What a lovely day for flying!

[Speedbird252]

So all, did ya get out and dust of those cobwebs today or what? Absolutely cracking day down south, a bit hazy but just the biz.

Hammered the circuit for an hour and a half, parked up and had a cool beer with Evo.

Add a roast dinner and hey presto, a perfect Sunday.....!


Happy Speedy

:) :cool: :)

[FWA NATCA]

Yep, a lot of rusty pilots have dusted off their airplanes and flew this weekend, over 450 operations yesterday and today.

Mike

[Dewdrop]

Great day, but we had awful vis at around 1000ft and lost the airfield while in the circuit.

[vancouv]

Yes, great day, went to L2K as did every man and his dog (literally in one case!).

Boy was it busy, ended up holding over Boulogne while trying to get my call in to L2K tower - it was a nightmare. The controller was getting a bit frazzled, and by the time we were on short final he was almost saying 'whoever that is on final you are cleared to land'. Fun being marshalled by a guy on a bike though.

Some Brits seemed to be much more adept at getting their calls in, but personally I find it very difficult when people are speaking French as I can't tell when their message has ended.

Viz wasn't brilliant though, coming back to KA into the sun was not ideal, although not as bad as a couple of weeks ago.

[big.al]

Aaaargh! Now you're really making me jealous. Was supposed to have a couple of hours from 11am yesterday, but no flying due to poor visibility. One of the instructors had been up and said it was like being inside a goldfish bowl, and came straight back down. Later in the day there were loads of people flying circuits but I think x-country was still not being permitted. And I had a great route planned out, taking in the Humber Estuary.

Oh well - glad to hear that some had a good day!

[Hersham Boy]

Quick jolly to IOW and back from Redhill. Haze made it a bit murky when heading into sun but the best Wx I've seen for a while.

Managed to get back to base 5 mins after closing - oops. Thank you kindly ATCOs :D

Hersh

[FlyingForFun]

It was a beautiful day south of Luton! Further north, it did start to lift slowly, but it was still a little tricky. But that didn't stop a few of us having a great day out at the Turweston tail-dragger fly-in (http://www.pprune.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84603)!

FFF
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[Circuit Basher]

Managed to fly Perth-Kirknewton, did a couple of 'jollies' for passengers and then return to Perth.

There was a dreadful har (sp??) over the Forth and I was a bit surprised to get cleared through Edinburgh zone, but we made it anyway!

Going back to Perth, I was cleared to S of EDI runway 06 not above 2000' and the tower then cleared me to cross at the 24 end. At the same time, they suspended the landing clearance for an incoming commercial flight on 06 (I believe it was a B737) whilst I transitted the overhead. Cue one very unimpressed captain who started a bit of a barney on the radio, saying how unimpressed he was at the risk of having possibly been made to made to go around for a GA aircraft transitting the overhead. As it was, I expedited the transit and cleared to the north before he was at DH and the clearance was re-instated. As I switched over to Approach freq, the captain was still making an issue of it and I heard the Tower controller suggesting he make contact by phone and was giving him the phone number to call! I felt a bit guilty and indicated my appreciation to the Tower, but was only following my clearances.

Thumbs up to the EDI controllers for yesterday - they were very busy with commercials and still gave the GA guys good service.

[ChiSau]

Had first flight with the girlfriend all planned out - down to Bembridge for lunch, the aeroplane booked out with plenty of time to spare....and not allowed up as the viz was so poor......ahhhhhhhhhhhh:* :* :* :*

[Kolibear]

I took a friend up and we went round the Stansted zone. The top of the inversion was about 3000'. The viz was just over 5 kms when we left at 11:00, but had improved dramatically by the time we got back an hour later. Flying the southerly leg was interesting though, the GPS was on overtime.

I doubt it will get much better through the rest of the week though - high pressure is dominating.

It never fails to amuse me when my non-aviation colleagues say to me 'Lovely weather for flying' and are bit surprised when I tell them it's actually very poor conditions, because of the haze.

[Holloway]

I did route 2 at manston, it was amazin but a bit hazy :)

[SteveQB]

One of the advantages of being between jobs is that I can fly during the week. Having had over 50% of lessons cancelled over the winter what a result when I finally get to solo standard. I really couldn't have asked for a nicer day, low wind, virtually down the runway- and to think I wanted to give up last week because I was having trouble landing. Handy that being a weekday there were hardly any other a/c in the circuit.

I won't go on about the feeling of going solo, you've nearly all done it, and now I know what you are talking about in the solo thread! (must go and fill in the poll)

Cheers

Steve

[FlyingForFun]

It never fails to amuse me when my non-aviation colleagues say to me 'Lovely weather for flying' and are bit surprised when I tell them it's actually very poor conditions, because of the hazeVery true, Kolibear.

Works the other way around too - overcast cumulous at 3000', maybe the odd scattered shower or two to clear the air. Our ground-bound friends are complaining that the weather is crap, while we're enjoying 50 miles of viz under the clouds!

FFF
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[Bottle Fatigue]

Kolibear,FFF,

That's so true, I think I've got my mates trained to look along and not up. Went up on Saturday with my brother's GF, I think she was a bit disappointed with the lack of a nice view.
Wouldn't let me do any aeros above the inversion either :(

[Monocock]

Why is Le Touquet so popular?

I know it's a pretty place and the water crossing from places like Seafod is not too far but why does everyone flock there on a nice day and not one of the other 20 or so excellent airfields in the North of France?

I personally can't help feeling each time I arrive at Le Touquet that I have arrived at another UK destination with the hoards of G reg's on the apron. It's not even as if people are stopping off to clear customs cos the a/c don't move all day and then theres a mad rush at 1500 hrs as everyone tries to get home.

If a Frenchman only ever went to Shoreham and had lunch in Brighton imagine what little he would have seen of our country. If he kept going there every time the weather was nice wouldn't he be missing out on places like Compton Abbas, Old Sarum, Goodwood etc. ??

[FlyingForFun]

Monocock,

Could it be because it's one of the few (if not the only - I'm not sure) foreign airfields which is shown on the UK charts, and has an entry in Pooleys?

FFF
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[Aussie Andy]

I think its precisely because of the town... if you are taking family/friends, then you often want more than just a pretty airfield (as non-pilots aren't impressed with just the airfield!), and L2K is a pretty town as you say.

Andy