Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:58 pm
#1605913
So, all the holes in the cheese lineup. Its a great flying day, the grass apron outside the hangar will support an aeroplane, the destination airfield (Popham) is reporting firm conditions and I'm champing at the bit, I feel the need. Trouble is, it's been 100 days since I last flew and I am very conscious of the caution I should proceed with. Aeroplane has a layer of grime that needs cleaning off. This is a doubly good thing because it allows me the luxury of inspecting every square inch of the wings and fuselage during a wet cloth wipe of all the surfaces. The next, most important thing is the fuel. Co-ops finest has been lingering in my tanks during freezing and humid conditions for more than three months and it takes some twenty samples drained from the gascolator and lowest point before I get clear fuel samples. The samples were cloudy and milky before that.
I had a nest built in my engine compartment by an unknown animal, which I posted earlier, so a particularly careful inspection of the pipes and wires was undertaken to ensure no nibbling went on.
Close attention was paid to the preflight checks including a longer than usual engine run to make sure there would be no surprises on takeoff.
Then the magic moment, throttle to the wall and we are racing towards my raison d'etre.
It feels curiously strange and I can't quite immediately remember where the fuel gauges are and I'm a bit slow getting the flaps up. I take up my heading and I am slightly apprehensive about my call to Solent but it all worked out and I enjoyed a Bakewell tart and a cup of tea at Popham whilst having a bit of aviation related banter to a few good listeners.
And everything is good. When I got back to my home field, I even got my three landings in to make it legal to take my ever increasing list of friends flying. Welcome back sky.
I had a nest built in my engine compartment by an unknown animal, which I posted earlier, so a particularly careful inspection of the pipes and wires was undertaken to ensure no nibbling went on.
Close attention was paid to the preflight checks including a longer than usual engine run to make sure there would be no surprises on takeoff.
Then the magic moment, throttle to the wall and we are racing towards my raison d'etre.
It feels curiously strange and I can't quite immediately remember where the fuel gauges are and I'm a bit slow getting the flaps up. I take up my heading and I am slightly apprehensive about my call to Solent but it all worked out and I enjoyed a Bakewell tart and a cup of tea at Popham whilst having a bit of aviation related banter to a few good listeners.
And everything is good. When I got back to my home field, I even got my three landings in to make it legal to take my ever increasing list of friends flying. Welcome back sky.
Last edited by jamespearce on Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:41 am, edited 1 time in total.