Date: 7/11/2010
Time: 16:45 - 17:00 (GMT)
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CDHR
Grocers
Today, Colin and Jac are taking their friends the grocers up - the name of their profession rather than family name. So they have a plane each booked and Ian booked one for us. C + J were going to go to Brimpton (near their homes) to see how their passengers faired. We did think of going along with them to this and then maybe on to Draycott Farm - however we can't get through to Draycott on the phone and the cloudbase looks bad, so we decide to just settle for just Brimpton.
We
get the planes ready and eventually we are fuelled, checked out and warmed up
waiting to takeoff on 03, but there is a sudden rush of activity and we have
to queue. The other traffic prevents us from departure in close succession,
but isn't too bad. We head off up to Hannington and then over to Highclere Castle,
where they have filmed the TV series Downton Abbey. Ian is flying this leg and
I am attempting to take a few pictures of the grocers flight using Jac's camera.
We then head for Brimpton - there is the three of us and one other aircraft (also from Popham) trying to join at the same time. Due to a little confusion we elect to pull out of the circuit, orbit and rejoin and round to land on 07. All three C-42's are parked up in line and we have some tea and chocolate and a bit of a chat.
Soon
enough we are off again, with the grocers having swapped aircraft and Ian and
I swapped pilotting/camera duties. Here we are able to take off in quick succession
and climb out together - still I have to put the nose down to catch up. We head
out east toward Burghford and I close up to hopefully get a few pictures. Lots
of concentration and good practice at changing speed as we change from photographing
one plane, then the next. Ian captures some lovely into- the-sun-behind-the-clouds
shots. Then round the Aldermaston zone and towards Tadley. Then we head back
to Popham for rejoin and a landing I'm pleased with.
We
didn't go too far, but then given the variable cloudbase, wind and amount of
time we had, we made the best of it and I had a great time - so did the grocers!
