GVFWE - Important please read

[vintage ATCO]

In view of the rain we have had we are re-assessing the thresholds for the grass runways. We'll put the results here shortly. Please watch this space.

As always, please listen to the ATIS carefully, it will contain the lastest info.

[IO540]

Is this airstrip in the middle of Area 51, or perhaps the GCHQ flying club? Its identity seems to be a closely guarded secret :O

[Mike Cross]

So closely guarded that it's the subject of both an AIC and a NOTAM.
AVW: Q)EGTT/QRTCA/IV/BO/W/000/030/5119N00207W002
FROM 06/05/27 08:00 TO 06/05/29 18:00 J1880/06
D)0800-1800
E)AUS 06-05-0004/1349/DAPLC
KEEVIL RESTRICTION OF FLYING REGULATIONS MADE UNDER ARTICLE 96 OF THE ANO 2005 (MIL ACFT SHOULD COMPLY WITH JSP552 201.135.9). NO ACFT SHALL FLY WI CIRCLE RADIUS 2NM CENTRED AT 511851N 0020637W EXCEPT ACFT FLYING WITH PPR AND CLEARANCE FROM ATC (130.675 MHZ) OR IN SERVICE OF OR WITH PERMISSION OF WILTSHIRE POLICE.
AIC 54/2006 (MAUVE 182) REFERS.
F)SFC G)3000FT AMSL

[vintage ATCO]

The runway 25 grass threshold is now beyond the intersection with the hard 13/31. The cut grass east of this intersection is unsuitable for landing and will be marked with cones.

After landing 25 hard or grass roll to the end of the runway before vacating left, do not turn off either runway early.

Despite the front of the joining instructions giving a 'callsign/reporting number' please use your last two reg letters, colour and type in accordance with the instructions on page 4, and the ATIS.

[IO540]

Yes but Mike almost nobody reads AICs and the notam won't come up unless one's Narrow Route Briefing route intercepts the Q circle. That's why posting the name of the place would have been a good idea, wouldn't you agree?

Of course it's possible that I am the only person here who doesn't go down the local pub with everybody else on here :O This appears unlikely; that level of intimacy is much more the province of the flyer.co.uk forum ;)

[vintage ATCO]

Anyone coming to GVFWE will by now have PPR and a booking reference plus the joining instructions, the closing date was some time ago.

It's at Keevil, by the way. ;)

[Ni Thomas]

it's for old rag & tube types who don't normally venture byond their own back yards in their non-gps equipped, non-squarking magnificent flying machines................
Why not come along (unfortunately only by road)? You'd be most welcome (I think there may be an entrance fee) and possibly even get so smitten that next year you'll arrive in something ... well ... without an IO540!:O

Au contraire mon ami, anything flyable seems to be welcomed, NOT just raggedy old things. :rolleyes:

[Hairyplane]

Au contraire!

The lovely Nicky and I are planning to fly from Old Warden to Barkaby Stockholm for the EAA Fly-in June 3/4, some 800 miles.

Heres our route -

Old Warden EGTH - DVR - Calais LFAC - Ooostende EBOS - Midden Zeeland EHMZ - Hilversum EHHV - Hoogeveen EHHO - JEV - St Michaelisdonn EDXM - Kiel EDHK - KOR - Angelholm ESDB - OF - Eksjo ESMC - OL - Norrkoping-Bravalla ESCK - Stockholm Barkaby ESKB.

Our Miles Falcon G-AEEG is 70 years old this year/ 70 years since it was exported to Sweden as SE-AFN. It served throughout the war as a 'light transport' in the Swedish Air Force.

An important part of Swedens aviation history I felt compelled to make the trip 4 years ago and had such a great time I felt we needed to mark its 70th.

Winner of the 79 Kings Cup (at 139mph - not bad?!) it holds the unique record of the oldest aircraft ever to have won it.

It came back to the UK in 1961 ( changing hands for ten quid!). The logs show plenty of european trips since.

Cruising at a sedate 115mph it will fly for a bladder busting 4 1/2 hrs, transporting us in armchair comfort too.

It wasnt many years ago that Torquil Norman ( please flog me your lovely Dragonfly..) flew his Leapord Moth to Oskosh(?) via the Northern route.

So, I think the 'not venturing far from backyards' comment is an uninformed one, as i'm sure other posters will verify.

Fingers crossed for the weather!:cool:

Hairy

[DubTrub]

Just to continue the thread drift, I concur with Hairyplane...my 65-year old rag & tube steed shall be transporting me +1 to the northern wastes of Norway this year...as it has before to Nordcapp, the Algarve, eastern Europe and all points between in years past.

All at 3 gph.

[vintage ATCO]

Oi, get your own thread!

Today's musical theme:

#Raindrops keep falling on my head ...#



(The above was from AerBabe!)

[QDMQDMQDM]

This is the Sat evening Bristol METAR, displaying that meteorological double whammy of wind and fog:

EGGD 271720Z 27017KT 0100 R27/0225 R09/0175 FG OVC000 12/12 Q1019

How has the turnout been?!

QDM

[QDMQDMQDM]

Yes, the Eggesford Austers were planning to descend en masse, as also the ambulance cub. I'm not sure if the Broussard was planned to go.

They are usually pretty intrepid, but I don't know how they got on. I was due to go and had a number etc, but have ended up out of the country this weekend in warmer climes. No great shame!

QDM

[vintage ATCO]

It cleared up a bit by 1700 (we even saw some blue bits!) and a Pushpak arrived. Drizzle as we packed up but fine now from the pub.

Two arrivals today.

[Aeronut]

Can anyone tell me roughly how many aircraft are present? I am trying to convince Mrs Aeronut that it won't just be a rainy day traipse round a muddy field! :ugh:

edited for spelling.

traipse
traipse
traipse......

[AerBabe]

Of course it won't. It might be a traipse though! :8

The weather forecast is much better for tomorrow. Please do come along! We've had some cards made up especially for the tower - look over for your landing score.

All from the Jersey Air Rally are invited too... PPR essential of course. :ok:

[formationfoto]

Great shame about today. Five hour drive to get there, five hour drive back. Two aircraft attending. Terry and the team do a great job but the weather is always there waiting to through in a curved ball. More than half of Membury mast hidden when I passed it at 7.30 am. The good news is that it is set to improve Sunday. Sadly Chipmunk on annual.

Saw Aerbabe looking efficient.

[SlipSlider]

Aerbabe, approx how much grass is left on 25 with the threshold displaced beyond 31/13? From the JI diagram I estimate about 400m ......
Slip

WR ... see you there on Sunday? And hopefully the Kernow flight .....

[Aeronut]

Sorry I didn't realise 2 arrivals today was the full turnout.


Indeed a great shame, such poor weather.

Well done everyone so far - It can only get better.

[SlipSlider]

Affirm! but not too early .... Sunday operating hours ....
Slip

[vintage ATCO]

FUEL Monday

Due to unprecedented demand today there is unlikely to be any fuel available at Keevil on Monday. Sorry :(

[AerBabe]

Saw Aerbabe looking efficient.

Don't be fooled! I was probably on a coffee run. :}

[Aeronut]

Does the unprecedented fuel demand imply that there is plenty to see at Keevil? How many aircraft made it in today?

[DubTrub]

Loads, I estimate 250.

Including me! I think the 3.0 score was for the one behind me, but I'm not sure!

[SlipSlider]

...it was great day out and good see so many friends

Seconded!

WR: no, headed for home.

Slip

[vintage ATCO]

Loads, I estimate 250.

Including me! I think the 3.0 score was for the one behind me, but I'm not sure!
283 on Sat, 16 today :(

The scoring was a bit of fun, no 'slight' intended! :)

No records were kept. ;)

[vintage ATCO]

I think you meant Sunday. I think only two turned up on Saturday, including a Pushpak (an Indian-built Aeronca Chief).

I did. All day Monday I was thinking it was Sunday! :confused:

[stiknruda]

As the former owner of the nicer of the two on the register, I'd be interested to know which one it was!

[paulc]

G-BXTO was the Pushpak on Sunday

[SlipSlider]

Hi Stik .... as a former Pushpak'er, can you enlighten me as to the purpose of the upswept full length fixed tab on both ailerons? Not present on the Aeronca .....
(off topic, apologies)
Slip

[Amos Keeto]

G-BXTO was the Pushpak on Sunday

Was that the one with each wing attached to a piece of crowd barrier?:uhoh:

[stiknruda]

Slip - I am led to believe that they were added to the Pushpak to degrade the roll rate as a couple of Indian Air Force instructors had been caught rolling them.

A lot bloody braver than me, those guys:ooh:

On rebuild we applied to the PFA to not fit them so G-AVPO does not sport them any more. Yes the roll rate is better but it is hardly cosmic.

I still have them in my hangar if anyone needs them.


Stik

[DubTrub]

To be sure, a couple of crowd barriers would indeed reduce the roll rate :E

[Amos Keeto]

To be sure, a couple of crowd barriers would indeed reduce the roll rate :E

Steady...he might take 'a fence' (sic):p

[SlipSlider]

Stik, thanks! Spent a while thinking about it but couldn't come up with any ideas at all .....
Cheers
Slip

[stiknruda]

Gosh it's been a while, but I do have 200+ hours in the Pushpak and haven't flown one for 3 years, the biggest problem that one encounters whilst side-slipping is running out of aileron authority before rudder. It is also quite easy to port (draw only air) the rear tank if sideslipping to the right whilst drawing fuel from this tank. Conveniently neither of these are mentioned in the handling notes but the latter is obvious once one follows the fuel lines - the spluttering engine does tend to grab one's attention!

Hope that this helps,

Stik

[John Horovitz]

We got in to G-VFWE in Pushpak G-BXTO on Saturday having had a weather diversion to Turweston. After some 3 hours on the ground there we took off bound for Keevil. The weather was, well, challenging for most of the trip but most enjoyable. We landed at Keevil and parked outdside the Met caravan, we were one of two aircraft on the field - the other being a blue and white Cherokee 140. We had forgotten the tie-downs and someone suggested using the fence! We did.
We scrounged a lift from the delectable Sue (thanks, Sue) to East Coker (near Yeovil) and had a wonderful meal in the Helyar Arms.
The Pushpak has a number of points I have never experienced in an aircraft before. It is difficult to take off smoothly for the 'no bounce' undercarriage seems to have a life of its own (I would like to see a video of a take off). The landings, however, are easy. The speed seems to be fairly constant whatever the power setting. The stall comes at around 25 m.p.h. and is really a non event.
On Sunday we left Keevil at around 16.30 having refueled (when presented with the refueling invoice I visibly paled - £5.77 per gallon) and had an uneventful flight home to Norfolk.

[SlipSlider]

John, Pushpaks would be very welcome at the Aeronca fly-in, Tibbenham, on 17 June. At least two Chief owners would like to make comparisons ...
Slip

[stiknruda]

Slip,

Interesting to read John H's post. G-AVPO prior to rebuild stall buffetted at 41mph then departed at 39. Post rebuild it buffetted at 39 and broke at 37 - all figures are mph. Either it was rebuilt lighter or the pitot system was leaking:E :E .

V interesting that G-BXTO stalls so much slower - when G-AVPO was in South Norfolk, just 13 nm from where G-BXTO nowadays lives, G-BXTO lived in Staffordshire. Guess where G-AVPO now lives, it's almost as if these two sister aeroplanes magnetically repel each other!

Mytaxiway is 120yds long and with a thumping northerly I have placed G-AVPO down on that and avoided hitting the house at the end. Something I wouldn't even consider in anything else!

Oh another difference removing the aileron fences caused was an improvement in cruise speed - about 5mph, butthat again could have ben the rebuild and the better fairing finish!

Sweet aeroplane but not as light or as fast as the Chief - however they do have ally main spars. Apparently the Indians could not source 4130 tube so made them out of something far more substantial, rumour has it that the fuselage weldment weighs in excess of 100lbs more than the Chief, hence its lower MAUW. Probably made from water pipe:p

Stik

[John Horovitz]

SlipSlider: Thanks for the invitation, I do not know what I've arranged on 17 June but I'll certainly try to get to Tibenham then - it willl be interesting to compare notes!

SticnRuda: The stall speed of the Pushpak amazes me. On the approach it flies so s l o w l y that it feels as if one is stationary. I can believe that it weighs so much more than the Chief. Pushing it in and out of the hangar is quite an effort whereas pushing a Chief seems so much easier.

I would be most grateful if you could confirm about the take off - the first time I did one (having spent many hours in a Super Cub) the aircraft seemed ready to fly - I eased the wheel back, only to find I was on the verge of a stall! Lubrication of the elevator cables made the take off easier.

John

[AerBabe]

I'm sure the scoring, if done at all, was some bit of fun, but are the scores available?

I wasn't scoring everyone, it was just something to keep me amused during the quiet periods. There wasn't even any method behind it (except that people I recognised got a 3). I think it confused some people though, as a few waved their joining instructions with Kilo number on them at me!

[AerBabe]

283 on Sat, 16 today :(
Not quite correct.
The 283 on SUNDAY included the local flights made by the Dove and Tiger Moth. I estimated closer to 270.
Blydi ATCOs trying to do the assistant's job. :rolleyes:
BTW, thanks Stik - I was the only one in the tower who knew what a Pushpak was. :E

[stiknruda]

JH

I don't recall anything "unusual" about the take off - except that there was a control column instead of a stick!!

On the take off roll, I'd check everything was in the green and once the ASI became alive, I'd gently add forward presure until the tail was about 6-8" off the ground, she'd accelerate to about 40 and I'd ease her off into ground effect with climb out speed of NO less than 50mph - at 45mph she'd be on the back of the drag curve.

Very benign in stall - even Aerbabe and tKf managed it!

Stik