Date: 13/7/2008
Time: 16:25 - 18:20
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CDMS
Cerne Abbas
The flyout to Colemore Common has been canceled, so I decide to go somewhere different. I haven't been down towards the South West much, so I'm going to see the Cerne Abbas giant chalk hill carving (the one with the big willy!).
After the checkout, I takeoff from the first intersection of 26, as a glider and tug are fiddling about up a the threshold. I slip down the gap between Middle Wallop and Southampton airspace, and then head west.
The visibility is quite good and the air is fairly smooth - nice conditions. The landscape is mostly flat, with the odd lumpy bits. Along the way, there are good (but distant) views of Southampton Water and Poole Harbour. The GPS proves that I'm on course, and once past Blandford Forum and onto Cerne, I look for the Giant. It takes a little while to find it as it is on the other side of the hill and smaller than I anticipated. Once spotted, I go past it and double back for a better view and a couple of hasty pictures.
Whilst down here I decide to go and check out a couple of local airfields. I head north and overhead Hermitage - wow, it is a small strip that appears to be cut through the trees. That will make a challenging landing one day. Then I move on to Compton Abbas airfield, but keep at a good distance to not go in their zone. It's a pretty strip that is on top of a hill. It is also the one that Madonna tried to buy, so that she could shut it down, as she lives nearby (sometimes). Really quite selfish.
Flew back at quite a high altitude, until I came across a small bank of cloud so I had to dive down down below them. Once back to Popham I did an extra circuit for good measure.
