Date: 27/9/2014
Time: 12:15 - 13:15 (11:15 - 12:15 GMT) & 14:30
- 15:15 (13:30 - 14:15 GMT)
Aircraft: EuroFOX - G-UFOX
Sandown with Istvan
This weekend should have been the Thorney Island
fly-in at Goodwood - OK I know that doesn't make much sense. The Thorney Island
fly-in is (was) an annual event which was one of my favourite as it was the
only opportunity to visit the Thorney Island airfield. However, this year they
came across some insurance problems and could not hold it on the Island. They
then got an agreement with Goodwood airfield that they could hold it there (albeit
on a different date). OK, I'm still looking forward to this. Then a couple of
days ago it seems Goodwood had to pull out of the event - not totally sure why,
but "Health and Safety" was being muttered. So apparently now it has
been moved again to ...... Popham! Hmmm - not going to be much of a fly-in for
me to my home airfield. Similarly, it would be no fun for the others that I
usually fly with, and as they are heading to Bournemouth tomorrow, they all
decided not to bother. But I don't have a seat for tomorrow.
Yesterday, I was at the sin-laws (like in-laws,
be we live in sin) and on a chance conversation with my girlfriends sisters
boyfriend, I asked if he would want to come flying with me and he jumped at
the chance.
When we get to the airfield, it is quite busy, but
not problematically so - not as busy as the trade fair weekend. After fuelling
and checking the plane we are soon trundling down the taxiway towards the threshold
of runway 21. Like many new passengers, Istvan is surprised about how quickly
we get off the ground - that's the wonder of these lightweight machines.
We
head down to the south-west towards the New Forest. The clouds are far lower
than was forecast and the visibility isn't fantastic, but it is OK and still
very safe. I begin to show Istvan the controls and when I demonstrate pitching
the nose up and down, he begins giggling uncontrollably - not abject fear, but
simply enjoying a new experience. He has a go and is correctly making cautious
little movements - not bad. I retake the controls for the part between Southampton
and Bournemouth zones where there is a height restriction. 
When
we get to the Solent we can climb a bit, but the clouds are even lower - I chose
to go over some of them before turning to round the Needles and head along the
south-west coast. It is usually quite calm along here and I give Istvan another
go as we travel along to St. Catherine's Point. I retake control and Istvan
notices another plane underneath us, slowly overtaking. I do an orbit to distance
us from him as I intend to descend and don't want him directly underneath. Up
the coast past Ventnor and an overhead join for runway 23 at Sandown. I misjudge
the lack of wind a little, so have to sideslip a bit to get her in, but no drama.
Whilst we are in the cafe, enjoying some bacon an
egg baps, I watch an unusual little V-tailed aircraft take off, but when it
gets past us, it suddenly turns left. I am immediately concerned as the normal
circuit pattern it to continue much further and then turn right. It turns back
to the airfield, passes very low over the control tower (and the cafe) and lands
in the opposite direction. Fortunately, helped by the lack of wind it lands
OK. Apparently it's engine had started "popping" and he elected to
land it immediately - good move.
When
we are fed and watered, we are back off for the return journey. We head north
past Ryde and over the water towards Portsmouth. Then we have a loop around
my brothers house and my Dads house on Hayling Island, before heading north
up towards Butser Hill. The cloudbase hasn't improved at all. After a medium
banked turn (near Colemore Common) we head back to Popham and join overhead.
It's quite busy and we follow two other aircraft around the circuit, making
it a rather wide one. Having established on base leg, I am rather surprised
to find an old biplane heading straight towards us. The angle he is pointing
means I can't really turn to pass him on the left and I'm ready to turn downwards
to the left for avoiding action, but he then turns onto final approach for 21.
He may well be non-radio, but that is no excuse for joining in the wrong circuit
direction. I have to put a few s-bends in for separation before landing.
We wash and refuel the plane, before putting her
to bed. We then go over the other side of the field to see John playing with
his quadcopter. We have a go ourselves before returning home.
Another nice day!
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We
head down to the south-west towards the New Forest. The clouds are far lower
than was forecast and the visibility isn't fantastic, but it is OK and still
very safe. I begin to show Istvan the controls and when I demonstrate pitching
the nose up and down, he begins giggling uncontrollably - not abject fear, but
simply enjoying a new experience. He has a go and is correctly making cautious
little movements - not bad. I retake the controls for the part between Southampton
and Bournemouth zones where there is a height restriction. 
When
we get to the Solent we can climb a bit, but the clouds are even lower - I chose
to go over some of them before turning to round the Needles and head along the
south-west coast. It is usually quite calm along here and I give Istvan another
go as we travel along to St. Catherine's Point. I retake control and Istvan
notices another plane underneath us, slowly overtaking. I do an orbit to distance
us from him as I intend to descend and don't want him directly underneath. Up
the coast past Ventnor and an overhead join for runway 23 at Sandown. I misjudge
the lack of wind a little, so have to sideslip a bit to get her in, but no drama.
