Christmas Day Flying

[Monocock]

I haven't managed it for nine years but this Christmas day the forecast looks like it might be a possibility!!

Anyone else intending to get airborne in the Christmas frost?

Last time I did (1995) I was speaking to Lyneham and when I called for a QSY it was granted. I stayed on frequency for about 30 seconds and I heard a quietly whispered transmission from the ATCO saying...."haven't you got a family to go to!"

I've never forgotten that for some reason but it did make me (and my wife) smile.

Happy Christmas one and all and I hope you all have a prosperous and (more importantly) safe 2005.

:ok: :cool:

P.S If anyone wants to give me a Christmas pressie I would like it if Santa let me have a go in someones J3 next year.....:rolleyes:

[Andy_R]

Chance'd be a fine thing :sad:

Hope you do get up Mono :ooh: :}

[TheOddOne]

There's two points of view here...

One says 'well, if the wx is good enough, what's the difference in flying on this day compared with any other'

The other point of view is, whatever one's religious standpoint, or none at all, it IS a special day of family celebration and light aircraft flying (which is seen by many people as not strictly necessary on this day) can be intrusive and gets the rest of us a bad name.

I know that the controllers etc will be working anyway; no doubt they'll handle all light a/c in a professional manner, but why not make their lives a little nicer on this day and not give them the workload? Take a hint from the voice you heard.

I've worked plenty of Christmasses and New Year nights, so I know what it's like!

Just a point of view...

Cheers,
The Odd One

[Whirlybird]

I was thinking of flying...over rural Wales and Shropshire, non-radio, as it happens.

However, looking at the forecast for Wales, especially in the hills, I think reading a book on aviation may be the closest I'll get. :( The idea of taking my life in my hands driving down a steeper than 1 in 4 hill in the snow, to drive to a closed airfield with no cleared runways, and clear all the snow off the aircraft, which lives outside...nah, just doesn't appeal really.

[Timothy]

I shall be flying to NZ courtesy of Malaysian Airlines :p :ok:

[DubTrub]

If you do get flying on the Day, wish a merry Christmas to the duty Controllers around...even give LATCC a call on 121.5 (even for a "practice fix").

Mono, you could say hello to Heathrow, Gat, Luton, SS, Lynham, Bristol, Yeovil, Fairford etc etc from where you are.

Merry Christmas to all them, and to you all too.

DT

[Grob Driver]

The odd one…

There is no difference to flying on this day than on any other. However, it’s a great escape from a day that can be otherwise filled with false expectations. I’m not against Christmas but when you’re got a house full of people… family who you might only see once a year I can’t think of anything better then just ‘escaping’ for an hour or so and going for a quick flight.

As for being intrusive… I can’t agree with you there. Responsible flying is not intrusive. We all have the right to enjoy this ‘special’ day in whatever way we choose. If the weather permits, then I’m choosing to enjoy it at 2000’ over the skies of Lincolnshire!

As for not giving the controllers the workload… Is that really what they want? I can’t think of anything worse than being sat at work with nothing to do… Talk about making the day drag on for them.

Well Santa… all I want for Christmas is 15K viz! Thanks!!!

Merry Christmas to you all

Grob Driver

[bar shaker]

Mono

I ran this past Mrs Shaker, as I think it would be a marvellous log book entry.

She explained that I was free to enjoy the skies of a fine VFR Christmas Day, but that I would return to find the front door lock changed and my stuff on the front lawn. :uhoh:

What's the forecast for Boxing Day? :E

[stiknruda]

Am heading off to Seething later this morning to buy go-go juice for tomorrow and Sunday.

As I don't have a house full of people and the local pub does not open until 12H, I can think of no better place to be tomorrow morning than aerobatting over the beach at Southwold!

Sunday, I might pop up to Leics to see the boys and girls there!

Stik - bah humbug

[S-Works]

you going to come and drop some flour with us on Sunday then Stik?

I may fly in the morning weather permitting, a lovely interlude before my massive Christmas dinner!!!

[fonawah]

I would love to fly Christmas day. There are even available ac at the club...but I think the mrs would hang me up by the proverbials if I even mentioned it:\

[Zlin526]

The choice.....Pushing the aeroplane out of the hangar on a really crisp and quiet winters day, or spending it with a bunch of miserable gits getting fat, gathered around the TV watching endless repeats of "The Wizard of Oz"?

So yes, I'll be in the air. A small formation with fellow aviators in the morning, lunch round the fire at the club, then off again in the afternoon, 'visiting' some chums around the East..

What is Myrhhhh anyway?:yuk:

[AerBabe]

What is Myrhhhh anyway? It's the sound made by a smooth-running engine. :ok:

I won't be flying on Christmas Day, but I would if I could. The only thing that's stopping me is a lack of confidence. As far as I know, my machine isn't booked. I just wanted to do some more flying with an experienced pilot RHS before I soloed the mighty beast.

[Monocock]

Tune into Unicom at 1200 hrs and witness me singing Jingle Bells from 5000 ft over West Berks!!:D

[squibbler]

Myrrh? You mean you don't know??

Myrrh is a red-brown resinous material, the dried sap of the Commiphora myrrha tree, indigenous to Somalia. A number of other Commiphora or Balsamodendron saps are also known as myrrh, including that from Commiphora erythraea (sometimes called East Indian myrrh), Commiphora opobalsamum, and Balsamodendron kua.

Myrrh is a constituent of perfumes and incense, and was highly prized in ancient times. Myrrh was one of the gifts of the Magi to the baby Jesus in the story told in the Gospel of Matthew. Myrrh was used as an incense in funerals and cremations, a fact alluded to in the Christmas carol We Three Kings.

So there you go......

Thought everyone knew that..........:8

[Zlin526]

Squibbler,

Of course I knew, I spent years having it rammed down my throat in Religious Indoctrination classes at school (not literally!) .....I think 3 not so wise men bearing gifts of electrical goods would have been better!

:ok:

[bletchleytugie]

Can't see me getting airbourne tomorrow for most of the domestic reasons metioned previously. However, Boxing Day will be a different matter - medical reasons - aversion to Sales. Its also a good opportunity to provide the local population of foxes with some Close Air Support: :\

For those of you intending to fly tomorrow - DON'T FORGET THE NOTAM OFFICE STAFF WILL BE AT WORK AS WELL.

Regards

bletcleytugie

[Cusco]

Having worked some or part of 29 of the last 34 Christmases, weather permitting I may well take to the skies.

Mrs Cusco is on night-duty tonight and therefore will be kicking me out of bed at 7am so she can sleep till 1400: what better excuse than to aviate.

House empty till the mob arrives at 3pm.

Listen out on Safetycom stik, you may have a spectator.(I know, I know, you can't use safetycom for this purpose, so I won't.)

Odd one: don't be such a misery-guts:O


Safe yuletide flying.

Cusco

[ShyTorque]

Bar shaker asked: "What's the forecast for Boxing Day?"

......sounds like in your immediate area that you might still get a very frosty reception later in the day, with possible heavy showers of personal effects.....

:uhoh:

[niknak]

We don't often open on christmas day, but last year we did.

Whilst witing for the few movements we had scheduled, a voice out of the ether called for a radar service whilst en route from A to B.
"Haven't you got a Christmas present to play with?" said my ever so clever colleague.

"Yes, and this is it", came the reply.

Nuff said...... :p

[Keef]

Bons vols, Cusco. Neither the missus nor I are working (I finished at 1am). See you on the 28th?

[stiknruda]

Niknak - I'll give your place a call on 119.35 today as I'll be heading up to Holt to waggle my wings at someone.

Stik

[Avgas172]

I've always had a bit of a stupidstition about flying on Christmas Day.... and today was beautiful in New South Wales (just west of Sydney) so there was no excuse, blue skies, around 24 deg C and I own the plane....but I cant bring myself to do it because if I was to come unstuck it would stuff up everyone else's day. :confused:

[Monocock]

What a stunning morning!!

20 minutes of beautiful clean air and no reply from Farnborough or Lyneham!!! Perhaps they were getting stuck into some figgy pudding....

Happy Chrimble all......

[Whirlybird]

I woke up to an absolutely gorgeous picture postcard Christmas day...I'd photograph it and post it here if I knew how to.

Unfortunately, that amount of snow in the Welsh hills is far better for looking out at than trying to drive in, never mind what conditions would actually be like at Sleap if I could get there. So no flying for me. :{ I guess that's what I get for living on a hillside with about the most stunning view in the world...ok, a little exaggeration, but it is rather beautiful. Ah well, maybe I should go sledging instead. :)

Merry Christmas one and all, whatever you do, and here's to blue skies and light winds in 2005. :ok:

[stiknruda]

Glorious weather!

Airborne for exactly an hour - lost count of the number of loops, avalanches and rolls that I did!

Headed up to N Norfolk to run through my display sequence for a young lovely - messed up the avalanche but kept the whole thing running along smoothly.

Nowich was closed but I have a sneaky suspicion that I spoke to Cusco (AlphaCharlie just happen to be his last two).

Then back from N Norfolk, around Norwich and looped and rolled all the way. Over a very desolate bit of the broads, I practiced my avalanche into stall turn into avalanche into stall turn until I felt that I'd made enough noise in one place!

Ah - makes you feel good to be alive!

Merry Chrimbo, all

Stik

[Cusco]

Excellent morning's aviating: Clear skies over Norfolk.

Still got back home before anyone else was up.

Stik Yep I did speak to you I think: A coupla stations were calling Norwich: including me as the ATIS was out.

Eventually got Yarmouth Regional QNH from London inf (Forgot to set QFE at the strip.)

I was over Holt at 10.00 local but didn't see any aerobatting:

Hope the totty was impressed.

Could see for ever to the North but into sun a bit dodgy.

Merry Crimley to one and all and safe aviating for 2005.

Cusco

[stiknruda]

Vis was good - yes it was me that you spoke to.

Didn't get up to a village 2 miles south of Holt until 1040!

Off to the Bell for a sherbert.

Stik

[Zlin526]

Merry Christmas,

Started with a brisk 3-ship formation around the locality just to blow the cobwebs off. Then I did a 3:25hr marathon in a Super Cub from Kent to Norfolk via Suffolk and back, never saw Stik or Cusco even though I was in the same neck of the woods....Weather was superb, could see for miles although into sun the whole way home..

Did a recce of the old Woodbridge airfield and boy, was that large strip of tarmac tempting! Went and 'said hello' to my daughter and a few friends, then headed back via the Norfolk Broads and the East coast. Waved at a lone yacht on the river West of Lowestoft...

Flew virtually all the way home at quite a lot less than 500ft, completely legally and just to exercise the privelage.

Was on London Info all the time, but the only person I heard was a coastguard S-61 en route from Portland to London with a casevac into KCH. Incidentally, this was the first time i had used London Info for years; needed to know if D138 was active.

'twas one of those special days that doesn't happen very often. Although after 3:25hrs, I wished I had taken a flask of coffee for some inflight drinkies!

Have a good 2005 :ok:

z

[stiknruda]

Zlin - had you made your intentions clear earlier, I'd have invited you in for coffee and mince pies!

Stik

[Genghis the Engineer]

I had intended flying boxing day - but am on the tail end of a cold, stll can't clear my ears, so can't - despite gorgeous flyable weather. Oh well.

However, Mrs G bought me a radio controlled aeroplane for christmas, and (amongst others) I have my 3 year old neice staying for whom I bought a HUGE polystyrene glider which we spent a large part of christmas day throwing up and down the stairs at each other to her huge delight (if not my sister in-law's :cool: who doesn't entirely approve of all of my and her husband's interests :8 ).

So, all is not lost.

G

[Whirlybird]

Still picture postcard snow scene here.:( It might be OK at Sleap, but the airfield's officially closed, it's a long drive to find out it's unflyable, and I'm not even sure I could get my car out. :( :( :( Maybe tomorrow....

[skydriller]

Didnt fly yesterday/Christmas day as I dont think Mrs SD would appreciate my leaving her to cope with all the Family that turned up, didnt feel too bad though, weather was c&*p anway.

But.....today was one of those perfect cold clear winter days, and I just had to get airbourne - absolutely wonderful!!

Regards, SD..

[Flik Roll]

Unfortunately no flying for me either.....woke up to a glorious xmas day AND boxing day (dammit!) and i have the worst flu at the moment and have done for a week :(
Did fly in Wales in the week though (when I though lack of voice was pub-smoke-loud singing induced.... turns out it was the worst head cold ever and it didn't agree with me upon descent....probably didn't help that I had been upside down!), but wasn't quite so glorious. Itching to fly at the mo!

[Kolibear]

Its typical of this year's weather that when we get not one, but two days fantastic weather and they over a weekend too, it should be on the two days of the year when its certain that 99% of us won't be able to fly.

I hope that everyone who made it into the sky had a great time and to the guy in the Cessna 150 who came over this afternoon, I wasn't in the slightesy bit envious.

Its going to be terrible weather on tuesday, as that the earliest that I can get the aircraft.

Happy Flying 2005!