The Best - and the not so good... ...lessons learnt
A fantastic day's flying had been planned.
I was due to take my brother-in-law (BIL) up for the first time I had taken him up - he had been up in a light aircraft previously doing aerobatics, so I knew he would be fine.
He lives a few minutes from Cranfield, so I flew from home base at Southend to Cranfield to collect him. I met him from the tower at Cranfield, had a chat with the friendly staff in flight-planning who had warned of expected thunderstorms later in the day. We discussed the flight and they suggested I pay when I brought BIL back later in the day.
The flights I had planned for the benefit of his twin hobbies of motorsport and photography. We were to fly direct to Silverstone (had previously checked there were not any major events occuring), where we had both been to many events. He got some great photos. Then we headed down to Greenham Common and to Highclere Castle (where Downton Abbey was filmed) - to take photos for my wife and his fiancee, both fans of the series. From there we headed to Goodwood.
For any who have not visited this historic location, I fully recommend. The staff are always very welcoming, friendly and helpful. The restaurant is excellent - fully recommend the ice creams on hot sunny days, such as the day we visited - and the aircraft flying, sitting or just parked up are always interesting.
The flight back was to route via Dunsfold (Top Gear test track), Henley on Thames, Westcott and so back to Cranfield. With the Goodwood team helping, we checked NOTAMs and the METARs/TAFs for the flight back - a few isolated risks of CB. We fuelled up and set off.
On route to Dunsfold, transferring to the excellent Farnborough LARS, the picture changed we were warned of a wall of CB on our route NE of Farnborough. A quick bit of replanning was required and we abandoned the plan for Dunsfold and headed west turning north again past Odiham. More active CBs to our NE pushed us further west. Eventually managing to turn back towards Cranfield over Oxford and Westcott.
Changed channel to Cranfield and continued towards the airfield. With the airfield in sight at 18:01 local, Cranfield ATC informed us that the airfield shut at 18:00 and we could not land. I pleaded the case, explaining the additional routing we were required to take. ATC told us that we could ask for an extension but that "it would cost a lot and might not be granted". Further pleading fell on deaf ears and we were advised Sywell was nearest as it was "only a 10 minute drive away". Fortunately BIL realised this was nearer an hour a way. In the end, we decided to go back to Southend and I would then drive him back to Cranfield.
So we switched back to Farnborough North LARS and received the expected friendly and professional service I have come to expect from the Farnborough lads (and lassies). We helped relay a message to a pilot who was having problems hearing Farnborough, and in return, the Farnborough LARS chap detailed all the reported CB activity between Cranfield and Southend, helping to avoid what I later heard was a major thunderstorm near Stapleford.
And so back to the excellent Southend ATC.
I then set off on a 2+ hour round trip in the car (after 5 hours of flying), because of the unfortunate inflexibility of 1 ATC, set against a sea of excellent service we received from all the other ATSUs.
So what have I learnt?
1. Allow the extra time for lengthy diversions (even if it means not having that ice cream with the chocolate sauce!).
2. Carry plenty of fuel - despite other events, I never had the concern of low fuel.
3. Beware that weather can change quicker than the NOTAMs and METARs can always advise.