Date: 4/12/2011
Time: 13:35 - 14:15 (GMT)
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CDMS
A Quickie
One again, rubbish weather scuppered my original plans, but decided to go for a quickie anyway. Although the overcast clouds are (mostly) up at about 2000', there are some at a lower level, scattered showers and it is quite windy. My plane had been put away, as the previous reservee had not come in, but I found that G-MS was still out and the reservee of that one wasn't going to fly it, so I elected to use that one. I checked it out and had the very rare occurrence where it already had sufficient fuel (30l) so I didn't need to fuel it - how come that NEVER happens when you are in a hurry?
I take off on 26 and as I'm on my own, the plane leaps into the air and climbs at 1200'/minute, with the nose in the air. This, along with the wind, means I'm soon up towards 500' AGL and I have to throttle back until I get past the far end of the runway. I continue climbing and turn to the north - unfortunately, there is a bank of lower cloud and some rain, so I attempt to avoid it by routing round Whitchurch. Then heading west, I decide to go and have a distant look at Thruxton. I entertain myself with some steep turns. I think I can see Thruxton but it's not too clear. I then turn around and head back. There is a small break in the clouds and I start chasing the sunshine, but it seems to be outrunning me and hides out of reach in the Southampton zone. I then head back to Popham and join deadside (where Melvin reminds me we are supposed to use hectopascals now, instead of millibars (even though they are the same)). Plenty of crabbing on the crosswind and a very brief downwind. A quick bit of power near touchdown required to settle it and a good landing. I am considering going for another circuit, but Steve calls he is coming straight-in on 21 (turns out his trial flight student was about to barf) so I decide to call it a day, rather than get in the way.