Date: 3/7/2010
Time: 13:15 - 13:45 (HP) & 14:20 - 15:35 (DV)
(GMT)
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CFHP & Eurostar EV-97
- G-CEDV
Chilsfold and Swanborough Farms
It's another two plane flight with Colin, Jac and
Ian again today. The plan is to go to Chilsfold Farm, Swanborough Farm, Truleigh
Farm and then back to Popham. These are all farm strips with very limited facilities.
We have tried to go on this trip before, but the weather wasn't obliging. Again
we have a plan to mix and match pilots and aircraft. All the target airfields
are PPR, so we phone for Prior Permission - Chilsfold OK, Swanborough say we
can land if there is someone there and Truleigh say that they have been hay
bailing, but will get the bigger bails off the runway!
Jac has just been up in Mac's gyrocopter and enjoyed
that.
It's
hot today so there will be plenty of thermal activity. There are also a few
things to avoid such as a gliding competition at Lasham and displays at Goodwood
and Washington (Sussex). We are a bit slow getting away, not helped by my late
arrival. Eventually we're off with Colin flying me in the Eurostar, and Ian
flying Jac in the C-42. We head down to Colemore Common and indeed it is a bit
bumpy. The visibility isn't too bad. Then over Liss and east to overfly Chilsfold
and then descend into a circuit. We land after Ian, park up and find the farm
owner. He kindly shows us around his hangers and some interesting mods made
to some of the aircraft.
The
next leg is me flying Colin in the C42, Jac is flying Ian in G-DV. The taxiway
is really bumpy on the way to the threshold - would probably have been better
to backtrack. Past Billingshurst and Brighton and towards Lewes. We can't initially
see the airfield when we get there. It runs in a different direction to what
I was expecting partly due to our direction being being different and the location
of the local high ground. Jac spots it before me and also sees a car arriving,
so by their rules there is someone there, so we can land. 
It's
a really wide runway and hills either end. I park up behind the Eurostar. We
have a bit of a chat to the guy who has turned up to work on one of the local
aircraft. Later the airfield owner turns up and another aircraft lands after
a low pass.
The
next leg is me flying Ian in the Eurostar and Jac in G-HP with Colin. A bit
of a late decision, but once airborne I decide to divert via Beachy Head for
a bit of a look. I try to brief radio call of my intentions but fail. Really
beautiful views along the coast cliffs and the light houses. We then turn round
and head back to the north of Brighton and to Truleigh Farm. This is directly
below the ILS approach for Shoreham. When we get there, Jac is having her third
attempt at landing, but the trees, wind and direction are making it impossible.
If she cant get the C-42 down, then I've got no chance in the EV-97 - there
wouldn't be any point anyway, as Ian isn't cleared for the Eurostar, so we'd
have to just take off again. So we head back to Popham, avoiding the Lasham
gliding competition again - bit of a long leg, but we have no choice.
So not entirely successful, but definitely enjoyable.
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It's
hot today so there will be plenty of thermal activity. There are also a few
things to avoid such as a gliding competition at Lasham and displays at Goodwood
and Washington (Sussex). We are a bit slow getting away, not helped by my late
arrival. Eventually we're off with Colin flying me in the Eurostar, and Ian
flying Jac in the C-42. We head down to Colemore Common and indeed it is a bit
bumpy. The visibility isn't too bad. Then over Liss and east to overfly Chilsfold
and then descend into a circuit. We land after Ian, park up and find the farm
owner. He kindly shows us around his hangers and some interesting mods made
to some of the aircraft.
