Date: 11/5/2015
Time: 17:45 - 18:35 (16:45 - 17:35 GMT)
Aircraft: EuroFOX - G-UFOX
Circuit Practice
Didn't get to fly at the weekend, but Monday looks good. I skive out of work a little early and make my way to the airfield for a quick bimble.
When I get to the hangar, I find George working on his MW5. After a chat, he suddenly realises what the time is and that he is late - better dash. Next I go and see Greg to see if the club lifejackets have returned from being serviced yet (we want to borrow them next weekend). They are supposed to be done this week, but it is just too dodgy to trust that (given they are weeks late already), so I think we had better buy some for ourselves. I then re-grease the tailwheel swivel now that I have bought a new grease gun.
Once
the plane is fuelled, prepped and warmed, I make my way down the taxiway for
21. I take off to the north and cruise-climb
up above the clouds - they start at about 2500', but I go up to 5000' to be
safely above them. Lovely view! I am above Popham, so I then do a big spiral
dive back down into the circuit and join for 21.
Time
for some circuit practice. Once I have joined, I come round for a touch-and-go
on 21. The wind is a little gusty, but the direction is swinging around quite
a bit. Landing OK and then I do a zoom climb back up and round again. Another
go and another reasonable landing - each one a touch-and-go with a zoom climb.
I am having to use controls a fair bit due to varying wind direction. Normally,
I would land long for 21 when there is a reasonable wing from the south as that
create a turbulent area nearer the threshold. It also seems to create a downdraught
sometimes too. But today I start trying landing near the threshold to fight
the turbulence - well I am doing practice, so may aswell challenge myself -
all good. Final lap (of severn), and I intend to bring it in for a low-hop and
land at far end. However, I get disturbed by a couple of pheasants that wander
out onto the runway in front of me, so I have to climb a little to go over them
- just in case the did some (more) stupid. I think I need a little more practice
for the transition from low-hop into landing phase - but all the other landings
I was pleased with.
Good stuff.
