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Old 30th Jan 2008, 23:50
  #14 (permalink)  
Cusco
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: E Anglia
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Having flown most of my flying career from a farmstrip in what many would describe as an unsuitable aeroplane, may I offer a few pointers.

Firstly, get a copy of the CAA Safety Sense booklet 'Farmstrip flying' (copy on website)and read it from cover to cover.

Then as has already been said , if you are used to flying off a mile of tarmac, practise landing on the numbers (or some nominated point) from a reasonably steep approach till you nail it every time.

Once you've cracked it go and do the same into a licensed grass airfield,( if you've never flown from grass the noise and bumps can be initially off-putting) till your short field landings are right every time.

Then select a grass strip not too far away from your base from all the offers you get from here (not!) and drive over to it, pace it out (remember a human pace is way under a yard) and talk to the owner who will brief you about length/slope/hazards/cables/location of nimbys/soft bits.

Then check your a/c POH to make sure performance is not an issue. Chose a nice day with wind straight down the runway and go with an instructor or at the very least someone who does plenty of strip flying.

Telephone ahead for PPR and to check grazing sheep do not have to be corralled and that the surface is firm and the grass is not too long.

If you can get the Lat/Long: ( take your GPS with you when you visit by road, clock the coordinates) and look it up on Google Earth, taking a photo is also a good idea.

Then you'll be ready to fly in: when you do remember that there are very likely to be non-appreciators of our hobby on the ground. This means avoid doing circuits: if you must do circuits and it's possible to vary them from left hand and right hand then do so, if not vary the size of the circuit so you don't overfly the same area a dozen times.

Also avoid sudden changes of throttle/engine note as that is sure to cause many pairs of anxious eyes to gaze skywards waiting for the 'plummet'.

Once you are used to your first strip, you can venture further afield to enjoy some of the best bits in flying.

Oh and when landing/ taking off always have a 'reject' point on the ground in your mind : decide quickly and firmly to go-around or abort if it's going t*ts up.

Above all enjoy the farmstrip experience: if ever you feel the strip might be 'marginal' then bin the idea.

Safe flying

Cusco
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