"Stealth" Ultralight at White Waltham

[Human Factor]

Sadly, no-one got the registration.

We spotted a high-wing ultralight (not sure of the exact type) going around from runway 29 at about 1630L. The runway in use was 25. The go-around seemed rather steep, which was confirmed by the fact that the pilot stuffed the nose down fairly shortly afterwards before returning to the climb. From our point of view (at the clubhouse), he didn't appear to climb above about 500 feet at any point. Circuit height is 800 feet. He turned right of the 29 centreline (live side of the 29 circuit, had it been in use), flying almost directly over the clubhouse before disappearing to the north over the 25 numbers. There were several aircraft in the 25 circuit at the time. Fortunately, aerobatics in the overhead had ceased for the day.

Maybe it wouldn't have been quite so bad if he'd been talking to anyone. For future reference, try 122.6, and you weren't a million miles away from infringing the TMA either.

I don't expect we'll hear from you on this thread but I'm sure a phone call to Waltham Ops wouldn't go amiss.

Please pay more attention in future.

[chevvron]

Loadsa microlights going to IOW today; maybe it was one of these got lost and was trying to identify the airfield.

[eharding]

trying to identify the airfield.
From the height the geezer in the ultralight went round, he could identify the type of beer HF nearly spilt all over himself when he saw the goings on - for the record, a very nice pint of Spitfire.

Seriously, it could have been tears before bedtime as another a/c started rolling on 25 as the visitor decided to go round on 29. Disappointed it didn't stop to tell his side of the story - WW is a/g, so in principle and practice arriving and departing pilots can use any available runway, but to choose other than the nominated active without telling anybody, generally raise blood pressure and then just to hoof off is bordering on rudeness. WW has lots of non-radio traffic, and it all generally goes very smoothly, so I wouldn't buy this particular punter being non-radio as a mitigating factor.

Famous last words though....one of the assembled company this afternoon at WW is a Hawk instructor, and has a great story about a mate doing his QFI checkride on the Tucano....detailed to land at Shawbury, the poor sod had actually rolled to a stop at Sleap before the examiner in the back told him the bad news......