Date: 17/02/2011

Time: 16:55 - 16:35 (GMT)

Aircraft: Eurostar EV-97 - G-CERE

More Clag

I think I am seeing a pattern occurring here.

The weather has been crap recently causing our flights for the last two weekends to be canceled. Next weekend isn't looking so good either. Today is looking like the best bet, so I leave work early and head for the airfield. The sky has cleared up but despite how it looks, I reckon the visibility will be quite poor.

G-RE has been used recently so may be still a bit warm - I haven't flown a Eurostar for a couple of months so I choose to take it up today. I get it out, check it out and fuel it.

After a quick chat, I'm taking off on 03 - it quickly proves that I was correct about the visibility - It's crap. I head north on an exploratory - I wouldn't do this if I didn't know the area really well. At Hannington Mast I turn west and into the sun it's even worst! I then track south down the A34 to Whitchurch and then head to the airfield and join downwind. Circuits are not allowed today, so I approach, low-hop along the runway and then pull-up for a go-around. I follow this by two more and I'm quite pleased with the low-hops. On one of these circuits, I have just turned downwind and I hear the first radio transmission all evening - a military sounding voice, but completely unintelligible. I immediately report downwind (as I was just about to anyway) and then see a helicopter coming out of the gloom from the west. He bears away behind me and I waggle my wings in thanks. One last circuit and down to a landing that I am also pleased with.

Unideal conditions, but once again I just wanted to get my feet off the ground.

Return to 2011 Index

Return to main Index