Slot times (again!).
Over the year(s) we have tried to support as many fly-ins as possible, certainly the one G-APDK is involved with if I'm thinking correctly. I understand the desirability from an organiser's point of view, and the flexibility G-APDK's flyin at least seems to be prepared to provide.
However, as far as I'm concerned using a club a/c it just doesn't work. Take the example where the previous user of the a/c unexpectedly returns fifteen minutes late. As it happens, the a/c also needs fuel, so by the time that's done too and we're ready to go, we're already the best part of thirty minutes on the back side of the drag curve. All it then takes is ten minutes at the hold waiting for inbound jets, or a stronger headwind than we anticipated when we booked the slot (sometimes well in advance) and we've well and truely blown the slot. If on the other hand we book a later slot in anticipation of sods law being invoked on the day, we get glares from the club for having the a/c sat idle on a busy Saturday/Sunday for 45 minutes before we leave. Now I acknowledge that G-APDK says that they'd still try to be flexible but that its at ATC's discretion - well sorry, but I'm not flying half way across the country chasing a slot I might or might not make, and then find that ATC can't accommodate us if we miss it.
Like I say, we've tried to support many flyins over the years, but slot times are the biggest turn off - to be honest, as far as I'm concerned if there's two events the same day and one needs slots, the one without slots wins, and if there's only one event a $100 burger somewhere else probably wins too.
Andy