Lovely Saturday trip to Bembridge!

[Aussie Andy]

I just wanted to share what a fabulous trip I had yesterday afternoon from Benson down to Bembridge on the IoW... We had a little bit of slightly poor vis. on the way down, but by the time we reached the coast it was just glorious and the Needles and the Island looked as wonderful as ever!

Landed at lovely Bembridge for a quick sarnie for me and my passengers at The Propeller Inn on the airfield (warning: they stop serving at 2:30pm SHARP - we made it with 2 minutes to spare!), then back north in lovely conditions which made even Basingstoke seem to glisten in the sunlight :cool: A few orbits of Oxford's 'dreaming spires' for photos then back in to Benson - perfect!

I hope everyone else managed to make the most of the weekend! Best to all as we head in to the poor weather season...


Andy

p.s. here's a piccy of our steed G-BEFA shining in the Bembridge sun!

http://members.lycos.co.uk/andyhardyuk/G-BEFA.JPG

[Evo]

Sounds like a fun trip - and Bembridge is a great place to go. Nice departure too (as we're posting pics! :) )

http://www.eudoxus.dsl.pipex.com/Bembridge.jpg

(and a credit to Speedbird252 for snapping that one :ok: )

[Dewdrop]

Glad you had a good day, in the NW we had a very stubbon warm front.The weather and vis was awful 8000m at times. Nice pic.

[Aussie Andy]

Great pic Evo! Was that Saturday? Should've arranged to meet..!

Andy

[Evo]

Bit earlier in the year Andy. Still, if you ever fancy a Crab & Lobster lunch... :)

[Aussie Andy]

Good idea... everyone mentions the "Crab & Lobster" but I am yet to venture further than the Propeller which is in walking distance across the other side of the strip! I will have to depart a bit earlier in the day! :p Anway, next visit will have to wait until the new year and the new flying season I think... we can't continue to be this lucky with the weather, surely!?

Andy

[Wycombe]

Andy,

Think we heard you in BEFA talking to Farnborough on your way back. We were in WACM on our way back to Wycombe from a pleasant few hours at Headcorn.

Aside from some slightly dodgy vis into sun between BIG and OCK, it was a lovely day for it.

[Aussie Andy]

G'day Wycombe, so you recognised my dulcet tones. eh! ;) I guess you never know who's on frequency, eh!

You're right about the vis into sun.. but on my way back that wasn't a problem really - just noticed it while orbiting overhead Oxford.

Hoping we get more days like this..!

Andy :cool:

[MR TEDDY]

Sounds like you had great fun on your trip Andy.

I took my first 'real' passenger up -my friend Ellis, who gave me the teddy of CH5 fame- on Saturday 13th for the Wycombe / Silverstone / Bletchley triangle run. (I have already taken my partner Karen on a trip round the Wycombe 35 circuit- but she doesn't really count as she has 15 hours P.U.T and is able to hide her fear very well!)

The vis on the 1st 2 legs was great, but Bletchley to PR was very poor. Thank heavens I've done the run a few times in the past (even though it was only 7 minutes!).

I had close encounters with a flock of birds and a lone bird that looked the size of a pterodactyl at 2,500ft. They had all clearly flunked the Airlaw exam because they were making a bee-line directly for my prop...but some deft manoeuvering on my part saved the day and their feathers!

I was dissapointed to get bumped for the umpteenth time from Brize Radar to London Information for a FIS, however the extended banter to both services made me look quite professional to Ellis (If only he knew!!!).

Lets hope the good weather carries on for a while yet.

Regards,
Mr Teddy

[topunicyclist]

Do you remember what the landing fee is at Bembridge? I've used the NDB quite a few times for my IMC lessons, but not landed there as yet, but am planning to make Bembridge my first landaway flight from Goodwood.

Thanks in advance.

[Speedbird252]

Flew into Bembridge a couple of months back courtesy of Evo (see above photo), landing fee was only £10.

Nice place, and a very nice ham egg and chips at the Crab & Lobster.

Ride home is way too short tho........:(

Speedy :ok:

[Aussie Andy]

topunicyclist - I can confirm it was still £10 last weekend... well worth it!

MR TEDDY - glad you had a good trip to Silverstone etc. do you mean Sat 11th, or last month Sat 13th? Its surprising how often you can encounter birds... I think the ones that fly quite high are Kites (I am no ornithologist though!) and I have copped them as high as 2,500' on a couple of occasions around Aylesbury, and on Saturday afternoon whilst climbing through about 2,000' just south of Benson. I suppose they tend to shy away once the spot an aircraft though? I haven't had to take avoiding action as yet, but keep my eye on them as I chug past!

I was once very surprised by a child's helium ballon which flashed past me at around 2,000' - again voer Aylesbury - which made me consider avoiding action: when I first saw the fast rising silver object reflecting the sunlight I couldn't figure out what it was!

I don't get dissappointed when I don't get LARS anymore... in fact on busry sunny Saturday afternoons I anticipate it, and juist let myself feel happy if I get a service! AND I KEEP A SHARP LOOKOUT! :uhoh:


Andy :-)

[Evo]

Ride home is way too short tho......


Only 'cos I had to give the aeroplane back. Logged 0.4 for that one... :O

[topunicyclist]

£10 sounds alright (33% cheaper than an Inst App at Shoreham - still in terms of giving you a *challenge* for your money the NDB/DME procedure onto 21 is worth every penny!!!)

Aussie Andy - have you flown to Bembridge before? I recall hearing an Antipodean accent on the radio when I paid a visit to Goodwood AFIS several months back and he was to or from Bembridge I seem to recall.

Evo - are you still flying out of Goodwood or elsewhere now? I'm (I hope) nearing completion of the IMC with GFS and edging closer to the magical 150 hrs needed to start the CPL. Did you happen to be at the CAA Safety Eve last week?

[Aussie Andy]

Aussie Andy - have you flown to Bembridge before?Well, according to my logbook (http://members.lycos.co.uk/andyhardyuk/logbook/) I last pas through there with some mates en route from Exeter to Shoreham on 28 SEP, although I was not P1. But I bet I'm not the only person with an Aussie accent flying around Southern England! Sometimes I think there are so many Aussies in London, that maybe its getting empty back home!?

Andy :D

[ToryBoy]

Babe alert!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great link Andy, who's Elizabeth? :E :}























:ouch:

[Aussie Andy]

ToryBoy - careful Tiger! Elizabeth is our secretary... and Paul (the big bloke next to her!) is her boyfriend!!! I am the fat bloke with extra chins sitting in P1 seat :p

Andy

[Fly Stimulator]

So who was the midget who took the photo? ;)

[MR TEDDY]

'do you mean Sat 11th, or last month Sat 13th?'

Apologies for the silly error Andy. I meant Saturday 11th October, which was a super day with hardly a puff of wind. Which is just as well as Sunday -which was my contingency day- was ghastly from a wind point of view.

Regards,
Mr Teddy.


p.s Have just reviewed your flight log....very impressive. Makes my Silverstone triangle trip look like child's play! Still, we've all got to start somewhere haven't we.

[Aussie Andy]

Teddy: Its not so impressive... just reflects the passage of time! My best suggestion is to get a flying buddy, someone at similiar stage to yourself (possibly someone you met at WAC?) and do trips together so that you half the cost, but effectively get twice the experience, and can help each other to split workload as you extend your personal limits ever so carefully together! It also helps to have a mate in the US with his own a/c (!)

Alasdair: I have a small man sitting on the coaming who takes the photos;)

Andy

[MR TEDDY]

Andy, your'e too modest, but I can see how doubling up can help, thanks for the advice.....(still an impressive log all the same).

Mr Teddy.