Wasn't it clear on Saturday evening

[bletchleytugie]

Saturday was one of those beautifully clear days that makes flying in the UK so special.


In the early evening I flew up to Cosford from Bicester and from Banbury one could see across to Hay Bluff - magnificent. Shame the drive back down the motorways with a trailer on the back wasn't so inspiring.


Did anyone else feel suitably artistic?

[Aussie Andy]

Well, I'm very jealous! We had friends around yesterday (great BBQ etc, no complaints!) but it was one of those perfect days when I looked at the sky and thought "ahhh, I should be up there now..!"... but not to worry, my turn on Sunday...

So imagine my dissappointment when I looked out the window this morning and saw ~4k HZ here (Brize was giving METAR 3500m vis at the time)... I thought "just my bl**dy luck that its perfect the day I don't fly and scuzzy the day I do want to fly!"... then I calmed down and drove to the airfield and by the time I got there it was flyable. We (me, wife & kids) had a good day (flew down to Goodwood), but the views were blah and the haze on the way down was lousy... better coming back later on.

Hey ho - glad you had a good one yesterday mate!

Andy :ok:

[Flyin'Dutch']

Great day yesterday only marred by having to work in the evening.

Still managed to fly down to Bournemouth and have a few hours on the beach.

Shame today could not be the same (well the work is there again) but bit too windy and blustery to get the toy out.

FD

[Fly Stimulator]

Andy,

The weather may have been murky, but your radio calls to Farnborough were clear as a bell and beautifully concise. ;)

Good to see you and Mrs AA and the Misses AA too!

[Aussie Andy]

Cheers FS ;)

Andy

[Aussie Andy]

G'day Dave,

Yes that was definitely me... ;) Nice to know I have an audience; I will try and be more amusing on freq next time, perhaps drop in a few in-jokes or amusing anecdotes! :p

I had the same feeling as you actually... I was very anxious about the front approaching from the west, and it had looked on the weather radar in the morning that there was some serious activity associated with the front in Irish Sea / Welsh coast so I expected that would be heading our way and wanted to get back before the cloud-base dropped and vis. got worse.

But this weather prediction is a complicated hobby..! In fact in the end I regretted heading back as early as we did because it was lovely as we headed back north to Wycombe, and I felt kind of dissappointed landing back at Benson, after dropping Janet and the kids at Wycombe, that maybe I could've spent more time out and about. Better safe than sorry, but where I live (Chesham, near the BNN VOR) the front never really came to much: just a few spots of rain, cloud-base never got lower than a few thousand feet at a guess, and vis. if anything improved. Perhaps it was worse further south?

How/when will I get better at these weather decisions!?

Andy :ok:

[Dave Gittins]

I felt exactly the same, just as I landed at Fairooaks it rained for a minute or two then got brighter. I was expecting a full blown storm to arrive any minute.

Still better to be safe ..... good decision making in my book .. I would have been very unhappy if a CB or two had happened along between Goodwood and Fairoaks.

DGG

[boomerangben]

West coast of Scotland was fantastic if slightly hazy.

[bar shaker]

So clear, in fact, that I had a perfect view of the Mk V Spitfire that I shared the circuit with.

If you read this, Caroline, thanks, it will stay with me forever :)

[map5623]

This evening was excellent as well, I tried to watch the Spit doing its piece at Stonor on Saturday evening, but at 3 miles he looked a bit small, shame.

Mike

[aztec25]

I was enjoying a dream flight - ST Brieuc - Guernsey - BHD - EX - Bristol - SWB and then home to LPL.
With just about the most helpful ATC support I've experienced along the way from Brest Info, Jersey Zone, Exeter Radar, Bristol, London Info and then LPL. I know we knock 'em but on Saturday they were excellent - thanks to all of you.

The views over the Severn Estuary were breathtaking!

Happy flying!
:-)

[bletchleytugie]

Quote from Aussie Andy

How/when will I get better at these weather decisions!?


If the pros can't get it right mere mortals such as you and I stand no chance. Wise words from Old Instructor - "If your not sure - don't", and the classic about better being on the ground and wishing etc etc.:cool:

[The Nr Fairy]

It may have been (in fact it WAS) superb vis in Southern England on Saturday, and a thank you to the nice controllers at Gatwick (for letting me into the top left corner of their zone) and Thames Radar (for letting me cross direct ASCOT - BUR) for helping to get Will Young to his concert in Leeds on time . . .

But about Leicester / Nottingham way, the vis dropped dramatically - I thought it was rain, but no.

I feel a thread in Tech Log coming on . . .