Autumn in England
Autumn in England
First order of aviation business was to check in on both the Cardinal at Blackbushe and the Bulldog at Popham and make sure they were both tied down properly.
The next day I refueled the Cardinal and took it to
Enstone where it is to be hangared for the winter while smart people go to warm
sunny climes.
The wind was gusty from the west and so I pointed into the wind. I prefer to
refuel into wind... If you point the tail into the wind you should put the
control locks in, but in a Cessna this doesn't prevent to rudder from being
blown side to side.
An instructor followed in another Cessna to point tail into the wind with the
controls flopping with every gust; I consider this to be bad airmanship.
There was low cloud largely to the east of my route up to Enstone, and it was somewhat grey and miserable when I arrived there to land on the north grass runway.
I was given a lift to Charlbury railway station where I
caught a train to Reading, and then another one to Blackwater.
The fare was just over £16 with my Senior Railcard.
It reminded me of the weekends during 1974/75 when I would take the train to
Blackwater or Camberley and walk along the A30 to Blackbushe to go flying...
This time, as I was on expenses, I caught a taxi. £15.
Because the Fiat had not run for over three weeks, it
has either a sticking valve or hydraulic lifter.
It will have to go, as I aim to be away for a couple of months this winter; to
the usual place.
As we all grow older we are faced with health challenges and so difficulty in
opening the hangar doors may prevent us for independent flying.
If you're a friend of mine I remember the good things done for me by you in the
past decades.
So I take the long drive to southwest Wales to help my old friend Rich to go
flying in his Jodel.
The original objective was to fly to Dunkeswell for lunch with old friends there
and perhaps visit Eggesford on the way back, but unfortunately there was
widespread fog, very low cloud, and poor visibility across England and Wales.
Exeter managed to get to Marginal VFR late in the afternoon, but Cardiff was IFR
all day. All of southern England except for Cornwall was IFR weather all day.
South Wales was mostly VFR west of Swansea, but we kept an eye on the
temperature/dew point and the mist over the sea.
We were able to do 1 hour 34 minutes airborne time climbing to 3,500 feet to fly
above Swansea, and the Gower Peninsula.
Carmarthen was covered in fog in the next valley, and to the north there was
extensive fog, but Pembrey remained clear.
The next day, Monday, we called the range control as the Danger Area which
covers Pembrey Aerodrome is usually active during weekdays.
The RAF refused us permission to fly as they were going to operate A400M
transport aircraft from the beach.
I had to be back at Popham for an LAA 'Strut' meeting where I was supposed to be
presented with a trophy and a certificate.
It was a difficult drive as Google maps directed me off the M4 via the back
roads allegedly because the motorway was closed, it wasn't!
Later going home the M3 was indeed closed... I had to route through Basingstoke.
As it was, there was no trophy!
Maybe next year when I return?
