Date: 30/11/2013
Time: 11:10 - 11:55 (GMT) & 13:30 - 14:10 (GMT)
Aircraft: EuroFOX - G-UFOX
Kidlington - London
Oxford Airport
For today's flight, it is Colin and Jac in their
plane and me on my own. Like last week, we need another north/south runway -
I suggest Kidlington (otherwise known as London Oxford Airport) might be a good
idea. Full ATC practice too.
The previous radiator blanking that we added helped
but more is required, so before checkover and fuelling, I attempt to add some
more rubber strip blanking to the radiators, but thus doesn't fit well, so I
remove it again (leaving the original blanking).
Once
we are ready, we take off on runway 03, with Jac flying the Eurostar and me
alone in the EuroFOX. We head north past Hannington Mast Thatcham and over Didcot,
with a good view of the power station cooling towers. On up to the east of Abingdon
and the west of Oxford. I called Kidlington and was given a transponder squawk
code and told to join right base. In contrast, Jac was not given a squawk but
given a choice of joining. However, they are friendly and helpful. I swing right
over a small gap in the housing whilst descending and line up for base, whilst
carefully inspecting the published circuit diagram. Turning final, it is quite
windy, but fortunately it is nearly straight down the runway I think about perhaps
landing long, so that there isn't so far to taxi to the intersection, but to
be honest, I'm just happy to get her down safely. Then of course knowing Jac
is behind me, I try to expedite the taxi so that I can get off the runway in-time
for her. 
Once
off, I am asked if I can accept grass parking (yes) and then I am directed to
the grass area past (south) of the main apron. Jac joins me shortly and parks
alongside.
We don our high-vis jackets and eventually find
out how to get into the terminal. When we book-in, the staff are friendly but
they are have a tech issue, so ask us to pay on the way out, so we go to the
café. It is a Costa Coffee place and to be honest, it is a little disappointing.
They have pre-packed sandwiches, but it seems our only hot food option was to
get her to heat a pannini from the fridge shelf. I suppose it is OK, but there
are much better cafés at much smaller airfields.
We pay the landing fee on the way out (asked to
use a card for payment!) and Jac is joining me for the return journey and Colin
flying the Eurostar home solo. Once ready, we are soon allowed to line-up and
takeoff on 36. The circuit instructions are quite specific and we continue north
to the quarry before turning crosswind 
and
then track back south past Oxford.
The journey home is pretty much the reverse of the
outbound. Once past Greenham Common, we have a bit of fun with some steep backed
turns. I am rather surprised when Jac says she doesn't normally do these - because
I love them. Colin arrives back at Popham before us and we follow and join overhead
and land on 03.
Another nice day!
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Once
we are ready, we take off on runway 03, with Jac flying the Eurostar and me
alone in the EuroFOX. We head north past Hannington Mast Thatcham and over Didcot,
with a good view of the power station cooling towers. On up to the east of Abingdon
and the west of Oxford. I called Kidlington and was given a transponder squawk
code and told to join right base. In contrast, Jac was not given a squawk but
given a choice of joining. However, they are friendly and helpful. I swing right
over a small gap in the housing whilst descending and line up for base, whilst
carefully inspecting the published circuit diagram. Turning final, it is quite
windy, but fortunately it is nearly straight down the runway I think about perhaps
landing long, so that there isn't so far to taxi to the intersection, but to
be honest, I'm just happy to get her down safely. Then of course knowing Jac
is behind me, I try to expedite the taxi so that I can get off the runway in-time
for her. 
Once
off, I am asked if I can accept grass parking (yes) and then I am directed to
the grass area past (south) of the main apron. Jac joins me shortly and parks
alongside. 
