DOC.400,
Sounds great!
I was deternmined to go flying too, when I realised on Thursday that we were actually, finally, going to get some good weather. I've been trying to fly the London Helicopter Routes for months and we kept having to cancel. But this time I managed it. Went with an instructor (recommended - almost insisted on - for first time) from Shobden, down via lots of floods to Oxford, then into the London CTR at around 1500 ft, gradually descending to 750ft as you follow the Thames through central London. We thought we'd get to hold at London Bridge and look at the view, but Heathrow obligingly cleared us straight through and it was all over much too fast, even though I was trying to fly as slowly as possible. But we got to see the West end, bridges over the river, the Dome - it was fantastic. Out of the zone at the Isle of Dogs, over Croydon where I grew up, then to Fairoaks for re-fuelling us and the helicopter.
Then...wow!!!! ... crossing Heathrow at 800 ft. I really really enjoyed repeating back: "After the landing 737, cleared to cross..." Turned left the other side of runway 27R, level with another jet just taking off.
We got back 15 minutes before official night, 4.7 hours flying. I'm totally shattered - and I wanna do it all again!
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Whirly
To fly is human, to hover, divine.