The Best - and the not so good... ...lessons learnt

[wingcdr]

A fantastic day's flying had been planned.

I was due to take my brother-in-law (BIL) up for the first time I had taken him up - he had been up in a light aircraft previously doing aerobatics, so I knew he would be fine.

He lives a few minutes from Cranfield, so I flew from home base at Southend to Cranfield to collect him. I met him from the tower at Cranfield, had a chat with the friendly staff in flight-planning who had warned of expected thunderstorms later in the day. We discussed the flight and they suggested I pay when I brought BIL back later in the day.

The flights I had planned for the benefit of his twin hobbies of motorsport and photography. We were to fly direct to Silverstone (had previously checked there were not any major events occuring), where we had both been to many events. He got some great photos. Then we headed down to Greenham Common and to Highclere Castle (where Downton Abbey was filmed) - to take photos for my wife and his fiancee, both fans of the series. From there we headed to Goodwood.

For any who have not visited this historic location, I fully recommend. The staff are always very welcoming, friendly and helpful. The restaurant is excellent - fully recommend the ice creams on hot sunny days, such as the day we visited - and the aircraft flying, sitting or just parked up are always interesting.

The flight back was to route via Dunsfold (Top Gear test track), Henley on Thames, Westcott and so back to Cranfield. With the Goodwood team helping, we checked NOTAMs and the METARs/TAFs for the flight back - a few isolated risks of CB. We fuelled up and set off.

On route to Dunsfold, transferring to the excellent Farnborough LARS, the picture changed we were warned of a wall of CB on our route NE of Farnborough. A quick bit of replanning was required and we abandoned the plan for Dunsfold and headed west turning north again past Odiham. More active CBs to our NE pushed us further west. Eventually managing to turn back towards Cranfield over Oxford and Westcott.

Changed channel to Cranfield and continued towards the airfield. With the airfield in sight at 18:01 local, Cranfield ATC informed us that the airfield shut at 18:00 and we could not land. I pleaded the case, explaining the additional routing we were required to take. ATC told us that we could ask for an extension but that "it would cost a lot and might not be granted". Further pleading fell on deaf ears and we were advised Sywell was nearest as it was "only a 10 minute drive away". Fortunately BIL realised this was nearer an hour a way. In the end, we decided to go back to Southend and I would then drive him back to Cranfield.

So we switched back to Farnborough North LARS and received the expected friendly and professional service I have come to expect from the Farnborough lads (and lassies). We helped relay a message to a pilot who was having problems hearing Farnborough, and in return, the Farnborough LARS chap detailed all the reported CB activity between Cranfield and Southend, helping to avoid what I later heard was a major thunderstorm near Stapleford.

And so back to the excellent Southend ATC.

I then set off on a 2+ hour round trip in the car (after 5 hours of flying), because of the unfortunate inflexibility of 1 ATC, set against a sea of excellent service we received from all the other ATSUs.

So what have I learnt?
1. Allow the extra time for lengthy diversions (even if it means not having that ice cream with the chocolate sauce!).
2. Carry plenty of fuel - despite other events, I never had the concern of low fuel.
3. Beware that weather can change quicker than the NOTAMs and METARs can always advise.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

So what have I learnt?
Perhaps something along the lines of:

(1) Check airfield closure times as part of pre-flight planning.

(2) People who get asked to work overtime at zero notice may or may not agree to do so (they might have made other arrangements, they might for example have lives to get on with), and if they do they'll likely want paying.

[MFC_Fly]

Even so, sounds like you had a good day out :ok:

[FlyingStone]

2. Carry plenty of fuel - despite other events, I never had the concern of low fuel.

Old saying comes to mind: the only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire :cool:

[wingcdr]

Check airfield closure times as part of pre-flight planning.

I knew the closure times, I had not factored in a 30 minute diversion... hence my 1st lesson learnt. Allow more time.


People who get asked to work overtime at zero notice may or may not agree to do so

I guess I'm just used to working in a different industry - overtime doesn't really exist, we just do the hours needed. But when the aircraft is in visual range and you know that the aircraft is due back that day, 10 minutes leeway is not unreasonable. And given how good everyone else had been that day, including the other staff at Cranfield, this guy stood out. But hey, maybe he was having a bad day. We all have them......

And MFC_Fly - you are right, it was a fantastic day!! :ok:

[MFC_Fly]

I guess I'm just used to working in a different industry - overtime doesn't really exist, we just do the hours needed. That is because (going by your username) you and I work in a "can do" world and strive to help others when we can.

But when the aircraft is in visual range and you know that the aircraft is due back that day, 10 minutes leeway is not unreasonable.I agree! If you were visual with the field at closing time and I were a controller there, then I would have stayed those extra few minutes to allow you in :ok: That way the airfield would get good publicity, rather than bad :ooh:

MFC

[Gertrude the Wombat]

I agree! If you were visual with the field at closing time and I were a controller there, then I would have stayed those extra few minutes to allow you in
Would you have made that decision on behalf of the fire crew, the security guys and the guy in the office who takes the landing fee without consulting them? Particularly if the call was at one minute past closing time and some of them might already be on their way out of the airfield?

Personally if I'm walking out of work and the client says "can you stay for a while to do x" then the answer is usually yes provided I've got nowhere else to go in a hurry ... so sometimes yes and sometimes no, and I do of course bill for the time worked.

[fernytickles]

Reading this, and the other thread which mentions about an airport closing after a certain time, whats with "closing"? Why can't the airport just revert to being uncontrolled with no fire cover, so becoming "land at your own risk"? Is this a CAA thing?

[TWR]

I agree! If you were visual with the field at closing time and I were a controller there, then I would have stayed those extra few minutes to allow you in

If YOU were a controller you would know that it's not your
decision whether an airport stays open or not. That's the Airport Authority 's
call. And they like to know about your request BEFORE you take off.

[Contacttower]

The whole insistence in the UK of many airfields on 'closing times' and closing the airfield in general is stupid. In the US there is no such concept, people should be allowed to land on any runway at any time provided they accept the risk of doing so without attendance or fire cover and if there's no good reason not to.

[Oldpilot55]

We put up with so much rubbish in the UK. No wonder folk give up flying. I was offered a landing fee tonight by a glider pilot who had run out of height. He was told to get lost.