I want to fly in Devon

[Dave Gittins]

Am going to have a week in Salcombe 22th - 29th Aug and would like to hire a plane to have a aerial troll round the area. Salcombe, Dartmouth, Torbay and so on - Plymouth is presumeably nearest. Some nice weekday afternoon Monday - Thursday (25th - 28th).

Who will hire me a Pa-28 or C-172 for an hour locally ??? Normally fly PA-28's out of Fairoaks.

Dave

[Daifly]

Plymouth's a great place for a trawl around. The flying school (Plymouth School of Flying www.eghd.com) is centrally located along the coast, so you'll be able to see all of Berry Head and Exeter in one direction and as far down as Looe etc in the other - all in (just a bit over) an hour.

Prices are cheaper than you'll used to at EGTF (woohoo!) and the natives are friendlier. Their CFI, Paul, or Steve Esslinger are nice people to have along for the ride with you too. Steve used to fly King Airs out of Blackbushe so you can discuss the merits of the Railway Departure from Fairoaks...!

Tell 'em I sent you and you'll get absolutely no discount whatsoever!

[FlyingForFun]

Presumably they would need you to do a check-flight with an instructor first, though? I assume you've already budgeted for that, Dave?

Sounds like fun though - only been flying there a couple of times, but it's a nice area!

FFF
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[Dave Gittins]

Thanks for the info chaps .... FFF, I sure expect to have a check flight .... If it was my aeroplane I wouldn't let somebody out without one and actually Daifly, it isn't cheaper than at EGTF. Our Cherokee and Warrior are £94.00. :ok:

It's worth it though to put in an hour in a different patch of sky to normal. I've seen some aerial photos of Salcombe (this Saturday's Telegraph Travel section) and it look's lovely - If I wasn't already going there it would have gone straight on my wish list.

I've found the Plymouth web site and will call them later.

Ah the "railway departure" - left turn at 500, straight over the BAT tower, not above 1300 until south of the Railway, climb after towards Guildford and watch for the ILS traffic for Farnborough in the overhead.

All we need now is the weather !!!!!!! :cool:

[Dave Gittins]

Further to Last Post ..... have spoken to P S of F and booked a Warrior for a check ride followed by a spot of solo hire, for Wed afternoon 27 Aug.

Just hope it stays nice. :ok: :cool:

[QDMQDMQDM]

See if they'll let you take it into Bolt Head, 1nm South West of Salcombe. Nice hotel there for lunch apparently. Strip recently lengthened to 600m:

http://www.devonstrut.co.uk/bolthead%20runway.htm

Haven't been in yet myself, but planning it in the next couple of weeks.

David

[Dave Gittins]

Good idea, certainly looks interesting, but perhaps this time I'll just survey it from the overhead. Hiring aeroplanes in 2 hour chunks always discriminates against such things. There are constant "interesting discussions" in our club between folk who want to go "touring" vs. those who want to consider the interests of the 70 flying members and only 2 aeroplanes with everybody wanting them on a Sunday afternoon when the sun shines.

Need to get a share sometime so I can do longer trips and stay away for lunch (or a couple of nights) when I want to.

I can always walk to the hotel for lunch (and probably will) as I'm in Salcombe anyway.

Dave

[QDMQDMQDM]

Yep, I gave up flying the first time partly because of the limitations on hiring club aircraft. The most limiting thing I found was feeling pressured to fly because I had hired it. Now, if I turn up at the airfield and the weather is sort of OK and everybody else is flying but I don't want to, I simply don't fly -- easy as that. Or if I just don't feel like it, same thing. If, however, you've booked a 2-hour slot in a club aircraft on a busy Saturday afternoon, it's a different kettle of fish -- you don't want to jib out too often for fear of getting a bad name.

The best thing about owning your own is having the time to scratch yourself and do what you like when you like. Expensive privilege, though!

David

[BlueRobin]

PLYMOUTH? Wash your mough out. As I'm half-Torquay, that's tattamount to heresey :)

I'd try a nab a session or two with Rufus Heald at Exeter and then go off somewhere.

[Daifly]

£94? Wow, cheaper and cheaper! I fly from Farnborough these days on something even cheaper, but with better availability!

G-BRSJ is a nice ship (if that's what you've booked) - have whiled away a few hours in that one, including the D-Day celebrations over Plymouth Sound - I still have the pictures of the QE2 on the wall! Definately go and have a look at Burgh Island - where Agatha Christie wrote Ten Little :mad:'s, that's good from the air.

Rufus still flies from Plymouth, or at least did the last time I was down there, but only on the FI courses - bloody hell, you'd learn loads from him - including how to p*ss Exeter Radar off by taking up the wingtip hold above the radar head - ah, haven't propped up a bar so well since!

Late August in Devon - you should be OK for the weather!

Say hello to them all from me - Dave "Tidy" should do it (with Paul and Steve anyway!)

[Dave Gittins]

Tis indeed G-BRSJ what I've booked and one Eric Edwards is to be reviewing my abilities before entrusting it to my care.

What's at Farnborough that's more available and cheaper ????

All weekend I've been gnashing my teeth at the lack of aeroplanes as they have both been booked up for full days "touring" and absolutely correctly I'll feel obliged to use the booking a week on Sunday (17th & first available Sunday slot when I tried to book for LAST weekend).

a) because I've got it and if I don't use it I'll be losing currency rapidly and will be feeling guilty that maybe somebody else could have made use of it and it doesn't do the club any good to leave an aeroplane on the ground. ...NOT NOT NOT however to the extent of flying beyond my personal limitations

b) coz I really, really really, want to fly and if the weather is flyable (but not if it isn't) I shall at the very least do a circuit or 3 even if it isn't suitable to go further than Guildford.

Looks like my wish list needs extending from "get a share so you can fly further and more regularly" to "have a few beers and yarns with Rufus".

Fingers crossed for the weather to be like the weekend's and today's.

DGG

I'll pass on "tidy"s wishes when I get there.

[turnoffthepapis]

Had Eric for duel cross qualifier last week. Nice people, really hope you get the same weather i had on the solo!!:ok:

[Dave Gittins]

Got an Email from Eric last night spelling out what I need to show him as a solo check. A departure, up to the "upper air" steep turns, couple of stalls, a PFL and flapless and glide approaches.

Am quite looking forward to it, as I haven't had to demonstrate so much since my skills test 18 months ago. I am certainly keen to have somebody cast an eye over my aviating and make sure I am as safe and skilled as I hope I am, or whether I need to brush up a few things (which is more probably the case).

Am conscious that this is almost like the "hour with an instructor" that I'll have to do in 6 months anyway.

I intend to get as much out of it as I can and having read another thread on here reckon that should start by having him join me for the walk round.

DGG

[FlyingForFun]

Dave - you don't need to do that "hour with an instructor" in 6 months, you can do it now! In fact, it can be any time in the last 12 months of the renewal period. So why not make sure your checkout lasts an hour, and use that flight as your "hour with an instructor"? :)

FFF
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[turnoffthepapis]

Doesn't that kill two birds with one prop?!!!:E

[Dave Gittins]

The thought had half gone through my mind when I was writing it and then slipped away again. I'll EMAIL Eric tonight and see what I can do ..... I've got a 3hr slot of aeroplane booked so that shouldn't be a problem ........... thanks for the advice chaps.

I think it'll be a darned sight easier to arrange now, than trying to get an instructor, an aeroplane and some decent weather all on the same day sometime next February !!!!!!!!:D