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