Christmas Flying

[Monocock]

I recall last Christmas there was an abundance of good flying weather and a shortage of destinations.

Can anyone give me some confirmation of some REAL flying clubs who don't close betwixt Christmas and New Year?

If not am I going to have to organise a fly-in to my gaff just to keep GA alive in the south of England 'cos my guess is we're gonna have a stonking great "high" sitting over us throughout Christmas and the New Year. Last year it all went dead and I 'phoned 13 airfields and the only one who answered was Leicester. I ended up meeting DubTrub that day. Great bloke but can't fly to save his life. He does bomber circuits that would make Geoffrey Wellum apply for annual leave whilst on them...

Any suggestions of who might be worth setting out for between the 26th and the 2nd are welcome.

Sticky, L ?

P.S If I do organise a fly-in it'll be for a/c of 55 years old (or older) and with the important wheel where Cabair don't want it

[cblinton@blueyonder.]

Hey Mono

I fit your criteria (nearly) any chance??:D

[Monocock]

"Nearly" concerns me.

Do you have a "landomatic"?

:*

[cblinton@blueyonder.]

Built 1959 surely thats old enough?

:ok:

Go for it, have a fly in!!

[Monocock]

Built 1959 surely thats old enough?

Surely you could get a lift in a proper vintage?:bored:

[High Wing Drifter]

I have the right kind of lawn strimmer, but despite her previous forbearance, a wife that won't budge :{ Maybe I can escape via the bedroom window.

[DubTrub]

I fit your criteria (nearly) Your Bonanza may be vintage, indeed, but not sure that Monocock wants a hole in the hedge at the end of the runway in question.
Unless you regularly land wheels up?:\

...and Mono 'you know where' will as ever be open. But I've done too many fly-ins here this year.

[ChampChump]

Room for one more? And this year, I won't have to jump ship to fly ....:E

[Whirlygig]

So is a brand new Schweizer helicopter out then?

As an ex-Newburian, I could always gate-crash in me car and that does (sort of) fit your criteria!

Cheers

Whirls

[Irv]

If you allow a couple of days closure for Xmas and Boxing Day. Popham is usually open that week. - I'll ask tomorrow. (We certainly have a New Year's Day Fly-in as is traditional.)

EDIT: Asked 'the management', and Popham is only closed 25th and 26th

[eharding]

White Waltham closed 25th, 26th Dec & 1st Jan - open for
the rest of the time...

[DubTrub]

a couple of days
Irv and eharding An awful lot of places are closed for a lot longer over the break...good to know you are open.
...of course, many airfields are open for arrivals, but a whole lot more are SHUT for departures; no wonder a lot of nice winter skies are unoccupied.

Great pity.

Leicester is open and licenced every day except Christmas day.

[Andy_R]

Shoreham is shut 25th, 26th and 27th :ugh:




Not that I would be allowed to fly in to Mono's at the moment anyway with my landomatic :( :sad:

[cblinton@blueyonder.]

I guess i could ask DubTrub for a lift if I cant get the Bonanza in.

indeed, but not sure that Monocock wants a hole in the hedge at the end of the runway in question.

How long is the runway Monno?:}

[AerBabe]

North Weald - Open throughout the holidays except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

[dublinpilot]

Aerbabe,

You mean open through out the holidays, except on the holidays!? :}

[AerBabe]

That's it. :ok:

[Squadgy]

Barton - open and licenced, fuel available, every day except Christmas Day :ok:

[Monocock]

Squadgy -

I've only been to Barton once and that was as P2 in an Arrow.

I really want to fly in myself and aim to do so with some good weather this Chrimbo. My only worry is that silly corridor thingy. Is it more simple than it looks at first glance?

Don't forget, I'm a simple straw-chewing agrarian so don't credit me with too much intelligence outside of a 100 mile radius from home...:uhoh:

[Squadgy]

Monocock - The Low Level Route really is simple. The easiest way to go about things is to fly to Ashcroft Farm airfield's overhead and then fly a track of 360 not above 1250ft on the Manchester QNH. Once you reach the Thelwall Viaduct VRP take up a track of roughly 060 which will lead you to Barton. No need for any clearances to enter the corridor, although Manchester Appr on 119.525 will provide a FIS if you want.

Manchester ATC have produced a really useful guide to the route which is available for download off the Barton Aerodrome website (http://www.bartonaerodrome.co.uk), direct link here (http://www.bartonaerodrome.co.uk/downloads/llr.doc)

Look forward to seeing you over Christmas:ok:

[Andy_R]

Mono will happily join you on that trip if you go on the 28th, 29th or 30th, passenger or wingman :ok:

[DubTrub]

Might be tempted to join the formation...
Mono and Cloud69 I would suggest going the LLR one way and over the moors the other (for a change of scenery).

Squadgy How much notice would be required for some teacakes on arrival?:D

[Monocock]

Sounds like a plan is forming then!!

Will discuss later but those were the dates I was considering....:ok:

Wouldn't it be a shame if we accidentally drank a couple of Stellas and had to stay over for a night in Manchester....

[Squadgy]

Squadgy How much notice would be required for some teacakes on arrival?

I'm FISOing on 31Dec and 1st Jan, so I'm sure I could rustle up a teacake on those days, or be around on other days subject to family commitments ;). The opening dates I mentioned are for the airfield - LAC, who run the clubhouse may have different opening arrangements - probably worthwhile checking if you're after anything more substantial to eat ! :)

If anyone is seriously considering staying over then there are plenty of hotels about 5mins away in the Trafford Centre complex,(you could even bring wives/ girlfriends/ whoever etc for a spot of shopping around the sales :ok: )

[Monocock]

Excellent.

When my wife gets in from work i'll ask her if she minds if I take my girlfriend!:E

[DubTrub]

Squadgy How come you got that shift?
LAC, who run the clubhouse Is this related to catering arrangements for visiting pilots? I would hate to arrive and not get some scram.

When routeing to Barton from the south, I usually go over the moors, if only for the dramatic moors scenery (especially in the winter). The "Dambusters" trip over the Howden etc reservoirs is priceless.

This sounds like a potential Fly-Out / Fly-In....I'm open to staying over and having a small sherry to celebrate, but not on the 31st, I'm afraid.

[stue]

Evenin' all,

Im kinda new to all this, but i dont live to far away from barton.
Ill have a drive down if your all going in there, and have a look at some real vintage gals. I dont fly anything that old :{ but i will come done and have a teacake!:p (and ill bring som of my mums christmas cake! the best around!:D )

[Squadgy]

Ok - here's a deal for those of you planning on flying up to Barton, as published this morning on the Barton website (http://www.bartonaerodrome.co.uk)

SPECIAL OFFER

26th, 27th December 2005 & 1st, 2nd January 2006

Uplift 15 or more litres of Avgas or 50 litres of JetA1 and get a 50% reduction in Landing Fee and overnight parking

Please note PPR is essential for visiting aircraft to check surface conditions.

(Offer Valid on the above dates for Private, visiting(non-based) aircraft/helicopters only)

[Deadside]

Thats what i have been trying to post all morning, seems i am having problems with pprune :( oh well back to work i go lol

[Squadgy]

Thats what i have been trying to post all morning, seems i am having problems with pprune oh well back to work i go lol

You've just not got the touch anymore ;)

[got caught]

You'll recieve a friendly northern welcome at Barton. May I recommend a F.E.B (Full English Breakfast), from the clubhouse, with a couple of extra spoons of grease! Bloomin marvelous.

Avoid the Trafford Centre like the plague.

[DubTrub]

Squadgy
Mono and I were today discussing this trip: as far as we are concerned, it's still on; Wx, in-laws and hangovers permitting.

We are planning a route from the south, to take us over the Dams on the way up...any suvverners in 90 mph vintage taildraggers care to join us en route? (Previous formation experience preferred).

[stiknruda]

Mono - good to m, m, mm, meet you!

Sorry old bean, I really wasn't at my most brightest today (hence arriving in the 4wd!)

I'm engaged over the festive season but let's try to get together in January - a non-drinking month!!

Stik

[Whirlybird]

So what's the date for this fly-in then? I might nip up the corridor from Sleap in the trusty old C150....sorry she's not a vintage taildragger.

[Deadside]

If you do the 26th then ill do my best to look after you.. ill be working that day, just please remember to PPR so we can give you the latest info.

If we dont see you have a veyr Merry Christmas :)

[Pitts2112]

Mono,

Would love to have joined you and Dub for any such fly-in, even if I had to do it at half throttle and twice as many fuel stops. I do fancy doing the Dam Busters route and a small but select group are talking about doing the real route in Germany next year. I like the idea of doing it in reverse - coming in at river height, pulling into the vertical to climb the face of the dam, half roll on the upline, pull to the horizontal over the top, half roll to upright, repeat as necessary. I've proposed it to the rest of the group. I think they said they'll get back to me. :p

Seriously, the flour bombing comp at Dub's home field is always a hoot. The safest place to be on the entire airfield is the target as it's the only thing that survives the day not covered in flour! :)

Can't actually join you this year, though, as I'm going back to the land of supersize burgers and cheap tools for the hols. Got a niece and nephew who need spoiling, you know.

Good seeing you and Dub yesterday. Sorry I didn't get a chance to chat longer but was on a bit of a mission. Fantastic flying day, though, eh? Got back in 25 fewer mins than it took to get there! How'd you do with the tailwind?

Next time you plan on coming in to Popham, drop me a line and I'll try to meet you there.

Pitts2112

[Andy_R]

Whirlybird the 29th and the 30th I believe.

[stue]

Deadside,

You? working? thats a 1st!! and over christmas too! im amazed!!:p

If you are, i may pop down on boxing day, (its a good way too get rid of the inlaws!:} ) And then ill pop back later and see the oldies! (aircraft, that is, obviously:p )

[bramble001]

Eggesford will be open between Xmas and New Year - all welcome.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Cumbernauld will be open from the 28th to Lunchtime on the 31st. Then closed until the 4th January.

[Monocock]

Is Popham open this week?

[Whirlybird]

So, did anyone else get airborne?

The two of us who fly G-ATKF (our ancient C150) wanted a last flight of 2005 on 31st Dec. The TAFs looked pretty good, so we just decided we'd go somewhere fairly close to Sleap for lunch - nothing too taxing.

Not so easy, we found out. Barton didn't seem a good idea after all the rain we've had. Wolverhampton - now with only a £10 landing fee and pleading with GA to come back and forgive them for their delusions of grandeur - well, the cafe was closed. Tatenhill had a burst pipe, and wasn't sure if the cafe could cope or not. Welshpool is just too close. Hawarden has no food at the best of times. But Shobdon was open all day (despite the fact the NOTAMs said they closed at 3pm) and the cafe was open. Great!

So we set off, with more cloud than forecast, and a few hills in between us and Shobdon, but no real worries. Untill we got south of Shrewsbury, and the cloudbase was getting lower, and the hills higher.:eek: OK, we thought -we'll follow the road and railway line through the valley. By this point we were down to 1300 feet, with cloud just above, and a narrowish way through the hills. Then, almost immediately, we realised the potential trap - flying south, strong westerly wind over hills, narrow valley....equals downdrafts and no place to go!:eek:

Right then, on to plan B. Turn east, and fly around the next set of hills to a wider valley which leads to Shobdon. I told Paul to turn on to a heading of 120, roughly follow the hills, and I'd sort out the details. But then we thought...do we really, really, want to do this? The weather was already worse than forecast. It could be a predicted shower, but it could be a forecast front coming in earlier. Or the met man could be plain wrong! And we had to get home later, flying close to hills by any route, with few hours of daylight, and bad weather coming in at some point. And for what? A £100 bacon butty on New Year's Eve.

So we both agreed that it was time for a diversion. We'd go to Wolverhampton, cafe open or not, since we were pretty close. I told London Info what we were doing - we'd decided to talk to them as soon as the weather got iffy, though normally we wouldn't bother on such a short flight. Lovely man! He offered to phone Shobdon for us and tell them what we were doing, and gave us the frequency for Wolverhampton without even being asked. (Actually, I think he wanted something to do!)

Now, where exactly were we, after sorting out all that? Ah, there was a town, and a lake. Fly to it, I said; we've got to identify it; we could be anywhere by now. I had my GPS in my pocket for just such situations, but we navigate the old way if we can; we're funny like that. :) So we got there, and saw the lake to the south of it, so it had to be Bridgnorth. But how had we got there so fast? Ah, it's obvious really; we'd turned from south to basically east, and the strong crosswind had become a stonking tailwind. Need to remember these things, even when you're doing six other things at once! So we called Wolverhampton and asked for a weather diversion, and they said no problem at all....and about five tailwind-blown minutes later we were on the ground.

Don't ever, EVER say nasty things about Wolverhampton again! The lovely man in the tower refused a landing fee, saying it was a weather diversion. Well, it was, but we could just as easily have gone back to Sleap, and we wouldn't even have asked to land for free. The cafe was indeed closed, and the coffee machine didn't work, but the nice people in the flying school made coffee for us and let us sit in there. (I think they wanted something to do too, actually).

So we warmed up, and looked at the rain starting, and decided to get back to Sleap sooner rather than later. I flew us back, and wondered whether to do a few circuits. But the sun came out, and realising it would very soon be straight down the only runway usable in the ever-increasing wind, I decided to stay on the ground once I got there.

And, what do you know - we were back at the one airfield with an all-day-open cafe. The airfield had officially closed at midday, but the cafe hadn't. Sleap has a new person running it, and if there might be people around, she stays open. So we had a late lunch after all - and homemade cakes too. I thoroughly recommend Sleap for your next lunch stop (and no, she isn't paying me commission).

We learned a lot from that flight about decision-making - all basic stuff I know, but easy to get it wrong. We also had a really, really nice day, since the few snags weren't enough to be really stressful, just to keep us on our toes. I suppose that's because we made the right decisions in good time.

So all in all, it was a great ending to a good flying year.

OK now, what did the rest of you do?

[EastMids]

Faced with limited choices (Sleap, which we like because of the cafe) closed from lunchtime - supposedly, Wellesbourne ditto, Turweston supposedly closed all day, etc, etc, we came down to chosing between Wolverhampton, Conington or Wycombe Air Park. We did Conington last year between Christmas and New Year, we didn't realise Wolverhampton had reduced their charges (and wouldn't have gone anyway once we'd found out that the cafe was closed - "Is the cafe open?" was on our list of PPR questions!), so Booker it was.

The aeroplane flew as if it was on rails - trim and then it would pretty much amble along hands off with no deviations in direction or altitude, no bumps - it seemed to be one of those super smooth winter days. Vis was a little limited southbound due to the sun (yes, it was sunny all the way), but EGNX-EGTB is easy as its just EGNX-DTY-WCO and then visual Princess Risborough-GoldenBall-EGTB. And whilst early listening to Wycombe tower suggested the wind had increased since we phoned and was gusting to 25kts, it was absolutely straight down 24 and in the event just caused a few minor lumps on short final over the M40. The guy in the office said "Do you need to pay a landing fee?" to which we replied "Well we don't NEED to, but if you want to collect one we are prepared to pay", a nice lunch followed, and then we had an equally uneventful, smooth and predominantly sun-lit trip back to EMA.

One odd thing though. We must have become visual with and passed more aeroplanes than I have ever experienced in a one hour flight in the past ten years. If most GA airfields were closed, where did all the other aeroplanes come from, and indeed where were they going?

Anyways, a nice way to finish 2005 with one last hour logged each way on the last day of the year.

A

[stue]

Whirly, EastMids,

Nice reading your stories! I didnt manage to get up flying. A slight problem with lack of cash after christmas :{ and my sister was getting married on new years eve so life in the stue household was abit hectik!

Nice to hear a few people got up though!

Happy flying in 2006!

[S-Works]

managed quite a few flights, Christmas Day, Boxing day, New Years Eve and New Years day. The weather in the midlands was very kind to us. The Leicester Aero Club Flour bombing was a laugh as ever with more than a few disqualifications! My "spot" landing either side of the line left a lot to be desired.... :uhoh:

Now I need to find a buddy who is mad enough for a south of france trip in the next month in my 152 for a new year challenge!