Date: 5/7/2009
Time: 14:25 - 15:40 & 16:35 - 17:30
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CDVI
Sandown with Stewart
Our test engineer Stewart, is my victim today. Unfortunately
it's a bit windy and gusty today. Even Steve, my instructor describes it a quite
'sporting'. Should I continue with my plan to go to Sandown? Well Stewart seems
fairly relaxed about the idea, and used to fly gliders, so knows what its like.
Lets go up and see what it's like; if it's OK, we can go to the Isle of Wight
and assess the situation there.
After
fuelling up and checking the plane out, we are eventually on out way. Yes -
it is indeed quite lively, requiring the plane to be flown, rather than just
pointed in the right direction. I fly the narrow channel between Middle Wallop
and Southampton zone and it's a little challenging, by manageable. Then over
the New Forest, towards the west point of IOW and once over Hurst Castle, suddenly
it all settles down! True, we are able to climb a bit higher now, but the clouds
have nearly disappeared and the air is vastly smoother.
We
round the needles and it's fun to see some orphan lonely clouds that are lower
than us. Stewart flies down to St. Catherine's point, but we have to avoid some
idiot who seems to be repetitively doing low passes over the lighthouse. Then
after a quick call, we are going north to join the circuit for Sandown. 
As
we get lower to circuit height, it does get a bit more interesting, but the
landing goes well. We have some tea/coffee and I have a doughnut.
Quick
checkover, and we're off again northwards, by a slightly different route to
usual, to the west of Ryde, over to Gosport and along the Southsea coast to
Hayling. Nice views of the Spinnaker Tower and Portsmouth and Southsea. On the
way we do a couple of steep banked turns (after clearing checks). Then north
to 
Petersfield
and up to Ropley - here we deviate east towards Alton and nearly get to Stewart's
house, just turning before the Odiham MATZ starts. The back to Popham where
it isn't as lively as before and a reasonable landing.
I enjoyed today. Also, have now completed over 100
solo hours.
Return to 2009 Index
Return to main Index
After
fuelling up and checking the plane out, we are eventually on out way. Yes -
it is indeed quite lively, requiring the plane to be flown, rather than just
pointed in the right direction. I fly the narrow channel between Middle Wallop
and Southampton zone and it's a little challenging, by manageable. Then over
the New Forest, towards the west point of IOW and once over Hurst Castle, suddenly
it all settles down! True, we are able to climb a bit higher now, but the clouds
have nearly disappeared and the air is vastly smoother.
