Places to go in a Supercub

[hobbit1983]

I'm doing some crosscountry trips in a Super Cub next year (or at least as long as I can afford to!) and I'm planning where to.

Would appreciate any suggestions to add to my list - criteria is, grass runway, within the South West (starting at Old Sarum), and a worthwhile place to visit.

Have done a search, got the ideas below from it.

Current possibles list so far is - Sandown, Duxford, White Waltham, Lands End, and Panshanger. Possibly Lundy Island if at all possible! Although I'm not entirely sure if this is practical/possible.

Your thoughts & suggestions welcome.

[gaxan]

Henlow. Old Warden. Little Gransden, Fowlmere,....the list goes on!

[Pitts2112]

Hobbit

Great idea! You won't regret it. I flew a SuperCub for a couple of years and loved every minute of it.

You don't mention Popham, presumable since that's so close to OS as to be obvious.

If you fancy dropping into a nice farm strip, Keyston is hard to beat (just south of Alconbury on the other side of the A-14), and if you're going up as far as Duxford, it's not a million miles away.

Enjoy the trip!

Pitts2112

[QDMQDMQDM]

Come to Eggesford -- super place -- and PM me when you're coming. If I'm available we can do some Devon and Somerset strips in your Super Cub and mine. Lundy is very practicable and not one of the trickiest 'strips' round here.

More ideas here, but it doesn't show all the available strips, by any means:

www.devonstrut.co.uk

Best,

David

[hobbit1983]

Thanks for the replies all!

Pitts2112- Popham is a bit close yes, but having driven past it a few times I'm tempted! Loving the Super Cub already – the only downside seems to be getting into it.

Have googled Keyston quickly, but haven’t been able to find much info – do you know if there’s a site? Will certainly check the strip out when I fly to Duxford though.

David QDM - Eggesford sounds good, will PM you when I'm inbound, probably sometime later this year during the good weather months :ok:

Surprised that there are more tricky places than Lundy! Would appreciate any advice on going there, as it's piqued my interest now :cool:

Edit: I notice from the PFA Devon strut websites there are fly-ins to Lundy, the Isles of Scilly & Land's End - are these open to non-PFA members as well? (Quite willing to join the Devon Strut at the low membership price of £15 for 2007. However I'm fairly sure I wouldn't be able to contribute much else beside those fly-ins).

[robin]

Certainly a good idea to join the Devon Strut and, as the airspace there is relatively relaxed, I'd always recommend going south-west........

Oh, and from my experience, the fly-ins are open to all - even non-members - and are fantastic events

[Flyin'Dutch']

Hobbit and Q have a look here for some further inspiration (http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=28426&start=75)

[G-APDK]

I know its not in the South West but the Fly-In at North Weald on 16-17 of June will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Cub, you and all Cub (any derivation) flyers will be more than welcome to join us.

If you are the registered owner you will be getting a personal invite in the near future, if not mail me for further details

G-APDK

[Pitts2112]

Hobbit,

Keyston's pretty well known in the midlands but I'm not sure what information is available. I don't even know if it's in Lockyear's but it'd be worth a look. Here's one of the main reasons for stopping there, though it is a bit pricey:

http://www.diningpubs.co.uk/pub_details.asp?id=23

Here's a Googlemaps shot of the strip and village. Nice strip, downhill slope from north to south. Can't remember how long it is but it's no problem for a PA28 or even a Pitts. An excellent first strip because it's an easy one to cut your teeth on. Just maintain all circuits to the west (avoid overflying the village) and land into wind (slope isn't enough to trade it for wind) and have a great time!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=keyston&sll=53.098145,-2.443696&sspn=6.506659,13.666992&ie=UTF8&z=16&ll=52.367166,-0.477897&spn=0.006459,0.020385&t=k&om=1

Cheers,
Pitts2112

[hobbit1983]

G-APDK - it's Old Sarum Flying Club's aircraft, and I'd bet that someone, if not myself, from the club will be flying it to North Weald. If not, perhaps they should be IMHO!

Pitts2112 – Thanks for the info, that pub looks very nice, even more so as I understand from the Google map, it's a short walk away from the airstrip! I have a couple of friends who fly PA-28s, and I'm sure they'd love to meet up for a meal (as we'd be flying in from different parts of the UK) so we may well pay a visit or two, with the owner's permission & prior contact of course.

Flyin’ Dutch – that weekend looks very good, and I’m just starting to work my way through the thread – unfortunately for me, it clashes with my local village’s real ales/cider festival weekend! Sadly, I’ll have to make a choice between one or the other, as I’m certainly not going flying for at least a day or two after that particular village event. :O

robin – must agree, I appreciate the airspace around the South West having trained at Denham. Will certainly be making the effort to attend at least one fly-in if not more.

WR - Will certainly be taking QDM up on the offer, in fact most probably on the way to Lundy! As long as the flying club's fine with me going (although I shall probably go after I've got a few more hours on the aircraft and a few different airstrips) I hall pay a visit. It looks quite interesting.

Thanks for the replies – if anyone’s got any more suggestions or info it’d be most welcome.

[Martin @ EGLK]

I've also been thinking of doing some bimbling in a Super Cub (done my taildraggers in one last summer - only 4hrs P1 so far).

I'd probably be starting from Headcorn, Kent. Has anyone any suggestions?

I'd need to go somewhere where a kind person is willing and able to swing the prop.

[Flyin'Dutch']

I've also been thinking of doing some bimbling in a Super Cub (done my taildraggers in one last summer - only 4hrs P1 so far).

I'd probably be starting from Headcorn, Kent. Has anyone any suggestions?

I'd need to go somewhere where a kind person is willing and able to swing the prop.

Happy to swing your prop!

[ex jump pilot]

Hand swinging
Whilst not perhaps ideal, I've swung Cub (and Super Cub) props on my own. Must have sizable chocks (with string attached that leads back into cockpit so you can pull them in once on board) and perhaps a restrainer on the throttle (which stops it being opened more than a fast tick-over).
Make sure you follow the starting calls...
Grass strips
Have flown Super Cubs from Headcorn and over much of the SE. Perhaps start with established airfields to get the idea then look for friendly strips or fly-ins?
I think the main thing is to let go of the standard square circuit with use of flaps and change to glide approaches wherever possible. That way you'll come to know side slipping (in some ways though I prefer 40 degrees of flap over a side slip) and judging how to get touch down at a slow speed at the start of the runway.
One thing I did find when 'phoning around strips was that a Cub was considered an OK type (as in "Oh a Cub").

[Lister Noble]

I fly a n L4 Cub with an Armstrong starter.
I'm intrigued as to how you pull the chocks from the cockpit when they are stuck in front of the wheels?
I'm low hours and have been lucky so far that someone has swung for me ,but the normal method on ones own is to tie back the stick,start up on fast tick-over,pull chocks and get back in ASAP after starting.
Is this all wrong?
Lister:)

[QDMQDMQDM]

G-APDK, that weekend in June is when the French Piper Club is coming to Popham for its annual bash. It's in the latest VPAC magazine. Sounds like a clash with your North Weald Cub fly-in....

Lister Noble, you swing from behind and the chocks have a piece of rope attached to them.

hobbit, don't sweat about Lundy. It is not difficult, but if you go out of season you do need to be prepared for sheep on the strip and that, even if they say they will clear them off for you, they often do not. Then you have to buzz them away. Also the windsock probably won't be up, but there is a flag on the church. The Devon Strut fly-in at Lundy is great, with many people staging through Eggesford anyway. Can get up to 70 aircraft in, so it can get a bit hairy keeping track of everyone. Do join the Devon Strut, it's worthwhile.

[hobbit1983]

Well, even I decide a landing isn't viable then it'll still be worth the trip as far as I'm concerned :) Will certainly be joining the strut! :ok: See you at the fly-ins, or around. Will PM if I'm inbound to Eggesford.

[ex jump pilot]

I fly a n L4 Cub with an Armstrong starter.
I'm intrigued as to how you pull the chocks from the cockpit when they are stuck in front of the wheels?

Hmm
Well, without a picture*, I'll see about an explanation. You add another "rope" to the one that links the chocks. About mid way on the rope that is between the chocks, tie another one on. Take it back along the ground under the engine and behind the u/c strut and up onto the handle of the door (you'll need to leave the top door open and tie a loop onto your rope).
Once started and you are back in, throttle back and pull on your new rope. What you'll find is that the pull acts against the force holding the chocks in place. The pull will cause the chocks to move sideways (inwards) and then back to you. Take care the chocks don't hit the fabric on the u/c strut and lift the chocks into the cockpit and place them behind you.
I didn't think this up - our "engineer" did. Works a treat.
Throttle limiter
We have a 6" length of stout piano wire on the lhs in the groove at the bottom of the left hand window. The lh end is anchored and the rh end is bent down for about 1".
To use, the wire is looped over the the throttle (not the knob but the metal to which the knob is attached). The wire is the exact length to allow fast tickover but no more. It's a very handy arrangement as in the mucking about of getting strapped in, putting on headphones etc. either the pilot or the passenger's left hand elbow knocks the throttle open (except now it can't...).
* - might make a video of this for you (but wait for better weather please).
Roger

[Lister Noble]

Thank you Roger for the explanation,it is all clear now.
re throttle restraint,I have seen a Cub started with no one in the seat and throttle too far open,quite a scary moment,and no it wasn't me.
Lister:)

[MikeJ]

Just one suggestion.
A few months ago I put an enquiry on this forum about Bolt Head. Responses enabled me to get good info., much more than Pooley's.
When the weather came right I flew in there, and found it is a very good grass farm strip, and my slippery little thing touches down at 70kts. (no crude jokes please!)
Its better than the grass at Old Sarum when I last went there, and right next to wonderful rugged coastline near Salcombe. I'll be going there again this year.
Bit bleak for civilisation though. If you want that, get a cab into Salcombe.
As said above, details of strips down there are on Devon Strut web site.
MikeJ

[HuskyDog]

You would be best going into Lundy on the Devon Strut organised fly in in the summer. The strip is pretty rough, but fine for a Cub and long enough.