Date: 03/08/2012
Time: 18:40 - 19:25 (17:40 - 18:25 GMT)
Aircraft: Ikarus C42 - G-CDVI
Low Hops
Weather looks fairly rubbish for this weekend, so
I decided to go for a quick one on the Friday night. It has been windy all day
and although it has dropped 
a
bit, it is still a bit windy and gusty - this is even evident during my bike
ride to the airfield. When I get there, Steve is in the clubhouse and suggests
I use G-CDVI which is out where he has been using it. This plane has only just
been returned from being repaired after having it's starboard wing and tail
munched by a Zlin. It looks a bit weird with only one wing all clean and shiny
and the other a bit weathered.
Other than one Thrasher, I have the airfield to myself, so I think it's a great opportunity for some windy circuits practice and some low hops. After checkover and warmup, I trundle down to the threshold of 21. I take off and complete two touch-and-go's - yes, it's a bit windy and requires a reasonable angle on crosswind and base legs. Each landing is complete by the first intersection, and on the third time around I do a full stop landing, return to the threshold and do a low hop which goes well. Low hops (flying along the runway at a low height and landing at the far end) are very good exercise for plane control. The next go goes a bit wobbly thanks to the wind gusts - rather than fight it, I just climb up into another circuit. I land and then lineup for another low hop and this goes well. I finish off with a final circuit, approaching right by the threshold and turn it into a low hop and then land at the end, close to taxi to the parking area.
Great practice.
