splashed for noted flights, to Stornaway, and Orkney. It will get its first run out tonight!

Fellow Flyer

Just as I am leaving a tired fellow flyer drops in at Thorny, clearly tired and ringed I offer biscuits and water. I take my leave...

Another adventure! Isle of Scilly

Another long weekend and the weather looks like it is going to be
flying weather! Jonny, Gustav, Colin and I set off for an overnight
in. Cornwall and on tomorrrow to the isles of Scilly.

Slight aprehesive leaving Thorney alone to meet the others at farway
common pm today www.farwaycommon.com

West Bound

Plans are set to head to then Scilly Isles this weekend. Out on Friday to St Austell and then on to the Scillys landing at St Martins, and a small boat to St Agness where we have been promised camping and a pub 15 minutes from the camp site (they must walks slowley). The island is no more than 15 mintes across at low tide! Soooo looking forward to being back in the Scillys....

Lundy - Farewell...

Great to be here, but good to be running for home, weather wet tomorrow means another activity is planned! Arriving back in familiar territory crossing the solent, I was sad to be back as I realised home usually means coming home to Charlotte and the kids , but they are away in the USA for holiday, a pang of sadness to the end of a great weekend.....

Lundy - We made it!

Lundy for Lunch at the Pub on the island, once around the shop for some "Lundy Rock" and then lining up on the bumpy runway and we are away.

After lining up behind Barbara on Lunday and watching two attempts to take off we caught up with her at Eaglesscott, We said that was a sporting take off.....her report was there is nothing wrong with the Aircraft its the pilot! She was flying a home built single seat open cockpit flown in from Leicestershire. She was on a 40 year honey moon from Brisbain Austrialia!

Lundy Island - an unexpected trophy

Waking at Farway Common today after steak at the pub last. Night the
winds are forcast low and it's wall to wall sunshine . Nigel a local
pilot tells us it Lundy Fly in today so were off ! I recall when 12
miles of water Used to scare!

Friendz

Fury as French keep Bleriot's plane grounded on centenary

By Mail On Sunday ReporterLast updated at 10:36 PM on 25th July 2009
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Louis Bleriot had no problem making it across the Channel - but French air traffic controllers refused to allow a flight marking the centenary of his epic flight to take off because it was too dangerous.
The original Bleriot XI aircraft, flown in 1909 by the French aviation pioneer, was due to take off from Calais.
But its grounding because of high winds left organisers fuming in Dover, Kent, where hundreds of aviation enthusiasts had gathered to greet the plane, piloted by Mikael Carlson.

High point: Edmond Salis's Bleriot XI over the English Channel before flights were halted
He had been due to lead three replica Bleriot XIs to England, but they were all grounded.
'It's just far too dangerous to go,' said a French spokesman. 'Winds are very high, and the planes would not cope.'Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1202203/Fury-French-Bleriots-plane-grounded-centenary.html#ixzz0MgGg6GPz

Beriot

A day early and we were all smiles. A day later, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8168152.stm

we not so happy or so brave. Standing by.

Bleriot - Our Next Experdition! - 100 years since the first Channel Crossing...

One Saturday 25th July 2009, 150 British Microlights will set out to recreate Loius Bleriots flight.

(excerpted from Aviation's Belle Epoque, by Robert WohlCopyright: Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine, April/May 1996)

Late in the summer of 1908, on a racetrack near the French city of Le Mans, Wilbur Wright climbed into his Flyer to show a disbelieving nation that his machine did indeed fly. Wright's long-term goal was the Establishment of Wright-licensed factories in France, but his demonstration flights had another effect altogether: They set the French to creating their own aircraft industry at a giddy pace. ........................................................

Wright's fame in France, however, was destined to be more fleeting than Prade or Wright himself could have imagined, in large part because of critical decisions he made in the aftermath of his triumphant flights in 1908 and 1909. An aviation enthusiast who had traveled to France to see Wright fly, Lord Northcliffe, proprietor of the widely read newspaper the Daily Mail and one of the most powerful men in England, offered a prize of 1,000 pounds ($5,000) for the first flight across the English Channel. Northcliffe tried to interest Wright in the exploit, privately guaranteeing him a $7,500 bonus on top of the public prize and half the net receipts from the exhibition of the Flyer in London. Wright was briefly tempted, but he demurred because of Orville's fear that the Flyer's engine was not reliable enough to make the Channel crossing and his own belief that "exceptional feats" were ill suited to the image of inventor that he was determined to cultivate for himself and his brother.

In the spring of 1909, after satisfying his contractual obligations to train selected Frenchmen and Italians to fly the Wright machine, Wilbur returned to the U.S. and devoted himself primarily to his business affairs. The aviator would increasingly give way to the capitalist, a change that did not sit well with Wright's admirers, not to mention his critics. It also opened a window of opportunity for the French.

With Wright out of the running for the Daily Mail prize, the favorite was Hubert Latham, a wealthy sportsman and man-about-town who had only recently learned to fly. Piloting a graceful Antoinette IV monoplane designed by the rotund engineer Leon Levavasseur, Latham took off on July 19 and was seven miles out to sea when his 50-horsepower water-cooled V-8 engine died. Unable to restart it, Latham glided down and alighted on the water, where a French destroyer escort found him a few minutes later, nonchalantly smoking a cigarette. When he arrived in Calais to a hero's welcome, Latham announced his determination to try again: "The Channel will be conquered. I'm starting over and I will succeed."

The Channel would indeed be conquered, but not by the debonair Latham. His place in history would be usurped by a dour French aviator and aircraft designer in blue coveralls. At daybreak on July 25, 1909, Louis Bleriot succeeded in making the 23-mile crossing to Dover in 37 minutes despite his overheating 25-horsepower Anzani engine. The sight of ships steaming toward port had alerted him to change his heading, which was taking him toward the North Sea.
The French press immediately interpreted Bleriot's exploit as a triumph of the monoplane--a French solution to flight--over Wright's American biplane, which, it was now remembered, had the additional defect of having to be catapulted into the air by means of a cumbersome derrick and rail. In the aftermath of the flight, while Bleriot was being celebrated in London and Paris by huge crowds, orders for his flying machine, the Bleriot XI, which was in large part designed by engineer Raymond Saulnier, began to arrive in droves. (Selling price in the United States was $850 assembled, plus $1,000 for an engine.) It would become one of the most popular aircraft of the pre-war period and would consecrate the reign of the monoplane. Favored by air racers, monoplanes proved speedier than biplanes, provided greater visibility, and were cheaper to maintain. But the monoplane's notorious instability and higher landing speeds produced a lengthy list of aviators who died at its controls. (In 1912, the French army grounded all Bleriots after numerous fatalities caused by inflight wing failure, and England's Royal Flying Corps went so far as to ground all monoplanes.)
The French had further reason to celebrate their aeronautical achievements the following September at the conclusion of the great airshow at Rheims, which attracted 500,000 spectators, many of them dignitaries from France and abroad. Though Glenn Curtiss edged out Bleriot in the 12-mile Gordon Bennett race, Bleriot set a world speed record for a single lap--47.84 mph--and French aviators dominated all other events. Latham in particular dazzled the audience by ascending to an extraordinary 508 feet in his delicate dragonfly-like Antoinette monoplane, winning the altitude prize and leaving spectators with the impression that he was about to disappear in the sky. One awestruck German journalist wrote that it was a "picture more beautiful in its harmonic forms than one can imagine."

Laurie's Story....

Fly UK 2009
Some of my statistics and highlights:

Total Distance flown: 1502 statute miles
Total Time Airborne: 22 hours 15mins
Average ground speed: 67.5 mph
Airfields visited: 15 (excluding Lee)
No. of flights: 20
Highest climb: 10,500 ft
Lowest Climb: Lamp post in Plockton
Longest water crossing: Barra to Skye
Best Landing (experience): Barra
Best landing (most difficult) : Carlops
Worst landing (and take off): Oban
Funniest airborne experience: Brian attempting to order lunch on route to Barra!
Funniest social moment: Too many to single out!
Thanks to all that took part and sharing a great experience.

Cheers,

Laurie

Home.

Getting his pounds worth......

I have come to know Brain a little more over the last 7 days as a man who has his own mind, holds an innocent view of the world, and comes at the world with binary logic. But the most interesting thing is, he has an open mind, and listerns without interferance from his ego to what others have to say. That is a real skill. I like Brian. I am pleased he chose to fly with us.

Oh, I almost forgot, this is Brian getting his money's worth out of a £1 stool from ASDA. I understand others paid nearly 4 time as much....

I starting with the man in the mirror...

Tonight's flight help me learn a little more about myself. The lesson was "get home itist" nearly added a knotch too its bed post. Not that we nearly bit the dust, its just that our decision making was all a cock. I also learned that folk critique others based around their own fears. I have decided to watch out for this and make sure I dont fall into that trap.

Fly UK 2010. I am now ready to move on....

Strathavon - Ince (Liverpool)

2hours 55 minutes pain pleasure and mixed weather, we are now one leg
from home..

Strathavon

Another night on the floor in the hanger! Woke with a bad back and low cloud now clearing! The truck south starts...again!

Oban - Home bound

Plockton - Oban a difficult flight and very tricky cross wind landing
all down safe ... Just

Barra - Beach Landing

Now that's is what you call a flying experience, 26 Miles of Water (at the narrowest point) 20Knt winds and a landing on a Beach! Berra's licenced Aerodrome only appears at low tide, the opening hours today were 1400hrs to 1630hrs, after that....its closes and sinks under water.

The long water crossings seem longer than the Channels crossing simply because the channel is peppered with boats and ships, the waters here are deserted.

The group split in two on the return journey, some flying directly back the long way over the water, to Plockton and the others flying North to Stornaway via Bembeckular.

We just now off to fly Loch Ness - The Great Glen

10,280 feet over Isle of Skye

A personal highest!

Barra ! - Beech Landing

We are at the beech airport! Wind 20Knts! 13 miles of water and a
danger zone behind us!

Bute - Islay - Colonsay - Glenforsa - Sky - Plockton

Bute - Islay 30 minutes
Islay - Conalsay 30 minutes
Conalsay - Glenforsa 45 minutes
Glenforsa - Sky 1hr 07 minutes
Sky - Plockton - 15 minutes

Highlight: Speaking to Charlotte on the phone while I flew over the wale and across to Conalsay.

Today made all the effort worth while...tommorrows mission is to fly at midnight, is soo lite here...keep you posted...

We are off to the Outer hebradies tommorrow....

Glenforsa - Cream Tea...

The view over the loch is spectacular landings smooth and a warm welcome. Refueled with both mo gas and "Tobermory" we head on to Plockton... the Airfield manager lends us his car to pick up the fuel and supplies, I am planning a little surprise with tonight's splash! There is one resident aircraft at Glenforsa a retired instructor from Netherthorp.

A must see airfield!

The group this year is bigger than usual and our ability to make decisions has been a little longer, with some open and frank conversation clearing the air and making today run alot more smoothly...

Colonsay !!!

Laurie - Daryl - Dave make it too the island of Colonsay, a small island north of Islay. The breaches were breathtaking and deserted, the island scarcely inhabited. Just of the South Coast on the 5 mile water crossing we spy a whale swimming the cristal clear waters....just breathtaking ;-)))

The Airfield has one runway 02-20 winds light and variable but because there are 3 flights a week to this island its airfield boasts a firetruck!

There were no landing fees and a warm welcome from the locals who all arrived in minutes...

Islay - for lunch?

The Plan changes ... Today so far we have have visited Bute - Gigha - Islay where we met Duncan the aiport manager and his staff, a great welcome and a fantastic airfield. Off now to Colonsay - Glenforsa - Plockton

Tuesday Morning - Bute

Waking this morning on a very sunney Bute, leasurely packing while
Dave Baker runs for fuel with the barman from the local (only) pub.

Ross is still suffering from "Montezoumas' revenge" and is being sold
a clean pair of underpants by his brother as I type!

Plan today is ....

Bute - Gigha - Genforsa - Plockton

Island of Bute

Arriving at Bute tonight we bump into the Royal Navy Rescue heli
broken down! Darryns machine lost a coolent pipe which was easily
fixed, while jonney flew the navy crew!!

Strathavon - Bute
1 hour 10 minutes
Highlight - seeing the islands in the sunshine!

Reminder - Decision Making!?

At the end of a busy day flying over 6 hours, the decision to land while coming in "too hot" did not bite too hard...I over shot the end of the runway. A short narrow strip with a strong cross wind, high silage grass at Carlobs and the information to "Land in the middle" meant that I landed half way down....too hot (70mph) and could not stop at the end running 30 meters into the silage grass, I am pleased to say that the over run was smooth.

Day Three - Carlobs - Strathavon

Carlobs - Strathavon
1 hour - 35 miles ;(
Highlights: The whole group is back together at Strathaven, weathed in due to low cloud.

Martin & Andy made it to the target Airfield at Oban becuase they left early. Our group hindered by a great nite in the Ramsey Hotel where the celibrations for most was the end of a day of the villages celibrations with a Scottish music festival's, took in a leasurely Scottish Breakfast and took time to mend some heads! The second wave of folks to leave made it to Strathavon and got stuck listening to "Anecdotes and Stories " making decisions through doubt and uncertainty rather than.... We watched the F1 Grand Prix which ended at 1500hrs, did not make it past Strathavon, minded to keep the team together we stayed, lets hope this is not a "Dornoch" Moment.....time will tell how long we are here for..

I am getting annoyed with the size of the group we flying in, one pushing to race off and reach conclusions quickly, the other half with a slower approach to decisions but with an eye for the whole week and the prise of the western isles! May be the outer Hebrides!

The news is it should be clearing tomorrow.....watch this space...

Tonight we are camping in the hanger!

DAY TWO - Northampton - Edinburgh

Northampton - Manchester Barton.
2hrs 30 Minutes
Highlights: Jodderal Bank - Manchester Low Level Corridor

Barton - St Michaels
1hr 05 Mintes
Highlights:: Meeting Jim Orange farther of 14 kids 10 boys and 4 Girls.

St Michaels - Kirkbridge
1Hrs 30 Minutes
Highlights: Morcombe Bay / Lake District

Kirkbrige - Edinburgh (Carlobs )
1.20 Minutes
Highlight: Extream Turbulance - Bundting the Aircraft over the 2,500 foot TME..

Today I cried..

Dirk on the left is Goodstuff (Gustave) brother, I met him in 2007 at Swansea airfied after he was diagnosed with a brain tuma. When I first met him, becuase I knew of his illness I expected something different, I dont know what, may be some self pity, may be somone who was having phsical diffoulcty, the truth is I expected that people with Cancer seem to try hard to hang on....but wiht Dirk I metsome one who was completely at ease with who he was and what had happened to him. I can best describe him as being annoyed he has a brain tumor, but during those first flights around Wales and up to Ince I got to know him and understand just a little about his life.

Over hopeful is how I would decribe most people I knew with Cancer, but Dirk is not over hopeful but resigned to make the most of every chance that comes his way. So in 2006 he was diagnosed with the Tumor and Julie & He now have a beautful son Jack born on the 29th of Feb 2008 , and another child on the way.

Meeting him again today was a shock, he walks with Sticks and a Frame, and is or seems to be at one with the progressive nature of his tumor. " Its like someone is blowing bubbles in a milkshake in my head"

In planning todays flight we were worried about his fits and medication, a fit in an microlight would be life threaterning. But wiht Jonney's experence and planning a way was found.

I found myself with a tear in my eye, in part self pitty in part frustration that I did not meet Dirk earlier....

Northampton - Manchester Barton 2hrs 11min

Fly UK - Day one Hayling Island - Sywell

Arriving at the hanger its blowie, its always is on the first day of FLYUK, I dont think I have ever left the south of the UK with less than 20mph winds! I overloaded the trike and took too much gear as usual so a re pack tommorrow in in order!

Flight tonight over Sliverstone was the highlight, of perhaphs a slighly dull bore through the skys to the start point.

Splashing when we landed, tent pitched and we are now at the Sywell Hotel, pie and beer, and free wireless!