Great weekend - French style!

[Aerobatic Flyer]

From Monday to Friday, I often think it'd be nicer to move back to England (except at lunchtime, of course! ;) )

At weekends, though, the flying is sometimes such fun that I think I'll be staying here for a bit. This weekend, my local airfield of Villefranche hosted the penultimate Mountain Pilots fly-in of the season, with the "mountain" bit taking place at the Croix Rozier airstrip. These fly-ins take place most weekends from the end of May till the end of September, and are a lot of fun.

Villefranche is in the middle of the Beaujolais region, so lunch was everything that could be wished for. Everyone who'd flown in the morning partook of the local grape juice (2003 looks like being a great vintage, by the way). I abstained as I hadn't flown and La Croix Rozier takes every bit of hand-eye coordination that I have (and then some). It's 250m long, on a 1 in 4 slope with trees all round. In the morning session, there had been up to 8 aircraft in the "circuit" at once. When I went in the afternoon, it was pretty empty.

The sun shone, so here are some pics (lousy quality as they've been shrunk quite a lot).

This one was taken from about 100ft above the top of the strip:


http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME004/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/9hs8_4310188.jpg

Next, final approach. At this point, you're committed to landing. You're also just about to fly into the downdraft... :\


http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME004/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/y99x_4310187.jpg

Here's a friend landing. A bit hard to spot, but I couldn't find a place to stand where I felt safe!


http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME004/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/r973_4310189.jpg

Finally, take off in a Rallye - which is just about the only nosewheel type suitable for this kind of strip:


http://albumphotos2.wanadoo.fr/VOLUME004/979epy/ncbzd91x7bt6yfn/image/nuzp_4310190.jpg

All a lot of fun, once you overcome the fear of the first landing.

Just to make the weekend perfect, I soloed a Cub today for the first time. :D :D

[Aussie Andy]

It's 250m long, on a 1 in 4 slope with trees all roundSounds like quite a challenge! We don't get so much of that sort of thing back here in the UK I suppose. Looking at your amazing pictures I feel fear just thinking about the approach! It would be great to be in an environment where others are also flying it and can advise you through it the first time: how else to push the envelope and learn!?

Thanks for the pics!

Andy

(p.s. by contrast, my hour of local flying in 6~7km haze around Oxfordshire yesterday was not as pretty - hence I will not be posting the pics! ;) )

[Aerobatic Flyer]

I feel fear just thinking about the approach!

Me too! ;) I feel it again when I start flying it for the first time, but after a few "circuits" it starts to be fun.

I don't fly in the mountains enough to be really competent at it, but some of the instructors I've flown with have been amazing.

I remember being taken to this strip once with a 20-25kt tailwind for the landing. We aimed at the beginning of the trees, just above the little road, touched down about a third of the way up the strip and stopped at the top with very gentle braking. It scared me witless first time, but was a great lesson in precise flying. The instructor has landed there most days for the last 10 years or so, and was flying well within his limits.