View Full Version : If you were a betting man...
Lawyerboy
27th May 2002, 16:09
OK.
It's 5pm in the afternoon, CBs and rainshowers all over the place, and tomorrow morning at 9am you're planning on doing a cross country nav from Stapleford to Northampton Sywell to Cambridge and back.
The low level chart for today shows a warm front heading in from the West. The pressure seems to be slowly, if temporarily, rising.
If you were a betting man (or woman), what you would say your chances were?
AerBabe
27th May 2002, 17:48
Dunno... but I'm hoping to pop over to Sywell later this week, so if you don't do it tomorrow we could meet up for an orange juice :)
Now, ain't that a good reason for the wx to be ***** for you? :D
slim_slag
27th May 2002, 17:51
In these circumstances, if there is a question, there is no question.
Lawyerboy
27th May 2002, 17:56
AerBabe - suddenly I'm hoping for a downpour...
distaff_beancounter
27th May 2002, 18:05
Well, I am a betting woman (occasionally).
Sorry, but I would give you odds of about 10:1 against
But, on the other hand, I am an eternal optimist, so I would probably go to the airfield, & hope that the weather is better than forecast.
Looking at the forecasts, I would guess it will be as follows:-
Wait around until about 0900 to 1000Z for mist to clear.
Get airborne ASAP, before the fairly solid 6-8/8 cloud arrives at around lunchtime.
Wait at Sywell or Cambridge, till mid afternoon, when hopefully the cloud should have thined out, to enable a quick dash home.
Stapleford, Sywell & Cambridge all have a choice of runways, but even so check cross-wind limits, as the 18 hour TAF (for Stanstead) gives:-
TEMPO 1217 17016G26KT
OR ..... wait till the weekend, when the weather is forecast to be much better.
BUT ... of course, it won't be, 'cos its a Bank Holiday! :D
Happy & Safe Flying :)
Lawyerboy
27th May 2002, 18:15
I'm supposed to be doing my QXC on Sunday, so it probably will be a complete washout. Typical - I wait for months to get a week off work, stuck in the office through blue skies and calm winds, and then when I eventually do get some time off the clouds gather, the wind picks up, rain pours and my spirits fall....
Still, I think I'll join you in being an eternal optimist and go up to the airfield anyway. At worst I'll get a cup of tea and a day off work.
distaff_beancounter
27th May 2002, 21:26
Lawyerboy, don't give up.
The weather REALLY is forecast to improve over the next few days!
If you have got the week off, then you should be able to get a nav practice in before the weekend, & perhaps still have a go at the QXC on Sunday. :)
Lawyerboy
28th May 2002, 09:22
LONDON/STANSTED EGSS 28/07-16Z 17010KT 9999 SCT020 BKN040 TEMPO 0708 9000 BKN012 BECMG 0912 7000 -RA TEMPO 1116 17017G27KT 4000 RA BKN012=
Humbug. Try again tomorrow...
So ... any more luck?
Best of luck with the QXC when it does happen :)
In Altissimus
29th May 2002, 17:02
Sorry LB,
I booked 2 XC's this week (Weds & Thurs mornings), so it's bound to either snow, sleet or thunder...
Florida is looking more attractive by the week :(
Over 50 hours now, hardly any solo, school sold old training fleet after 30 hours so had to convert, weather, work, weather, grumble, grumble.
Lawyerboy
29th May 2002, 17:32
Man after my own heart, Bloke. 50 hours plus, just over 4 solo, since 1996. Same old story, work, weather, money, weather, work, etc :rolleyes:
Thank you, Evo7, and no, no more luck at all. 18G26KT put me right off the idea today, so next flight will probably be on Sunday. At this rate I should probably take up an alternative career as a weatherman: I just let you know when I'm planning on flying and you know it's time to get your brolleys out...
Weather's terrible, isn't it? I've been booked in for two hours a week since Feb and have logged less than two hours a month. :eek: :( :(
Today - well 24020G30KT, but at least it was straight down a runway so I got to fly circuits. Made for an 'interesting' glide approach though... :)
AerBabe
29th May 2002, 18:16
Yeah... pretty ***** :( I've not flown at all this month - longest I've been grounded since I started learning.
Friday looks promising though, so I'm off for lunch at Sywell! Woohoooo!!! Need to practise bouncing down grass strips before I take Velvet to Popham.... :o
Lawyerboy
29th May 2002, 18:21
Don't suppose you'll be anywhere near Sywell on Sunday, will you AerBabe??
AerBabe
29th May 2002, 19:00
No, going to climb some mountains in Wales for a few days... Sorry. :( :(