Date: 19/11/2008
Time: 13:55 - 15:25
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CEAN
Kemble
I'm off for another adventure with Colin today. We are heading off for Kemble; the Cotswold Airport.
After fuelling and inspection, we are on our way. Colin flys the first outbound leg - unfortunately he is faced with a fair headwind so progress is quite slow. It is also quite bumpy.
Colin
bravely contact Lyneham and goes through their zone. This is something that
I really ought to get more practice of myself - one of those confidence things.
They route us to the south of the M4 until we get to junction 16 and then northish
to Blakehill Farm. We then go past the lakes/reservoirs and find the airfield
easily. We join their microlight circuit and land - the first time I have been
on a hard runway (rather than grass).
Progress
has been slow and it took a lot longer than
anticipated at an hour and a quarter, to get here with the headwind. We have
a cup of tea and discuss whether to go on
the pre-planned sightseeing tour to the Severn Bridge or go straight back.
We decide that there is still a fair amount of time left and we have plenty of fuel, so we will give it a go. A little faux-pas whilst taxying; went through a gap in some cones and got told off - oops - thought it was directing me through them. Taking off on the 27 hard surface is little different, just a bit smoother. Once up, we bear right as directed by the circuit pattern. The air has calmed down now and gives a smoother flight - Colin gets all the bad luck. Progress is OK as we head towards the Severn, with the backdrop of the Welsh mountains - a great sight.
We get to the river and have a great view of the Old Bridge and also the New Bridge to the south. However given the possible time constraints we don't actually fly over the bridge; after a lookaround we turn back towards Kemble. VIDEO of bridge - click here. We pass to the south of Kemble and through the inactive Fairford MATZ and then over the Uffington Horse. We join for 26 at Popham and Colin suggests landing long to put G-AN away in it's parking slot - I take him at his word and land a bit longer than anticipated, but still a good safe landing.
Another successful an enjoyable flight!
