Deano777
16th Dec 2003, 01:20
Just thought Id share my experience today
Wanted to do a landaway as Ive yet to do one since obtaining my Licence, I didnt want to go to Gloucester or Exeter or Bournemouth which is the usual jaunt from Bristol, so I thought stuff it I'll go to Swansea and land, feeling a bit apprehensive I thought Id try and get a passenger to come with me as when I phoned the ATC there they seemed rather busy and someone else in the cockpit could keep a good lookout also, also my route takes me across the Brecons and fairly close to Cardiff CAS, didnt want any MORs to blemish my newish licence lol. Anyway I phoned all my mates and none could make it, I tried everyone but they were busy :\ :uhoh: so it was all down to little me.
I studied my map hard of the route I was to take and the map looked a minefield, so many built up areas, so many roads and hills, how am I going to ascertain where I am etc. Got in the plane, took off, outbound via Clevedon then on towards Caerphilly then routed to Port Talbot then into Swansea Rwy 04 via Mumbles, whilst en-route I was looking down and thinking, hmmm where EXACTLY am I?. Everything looked the same just as I imagined, ah well, press forward, do what I was taught to do, fly the heading and time the intervals, and sure enough 2 minutes to run is Port Talbot (i did manage a couple of position fixes on the way), anyway the weather was wonderful, no turbulance over the Brecons and some of the most wonderful scenery Ive seen in my plane to date, breathtaking, if only I could take photos hehe. My landing was bloody aweful, first time ever (and surely not the last) I hit the rwy and ballooned DOH, couldnt find the Reception so I asked this lovely young lass who worked for Air Wales to show me, paid my landing fee of £9, had a cup of tea, and the staff were very nice and friendly, got talking to a guy who came in from Cardiff doing a solo landaway as part of his training, told him about PPrune lol so his posts are imminent? ;) then left, was the same on the way home, it all looked the same after Port Talbot, so I flew the heading, timed the event, and sure as eggs are eggs Caerphilly was on the nose :D, all in all, a great flight, and a great place to visit.
Uncle Dean must do more landaways to be honest :D
Regards
Dean.
Wanted to do a landaway as Ive yet to do one since obtaining my Licence, I didnt want to go to Gloucester or Exeter or Bournemouth which is the usual jaunt from Bristol, so I thought stuff it I'll go to Swansea and land, feeling a bit apprehensive I thought Id try and get a passenger to come with me as when I phoned the ATC there they seemed rather busy and someone else in the cockpit could keep a good lookout also, also my route takes me across the Brecons and fairly close to Cardiff CAS, didnt want any MORs to blemish my newish licence lol. Anyway I phoned all my mates and none could make it, I tried everyone but they were busy :\ :uhoh: so it was all down to little me.
I studied my map hard of the route I was to take and the map looked a minefield, so many built up areas, so many roads and hills, how am I going to ascertain where I am etc. Got in the plane, took off, outbound via Clevedon then on towards Caerphilly then routed to Port Talbot then into Swansea Rwy 04 via Mumbles, whilst en-route I was looking down and thinking, hmmm where EXACTLY am I?. Everything looked the same just as I imagined, ah well, press forward, do what I was taught to do, fly the heading and time the intervals, and sure enough 2 minutes to run is Port Talbot (i did manage a couple of position fixes on the way), anyway the weather was wonderful, no turbulance over the Brecons and some of the most wonderful scenery Ive seen in my plane to date, breathtaking, if only I could take photos hehe. My landing was bloody aweful, first time ever (and surely not the last) I hit the rwy and ballooned DOH, couldnt find the Reception so I asked this lovely young lass who worked for Air Wales to show me, paid my landing fee of £9, had a cup of tea, and the staff were very nice and friendly, got talking to a guy who came in from Cardiff doing a solo landaway as part of his training, told him about PPrune lol so his posts are imminent? ;) then left, was the same on the way home, it all looked the same after Port Talbot, so I flew the heading, timed the event, and sure as eggs are eggs Caerphilly was on the nose :D, all in all, a great flight, and a great place to visit.
Uncle Dean must do more landaways to be honest :D
Regards
Dean.