CLUB EVENTS

 

To Alderney for bacon and brie, and back!

Another ramble from an “oldie” pilot!!

On Friday, 18 August, 2 Cherokees, 2 Tomahawks and a Europa departed Swansea for Alderney, causing a little bemusement with the various service providers we used on the way! (A day out boys??? – we got at one point!!)

There was interesting pre-planning for this trip which was mostly overwater, and required the filing of flight plans (not unusual), and filing of a GAR (General Aviation Report) with the Alderney Authorities (perhaps more so!). We were greatly  endebted to Rhys who sorted most of the paperwork and collective PPR out the day before.

I arrive at Fairwood to find all the planes going lined up in front of the Club House fuelled and prepared – thanks to Derek. A brief chat with Derek, Dave and Rhys, and it was completing checks and off we go!

A tad gloupy over the Bristol Channel, but we clawed up to 4000 feet and were coasting  at Lynton in no time. We were on course direct to Torbay VOR and the larger Channel! We used London Information after Swansea (others used Cardiff Radar), who handed us over to Exeter Radar plus their squawk. We were to stay with Exeter until well over the English Channel. We coasted out at Torbay, and set course for Skery Reporting Point – this the start of 76 nm over water to Alderney.

The big Channel was particularly murky, with indistinct horizon, but then, we had an artificial one, and good views of water!! The abiding impression was just how busy the Channel was with shipping. Rarely on the crossing could we see less than 2 or 3 ships! That was mildly re-assuring, and we also had the chitty chatty of a few of the other Swansea aircraft to listen to!!!

Just before  Skery, we transfer to Jersey Zone, who gave us their squawk and radar service into Alderney, and confirm our Special VFR.

After more ship spotting, a small, indeterminate shape forms up in the gloom on our misty horizon. Like the seven veils being removed, this eventually reveals itself to be Alderney! Within 10 miles we were passed to Guernsey Approach who control all approaches  to Guernsey and Alderney, only going to Alderney Tower effectively for the circuit!

We spotted Casquets Lighthouse VRP, and commenced our gentle descent to join for runway 26. We had expected 26L from the AIS, but were given 26R – a lesson to be ready for constant changes and take what we are told not what we assumed!!

Arriving at the coast, downwind for 26R would have taken us right over the only town St Anne’s, so we stayed seaward, in a wide downwind. Only now were we passed to Alderney Tower, before turning  base, and  lining up for 26 landing – all looks good – and down! Russ and I are the first in – a record we established at Scillies earlier in the year – must work to keep that record intact!!!

We were directed to the grass parking area, where a nice Frenchman was having his Warrior refuelled from the bowser, so we commandeered the bowser driver and got BOMO refuelled immediately after switch off.

We walked across to the diminutive terminal, past the inevitable Aurigny Trilander (just before we took off there were no fewer than 3 on the apron!!). We “signed in” and awaited our colleagues arriving at about 5 minute intervals, before trooping off into St Anne’s. No where  is “far” in Alderney! The whole island is about 6 times as long as the main runway!!

Another aviation impression – every other Trilander taking off was freight only, with one pilot. Air must account for practically all transport here, both passenger and freight.

Four of our companions (in one of the Cherokees) were staying overnight, so they dropped their bags off at their B & B. Fortuitously, just opposite was a commodious pavement café, to which we all repaired for refreshment. This is where my bacon and brie baguette and pot of tea came in!!! After a convivial lunch, with good company and some tall (and the odd weird!) stories, we decided to explore further in groups.

Russ and I took the scenic route back around the coast to the airfield, taking in, in that short distance, 4 forts and numerous old WW2 fortifications. It was very warm and sunny, and we began to wish (being delicate flowers) that we had brought our hats with us!!! I was admonished when back home for getting sunburnt!!!! The views from the cliff tops were spectacular and Guernsey could be easily seen, along with numerous ships in the very busy shipping waters.

The other impression of the flight out was just how quickly 140 odd nm’s disappear when you are enjoying yourselves! I hour 40 minutes Swansea to Alderney – can’t imagine what the time for alternate travel would be – not much change out of a day, I guess?

Back at Alderney Airport, checking out with the nice ex-Liverpudlian security man, and with ATC, out to the plane and pre-flight checks, and we started up for  our return flight.  Take off uneventful – still 26R – and set course for Skery. Jersey Zone restricted us to 2000feet, well below our intended height, but we dutifully complied, and climbed to 4500 after 50 degrees N.

Coasting out at Torbay Head, now back with Exeter Radar, we had to engage in a bit of cloud dodging over South Devon to maintain height, but all well within VFC. “Spotted” Exeter Airport as we passed west of Exeter, after which the cloud cover was higher and we were fine over to the Bristol Channel, coasting out again over Lynton, with a direct line to Swansea, which we “banana-ed” towards Porthcawl and Port Talbot a bit, due to poorer visibility to the west. Arrived at FH 1 hour 50 minutes after leaving Alderney.

An excellent day’s flying again, thanks to Cambrian and Derek. Roll on the next trip.

Beautiful weather and a great day out. Four aircraft left our familiar shores and headed for the flat lands of the east of England. Various routes were flown, some practiced their VOR tracking up to and away from Brecon others followed their beloved GPS while one instructor refused to use anything but his map (“Good enough for Magellan!”). With their trade mark impeccable manners Gareth and Ray could be heard speaking to the English air traffic controllers in their own language it was all impressive stuff. Everyone arrived safely and without miss-hap landing on the same runway as the museums B52 Stratocruiser.  After paying the landing fee some headed straight for a good lunch, the rest scattered to all corners of the very large museum complex. With only about three hours for our visit the only problem was to decide which of the superb exhibits to explore. Dave Healey, Chris Gray and Rhys (Elvis) Davies charmed their way on to a guided tour of the Catalina. The American section seemed to impress many. Actually touching the SR71 Blackbird made some of us more excited than we were willing to admit to our wives. All too quickly our visit came to an end and it was generally agreed that at least a full day is necessary to do the museum justice. A further visit is probably on the cards. Other than Duxford’s fuel truck breaking down and delaying our take off our trip home provided few problems. One of our guests, a man who stops your lungs and heart if you pop in for a quick heart op at Morriston commented that he was amazed at how much work we had to do just to fly an aircraft straight and level.  We tried to appear modest. Next stop Galway on the 18^th and 19^th of July; not one to be missed.

After flying out to St Mary’s on Friday 8^th April 2011, and spending a convivial lunchtime in Hugh Town overlooking the harbour, it was time to tramp back to the Airport for our return trip. The gentle uphill walk – past Harold Wilson’s old place and the churchyard where he now resides - St Mary’s Airfield is on the cliff tops, was fascinating. Our first view of the airfield was of a Skybus Twin Otter seemingly parked on top of the hill, on the skyline! Have we really got to climb up there? We also marvelled how the half grass, half concrete 09 runway (the one we were to use), seemed to start half way down the hill, climb up to the top and disappear in its concrete form over the skyline!

A brief visit to the tower to pay our dues, and we were preparing for departure. We abstracted a few tips from the nice man in the tower about how to line up and tackle the steep rolling climb up the first part of the runway! Walk around checks, and set everything up, and then start up. I waited whilst the hourly Penzance helicopter set down and taxied in. The pilot gave a cheery thank you wave as I had been asked to hold station until he taxied in, but then, don’t we always do what ATC say?

I was cleared to taxi to the 09 threshhold, around the still rotating Sea King (it doesn’t shut down at St Mary’s), around the apron to engine checks point. “Just locate between the threshold lights”, the nice man had said “there is more room than there seems from here”! We did, and there was!

Engine checks completed, instruments set, one stage of flaps selected, and straining against the brakes, we were off! The forward view is daunting! You can see the grass half of the runway, the first plateau (bump) the nice man had told us about (“it will get better from there”!), the geotextile transition area from grass to concrete and the first few metres only of the concrete half of the runway was visible as we rolled. (“when you get to the top, you still have the thick end of 200 metres”, he had said!!!)

God! Won’t this Tomahawk go any faster up hill, as I could not get beyond 40 knots! Then the plateau (bump!) arrived and indeed things did pick up! I rattled across the transition geotextile onto the concrete bit – getting there - but still not quite ready for take off! Reached the top, and for the first time I could see the end of the runway – well that’s OK, then!!  Not far past the crest I was just fast enough for  flapped take off, and we were airborne. Not that much of the runway left, though, and the rocks and sea were ready to intervene if I had got it badly wrong!

OK - now that’s done, let’s forget all about that, and concentrate intently on the departing Penzance Sea King and two other aircraft in the transit corridor, as we set course for Land’s End, at my planned 3000 feet. Told to report 18 nm out, I duly did (good these GPS’s aren’t they??!!)  and I was handed over to Land’s End (St Just), who stayed with me until St Ives’s, handing me over to Newquay, who gave us a squawk, and advice about two parallel tracked planes.

I had settled for an “off the coast” route pointing more or less directly at Swansea, so settled down to some quiet “anorakking” i.e. airfield spotting! This coast is great for that activity! First, there is St Just, then a distant view (it was a great day for visibility) of Bodmin, then Portreath, still remarkably intact, then Perranporth, an active GA airfield (as we discovered when passing!), then Newquay, covered by a little lens of cloud, so I couldn’t see it all, with attendant St Eval and St Merryn (how ever did they get three wartime airfields so close together!!!). I then begin to see the sun reflecting on the many aerials at Bude, located on the former RAF Cleave, just to the right of my intended track.  As we get towards them, Lundy hoves into view. We are at 4,500 feet – are they serious when they say you really can land on that overgrown supertanker??

Hartland Point, and visibility is such we can clearly see Port Talbot in all its glory, and the detail of the Gower Peninsula – can even pick out good old FH from Woolacombe – never done that before! Just before crossing the Gower coast near Oxwich, having reported my presence to Swansea, we are pipped by the PA28 who has been stalking us from around Tintagel (he went further inland than me!). I don’t know, put a new engine into a PA28 and they think it is a greyhound!!!

I settle down to join the circuit, “contact one in front”, and set down  on 22R after 100 most enjoyable minutes. A brilliant day away, thanks to Derek and the Club. When is the next trip, guys???