When do you lose the ability to fly your aircraft?
For one reason or another I find that my flying hours have dropped to very few over the last 2 years. What with covid lock downs, airfields being slow to re-awaken, fighting the neighbours from hell and moving house my logbook shows that last time I committed aviation was in September 2021 (1 hour) and the time before that was last April (3/4 hour). Before that I did my biennial flight with an instructor in November 2020 on the day before another lock down. All of these flights have been taken in my own aircraft, incidentally a kit built aircraft from a Ukrainian company.
So I waited for conditions to be ideal for the sortie, wind down the strip, vis good, plenty of time. I had been to the strip a couple of days ago and checked the aircraft over, fetched the battery back for charging etc then today I fetched fuel in jerry cans and went out to the strip feeling a little apprehensive......... On arrival at the strip I removed the aircraft covers, fitted the battery and put the fuel in. At this point I noticed that the pitot tube cover was missing and was not to be found close by so probably ot removed by the recent winds. I popped in the nav aid, headsets and hand held radio and grabbed my check lists. A thorough pre-flight check and I was as ready as I would ever be but still apprehensive.
The engine started on the second press of the button, the carbs don't always fill after the system has been drained until the engine mechanical fuel pump gets going. I warmed the engine whilst keeping a scan of the engine instruments, all as expected. Mag drops good, max rpm good, intercom working, nobody responded to a radio check request (on Safetycom) but I did hear a bit of chatter so I knew Rx was working. Controls all free and trim set so I taxied out and lined up.
No excuses now so I opened the throttle. As I got up to speed a final glance at the instruments looked good, As the ASI reached 45KTS I pulled back a bit more on the stick and was airborne. It was as if I had been flying every day for weeks.
During the climb out I noticed the ASI was all over the dial. Odd. My perception of the airspeed agreed with the Airspace Aware give or take a bit for the headwind and everything else was good. So, the strip I fly from is not known for it's excessive length. so I didn't fancy going back in a little hot and the last thing I was going to risk was a SLOW approach while feeling the aispeed, on a day when the winds are light so I diverted to another strip a few miles away, one twice as long, twice as wide and on the same heading (into the wind today) where I made a perfect landing. It took me twenty mins to disconnect blow the water from the pitot tubes and then normal service resumed. The remaining local area flight and landing back at base was uneventful.
I do wonder how long being away from the cockpit needs to be before you lose it?
Rans6............