Date: 31/7/2010
Time: 10:30 - 11:05 & 12:10- 12:40 (GMT)
Aircraft: Eurostar EV-97 - G-CERE
Old Sarum Again
A little trip to Old Sarum today with Jac and Colin. It's all a bit busy today - Popham has an LAA fly-in and Old Sarum has parachuting and an Aerobatics day, along with several NOTAMed Parachute jumps in the vicinity. The weather is supposed to improve and the cloudbase lift, but it's really taking it's time.
Eventually we're off on 26. Jac is with me in G-RE and Colin is in the other Eurostar. The plan is for Colin to come back with me, so that both he and Jac get a go solo - something they rarely seem to get to do. It's actually fairly bumpy in places today and a couple of rainshowers around - one of which we just skirt around as we go down between Boscombe and Solent zones. Then west and we call Old Sarum at Alderbury. The MATZ is inactive, but parachuting procedures are in place so we go round the far side of Salisbury and join downwind from the west. As we head round final for 24 it's a bit bumpy and a bit wobbly on landing - then just as I relax a gust makes it lift off again for a moment. We park up next to Colin in G-DV.
We have a cuppa and bacon butties and discuss plans for next weeks trip to France (if it happens). The airfield and cafe are really busy, although there still isn't sufficient cloudbase for the aeros.
After swapping the stuff over we're off again (with Colin). We head straight on during the climbout and after getting outside the ATZ we turn south and go round Salisbury again for the journey home. As we join overhead it a bit bumpy again. Jac has already joined, but is forced round onto the GA circuit to avoid cutting someone up and ends up being cut-up herself, so sensibly goes over to the deadside to rejoin again.