Contacttower
24th Jun 2008, 17:53
It was a lovely, calm evening as I headed out over the Solent, not a cloud about, the air smooth and with the radio silent it felt like I had the sky to myself...
The eastern edge of Southampton looked a little different tonight...although I couldn't work out why. I wondered to myself "I know it's late but it is rather odd that there doesn't appear to be any traffic around at all, not even the odd Jersey coming back from the Channel Islands or wherever. "
I stared at the instrument panel, not really focusing on any particular dial when suddenly my blood ran cold; as I stared at the nav/com stack I realised that the reason the radio was silent was because it wasn't on! It was one of those moments when you don't quite believe your eyes the first time...and continue to stare as you try and make your eyes see what you were expecting to see. Jumbled questions raced through my mind like how could I have got here without talking to Southampton? Was I infringing Southampton's zone? At what point did the radio turn itself off?...I must have used it as I took off from Thruxton...didn't I?
I realised I was infringing...I looked across at the transponder, that was also in the off position. Bizarrely my first reaction was to descend...for some reason believing that if I got below 1500ft I would be OK, which was nonsense of course because I was well within the CTR now which went to the surface. I was now facing west...with the airport (I guessed) in my 12 o'clock, although I couldn't see it. Despite realising this I didn't turn around but continued deeper into the zone. I looked again at the radio and transponder but again the thought to turn them on just didn't register...perhaps I had forgotten how to turn them on?
As I descended I seemed to be flying amongst the TV aerials. Then I realised something else; I'd descended to 150ft rather than 1500ft! By now I was panicking but as I climbed the buildings that had been below me seemed to rise with me and Southampton morphed into Manhattan. I reached 1500ft but the plane wouldn't climb any higher; the buildings, which now looked infinitely high, still surrounded me.
Despite all this the idea to turn around still did not occur to me. I spotted what looked like about 500m of flat roof; perfect I thought...as I descended towards it. I touched down on top of this huge building...stopping metres from the edge. But as I got out there didn't seem to be an obvious way into the building. Again bizarrely someone had left a parachute in the plane. I put it on and jumped off the edge...into the shoppers below.
Hours later, after trying to explain to the inhabitants of the building I landed on why I needed to get onto the roof, I was back with my plane. Minus the parachute I thought it might now fly higher than 1500ft again. I decided to risk a take off attempt from the roof. 500m was a bit tight for a PA28 but the roof seemed to have an HMS Invincible style ski jump at the end.
I remember applying full power...seeing the edge of the roof approach...and then nothing.
I dreamt all that a few nights ago and I'm still wondering: What does it mean?
The eastern edge of Southampton looked a little different tonight...although I couldn't work out why. I wondered to myself "I know it's late but it is rather odd that there doesn't appear to be any traffic around at all, not even the odd Jersey coming back from the Channel Islands or wherever. "
I stared at the instrument panel, not really focusing on any particular dial when suddenly my blood ran cold; as I stared at the nav/com stack I realised that the reason the radio was silent was because it wasn't on! It was one of those moments when you don't quite believe your eyes the first time...and continue to stare as you try and make your eyes see what you were expecting to see. Jumbled questions raced through my mind like how could I have got here without talking to Southampton? Was I infringing Southampton's zone? At what point did the radio turn itself off?...I must have used it as I took off from Thruxton...didn't I?
I realised I was infringing...I looked across at the transponder, that was also in the off position. Bizarrely my first reaction was to descend...for some reason believing that if I got below 1500ft I would be OK, which was nonsense of course because I was well within the CTR now which went to the surface. I was now facing west...with the airport (I guessed) in my 12 o'clock, although I couldn't see it. Despite realising this I didn't turn around but continued deeper into the zone. I looked again at the radio and transponder but again the thought to turn them on just didn't register...perhaps I had forgotten how to turn them on?
As I descended I seemed to be flying amongst the TV aerials. Then I realised something else; I'd descended to 150ft rather than 1500ft! By now I was panicking but as I climbed the buildings that had been below me seemed to rise with me and Southampton morphed into Manhattan. I reached 1500ft but the plane wouldn't climb any higher; the buildings, which now looked infinitely high, still surrounded me.
Despite all this the idea to turn around still did not occur to me. I spotted what looked like about 500m of flat roof; perfect I thought...as I descended towards it. I touched down on top of this huge building...stopping metres from the edge. But as I got out there didn't seem to be an obvious way into the building. Again bizarrely someone had left a parachute in the plane. I put it on and jumped off the edge...into the shoppers below.
Hours later, after trying to explain to the inhabitants of the building I landed on why I needed to get onto the roof, I was back with my plane. Minus the parachute I thought it might now fly higher than 1500ft again. I decided to risk a take off attempt from the roof. 500m was a bit tight for a PA28 but the roof seemed to have an HMS Invincible style ski jump at the end.
I remember applying full power...seeing the edge of the roof approach...and then nothing.
I dreamt all that a few nights ago and I'm still wondering: What does it mean?