Where have you been? What have you seen?
#1543423
First flight/trip to Alderney via Brimpton which was necessary since it's one that has a Cert of Agreement to fly to, and return from, the Channel Islands.
Filed flight plans and GAR forms for out and back via SD. I printed off 2 copies of the Alderney GENDEC from the link that was sent me.
No passports required but photo ID and a GENDEC copy needed to get back onto the apron later. All wearing HiVis. Landing fee 12.75 GBP (Europa) (AVGas only 1.16 although I needed none).
20min flight to Brimpton from base to meet the requirement and don life jackets then 1hr to Alderney. Activated the flight plan with london info. Then to Solent while routing west of their zone, back to london after coasting out who required an estimate for FIR (glad I'd added a waypoint for it and it was a named point), then to Gurnesey to enter their class D for special VFR to Alderney.
Long crossings are appreciated by my wide who likes the still air. and lack of turbulance. The fact that the Europa Mono has classic foam wings and has been proven to float well is comforting.
Vis poor near IOW /Needles but improved rapidly. Fair amount of shipping to land ahead of.
Gurnesey passed me to Alderney who advised 08, I asked for 13 grass which was granted but there was little wind in anycase.
All helpful in the office. A map/guide was available and having unpacked the bikes, trundled off to circumnavigate the island and explore in clockwise fashion, Gannets rock being the first port of call. Followed the road round to all the beaches in turn and explored. Little traffic, reasonably mild hills (one long). Had lunch on a terrace at Braye overlooking the beach. Corblets beach seemed the prettiest, we should have stopped longer and swam. Perfect sand and all the beaches deserted. No sign of the train. Endless forts. Little traffic. Everywhere beautiful. Lastly the cobbled St Annes (not so good for small wheeled bikes). Looked over the coast from the green at Butes Lane and then trundled back. Why hadn't we been before? Next time we will take binoculars, swim and laze on a beach a bit.
Office changed my flight plan depart time for me, and gave me a squark, level and direction to depart. Back at Brimpton (landing £7.50) was met by a kindly crowd and a free cup of tea while we waited to see if Special Branch would come and check us over. They didn't, so homeward.

ImageAlderney route by Graeme Bird, on Flickr

ImageDSC09795 (1) by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Murky at IOW coasting out; should we proceed? Auto Pilot seemed unphased.


ImageDSC09800 (1) by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Alderney with Gannet colony to the RHS, impressive boiling water all around.

ImageDSC09804 (1) by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Is that the airfield?

ImageDSC09810 (1) by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Gannet Rock

ImageDSC09815 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr

ImageDSC09825 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Yep, that rock again

ImageDSC09861 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Crabby (not the wife)

ImageDSC09840 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Fort Clonque from Fort Tourgis

ImageDSC09867 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr

ImageDSC09875 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Fine sandwiches at the 'First and Last' Braye

ImageDSC09888 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
The Odeon, not sure what was showing, probably been used in a few films mind.

ImageDSC09880 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Corblets beach - best for a swim in my view

ImageDSC09893 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Fog horns (or venturi tubes)

ImageDSC09902 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
The Capital - St Annes, complete with offices of local paper!

ImageDSC09904 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr

ImageDSC09908 by Graeme Bird, on Flickr
Departing
Last edited by Birdyboy1 on Wed Jun 28, 2017 8:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TheLodger, Rob L liked this
#1543433
Great pics of a great place :D

<pedant> the beach marked crabby was actually platte saline and your sandwiches looked to be on the terrace at the Braye beach hotel or its Divers bar, the first and last is across the street and doesn't do lunch </pedant> :D

You are right about Corblets but there's a hidden gem called Saye back towards Braye. It's a bit gentler for swimming if the surfs up at Corblets.

Hopefully I shall be there on Monday :thumleft:
#1543616
I dont think Brompton have been beaten on lowest weight and most compact size (due to patent) and for all kinds of uses these characteristics have been important for me; to carry on trains, luggage racks, put in suit cases, lift up lots of stairs at the underground, put under a desk, put in the boot of an MX5, two in the car boot and strap to the back of a motor cycle as well as a couple in a Europa. They hold their value very well. We just used them to tour seven Euro cities on a road trip this year and found several Bromptons around and Brompton shops. We treat them badly but they havent let us down. We take the saddle stems out for putting in the plane and tie the stack together (handlebar to wheel to cross bar). The three gear basic model is fine at 11.5kg.
#1545953
Iceman wrote:Lunch at the Braye Beach, always rather civilised on the balcony there.

Iceman 8)



I liked it better when it was the seedy old Sea View and the Allens ran the Divers, but time moves on :-)
Iceman liked this