Microlight Formation Take Off

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Flight Though Cloud - France hmmm

Farway Common

So nice to be back at Farway Common for the first time this year.

Catching up with dear friend and looking thought the logbook offers some perspective, I see my first flight here was on 06-00-2003, just over 9 years ago.

A lot had change, with more change on the Horizon.

To close for comfort!

Take a look and tell me when you can see the other aircraft for the first time from the timing on then video, be honest!

Landing, A great photo, movement, colour with friends as content. Wonderful, simply had to share it! Inspires me to mend soon!

My last thought

This is a picture of my spine, for those of you that know what your looking at, its L2 or Lumber 2 that has a compression fracture. Ouch! After falling backwards off a scaffold onto my backside, I was doing 19mph at impact and the force was around 18g running up the spine which is why L2 is a little busted! I know your impressed with the numbers, alas I can't claim I know these I simply supplied the data to be entered into the formula by my Father in Law Barry, who was a Physics Teacher. 

People have asked what was going though my mind on the way down, well I don't know, I recall slipping, the rest is a blank, the next I know was the pain running through my body like a the noise of a MIG21 taking off, Afterburners on, its all consuming. 

Sitting in the Hospital, thinking about the fall from 10 feet and how much it hurt (s) my mind flips over the flying scenarios, your slowed to 60mph on finals, coming down from circuit heights 1000 feet up, controlling the touch down to be gentle kiss. What happens if you get it very wrong? 10 foot hurts so much, Well 10 foot and 19mph. Perhaps for the first time I am thinking about how much it would hurt falling out of the sky any considerable distance? Would it hurt at all? I guess the trick is to fall so far that there is no waking, falling not far enough would be a disaster. Suddenly I can see why 20mph is a good idea in built up areas, and why doing 40 in a thirty is such a bad idea. 

I am told that the bones will be knitting together in 6 week, which is when Fly France 2012 starts! Here's hoping for any advice that will speed the knitting of the bone? If you have any do let me have it! 

And finally, if your wondering how many bits of my body I can get scanned or X-rayed and posted here, I sincerely hope this is the last! 

UPDATE - October 2012: I did not make Fly France 2012, which was just as well as they ended up in Scotland! The 6 week time frame is only to keep one going, I was hardly moving at 6 weeks, but to hear the news that in another 6 you will be able to walk was a relief, I am still taking painkillers every day, but I am up and about and as you can see from the rest of the blog flying and doing well. 2012 will be a year to forget for me, its time to press ahead! 

At Last! An end to Carb Icing..

On two occasions in my flying I have had bad carb icing, not only does it effect the engine, it stresses the heart too! I will let the good, the great and the brave test the new ECU for a few years before I invest....however, this is a no brainer for me! Even if mine, via the photo evidence on this blog proves that I have one and it goes all the way to the sides ;-)

The Brain of a Microlight Pilot!

I have to do this.....

Chinese Scenes from BASE-Book - Matt Gerdes on Vimeo.

Target for our rade: September 2012

PulsR

Fight or Flight

One of my friends called it a cross between a Flex wing and an Invaidcarrage. Others spent hours on the stand wondering of they could see the benefit of spending £48k (yes that's forty eight thousand pounds) on Bill's latest flex wing Microlight.

It strikes me that its a machine looking for a market, it does allot of neat stuff! And yes its streamlined, but at a cost....6 hex nuts to be able to take the overhead off to drop the wing, no front strut in the way, but two other uprights on the edge of the screens equal to two struts! Its big in side, but has little in the way of "Stash" room. OK OK, i am overcritical! I would need to fly it to enjoy the benefits of a better ride in the back, the adjustable seats, the speed 115mph! So may be I should reserve judgement, before I liken it to the Sinclare C5, which was a great idea, looking for a market.

It will fly for 8 hours on one tank! one chap told me, and he went on to say that when your traveling to say, the south of France, one could stop on route for a pee and not have to fill up with fuel, is that worth £48k? There are pumps at most French fields (Merci Total!) and so scarcity of fuel might not be a benefit...hum, so what does it do for me? A Sports Flex wing Pilot? A Flagpole Flyer who likes tours and trips?

So why did his machine receive such. A luke warm reception? Surly it's the latest innovation, well no, this design has been done to death in other markets, but cannot be imported, so its not a new idea! Did they just run out of "New" ideas?

I left the flying show like so many other simply not knowing. Maybe when I have flown it my view will change, whens the sales tour coming to the south?

Now they also launched the QuikR - Explorer, which seems to be the ultimate R! New roll characteristic's , new wheel size, topless rigging....actually for me, that was the unsung hero of this flying show.

Low Level Nevil

Lundy - SkiFlyBri

Cycle Power - Trophy or Bust!

The Wing Span on this bad boy is 25 Meters Tip to Tip, it has 7 sections and is powered by the Pilots peddle power! This is a man on a mission, and I was a man on the wing tip, jogging (I am not kidding) along side until it was airborne, It flew maybe 100 yards and was the most amazing thing I have ever helped to fly! The wings strengthened and braced with a single piano wire! And the whole machine has a weight of 30kg!

Devonshire Mornings!

Steve Sebastian

Sandra called tonight, do you know, I could tell in her voice straight away, it was that same voice that I heard on the 18th January 2010. It just wasn't the same usual Sandra voice, something had changed, and it wasn’t good. I was sitting talking to Charlotte and the kids, and so leaping up I left the room to take the call. We exchanged small talk about today’s flying about the fly ins and still I could hear it in the tone, hear Sandra trying to find then silence, I knew within a few moments of "hello" this was a call I didn’t want to take, and I filled those seconds with an exchange to stall that moment. Eventually, the silence came, Sandra asked, did I know?

I purchased my first Quik from Steve, G-CCHH was a fine aircraft, although it had tried to have its way with Steve who ended up in the field after all the oil spewed out of a poor pipe connector. I needed straps to get HH home and  I still owe him the £15. The every time we met the joke was that as I had sold CCHH to another friend, it was now he that owed Steve the £15 quid!

Steve I will miss you. I will miss your chaotic self, I will miss your legendary shaving skills and I will be thinking of your Wife and Daughter.

Wait with Martin for us will you? We won’t be long behind.

QSY


http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2011/09/24/1175359-villemur-sur-tarn-un-pilote-meurt-dans-le-crash-de-son-petit-avion.html

Thorney 2011 - Fly in

Jons - Low Hours Tour this coming weekend!

Friday Night

What joy it is to fly after a stressful day at the office! Tonight was about flying in shorts and a hoodie, and hour and a half floating around the sandbars of the Solent, practice forced landings around the fields of Sussex and Hampshire, blowing off the stress of a failed deal. I spent today listening to Lawyer Lie to me about why he failed to complete a contract, which cost me the value of a good family holiday, in place of simply accepting it's his fault, he dropped the ball.. My recourse? Well plenty, I might take him to the Ombudsman, or take him to court, it is unfortunate for him that I know the other party, and therefore have both sides of the story.

However, Gentlemen don't sue each other, they take life on the chin, forgive and go flying.

Fire at Portsmouth Greyhound Stadium

One match and it went up "WooF"

Georgio! That mag plug is in tight!

Whats in a name - Romeo Whisky

SkiFlyBri

SkiFlyBri

Listen to the Wind....

Weathered in at St Omer the welcome could not be better or the winds worse. I am sitting here listening to the hanger doors rattle in the 35 - 45 mph winds. Certainly not flying weather, so we brew 3 in 1 from Kenco and look again at the weather maps, synoptics and forecast for the days ahead.

There is a relative "lull" down to 15- 25 mph winds tomorrow, with no significant weather and so that is our chance to cross the channel and make it home. Tonight it's a waiting game with little to do save for contemplate what tomorrow will bring.

The great news is that I shall be home tomorrow regardless!!! If the weather does not play ball we will simply slip onto the ferry and borrow another favoir from one of our long suffering friends or relatives and ask them to pick us up.

Being stuck is an odd mix of expectation, frustration and time to think.

I have fueled for a 4 hour Flint home! That same flight usually takes 2 hours, And in 20 minutes I shall start to pack the trike before dinner.....and beer ro two and a night on the hanger floor! Deep joy.

As for now the coffee tastes good and Kim Wild is on the radio taking me back 25 years, what happy years they have been.

Microlight Tumble - Brian Searle

Mont Blanc

By 0915 we were working our way up Mont Blanc, above the snow line and at 10 12 thousand feet the wings, engines and propellers struggle with the thin air. The sight of the glaciers and the sheer relative size of the mountain demand respect.

Morning Megeve - off to fly Mont Blanc

Camping at Megeve

Cloud Forming

This is the cloud forming as the air runs up the slop caused by the sun heating the side of the mountain in the morning, the air of the opposite face of the valley is in the shade and air is rushing down.

Merible

Waking this morning after the excellent weather of the last few days, we are greeted with more sun low winds, todays plan was a relatively short flight of 48 miles visiting

Meribel
La Rossier
Megeve

This shot of Meribel is taken on the approach of 159 degrees to hook around to down wind. After the Altislope of yesterday these Tarmac Altiports seem a little low rent! Although the technique to land is opposite of a traditional landing in many ways. One Must only land if the wind is from behind or uphill in the direction of landing, we must keep the power on all the way down and plan to land on the very end of the lowest section of the runway. Take off's are always down hill!

First flight of the day

Heading toward L'Alps D'Huez for our first altiports of the day I simply decided last night to plan and research this location and lead myself into it, after all what was I going to learn from watching someone else doing it while I dangled around at 7000 feet?

In the big scheme of things it was an a magical moment and a walk in the park all rolled into one. The blogs pictures tell the story!

Jaques!

Beaune at Bedtime

It's been a long day, it took a long while for the rain to clear, it was a long time to get packed up and and was a long flight across the north of France to Beaune. Across the battlefields we are reminded of the past peppered with cemetery and graveyards, flags and monuments, the freedom to fly is not free.

I don't think that I have ever felt this way at the end of a days flying, I feel flat! I feel like I would have rather spent the day with the people I love, perhaps the balance is changing.

Day 2 - St Omer - ????

The plan is to truck toward the Alps, stopping at Challon, and Beaune. There we thinking about running full steam to GAP, the weather and fatigue will dictate how far we get!

Over night rain, a wet tent and a front dictate when we will be leaving, xcweather.co.uk is our reference and seems to be very accurate!

France - Day one

The goodbyes were more difficult today, I don't know why but arriving at the Hanger the aircraft was fully inspected and trusted! Loading up took a while and the fronts that passed though did so in time with the forecast. Set off at 1600hrs landing in Calais 2 hours later the crossing was easy, fun almost, as I relaxed at 5250 feet with Brian and Richard off my wing tips.

Tomorrow we planning 6 hours to Beaune ( pronounced bone ), to arrive Sunday in the Alps.
M

Preparation - Cheers Steve

Preparation tonight started with a list, as it grows I wonder if it will all fit into the trike and more importantly, if I really need it all! A well timed "gift" knocks the food shopping on the head! CHEERS Steve, you know who you are!

Today, the repairs to the flight trim systems complete and tested, the airframe and engine had one of the closest inspections I have completed for a long while. G-SA is officially ready, now the packing and checking can start while I keep one eye on preparation and the other on the weather.

Officially Excited! - Flying the Alps in less than 10 days!

Gotcha!

What your looking at here is a "Gotcha" today its howling outside, and I am preparing my machine for the French trip, between now and then, a family holiday, work commitments mean that I wont be flying, this weekend is it. There is a short list of things to do, following a flight last night over USS George Bush (pictures to follow), the wing trim failed. While fixing it this morning we had to strip the whole machine down which meant I looked at the fuel filter from both sides otherwise I might have missed this crack.

From Thorney Island we are planning to take off and head south over 58 miles of water to Cherbourg, if the the glass in this filter had failed due to the vibration, there were two outcomes, wet feet and may be a fire. Hmm!

Listening Skills

Flying tonight consisted of a series of calls to friends, arranging an evening with Charlotte while at 800 feet off the coast of Hayling Island. Facilitated by the installation of my new FlyCOM system ready for the French trip. http://www.flycom.co.uk/

How I came to order the new helmets and headsets is a muse in itself, however before I tell you about that, I have to tell you about the sheer comfort and silence of the FlyCOM system. For the last three years friends have been telling me how good they are, but I was not listening......neither was the old fella on the MicroAvionics stand at Popham!

I had to pop onto the FlyCOM stand and pick up a visor for a friend at this years Popham Microlight Fair. The reception was light hearted with a bit of banter. They knocked off £3 quid of the list price of the visor too! It's not about how much that was it's about the spirit with which they did it.

I too needed a vizor for my all in one Micro Avionics system so I popped onto their stand and was told it' £xx for the visor, this is the interchange..

Me - "thats 5 quid more that FlyCOM list how about matching their price "Smile"?
Micro - "we can't discount because we will upset our dealers"
Me - "how about upsetting your customers?"
Micro -"if we discount our dealer will get upset"
Me - "where are the dealers? They are not here to help me, one of your customers, so why are you so worried about what they think about you giving me £5 off the visor?"
Micro - "but my dealers won't like it?"
Me - "well I am one of your customers and I don't like it! The visor is a copy of the FlyCOM so I will simply buy it from them"
Micro - "Shrugges Sholders"
Me - "sigh"

I left walked back to FlyCOM I was so disappointed in MicroAvionics mean spirity & approach it seem they value dealers and not customers, how dumb is that? Especially when the dealers arent there to help...

So here I am back at the FlyCOM stand, and for the first time I was able to spend some time with Dave and his son, I tried at Popham last year, then at the Splash show but they had been so busy. It's 1630hrs and they must be tired and certainly must have demonstrated there systems 100's of times, but I got the full demo as if it were the first in the morning! It really felt like i mattered.

Head in a large helmet, and it was silent and so so comfortable, my MicroAvionics version was difficult to put on had several pressure point and left marks on my forehead. I spend some time understanding the technical differences of which there are many. The configurations and options considered, my order was placed. If I sell my headsets, radio interface, micro avionics helmet my old Lynx gear etc etc I could buy the FlyCOM system complete.

The difference was only £350 for the benefits of an all new system, COMFORT, Silence and an interface for my iPhone that worked, yes I sold my other headsets relativly speaking quickly over the next 10 days, so the numbers really worked! It was a "show offer" which made the pricing right for my toys budget, but there was no mention that I had to suffer a finaical penalty becuase a dealer who added no value to me, might be upset.

And so FlyCOM, the experts in Listening technology really did deliver, and I am delighted with the technology, the service approach and the price was right.

Thank you FlyCOM, may be now my listerning skills will improve ;-)

I suppose I need to say thankyou for the poor service to MicroAvionics, without which I may still be flying around in a helmet that felt like it was "clamped on" , and so Thank you for not listerning, as you will see else where on this  blog  manufactures are welcome to reply which will be posted verbatum.



WA - Enjoy!

Surfing the Clouds - Ningaloo Reef / Western Australia (HD) from aabz-imaging on Vimeo.

French Altiports - The Preparation - 26 days to go

Today the prep begain in ernest, 26 days to go and the compression test conducted on the engine today is in harmony with last years results and so a clean bill of heath for then pots and valves on "GCDSA" the jobs that remain..
- Remove and Clean Filters
- Balance Carbs

- Change the Oil & Filter

- Check all hose connections

- Silicon all rubber bits

- NikWax Solar the Wing (again)

- Fit my FlyCom units

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The best piloting I have seen for a long time?

This picture is of the hole burnt in the leg if the Ozee suit belonging to Pilot Phil, it leads me to tell you how two days later I am sitting here wondering if his piloting on that day was one of the best examples of great decision making under pressure I have seen for a long time if ever! It is without doubt the best piloting I have seen by a pilot with relatively low hours ever.

Let me take you to the beginning of the bank holiday weekend, three pilots en route to a weekend away to canoe the river Wye formate in a cheveron 7 miles to run to a short strip at a campsite, it had been raining but the conditions were smooth and clear. Overflying we break from the right 2, 1, 3, I land second coming in a little hot I slip and slide across the wet grass send over shoot the end of the runway into the farmers garden, but only just! I turn to see Phil land in snake left then right and for a few moments I think I am toast, in what seems like a moment later Phil powers on and goes around. So often in a short field by the time the brakes are on you have less that a couple of seconds to make your decision.

So that in and of itself does not seem to be so special, so ask why is Phil holding an Ozee with a burn hole? Now comes the context of that go around, on the final run on for the overhead join and while in formation, Phil had a capacitor blow. If you have ever experienced that you will know the cockpit fills with smoke and surprise! I know it happened to me on take off at Thorney. Phil took this in his stride made a logical assessment of the situation, engine running, no fire, all instruments good and carried on the join, break and landing sighty hot he did not get it on the ground at any cost he decided to go around having a burning sensation on his leg, around and down for the perfect short field landing.

When I think about this, the Calm, logical, and the presence of mind I think this has to pay tribute to his understanding of , and the training he received, well done Phil.

Seven side

Landing in a cow field by the Seven. Flying we hear on radio the airfield on the Wye is wet and raining ;( the front it traveling north so we will wait it out! 3 hours sunlight and 30 miles to run all in all we in a good spot. There just happens to be a pub on the other side of the river!!

OSR - Its the season!

It’s the season kicker! Oil Seed Rape is the official start of the summer flying season, the colour, the aroma, and the joy of flying across the crop tops so bright and yellow, three to four weeks and it will be over! This coming weekend we are off to Fly and Canoe the River Wye, just can’t wait!

Bethany's First Lesson!

Beth took to the air today! 34 minutes of flight, in what can only be described as a pea soup! Never the less she did very well, keeping the aircraft straight and level, with shallow turns.

We planned a flight to Sandown but turned back at Portsmouth, and simply flew the coast. Well done Beth A* ;)

Old Sarum - Emily Arrives

So here is No2, going No1! It is quite a thing to be piloted by a person you once held in your hand! Emily was the larger of the twins, but at just over 4lbs when born at Taunton hospital 15 years ago, the first weeks of the twins life was spent in an incubator, under a sun lamp being fed condensed milk by tube and syringe. Her sister Bethany is also learning the skill of flying for the Duke of Edinburgh awards they are pursuing.

Sharing my sport with my kids is such a pleasure and privilege. The stakes are high; sharing anything you invest yourself in can be difficult. It matters how people handle things you take to be precious and important, the respect they show for what you care for matters. I should know I crossed that thresh hold again this weekend, by mistake and with an inquisitive fumble I broke something that was precious and important to a someone. The item was repaired quickly, however the lyngering affected on a friendship may take a little longer to completely bond though I am sure it will in time.

So sharing my love of flying with my kids puts me potentially on the receiving end and I feel a little vulnerable. As to Emily’s first lesson, straight and level a piece of Cake ;-) Well done Em.  

Emily's First Piloting Flight to Old Sarum

Dunsfold 2011

Check out this video on YouTube:

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OMG! - "IM" in the hanger

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Morillon Take Off

Check out this video on YouTube:

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daryl@darylcornelius.com
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M: 075 9532 9158

Smooth Flight Home.....

Puppy Dog

Colin, (and his hair) made the sea crossing to the HMfC overseas base! Cup-o-T and a bun! It's one of his first flights since october and so a bit of flying and rigging practice will come in handy before he has his final qualifications are complete next week end.

Conversation in the club house is of the crash at Cork this week. Writing this blog my attention is diverted by a loud chap discussing how "stupid" the pilot must have been, a nice touch as the pilot lost his life along with passengers, 6 in all perished. He of coarse would not this same mistake. I must thank Mr Hindsight for sharing his wizdom and insight to the collected assembly of his non flying friends, I am sure it made him feel better about himself, although it would make no difference to how people fly, why these things happen and of coarse how the familys of Jordi Gola Lopez, Andrew Cantle will feel.

Warblington Castle Farm

Planning for 2011 has started! The BARNSTORM is BACK!

Thrill seeking psychopath

Kaye & Paul return this week full of stories of Motor bikes, Dune buggies, gyrocopters and Fixed wings. Did you know their beach is 670 acres at low tide?

These "Thrill seeking psychopath" as The Consultants at the hospital where they work in Oz, call them. Oooozzzzz life! They don’t let pettie nonsense divert them from the fact they have one life and will live it! Taking every invitation that comes there way, without a moments notice.

They live their lives according to their rules, I resolve to do more of that!! They are united in beating MS and making “this one count”, MS is a significant foe. I learned a lot about primrose oil and nerve insulation during this week more than I care to want to know, I want to shut out the information only as it relates to dear friends, I don’t want to hear how much it is going to hurt.

These two are an example of how to see the bigger picture, an example of how to walk the talk, take life’s lesson, learn and move on. I am so inspired by these people and inspired by them as a couple, they just do the doing and are great company....if I had to describe what it’s like being with them, I would simply say, we spend a lot of time laughing.