Our day out stripping

[mazzy1026]

That's what I like about the forums - on Friday I make a post saying that I would like to get into farm strip flying, and on Friday evening I have an invite to go do some the very next day!

Mariner9 invited me to go to the Stoke Goulding (thin that's the correct name of the place) fly-in on Saturday - the plan was to pick me up from Ashcroft Farm (a field I used as a waypoint in my QXC) in this incredible little home-built beauty:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/mazzy1026/Farm%20Strip%20Day/Picture042.jpg

What a superb aircraft this is (bearing in mind I am used to flying PA38's that have seen better days!). Mike built this himself, and I must say it is immaculate and such a nice aircraft to fly. I saw Mike land at Ashcroft to pick me up:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/mazzy1026/Farm%20Strip%20Day/Picture028.jpg

It was extremely quiet - not a soul around:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/mazzy1026/Farm%20Strip%20Day/Picture038.jpg

We took off for Stoke and I was amazed at the performance of the aircraft - Mike was kind enough to let me do 95% of the flying which was superb:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/mazzy1026/Farm%20Strip%20Day/Picture010-1.jpg

We landed at stoke and sampled the BBQ and had a look around at the array of aircraft on display:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/mazzy1026/Farm%20Strip%20Day/Picture002-1.jpg

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http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/mazzy1026/Farm%20Strip%20Day/Picture003.jpg

To top it all off, Mike asked if I would like to fly to Barton (I have been thinking about joining the group there, and was going to drive up on Sunday, so to be flown in was excellent):

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/mazzy1026/Farm%20Strip%20Day/Picture008-1.jpg

Barton was a cracking airfield, it looks extremely challenging with the bumpy grass runway and amount of traffic etc, but I am looking forward to flying from there soon.

Out of Barton:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/mazzy1026/Farm%20Strip%20Day/Picture018-1.jpg

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http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/mazzy1026/Farm%20Strip%20Day/Picture022.jpg

Overall, the best day out I have had flying so far, and all thanks to Mike, who is an excellent pilot (judged by the landings on such short grass strips) ;) with his homebuilt aircraft - superb :) :) :)

This type of flying is completely new to me having learned to fly at Liverpool - it is a whole new can of worms and I very much look forward to the next day out!

Maz :ok:

[High Wing Drifter]

Mazzy,

Your enthusiasm is infectious :ok: Can't wait to dispense with my IR test and do some real flying again.

[Mariner9]

:O :O :O

Thanks for the kind words Mazzy, was a very enjoyable day's flying :ok:

PS. Neither Ashcroft, Stoke Golding, nor Barton are short strips :E :E

[dublinpilot]

Looks like you had a great day out Mazzy!

The generousity of people on here always amazes me. ;)

dp

[mazzy1026]

Been infected since 'ah were a nipper' :)

The generousity of people on here always amazes me
Aye me too - the problem is though, I will find it extremely difficult (if not impossible) to return the favour!

PS. Neither Ashcroft, Stoke Golding, nor Barton are short strips
Jesus....

[MyData]

Quote:
PS. Neither Ashcroft, Stoke Golding, nor Barton are short strips

Jesus....

Mazzy

I know exactly what you mean. If anything is shorter than 14/32 at Leeds Bradford, or 02/20 at Doncaster is SHORT in my book :{

[mazzy1026]

My initial fears of grass strip flying are:

1) Not landing well enough (I.e. too fast, too far down the runway etc) and not being able to stop.

2) Not taking off before the final third of the runway and making love to the hedge at the end.

Also, being used to smooth tarmac, the aircraft feels like it's going to break up with all the bumps - I think it feels a lot worse than it actually looks though :confused:

:ok:

[Mariner9]

This one's quite short (albeit not grass...)
http://i7.tinypic.com/20z8f1t.jpg

[MyData]

Mazzy

In all seriousness I have exactly the same concerns as you, but after landing I do find that the landing distance, on a good day, is actually quite short. It is all about having the confidence to do this on a regular basis at airstrips which are unfamiliar - note to self: must go out and do more flying :ok:

I've only landed on grass at Sywell. It wasn't as bumpy as expected but I do feel that it takes more confidence for some reason - and I've heard of grass pilots who aren't too keen on concrete. I have an unfounded fear of taking off on grass, as though the aircraft will sink into the soft earth and I'll never get into the air in time.


Mariner9 - where is that landing strip? It looks great.

[EGBKFLYER]

Peterborough Sibson and Netherthorpe are both shortish grass strips to have a go at too...

As a general point, those unfamiliar with grass/ strips etc should read CAA Safety Sense leaflets 7 and 12 (Performance and Strip Sense):

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG_GAD_WEBSSL12.PDF

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG_GAD_WEB05SSL7.PDF

:ok:

[mazzy1026]

it takes more confidence for some reason
I guess that is the biggest hurdle, without being over confident of course :}

EG, thanks for the links, I will take a look at them :ok:

[Mariner9]

MyData - 'Tis Bantry (SW of Ireland), a stunningly beautiful place to fly :)

[1d2d3d4d]

Mariner9

What is the official title of your "incredible little home-built beauty"? One of my dreams is to build and fly my own aircraft some day.

Regards Chris

[Deano777]

I guess that is the biggest hurdle, without being over confident of course :}

This is what I find too, having done all my flying in Cherokees & Warriors I still find it difficult to find a day where I can "hit the numbers", and with that I mean the numbers on the threshold as well as the Vref numbers, mainly due to turbulance & windsheer from the aerodromes I have flown from, Filton & Bristol are the ones, basically it was always choppy coming into Filton due to the hangars & the prevailing SW winds, so getting down to the shortfield speeds to me seems a tad dodgy because the last thing I want is negative windsheer, i.e. lose airspeed, I have done 3 landings at Staverton in the last 2 days and all 3 have had an element of windsheer on short finals, gaining 15kts in a split second, what if you are at your shortfield Vref and you lose 15kts?, and where has all the darn smooth flying days gone? lol

[davidatter708]

Deano you can always get over the numbers problem by dragging the aircraft in on a low approach with lots of power as soon as you cut the power it will hit the deck. And before I get a grilling it is not very good practise.
Nice aircraft Mariner
David

[Mariner9]

1-4D, she's an Alpi Pioneer 300 (http://www.pioneeraviation.co.uk/pioneer_300.htm)

For anyone nervous of short stripping, the PFA offer an excellent (and inexpensive) Pilot coaching scheme, their instructors will happily introduce you to the delights of short-stripping (albeit while continually grumbling about the performance of your PA28/38 C150/172 whatever)

Alternately, ask your instructor for an hour or so's dual stripping

[Rod1]

Mariner9

Aircraft looks very nice!

Rod1

[Chimbu chuckles]

Short?

http://www.fototime.com/{78908B49-FC02-4156-82F8-3338DAEEE368}/picture.JPG

I win:}

Nice aeroplane Mariner9

[Mariner9]

:mad: Chimbu - you're right I concede :ok: :ok: :) Where on earth is that and what a/c did you land there in?

Thanks Rod. 'Bout time you posted a pic of yours..

[EGBKFLYER]

It looks more like a crash site than an airfield :eek:

[Chimbu chuckles]

PNG

Over the years I landed C185, Islander and Twin Otter there.

Most PNG strips were both...a crash site and a bush strip.

Here is another...in the first I walked down the strip and am actually standing on a cliff.

http://www.fototime.com/{3B8AE0B9-ED00-4447-9500-56D99BC2DFC8}/picture.JPG

And from the top/parking bay

http://www.fototime.com/{65D1FBC4-DA49-4FBE-996B-C1693E03C408}/picture.JPG

[High Wing Drifter]

Chimbu,

Were you (or do you know) the subject of a Disco Wings documentary about two-three years ago? There was this piece on a guy who flies for the benefit of the locals (can't remember country nor continent), pickup of the sick, helping them get stuff to market, dropping off aid, etc. All in and out of insane strips on the edge of jungle mountains in a little Cessna single (210 or something I recall).

[Chimbu chuckles]

Not me...I seem to remember a program like that on Discovery at least that long ago...It was about a Missionary Aviation Fellowship pilot in Irian Jaya (West Papua) which is the same Island as these were taken on...But I was on non Indonesian side of the border.

He was flying a C185. I flew them too doing the same stuff but was not a Missionary. This is my C185 when I was flying Twin Otters and Bandits for a third level airline in PNG called Talair. I used to moonlight in it on my 'off' days flying stuff into friends in the mountains. It's the same year model, a 1963, as the one I started my career off in 5 years before this picture was taken.

http://www.fototime.com/{69C16792-E0BE-4AE5-AF34-A538DFFE16B7}/picture.JPG

I started in the bush when I had 300 odd hours and went airline flying around 7000...was without doubt the best years of my life. Over 10 years since I did my last bush flight in a Twin Otter...in fact getting close to 12.

This is another strip I used to frequent in C185s...the building to the right are a Catholic Mission where the resident Priest had been living since before WW2. In fact he was straffed by zeros there in 1942...interesting old guy. I first met him when I landed there nearly 50 years later...he was dieing of throat cancer but you'd never notice...he's buried there.

http://www.fototime.com/{32A4B7C6-AED7-4BFA-97CC-A3B9723E331C}/picture.JPG

Sorry if I hijacked your thread.:}

[High Wing Drifter]

Chimbu,

Yes that was the very same programme. Awe inspiring stuff. I wish somebody with your experience would put pen to paper, to my knowledge there aren't many civilian flying adevnture memoirs in print.

[Andy_RR]

Chimbu,

What altitude are those strips? The look like they are perched on the tops of mountains which have a tendency to be, well... high! Were your aircraft fitted with STOL kits at such, or was that (ab?)using the standard aircraft performance?

Anyway, it looks like quite a challenge and good, if hairy fun. I can imagine why you look back on those years with fondness!

A

[mazzy1026]

Mariner, I don't think I would have the confidence to build one of those kits - it's hard to believe (when looking at the fragile wings in kit form) how they can support all that weight, and especially with the option of being an aerobatic aircraft (I think) :confused:

Chimbu - fascinating stuff, I don't think I will be starting on strips that small! What was it like the first time you tried to get into one of those? Mariner, fancy a trip to the jungle ? :)



You haven't hijacked my thread - tell us more!

[Chimbu chuckles]

They ranged in altitude...eveything from sea level to 9000' with the average around the 4000-5000' mark...the ones above were all in the 5000- 5500' elevation range....ISA+20 put them a LOT higher density altitude wise. The MORAs were generally in the 16000 to 17000 range in the central highlands. Gaps between mountain valley systems were often around the 8000 to 10000' range...Gap flying was an art in itself at heavy weights and in bad weather.

The aircraft were all stock standard...mind you the Twin Otter is something else STOL wise even out of the box...but the C185s, C206s, Islanders etc were usually bog standard...the Mission ones had the STOL kits etc but not us. You would be amazed what an aircraft can really do as opposed to what the people who built it suggest is possible. From time to time maufacturer reps would come out and invariably go home shaking their heads in disbelief:E

Looking back it certainly had a 'hairy' quality but when you start doing that at an early enough age it has an amazing air of 'normal' too.

As time rolls on I am more and more amazed at what we were able to accept as normal.

You don't start off piloting into really hard strips from day one. You fly with a another company pilot for a few weeks just watching. This also starts you building up some local knowledge because you are never able to fly high above the terrain and so must learn the area tree by tree...almost literally. The very first landmark I ever learned on my first day observing was literally a single tree on a ridgeline not far from home base...many was the time I was crawling home along the valleys in bad weather and not 100% certain of exactly where I was when I spotted that tree in the rain and new 100% exactly where I was again. Many years later I flew past in a DHC7 when flying for the national airline and saw that the villagers had cut it down...I was seriously pretty bloody angry.

After a few weeks of that you start route and strip endorsement training in earnest and while you may operate into the odd difficult strip under supervision due loadings you end up being checked into a few easy ones to begin with. They let you practice on those alone for a few weeks and then check you into a few more that are a little harder and so it goes. You must be checked over each route and each alternatve route...rather like driving around your home suburb...if a car wreck (bad weather) blocks your usual route you go around the block the long way to get home...sometimes you end up spending the night somewhere other than home.

There were surprisingly few airstrips that were so bad that you landed with your heart in your mouth even in good weather..but there were a few...plenty was the time you landed with your heart pounding and knees shaking when you pushed the weather a little too hard. I once landed at the curved strip on the cliff with the top 2/3rds in cloud...that was kinda interesting.

After about 2 1/2 years I was given an exemption from needing to be route and strip trained...it was called a CAO 28 exemption. I had probably operated into 50 strips at that point in time and from then on I was completely on my own...I ended up operating into 318 PNG bush strips...we called it the 'licence to be lost and afraid' and it attracted a small pay increment. :}

I think the biggest risk factor in this type of flying is you become used to doing fairly silly things in aeroplanes...over time your fear threshold gets raised so far that the borderline between 'normal stupid' and 'leathally stupid' becomes very fine indeed. You also start looking for challenges to, believe it or not, spice up your life a little...you would not believe what we used to do in aeroplanes when you found yourself in an empty one...it was less often the classic case of "hey watch this" as just alone and testing yourself for no good reason...but occassionally....:E

[mazzy1026]

I am sure it beats the excitement of a 3 kilometre tarmac runway ;)

[Lister Noble]

Chimbu,beautiful pictures, if not a little awe inspiring, and what an interesting flying career you have had.
It would be worth while penning a few lines for a small book if and when you have the time,I wonder if there are any book writing services that would do a book from a series of tapes?
If so that would make it easier and I'm sure there would be a market for the finished article,OK maybe not a massive one but it could provide a small pension?
Pay for old age flying;) ;)
Lister:)

[Chimbu chuckles]

I don't think I will be writing any books....perhaps if I had kept a diary but, not being a girl, I didn't...just the logbooks. The last few days I have pulled out the first few logbooks and have been looking through them...bit of a trip down memory lane...it is amazing how a fairly sterile logbook entry can bring back memories.

I'll take a couple of digital piccies of a typical month's flying so you can see how many sectors we flew each mth in and out of these strips. LOTS.

I am nothing special...there are hundreds of pilots, actually probably thousands, in these places around the world doing exactly this type of flying as you sit reading this. Let alone those who have done this type of flying in their early career down through the generations. Some, perhaps many, would be green with envy at my job now flying 767s long haul but I think a few would be like I was...just having way too much fun to worry about next week, let alone next year...and I envy them.

Edit: I have at least 3 logbooks filled with pages like these.

http://www.fototime.com/{9BDE9EBD-2BB3-4C07-AEAC-E5B5701773CC}/picture.JPG

And a few years later..


http://www.fototime.com/{45D8FCA0-ED79-4C37-BA49-903A3B4E3670}/picture.JPG (http://www.fototime.com/{45D8FCA0-ED79-4C37-BA49-903A3B4E3670}/picture.JPG)

Funny thing is I don't ever remember it feeling like work.

[mazzy1026]

perhaps if I had kept a diary but, not being a girl
Oi :=
;)

Very lucky indeed, and here I am in the office, when the sky is so inviting :{

[Chimbu chuckles]

:} :E :ok:

I have nothing against girls you understand...far from it in fact...am busy raising one Single Pilot:uhoh:

My 17 year old getting ready to depart grandparents last xmas enroute the other set of grandparents.

http://www.fototime.com/{9CBE8DA1-F0F6-40AD-BDC1-C57D1A320AA8}/picture.JPG

[mazzy1026]

I'm not a girl - I just had a bit of a diary on the go once :uhoh:

Nice pic(s) :ok: