Date: 05/03/2011
Time: 14:10 - 14:50 (GMT)
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CDMS
White (Grey) Waltham
Still more weather problems. Last weekend Ian and I had just got the plane fuelled and prepped, when the rain came down - so that didn't happen. The weekend before didn't even get that far. Today's forecast doesn't so good either and I don't really think it will happen - maybe I'm just a bit punch-drunk with the recent weather.
Still, I make my way to the airfield and find Ian just putting G-RE away. He has just completed his conversion to the Eurostar (yesterday) and was just consolidating it with a bit of practice. The weather is actually looking better than the forecast suggested. We get G-MS out and warm it up thoroughly as it has a brand new engine with only 16 hours on it. Whilst waiting for the fuelling equipment I chat with Mike Breeze who says that he is going to White Waltham - I had originally planned to go to Compton Abbas, but flying into the weather (front coming in from north-east) is a much more prudent idea, so we decide to do the same.
We take off on 03 and I find that there is a fair bit of crosswind - I'm surprised that runway 08 isn't selected; never mind. As we achieve about 2000' the vis deteriorates. Once again, there is no defined cloudbase, just reducing visibility. Still it's not too bad and better than expected - a little bumpy in places. Up to Hannington and then East along the power lines. Having switched to Waltham's radio frequency, they aren't too clear. We call them at reporting point Sierra and can just make out the replies. Pretty soon we can see the airfield and even some sun has appeared. We join overhead (without the problems like last time) and a good landing. We park up next to G-VI (that Mike and Peter Erl arrived in).
We have some tea and I have a steak sandwich - which isn't as good as I had hoped. We have a chat with Mike and Peter.
Eventually, we are on our way home, with Ian at the helm. After the long taxi over the airfield to the threshold, we are taking-off on 07 and head back along the M4. The journey back is less bumpy and I believe that the vis has improved. As we approach Popham, there is a balloon just landing in the back field and we watch it's envelope collapsing.
A nice flight and the surprise of weather being better than forecast.