Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By David Wood
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1692984
What a wonderful day for flying. A friend popped into my strip with his J3 Cub and then we both flew in company over to Compton Abbas for their vintage fly-in. The place was teeming with aeroplanes and happy-looking people. Lovely friendly place but the catering was a bit overwhelmed so I changed my lunch plans and went back home for a bite.

Then, on an impulse, since it was such a glorious day, I decided to go for another short flight. I climbed to 8000' over home (that's pretty high for a Moth and quite parky up there) and spent 10 minutes just soaking up the unfathomable glory of flight, whilst marvelling at the incredible view across miles of little white cumulus clouds stretching off into the distance. Amazing. Just amazing.

Then, before hypothermia set in, I came down in a long series of unbroken loops, chandelles and the odd lazy roll to finally glide back to earth and touch down on a warm, freshly-mown strip. What a day.

Anyone else had fun today?
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By Cowshed
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1692999
I too was thinking what a day it is to be alive and flying. I flew into Charlton Park today, which was a bit of a personal challenge as a) I'm relatively low hours, and b) more used to tarmac.
What a spot. Once we shut the engine down there wasn't a sound. Heavenly and I could have spent all day there. Walked to the Horse and Groom pub for lunch, and then flew back to Gloucester before it shut at 3pm.
I think I might have developed the bug for grass airstrips.
Quite a few firsts for me today including a Bristol zone transit (I went the long way round to Charlton Park!) and enjoyed every minute. Looking back at it there were things I could/should have done better.
But what a glorious day.
Also managed to work everything in with the times Gloucester was closing, including taking off at exactly 0930Z.
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By CloudHound
#1693054
Guy's, thanks for sharing. It's why I fly.

Unfortunately, my Brownie Points banks was empty today so I look forward to slipping earth's surly bonds sometime soon.

Damn, just remembered haven't finished the Permit Renewal I started on the 1st Sept last year :roll:
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By Ridders
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693060
We were at Compton and took advantage of a free landing, for once!

Fantastic days flying with wonderful company - several forumites there - some I hadn’t met before. :thumleft:
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By Dave W
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693061
Magneto problem here, so I was doing a Leo dV, walking the Earth with my eyes turned skywards, for there I have been and there I longed to return. ;)

A lovely day, and I was envious of all of you that made use of it - especially the pilots of the beautiful aircraft flying over me heading North from Compton. :D
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By ChampChump
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693065
Seconded to all the above (except Dave W's :( )

Good to find we had more than a tableful of forumites...
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By Miscellaneous
#1693074
David Wood wrote:What a wonderful day for flying.

Indeed it was, even if the flying itself wasn't exactly wonderful. :lol:

David Wood wrote:Anyone else had fun today?

Yes sireee, thanks for asking. :thumright:

As is said; 'a picture is worth a thousand words'.

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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693079
I was also at Compton Abbas and had no problem with the catering. I ordered everyone coffee and tea at the check-in desk, got some bits of paper to take to the cafe and exchanged them straight away, jumping the queue. For food I went to the "quick food" window where there was no queue and got a cheese and chutney baguette.
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By BobD
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693091
Had a great day at the Breighton Fly-In. There were so many aircraft visiting, I found it difficult to park. Some lovely vintage aircraft to see, both on the ground and flying. As a bonus, there was a vintage car meet there also, so a chance to reminisce about some of the cars I have owned over the years.
Going to do it all again today, when I use my LAA landing voucher at Leicester.

Aahhhh..... the advantages of being retired :)
By xlr8tr
#1693147
Glorious day, took my Daughter and my Father for a little round robin

Blackbushe - Turweston

Coffee

Turweston - Duxford

Lunch and a quick wander round

Duxford - Earls Colne (free landing thanks to the FLYER voucher)

Drop daughter back to her mothers

Earls Colne - Blackbushe

Heathrow transit via the Burnham, Ascot corridor - excellent service as usual from Heathrow.
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By Melanie Moxon
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693161
It was a fabulous day for flying on Sunday and I took advantage of it departing Breighton amidst many arrivals and departures (there was a Fly In and aero jumble) I climbed out of the circuit in quite bumpy air and headed for Scarborough, the air remained a touch bumpy and it was rather hazy (the local METARs and TAF reporting fog clearing by 9AM) I was practically stripping the gears in my neck keeping an eye out for gliders (Pocklington is close by), I wasn’t talking to anybody at that point, RAF Linton-on-Ouse is closed on a weekend so there is no LARS service from them, I’d contact Humberside Radar when I turned south. Castle Howard passed to my Port side and I could make out Olivers Mount through the haze, passing Malton the haze suddenly cleared and I was given stunning views over the North York Moors, Fylingdales SSPAR was clearly visible, as was the Humber when looking south over the Yorkshire Dales. Reaching Scarborough I turned south and then contacted Humberside Radar for a basic service. They were their usual helpful selves and I cruised south towards Flamborough head at 3500ft a seabird that had likely taken advantage of the thermal activities passed over the top of me. Over the water (within gliding distance of course) the air was butter smooth.

I kept well away from the Parachute Dropping zone at Bridlington as I turned towards Hornsea Mere, from there I headed back towards Breighton and back into the haze and bumpy air. We don’t have an overhead join at Breighton as the north side of the airfield is used for display flying so I got on frequency as early as I could (there are non-radio aircraft operating quite often and certainly were on Sunday) before joining on the downwind leg of the circuit, there were several aircraft in the pattern and due to departing aircraft I had to perform a go-around (I could possibly have landed but decided not to chance it, I landed on my next one and after parking, shutting down and handing over G-BKTZ to another syndicate member I headed to the clubhouse for something to eat, though as we had a fly in I think I might have been better stopping at Linley Hill on the way back for that food, because as @David Wood found with Compton Abbas the catering at Breighton was a little overstretched due to the volume of visitors (not that I am complaining - lots of visitors is a good thing), which weren’t just aircraft as @BobD mentioned there was a vintage car club there as well.

I stayed on site until early evening watching the departing aircraft, and the odd late visitor as well as the continued flights from based aircraft. All in all a thoroughly pleasant day :)
Last edited by Melanie Moxon on Tue May 14, 2019 8:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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By Ridders
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1693178
PaulSS wrote:It was pretty vile weather here but I managed to struggle through :wink:
So did we :D
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