Date: 21/2/2015
Time: 13:35 - 14:20 (GMT)
Aircraft: EuroFOX - G-UFOX
Gusty Goodwood.
I was thwarted last weekend - despite the forecast
that it would clear up sometime between 10 and midday, it didn't become flyable
until the evening when I was halfway home on the motorway - too late. Today,
is better, but a bit gusty. There is also PROB30 chance of rain/snow/hail CB's,
so a long journey isn't recommended. Of the available choices, we decide on
Goodwood - of their three runway directions, they only have one open (and that
is the smaller one parallel to the main runway).
Ian
has the outbound leg and after prep, we are lining up in runway 26. Once climbing
out, it proves to be a little bumpy. We head down to the south east, but we
aren't going directly - Ian want's to go and have a look at Frensham. Well,
we're not in a hurry, so may as well make a flight of it. This isn't a direct
route as we have to go round the south of the Oakhanger HIRTA zone. We go over
Four Marks and then down to Liss, then round to the west. We spot an interesting
house on the way. Along the A3 and then up the gap between zones to Frensham.
We
can easily spot the Great Pond, so we know that the airfield is just to the
west of it. We also spot a plane (an RV I think) in the circuit over the pond
and watch it land. It is quite a long runway, for a private strip - I believe
it has occasionally been used in emergency for Farnborough traffic. It's
been three years (and two days) since I landed there, but we aren't stopping
today. We then head south and over the downs to Goodwood. We join overhead and
are in luck - the wind is straight down the runway.
After signing in, we find our way over the other
side of the race track to the cafe. Here we have a nice bacon and fried egg
sandwich each, along with a cup of tea. We are in the upstairs seating area
and we get a good view of the starting grid of the track. There is an MG meeting
going on, and a mixture of old and new ones are having some racing. To be honest,
they don't appear to be going really flat-out (particular the older ones), so
it must be a fun series - but they do look like they are having fun.
Time
to go back and my turn. Warmed up, we head over the rather soggy taxiway, trying
to avoid the more boggy bits. We take off on 32R and basically keep going towards
Petersfield. On the way, we spot an lovely looking private strip - except it
is right alongside the downs and must be interesting with rollover during a
southerly wind. Nearing Petersfield, we spot another plane approaching from
the east with a constant bearing. I turn sharply right to clearly indicate that
I am (correctly) giving way, before resuming my course and passing behind them.
As they head away, we can clearly see how much they are crabbing due to the
wind. We are straight into the wind and only managing just over 60 knots over
the ground.
Before we had left, Ian spoke with his son, who
has a club Eurostar booked and we had arranged to rendezvous with him on the
return journey. We were on 123.450 (interplane frequency) and collude to meet
at Colemore Common. Jon formates on our port side and shepherds up back to the
north west.
A
chance for Ian to take a few air-to-air pictures. When we get to Four Marks
(like Ian) I decide to make a bit more of a flight of it and turn to go along
the Watercress Line to look for steam trains (there weren't any). Up to Alton
and back, then back to Popham.
I join from the deadside - yep, it's a bit bumpy.
The wind is also coming from a bad direction - between runways 26 and 03, so
it is going to be a significant crosswind either way. The gusts and wildly swinging
wind direction, turn the final and round-out into wild ride. Very bouncy before
I hit the throttle and go around. Better the second time round, but still a
handful. Steve said later that everyone was having trouble landing in the conditions
(except for him, obviously!)
Still a nice day!
Return to 2015 Index
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Ian
has the outbound leg and after prep, we are lining up in runway 26. Once climbing
out, it proves to be a little bumpy. We head down to the south east, but we
aren't going directly - Ian want's to go and have a look at Frensham. Well,
we're not in a hurry, so may as well make a flight of it. This isn't a direct
route as we have to go round the south of the Oakhanger HIRTA zone. We go over
Four Marks and then down to Liss, then round to the west. We spot an interesting
house on the way. Along the A3 and then up the gap between zones to Frensham.
We
can easily spot the Great Pond, so we know that the airfield is just to the
west of it. We also spot a plane (an RV I think) in the circuit over the pond
and watch it land. It is quite a long runway, for a private strip - I believe
it has occasionally been used in emergency for Farnborough traffic. It's
been three years (and two days) since I landed there, but we aren't stopping
today. We then head south and over the downs to Goodwood. We join overhead and
are in luck - the wind is straight down the runway.
