SUNDAY 3rd JULY
PFA Rally day. We've decided on route Omaha via Michaelwood services. There's no Jet-A1 at Sleap so we'll need to pick up fuel en-route. options are Shobdon or Gloucester. I decide on Gloucester, as it's more on the direct route, plus I want some experience into the larger airports. I figure it's going to be very busy in the evening with people picking up fuel on the way home from Kemble, so better to refuel in the morning, on the way to the rally.
Brilliant idea time: I wonder if Gloucester can do a rotors-running refuel - that would save a lot of time. It'll be a first for me but well, if you don't ask, you don't get. So I phone Gloucester and they say sure, no problem, just call them with ten minutes to run and they'll have someone standing by.
It's a bright clear morning (cold front passed through during the night) and nav consists of picking a suitable large hill on-heading on the horizon and aiming for it. Getting to Gloucester takes about an hour. We call in for refuel and get directed to helispot 2 where, sure enough, the guys are waiting at the bowser. At Gloucester it's the fire crew who also do the refuelling. Fair enough I guess - if they set fire to it, they're the best people to put it out. Anyway, almost as soon as we're down the static line and fuel hose are out and fuel starts flowing. The guy shoves a bit of paper through the window for me to sign and we're away again. Cool, or what ?
On to Michaelwood services on the M5 and the start of the Omaha route. With Whirly beside me, I'm now very glad of the extra pair of eyes as we head towards Kemble. There's a few likely-looking airfields around here, but only one that's festooned with tents and parked aircraft. Keeping a sharp lookout, we duck down low-level beneath the fixed-wing "racetrack", make our one RT call: "Helicopter XX, one mile North" and head for the 'H'.
The AIC instructions are quite clear - make your approach to the 'H', but don't land on it !. As we arrive, there's no-one to marshall us, but there is a big tarmac area corresponding to the number '4' on the chart that is designated as the helicopter parking area, so we choose a spot as far from the 'H' as we can and set down.
As the rotors come to a stop, a small car hurtles towards us and two marshalls jump out.
"They're going to tell us we've parked in the wrong place", I groan.
The marshall comes up: "you're parked in the wrong place, mate !" ... and gesticulates towards the 'H'.
I produce the chart, show him the '4' right on the spot where we've parked, and the bit about not parking on the 'H'.
Just as I think we're going to have to get the wheels out, he relents: "Nah, you're all right here". We are a bit close to a taxiway so we agree to be careful starting up again and head off in search of the booking in tent, some grub and a cold drink.