USA Flying

USA Flying

Microlight Aero Team -Formation flying in microlights

Thats Nice!

Fuel Draw Cheque arrived today, duty claimed back from our French trip! That's nice ;-)

All of a sudden its January the 18th - 1300hrs

Taking us back to the 18th January 2010

0850hrs - BA flight home

What a great few days, I learned something about myself a lot about "Rawgers wrogic" but the take off and flight back were magic the picture of Monaco out of the window was a perfect end to a little expedition.

Bettered only by the screaming passengers in the clear air turbulence 2/3rds of the way back at 31000ft Sure it was lumpy and one of the worst I have ever been in for a while, but I just did not feel any fear certainly not like others did. Perhaps I am just grateful for the life I have had so far that I don't need to cling on more than my fair share?

Or perhaps people reactions bring about an equal and opposite reaction in me! One day I must get around to growing up!

Either way, the pilots pulled the throttle back stuck the Airbuses nose up , and bled the energy out of  the aircraft, all the time it was bucking and jolting that airframe, nice job;)

1st Leg

At the port checking in the lady said, if your only going for a day trip we would recommend not traveling today, as it's very rough!

The ferry is being towed into and out of the port by tugs as it's too windly and choppy to get thought the harbour walls safely.

Deep joy!!

Thorney - Nice

Flight preparations are nearly all complete for the Thorney - Nice trip. Test flying last week threw up a resonable list of requirements starting at the ground floor they were, breaks not working on one side, nose wheel steering stiff to the point of unusable, fuel mixture rich, Radios and GPS needed fittiing with power supplys, key needed fixing, hang point renewing, engine tuning, and the machine needed a lot of love! Today Elsi got the final wing wash, engine wash and de-rig. Before that she flew, brakes not great but at least working together now so usable, hand brake fixed, she flys so well, not fast but loverley and straight, the engine did not blacken the plugs.

We still have some flight planning and packing up to do, as the final preps for Tuesday come together...

Fat Charlie Takes off!

Rigged, test run, test flown Charlie takes to the air! The machine had not been run or flown since it was purchased, and this was the telling time! It flew straight and level and was alot like flying an air chair! the wind was kind and the air smooth. A few wringles need ironing out, and two or three days fettling will see her ready for the relay to Nice! tallyho!

18th January 2010

Martin, we are flying over tomorrow, we will be dropping off a splash too you, watch over us. Calais for Moules, Campaign for Charlotte.

Farewell Tom!

Off to the Shadow Flight Centre at Old Sarum, Tom takes the "Dink" across to be looked at. Its packed away in its tin, the Shadow sets off from Thorney Island. Its been rested since dancing a dosie DOH! with an Oak tree...

Closing of the 2010 Season





Here we are Friday night, the wind has been blowing at 40mph for the last 15 hours and the weekend looks like a combination of wind and rain, with just enough space on Saturday morning for a flight of 45 miles to Old Sarum for brunch, luvvie!

2010 has been a a notable season, it did not start too well with Martins death but we did manage a few epic flights. Aberdeen to Glen Forcer was one of my favourite's, coming home to Glenforca was just wonderful and the flying did not disappoint, the only down side was a full hotel! We managed to get away to the Isle Of Man via Northern Ireland and what a wonderful experience that was too...

Phil and I competed at Popham, and enjoyed every aspect of the weekend, and so next year we will try another two or three competitions now that we have discovered the best combination of Pilot and Nav!

Again this year I failed to get any real momentum under the formation flying idea, perhaps next season!

As yet we have not crossed the water to France, that is planned for the last fly out of the year to collect Champagne 16th or 17th October if this weather keeps up we will be in for a good weekend!

I organised a fly in at Thorny Island this year that raised over £1150 for SSAAFA which was a personal highlight, great fun too see 150 aircraft and people, making new friends across the divide Microlight - LAA - A Licence.

My flying has changed this year, some of that is because I changed it as a result of the environments I found myself in and other elements are effected by others, however overall I would say it changed for the better. Better life decisions, better safety decisions and different flying ambitions.

So whats happening next year? Well we are working on plans to celebrate the centenary of a military organisation all a bit hush hush but watch this space! The Thorney Fly in we hope will be given the go ahead and of coarse Fly UK! There are two microlights to deliver to GAP and two Competitions Planned. Tally ho! Roll on 2011 Season ;-)

Decision Not

At the fly in a friend clipped the gel coat of the wing on a bush as he passed, duck tape and "toyota white" to the rescue and we thought it was fixed. A careful preflight told another story, looking not at the damage, but at the result of the damage enabled us all too see a compression of the wing at the root. Thinking one layer deeper had a positive outcome even if that was a long ride home.

Researching Decision Making....Gasco, Nigel Everett

Shark!

Hope

This is the picture that sums up touring by microlight. Last night’s cast offs, the hope of a glorious day and a glistening cuppa is just the start. Its first thing before the world wakes and fires up the rotax. It’s before we are overloaded with the endless decisions that crowd the pilots mind, it’s before we realise we have to deal with the fear, by whatever mechanism we have developed?

It’s interesting to think that we are taught and experience such a lot while we learn, but what we are not taught is what process that is behind good decisions? How do we make better decisions? What process can we used to protect ourselves and others from unwanted experience, while enjoying all the freedom and blissful joy that flying brings? Some learn though doing, some by watching others, but what logic can we use to make better decisions. I think I shall investigate that....

The 2010 Season - What did we learn?

So what did we learn from the 2010 season? Did we learn that flying is fun? Did we learn that flying bites? Did we learn how we make decisions on the ground effects if we live or die in the sky?

If anything this season I learned that flying is not important, it’s of no particular significance to our family's or mankind. Its remains a blast, a thrill and a wonderful experience, its liberating and exhilarating. However it does not make the Top Ten things I must doo before I die or die trying to do! An example might be to climb to an Everest base camp, fight injustice, build a close group of friends, love our families, or even listen to our elders and what they learned in their lives. Is flying worth the potential cost? And if not why would any Pilot take additional risk?

I did not make France this week on two counts ((I should say tooth counts)), firstly the trip never really gained momentum, fragmented commitment, fragmented timings, when Richard called to say he stuffed it in Hereford while canoeing and camping on the river Wye it was easy for me to say, actually I have tooth ache and so it was not wise not to go either, truth was I was grappling with how to say I would not be attending Blois this year for different reasons.

So that leads into waking on Sunday at Bolt Head Airfield in Devon, the alternative to the French trip, I woke with all the friends who suffered the same losses this season, we woke to scud cloud at 200 ft AGL and secondary layers at 7/8 octaves at 2000 foot with banks of mist in between, and very poor lateral viz.

These are similar conditions that killed Martin in January.

What beggars belief is that we acted like Pilots that had not learned any lessons from Martins experience, we packed up and with all that get home "itis", loaded up at 1015hrs and took to the air.

Back on the deck at 1035hrs we conclude that

- The lower cloud was lower than the legal minima

- There was a gap below the higher and lower layers
- That gap was filled with mist

- The coast skimming was doable, but not wise as the cloud was on top of the cliff at 400 foot, and with no real alternatives in an emergency.

Returning as a group we decided to leave it to the PM to fly, the forecast was for these conditions to clear in the afternoon. We booked a taxi and anticipating breakfast in Salcombe and a few hours sightseeing.

A dear friend then said "I am going to fly the coast and not go for breakfast" this hit me like a ton of bricks, how can we forget so easily? As he flew he text to say that the cloud was on the cliff tops and that after 30 miles it was lifting and he was meeting his minima, and he made it home.

I will share with you that although the outcome was positive, the "get home today itis" was well formed and so strong in his mind, that he would not see that 6 others had turned back might be an indication of a sensible decision. Get home at any cost may well have cost us another close friend, a decision that seemed too me a selfish and unnecessary, and unlearned. But how can we level criticism, he got home he made it, surely he is a hero? A devilish daring doo?

I was witness to the worst Piloting Decision I have seen. Nothing learned from then death of our friend and nothing "logical" about the take off, and nothing legal too. Its difficult to critique a flight that ended well, but I am not talking about the outcome, I am talking about how the decision to go was made, in much the same way it was made under pressure to go or to get home, and not made in the best interest of the pilot, or others he may have bumped into on the way home.

So I did have the where withal to let him know how these thoughts before he left, which was little compensation for my mind as I watched his pre-flight from the back of a taxi taking us to our rendezvous with an F.E.B.

What did I learn from this experience.....as my American Brothers would say.... "Go Figure"

Oh, and I should add that we took off early afternoon in legal viz and flew home.

Flying with Ghosts

Oh how I though it was past. As I plan to fly to France for the GS Aviation event at St Secondin I cant get Martin out of my mind. I am not thinking of my turn to check out while flying the channel from Isle of Wight to Cherbourg. As simply I will not set out on such a 45 minute flight without knowning for sure the conditions work, more I am thinking that I still miss Martin and wonder if that will ever end, and yet I am once again annoyed he died.

My kids when asked about my flying on a family holiday, referr to "Martin as Dads friend who died".

The plan next Saturday is to fly to Cherbourg early in then morning and pass over 65 mile of water, only 50 of which will be any issue, should the donky die.

I have a plan if the donk quits, I am not going to die, and will of coarse blog the result........

Martin if your reading, I shall pop a wing over mid Channel for you ;-) and I shall be thinking of you...all the way over.

Inspired? - Contact me!

http://www.matteam.com/Video/MATTEAMPROMO.WMV

Airbox responds....

Hi Daryl,


Thanks for writing. A few points for your interest:

• The only interference issue that we’re aware of is with iCom radios. This is not something limited to Airbox, but is a problem for other manufacturers too – iComs just seem to be very sensitive. Airbox can and do provide both advice and a suppressed lead for those that need it.

• On your question about the 250 map, the CAA actually supply us with the charts in such a format that the Shetland and Orkneys are cut off. We are looking at making these available for the future.

• There’s a good reason why we don’t include information about the preferences in the instruction manual. If we provided it as standard, then there’s a good chance that some un-technical customers would switch off the warning or manage to turn the backlight down to zero. This could potentially lead to an infringement where the unit gave no warning, something neither in the interests of NATS, nor in the interests of the customer. It might seem like a far-fetched scenario to a technical chap like you, but believe me it would happen if we provided those instructions. As you know, if someone wants to change backlight etc, then we’re happy to point them in the right direction, but we do always make an assessment first as to whether they are going to find it difficult, and if they are, then we always offer to talk them through it.

• As far as use of the product is concerned, I’m sure you’ve seen the videos in the support section of our website, which a lot of users find helpful.

• The Aware has been designed to be simple to operate and to give important flight information as clearly as possible. We want it to do the two things we think are most important in the VFR cockpit, namely telling the pilot where he or she is and warning them accurately and in a timely manner about controlled or hazardous airspace. We always listen to customer suggestions and I can give you a whole list of examples where we’ve implemented them, so keep them coming, but please understand that we can’t compromise the fundamental mission of the Aware.



William

Airspace Aware v Garmin, The FLY-UK test!

Back when the old king died Garmin were making GPS, they are robust and full of features, lots of buttons and a real boys toys. A good portable will see you pay 3x the cost of a good Dell Laptop with the latest technology and so when Airspace Aware arrived at circa 0.75x the cost of a Dell lap top I was interested to say the least! I was at the end of the life of my colour 295 and ready to invest, but a second hand second rate GPS from Garmin via EBay was still 1.5x the cost of that benchmarking Dell Laptop.

Just think about the Technology in a laptop for a few moments and you will see the direct comparator. Its like the Coke Comparator I use when visiting other nations! more or that later!

So, there I was at Popham, two hundred quid burning a hole in my credit card and so after the first 5 minute demo I purchased my Airspace Aware, 3 nights later I was packing up my Garmin 295 ready for posting to its new owner. For me a Zero - Zero Transaction, if you get my drift!

Fast forward to FLY UK and a 40 hour test drive around the shores of the UK with my new Aware, would I end up heaving it over the side? Re investing in Garmin (the Market Leader)?

The first thing you have to do when you buy a Aware is to figure out how to power it, the supplied Charger interferes with EVER ONES radios,  no exception that I am aware off, a simple fix is to by or make a charger that can be placed away from the Ciggy lighter and wired directly with the appropriate suppressors, they are available from the web but you have to buy them elsewhere not great customer service. I built my own from 4 quids worth of bits from Maplins.

NOTE to AIRBOX AWARE CUSTOMER SERVICE:- Offer other hard wire chargers and Suppressor options, face the problem

Fitted and functioning a BMAA minor mod sorts the paperwork, a nice touch from the BMAA its a free mod ;-) Thank you uncle Geoff & Ben.

Installed and working I found the 250 maps set a boon, easy to read and see airfield data, and in a microlight the distanced are manageable, the 500 maps had others in my groups preference so take you choice. We flew up to Aberdeen and were setting coarse for Orkney and may be the Shetlands, alas Wx did not work! Just as well really the Aware maps stop before Orkney!

NOTE to AIRBOX AWARE DEVELOPMENT:- Er? When is a 250 map not a 250 map? when it does not have all of the map on it?????? Doh! Schoolboy error...fix it or lose the hard core....France is my next mission, will I be disappointed?

Arriving in Longside (Peterborough) and chatting too the 3 other users on the Round UK I was traveling with they were complaining about Back lighting and visibility, A quick fix there is that the light and all the other settings are accessible if you start the Air box Aware with the Sim card out and access the settings, 3 very happy campers tracked on down the Great Glen!

NOTE to AIRBOX AWARE CUSTOMER SERVICE:- Its not in my manual how to set up one's preferences, up to and including turning off the sound! Simple fix lads....

Navigation setting up the device for your route is easy, and straight forward, but a couple of little things would make life so much easier...
- Ability to plot routes adding way points BEFORE, setting the final destination.
- Ability to reset the "go to" without having to scroll
- IPhone Swipe Functions......to navigate around the map
- Ability to Sleep the device without having the thing turn off when your trying to wake it again(Is it me?)

All in All I LOVE my Aware, living with it for a week with at least 2 legs of 3 hours a day and its fit for purpose and kept me out of and aware of airspace in places I have never been. However these
simple additional options would really make a good product GREAT! the things it does well are:-

- It alerts you to your location and airspace really clearly, its brill, brill, brill, this advantage is not evident flying in your local area so this device comes into its own when you need it most...
- Its easy to ready, and the moving map is very clear and works well with a map board to confirm location
- Its 0.75x the cost of Dell Lap top cost and 20% of the cost of its competitors (Well done Airbox), add the extras and its price could go up....I be willing to pay for the upgrade of new functions.
- Its light, easily mounted and works....

Did I make the right choice? for me yes, but this device needs to mature....lets watch this space.

Colemore Skysurfers - £580 ish raise for Hampshire Air Ambulance

Daryl's Microlight Blog: Home but not yet dry...

Daryl's Microlight Blog: Home but not yet dry...

Home but not yet dry...

This years event was I have too say one of the top three! If I had a rating it would be
1) 2006 Orkney Isles
2) 2009 Silly Isles
3) 2010 Isle of Mann & Northern Ireland

All for different reasons than one might imagine! This year we came close to Lands End, but the Cornwall north coast was spectacular second reward. Across the water and West Wales is spectacular too, with out landings at Haverfordwest, Llambedder and Mona. Across and up to Aberdeen with the most welcome from any airfield ever! Thank you once again the people of Long side. Close but so far away at John O Groats, across to the Western Isles via the Great Glen, WOW and on down to Northern Ireland. The long way home Via the Isles of Mann on towards "Krump".

I missed the last night, and have some work to do to recover the Microlight, but never the less some of the group pushed us on each morning and that had a very positive effect of almost flying the route!

Home, and almost dry. Dreaming of my next adventure.

Krump!

That is the noise that greeted me at Beverley, its the end of my Fly-UK 2010. Nose gear collapsed on touchdown, after a shabby circuit and a long days flying, a long weeks flying and in sight of the end of the week. The flight from the Isle of Mann and over the Pennines, hoping to borrow a car and get the Aircraft collected some other time....

Northern Ireland ! Isle of Man next!

Edinburgh - on to Aberdeen!

Fly UK - Day 1 - Old Sarum

New Age Wine - Cab Sav, South East Australian, Mon Dieu! Pierre!! thats a Stella Pint Glass! Anglais!

Officially Excited!

I am officially exited as I load my Pod with my favorite tunes! Tonight I spent the evening on the beach with the Charlotte, Emily and Beth BBQ and Paddling the Canoe around the buoys. Spending a few special moments with my family, I do love them so. Family life is rarely lived in context. The day to day petty arguments and personality defects (mine not theirs) get in the way of one's thoughts, when your excited about an "Expedition" those arguments pale and I can concentrate on how I think and feel about them all, I miss them before I have shut the front door.


This year we are planning one of the most ambitious Flights we have ever attempted. Lands End to Shetland Isles, Western Isles of Scotland, across to Northern Island, back to Isle of Man and North Wales to the final party near The Wash. That is a lot of fatigue, a lot of water and a lot of mountain flying. Generally the gotchas are found between the Seat and the controls, but in these environments its possible to fly for an hour and not see a road, flying 6 or 8 hours a day takes it toll. The weather changes in the mountains and in the Islands so quickly there are some Gotchas one cannot anticipate.

As I sit here I resolve to circuit every field and think, think and think again, familiarity is no friend to me. I need to fly every mountain every Vally carefully and with respect for the places I fly. I resolve to fly the water as high as I might, and equip myself with the self control not to panic or hyperventilate if I hit the cold water, or have to control an unexpected decent.

Tonight, dropping over the side of then canoe into the channel, I am wearing a wet suit and in still warm water, I hyperventilate momentarily, a reminder self control, self discipline and procedure will keep me alive.

Time away is thinking time, I am excited at all the possibility's all the things I will experience all the things that keep my heart pounding keep me alive to all of the things that are so valuable and important too me. They remind me that life is such a rich and deep experience, that we should use the fear to propel us though this time we have together, take every moment, grasp every opportunity. And love.

Spamfield 2010

 

Birds & Breakfast's

"What a life!" Claire our new aquantace says... "Is this how you boys
spend your weekends, eating all day breakfasts with birds having fun and
flying"

This particular Bird is an old friend if Jonneys who has a few storys to tell
herself. To start She is a bird with.wings, 777 type wings to be precise and has won a few
races too, a 70 miles kite surfing world record from silly isles to Newquay, over to Silverstone wining the odd race too...

So to answer the question, no not always, sometimes we just fly with the birds.

Team - Hampshire - The "Comps"

Phil and I spend 3 hours practicing and discussing the best and most comfortable way to fly and how we operate best as a team, which tasks are best Primary and Secondary or shared? We tried a range of configurations and ended up reversing the traditional roles.

- Pilot in the back
- Navigator in the Front

Why? It is easier to see the map in detail when it is on your lap than if it is duck taped to the persons back! The space and viz is better too, all things that the navigator needs, Piloting from the back offers some challenges, however it gets easier the more I do it, however precision landings and landings engine off from 1000ft overhead are tasks that I still need to sit in the front for...

We had to develop a new language or at least one were were not familiar with. What heading do I need from here? Where is my next way point? What photos do we have left to spot, what is our Airspeed and ground speed estimates, and how does that compare to the timing on the track...are on the right track, what is my next way point? What heading should we pick up? The simple truth of all of this is that we needed to organise our minds and our processes into a loop.

- Where are we, exactly! Is it where we are supposed to be?
- What heading should we be on?
- What is the next visual way point?
- Do we see any of our pictures (not the key features)
- What effect is the wind having on us?
- What orientation is the gate?
- What is the next task?
- Are we on a collision coarse?
- What are the engine temperatures and pressures?
- Do we have options?

If we learn to loop this, we may have a chance at the next comp to run up the rankings......oh and if we build some of the devices too! This is Laurie's rather natty "Track up" map holder, Laurie turns out to be one of life's problem solvers, a bit ingenious, we like Laurie he really help us understand some of the insider tips without which we would not have had as many points...thank Laurie! Love the Cushion ;-)

Best Newcomers!

What a weekend that was, amazing flying, lively debate and a gong to end the weekend truly one great weekend, I could list the tasks, if you wanted me too drop me an email and I will give you the full gen, however the most interesting part of the weekend was finding a combination and method to work as a team in the cockpit as this along with some skill seem to be the biggest difference between first and last. Teamwork was what this was all about.

In the spirit of all of the other competitors, we are happy to share our "Secret Sauce", for us it was realising that Navigation is easier from the front seat and flying P1 from the rear seat was our breakthrough moment!

Know you Islay from your Islands?

Preparation is in full flow! Time to get to grips with the Scottish maps.Dave tells me he is only going to take a bottle this year and not buy any on route. Wise decision.

Hay Martin, I am flying over the English channel in a FlyBe jet, it's does not get any easier you know. We all stilll miss you. Wait for us, we will be there sooner than you can imagine.... We will be bringing our splashers be ready....

M: 07595329158

Kate

Arriving at the Hanger, I am met by Kate and her Boy Friend, Kate is a Enthusiastic and rather engaging Vulcanologist researching at Oxford University, her 3rd Uni! Katie is looking to fly the South Coast, before her Army boy friend takes her to the mess BBQ and Social later in the day. We fly the South Coast for 25 minutes, Kate is enthusiastic and excited, "I can see why you do this its fantastic I love it" As we slide along side Cliff at 2000ft and break for a descending circle left there are whoops and joy from the back seat.

So we chat about the weekend ahead and Kate asks me the question all people ask when you fly them in a microlight "how long have you been doing this?" its a question that always amuses me, its a question I would have asked 2000feet ago while my feet were glued by gravity to the tarmac, nearly all passengers asks the question when there buts are planted in the plastic at half a mile up....what if the answer was........

We chat on and about Volcanic Ash and I tell Kate that last time we flew in the ash cloud we could see the red haze in then inversion at 3500 ft and that the Microlight was covered in a light pepper of dust when  we returned, and Kate tells me why this ask is bad stuff...

Kate tells me that under a microscope the dust particles are razor sharp particles and will wreck your lungs, as well as a Rolls Royce aircraft Engine....Woo ha! Is that's why I have been spitting blood particles for 3 weeks....how lung have I been doing this?

If you say so, it MUST be true?

Phil Armstrong and I have been preparing for the last 3 week, we practice cockpit operation two up, practice nav, set up the compass, packed and fueled, preflighted the aircraft, we are ready to got to the nations at Popham. Slight snag, Phil texts at 2200hrs to say.....its not this weekend its next week! We are a week early...Ce la vie what to do with am open weekend and a fully prepped Aircraft......

35 days and counting...

The excitement is palpable! Preparation starts on this years Fly UK 2010, with the downloading of the 70 Strong Pilot list....yes the biggest yet! This year I am going to have Sooooo much fun! Tee Shirts ordered, booking fee paid, forms downloaded, let the banter begin!

Alive Aware!

Aware - Aware

Every now and again you happen across a product or a service that hits you between the eyes and is good value for money, better functionally and based on a business model that works for the customers and not the excutive board. Today at Popham microlight trade fair I did that with GPS. For years Garmin and others have been over charging pilots for hardware and raping us for updates, however today not only did I discover the "IPhone of GPS" in terms of flexibility and functionality Aware are selling the best value Aircraft GPS on the market today, £250 quid ish. Well done Mr Aware!

Simply put, this is the future of Navigation and Airspace GPS. Garmin, time to bed over and kiss your ass good bye.

Popham Microlight Fair - the season starts!!

Snow - "Van Furen" - Goose

And so the story goes that I was heading to Colemore and on 129.825 I hear Gustie and Johnny en route too! Gustave is nailing "Suky" as hard to get there and be ready to tie down his acquisition! He is followed by Johnny in this early Microlight. An enthusiastic Gustie who I do believe and sell anything to anyone, was oozing joy at this new toy, the engineer who designed it also designed other flying bricks etc etc etc... It came from EBay and arrived via a three day expedition from the Lake district to be at Colemore traveling at 60 with a 30 knot headwind! Tied down for the night its real prize was the Blue Top 582 under that biscuit tin cowling. Given it cost circa £1500, I recon that without the engine its worth minus £250 quid ;-)) Never the less, Gustie is in love with this G - MVIL and it down wind swagger

Oil Seed - Rape

What a wonderful night to fly, Altocirrus cloud (yes the bore of clouds) and the oil seed rape just comeing into colour, fields massed together at Hurst Lane Privit, will be in full boom by the weekend