Date: 12/12/2010
Time: 15:40 - 16:20 (GMT)
Aircraft: Eurostar EV-97 - G-CEDV
Quickie
Been a bit ill and busy and it seems like ages since I've been flying - though looking back it turn out to be only two weeks - oh well! I make a bit of a late decision to go flying now that we have the new server fitted at work and I have the opportunity - along with the fact the sun is shining a bit and future forecasts don't look so good.
I nip down to the airfield; unfortunately there aren't any aircraft out, so I ask which was the last one put away, which turns out to be G-DV that Alan has just finished with. I could wait for another to land but who knows when that will be - safer to go and get DV out as I'm running out of time (airfield shuts at 16:28). Only 22 litres of fuel - probably enough, but to be on the safe side I throw another 10 in. I see Jac and Ian who have just come back from somewhere, but unfortunately don't have time to chat to them (sorry guys!).
Eventually I'm off and the taxiways are quite muddy and slippery - I go carefully, attempting to keep to the greenest bits. Taking off on 03 I keep right on the left hand edge of the runway as the rest looks quite brown. I head north up to Hannington, then across to Highclere and then south along the A34. At Bullington Cross I head southwest towards Chilbolton for a bit of a refresher, then head back to Popham.
It's getting dark quite quickly with the sun down and the gathering clouds. I have to put the nose down and join 03 on the downwind leg. By the time I'm putting it down, the darkness makes it a little more difficult to sense the height for the round-out. Although it is still legal, I wouldn't want it any darker than this. Taxi carefully back and put it to bed.