VP-1 into the sunset
Join Date: May 2003
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tKF
I'm away for the weekend or would have joined you for the Essex to Kent bit. Are you going Shoebury to Sheerness, or Canvey to St Marys Marsh? The chaps at Southend give a very good FIS and are always very helpful. Its always busy in the South Essex/North Kent area, so do radio them up.
If crossing at Canvey, you can normally see the refinery chimneys/flare stacks from the Blackwater. Easy Nav.
Don't forget to stay clear/above 2000' of Bradwell.
Hope its a good one.
Didn't know Gt Oakley did fuel. Is that something you have arranged?
I'm away for the weekend or would have joined you for the Essex to Kent bit. Are you going Shoebury to Sheerness, or Canvey to St Marys Marsh? The chaps at Southend give a very good FIS and are always very helpful. Its always busy in the South Essex/North Kent area, so do radio them up.
If crossing at Canvey, you can normally see the refinery chimneys/flare stacks from the Blackwater. Easy Nav.
Don't forget to stay clear/above 2000' of Bradwell.
Hope its a good one.
Didn't know Gt Oakley did fuel. Is that something you have arranged?
Join Date: Aug 2000
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He's on the train as I type this!
I really hope that the wx holds for him.
Actually a little bit of trepidation
is creeping in (for me!) - quite a thing for a 17yo who can't actually drive to try and find his way back to Kent via Gt Oakley in an aeroplane that is probably a better bonfire than an aerial conveyance!
Tim at Gt Oakley does keep fuel but I don't know the details.
Tomorrow's wind looks like it it out of the south east so I hope he leaves in plenty time after he has done a circuit or two here.
Stik
I really hope that the wx holds for him.
Actually a little bit of trepidation
is creeping in (for me!) - quite a thing for a 17yo who can't actually drive to try and find his way back to Kent via Gt Oakley in an aeroplane that is probably a better bonfire than an aerial conveyance!Tim at Gt Oakley does keep fuel but I don't know the details.
Tomorrow's wind looks like it it out of the south east so I hope he leaves in plenty time after he has done a circuit or two here.
Stik
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He's serviced the slip ball, replaced the asi with one that reads less than warp factor 3, has had a good look at the a/c with my friendly pfa inspector and has a list of wee tasks to alleviate the boredom that many young men endure on winter nights!
We've looked at the chart, we've gone over the route, salient ground features, get out of trouble scenarios, what-if scenarios and he's now zizzing like a baby.
We are up at 6am and his adventure will begin! The hardest part so far has been convincing him to minimise the effort and make things simple - avoid using the radio, follow the A12, M25 to the QEII bridge then head home. He is going to have enough on his hands in a strange noisy open cockpit aircraft without being distracted by radio agencies and chit-chat!
His north-up map reading is something else that defies logic as is flight planning for 65kts! Pull the power back 100 prm and work at 60kts - make life easy. As for electonic gadgets, well I can say that withthe exception of his Casio wristwatch, all the dials and gauges are engine, static/pitot or magentically driven!
I've an 1100H appointment but intend to make sure that he gets to WP1 - so may just follow at a discreet distance. The speed differential may prove interesting!
Stik
We've looked at the chart, we've gone over the route, salient ground features, get out of trouble scenarios, what-if scenarios and he's now zizzing like a baby.
We are up at 6am and his adventure will begin! The hardest part so far has been convincing him to minimise the effort and make things simple - avoid using the radio, follow the A12, M25 to the QEII bridge then head home. He is going to have enough on his hands in a strange noisy open cockpit aircraft without being distracted by radio agencies and chit-chat!
His north-up map reading is something else that defies logic as is flight planning for 65kts! Pull the power back 100 prm and work at 60kts - make life easy. As for electonic gadgets, well I can say that withthe exception of his Casio wristwatch, all the dials and gauges are engine, static/pitot or magentically driven!
I've an 1100H appointment but intend to make sure that he gets to WP1 - so may just follow at a discreet distance. The speed differential may prove interesting!
Stik
Join Date: Oct 2000
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Ed:
I'll be thinking of you:
Sadly a/c not free Sat or I'd be in for a bit of shepherding.
If it all goes tits up weather wise tomorrow I'm free on Sunday with a/c so will gladly follow you down if you like.
Good luck mate.
Peter
PS Stik: watch that boy.
I'll be thinking of you:
Sadly a/c not free Sat or I'd be in for a bit of shepherding.
If it all goes tits up weather wise tomorrow I'm free on Sunday with a/c so will gladly follow you down if you like.
Good luck mate.
Peter
PS Stik: watch that boy.
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The good news is that tKf is safely home.
I'm sure that he'll post an account of his epic later!
(when he gets back from the pub!!)
S
I'm sure that he'll post an account of his epic later!
(when he gets back from the pub!!)
S
Last edited by stiknruda; 27th Nov 2004 at 18:10.
Where is he? 
Thread Starter
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Hi all.
Yup, I'm home and safe, but flew back by Pitts not VP-1.
Unfortunately on the first take off in the Veep, at about 400' the power dropped suddenly, picked up again and then dropped right down. So sadly I had to put the aircraft down in a field which resulted in a smashed prop, bent u/c legs and a smashed wingtip - the field was a very soft, muddy winter-wheat field.
So quite an interesting (read terrifying) first flight. All in all I'm glad I got down in one piece - the aeroplane can be repaired - for humans it's not quite that easy. Also very proud of myself that in the situation I managed to do what I was trained to do and execute a forced landing - with my very low total time and zilch time in the Veep, as it turned out I don't think it was a bad result considering what happened.
The shock of what actually happened still hasn't totally kicked in - I'm sure it will, and so the next day or so could be interesting.
In time I'll write up more about what happened, but at the moment it's all a bit of a blur.
My infinite thanks to stik for the help before and after the "flight" - from driving to the landing field at warp speed to flying me home in the Pitts later in the day, stik was a mate through and through yesterday - thank you.
tKF
Yup, I'm home and safe, but flew back by Pitts not VP-1.
Unfortunately on the first take off in the Veep, at about 400' the power dropped suddenly, picked up again and then dropped right down. So sadly I had to put the aircraft down in a field which resulted in a smashed prop, bent u/c legs and a smashed wingtip - the field was a very soft, muddy winter-wheat field.
So quite an interesting (read terrifying) first flight. All in all I'm glad I got down in one piece - the aeroplane can be repaired - for humans it's not quite that easy. Also very proud of myself that in the situation I managed to do what I was trained to do and execute a forced landing - with my very low total time and zilch time in the Veep, as it turned out I don't think it was a bad result considering what happened.
The shock of what actually happened still hasn't totally kicked in - I'm sure it will, and so the next day or so could be interesting.
In time I'll write up more about what happened, but at the moment it's all a bit of a blur.
My infinite thanks to stik for the help before and after the "flight" - from driving to the landing field at warp speed to flying me home in the Pitts later in the day, stik was a mate through and through yesterday - thank you.
tKF
High Flying Bird
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Really sorry to hear that, Ed. Such a shame after the build-up you've had. 
BUT, you've now got that first forced landing over and done with. Next time it happens, you'll be that little bit calmer about it.
Stik - You're a good bloke.
BUT, you've now got that first forced landing over and done with. Next time it happens, you'll be that little bit calmer about it.
Stik - You're a good bloke.
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Probably the most expensive private flying!
From take-off to his successful forced landing took Ed just 6 minutes! He chose a big drilled field to put her down and had it not have been so wet, he probably wouldn't have nosed it over but the wheels caught in the sprayer tramlines and she came to rest on her nose.
That's only £25,000/hr!
It is rather sobering recalling some of the things that were said prior to his first flight. I told his mum that the worst that could happen is that if he lost an engine, he'd just glide down! On Friday night Ed and I talked about the flight and I said that the VeePee being such a low energy machine was VERY unlikely to kill him or do him serious damage.
After some vigorous taxy runs up and down the strip....THE FIRST FLIGHT
I stood halfway down the strip as a distance marker - if Ed was not airborne or very close to it by the time that he reached me, he was to abort.
Ed's departure was spirited in a way that only a first flight on type can be - he climbed straight out (in a crazy-flying act
manner) to the giddy altitude of about 500' - he then executed a left turn, he climbed a further hundred feet or so and orbited to the right. At this stage the engine sounded fine but I could see that he was struggling to climb. I spoke to him on the radio and urged him to get a bit higher (Norfolk is thankfully very flat!). He responded that he was having problems climbing. He continued to fly around and I began to realise that a) he might be having BIG problems and b) that he although was just over a mile away - that he might be disoriented. He then dissapeared behind a large plantation and then the engine died.
Feeling utterly sick I ran to the car and heard a very weak call on the radio, "Stik, help me!" I tried to raise him on the handheld but to no avail.
Not knowing exactly where he was - and not knowing how he was, I dialled 999 and asked for the amby service.
(I've lost friends in aircraft crashes and saw two fatal crashes at very close range - one a chum, so I'm really expecting the worst but hoping for the best)
I live in the middle of nowhere and I would expect it to take about 30 mins for them to arrive. I explained my predicament to the operator and drove around for 10 minutes before I found Ed standing by the side of the road. In a straight line Ed was just 2 1/4 miles away from the strip. As he appeared to be fine and rather proudly showed me the very short landing run, I deduced that he'd not suffered any injuries and cx-ed the amby.
What I didn't realise is that as soon as I'd uttered, "light aircraft, forced landing", to the operator that she turned out all the services! So about 20 minutes later, when we'd made a plan to recover the aircraft, enlisted the help of a neighbour with a truck, plod-u-like and the fire service both arrived with blues and twos!
The firemen were great and really ripped the piss from Noddy, errr Ed. The policemen decided to cordon of the crime scene and initially wouldn't believe that baby-face is old enough to fly. They then decided that the aircraft could not be moved until the CAA Air Accident Investigation branch had been out and, "They are probably busy people, Sir, so it might not be until the middle of next week".
I slowly explained that as no-one was injured, that there were no unusual circumstances, that the PIC has 7 days to report the incident. They must have paid heed to this for they radioed "Control" to check the authenticity of this. At this stage there were probably half a dozen cars being held up on this very quiet country lane and the police helicopter was hovering above!
Of the 6 cars - I knew 3 of the drivers including a lady who on seeing the tail T2 behind the fire appliance, said, Oh my Gawd Stik, is Ed alright! I pointed to Ed who was posing with the firecrew as they had their picture taken next to the front of the VeePee! He certainly seems alright, she said!
After about an hour plod got bored and decided that we could remove the offending article from my neighbour's winter wheat field!
The firemen, having nicknamed Ed, the brave teenage flyer, later assessed that he was up for fun, amended it to the "the brave teenage crasher". Ten burly firemen soon had the Veep on board the truck and off we all (recovery truck, firecrew, Ed and I, plod-u-like, the old bill helicopter!) trundled to mine, where the sad little Veep now rests in the hay barn.
After a cuppa, Ed decided that he'd best let his folks know, just in case they'd be interested. He told them he'd be at Manston at 14H00 and could they meet him.
I prepped the bipe and off we went to Manston. I levelled out at 1900', 24 square and turned the controls over to tbtc. "I have control, can I do an aileron roll?" So we basically rolled and looped and flew inverted down to Kent in the warm winter sunshine! Can you show me an avalanche, can I follow you through on a down 45 flick?
The resilience of a seventeen year old is remarkable.
He did a very fine job of choosing a big field and putting her down safely. It is unfortunate that the Veep nosed over at the end of his abbreviated landing roll and suffered a bit of damage but Ed walked away from it. Good instruction, 'cos the trg kicked in, just when he needed it to.
Well done, Edward. Now, no crashing tomorrow during your driving test!
Stik
That's only £25,000/hr!
It is rather sobering recalling some of the things that were said prior to his first flight. I told his mum that the worst that could happen is that if he lost an engine, he'd just glide down! On Friday night Ed and I talked about the flight and I said that the VeePee being such a low energy machine was VERY unlikely to kill him or do him serious damage.
After some vigorous taxy runs up and down the strip....THE FIRST FLIGHT
I stood halfway down the strip as a distance marker - if Ed was not airborne or very close to it by the time that he reached me, he was to abort.
Ed's departure was spirited in a way that only a first flight on type can be - he climbed straight out (in a crazy-flying act
manner) to the giddy altitude of about 500' - he then executed a left turn, he climbed a further hundred feet or so and orbited to the right. At this stage the engine sounded fine but I could see that he was struggling to climb. I spoke to him on the radio and urged him to get a bit higher (Norfolk is thankfully very flat!). He responded that he was having problems climbing. He continued to fly around and I began to realise that a) he might be having BIG problems and b) that he although was just over a mile away - that he might be disoriented. He then dissapeared behind a large plantation and then the engine died.Feeling utterly sick I ran to the car and heard a very weak call on the radio, "Stik, help me!" I tried to raise him on the handheld but to no avail.
Not knowing exactly where he was - and not knowing how he was, I dialled 999 and asked for the amby service.
(I've lost friends in aircraft crashes and saw two fatal crashes at very close range - one a chum, so I'm really expecting the worst but hoping for the best)
I live in the middle of nowhere and I would expect it to take about 30 mins for them to arrive. I explained my predicament to the operator and drove around for 10 minutes before I found Ed standing by the side of the road. In a straight line Ed was just 2 1/4 miles away from the strip. As he appeared to be fine and rather proudly showed me the very short landing run, I deduced that he'd not suffered any injuries and cx-ed the amby.
What I didn't realise is that as soon as I'd uttered, "light aircraft, forced landing", to the operator that she turned out all the services! So about 20 minutes later, when we'd made a plan to recover the aircraft, enlisted the help of a neighbour with a truck, plod-u-like and the fire service both arrived with blues and twos!
The firemen were great and really ripped the piss from Noddy, errr Ed. The policemen decided to cordon of the crime scene and initially wouldn't believe that baby-face is old enough to fly. They then decided that the aircraft could not be moved until the CAA Air Accident Investigation branch had been out and, "They are probably busy people, Sir, so it might not be until the middle of next week".
I slowly explained that as no-one was injured, that there were no unusual circumstances, that the PIC has 7 days to report the incident. They must have paid heed to this for they radioed "Control" to check the authenticity of this. At this stage there were probably half a dozen cars being held up on this very quiet country lane and the police helicopter was hovering above!
Of the 6 cars - I knew 3 of the drivers including a lady who on seeing the tail T2 behind the fire appliance, said, Oh my Gawd Stik, is Ed alright! I pointed to Ed who was posing with the firecrew as they had their picture taken next to the front of the VeePee! He certainly seems alright, she said!
After about an hour plod got bored and decided that we could remove the offending article from my neighbour's winter wheat field!
The firemen, having nicknamed Ed, the brave teenage flyer, later assessed that he was up for fun, amended it to the "the brave teenage crasher". Ten burly firemen soon had the Veep on board the truck and off we all (recovery truck, firecrew, Ed and I, plod-u-like, the old bill helicopter!) trundled to mine, where the sad little Veep now rests in the hay barn.
After a cuppa, Ed decided that he'd best let his folks know, just in case they'd be interested. He told them he'd be at Manston at 14H00 and could they meet him.
I prepped the bipe and off we went to Manston. I levelled out at 1900', 24 square and turned the controls over to tbtc. "I have control, can I do an aileron roll?" So we basically rolled and looped and flew inverted down to Kent in the warm winter sunshine! Can you show me an avalanche, can I follow you through on a down 45 flick?
The resilience of a seventeen year old is remarkable.
He did a very fine job of choosing a big field and putting her down safely. It is unfortunate that the Veep nosed over at the end of his abbreviated landing roll and suffered a bit of damage but Ed walked away from it. Good instruction, 'cos the trg kicked in, just when he needed it to.
Well done, Edward. Now, no crashing tomorrow during your driving test!
Stik
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Bloody hell Ed!!
What a maiden voyage that was.
Careful how you go after your experience. My similar happening was four months ago now and I still think about it more than I would like to.
Glad you're ok.
M
What a maiden voyage that was.
Careful how you go after your experience. My similar happening was four months ago now and I still think about it more than I would like to.
Glad you're ok.
M
Grandpa Aerotart
Well done lad....another 4 and you will have caught up to me....ok 2 were in twins and one in a 4 engined jet 
... however as my old and (once) bold Dad said many moons ago after my first..."One must maintain a sense of humour about such things"
... however as my old and (once) bold Dad said many moons ago after my first..."One must maintain a sense of humour about such things"
The Original Whirly
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Well done Ed.
I'm seriously impressed (and relieved!) that you handled it so well. Shame about the aircraft, but as you say. it's replaceable, and you're not.
I'm seriously impressed (and relieved!) that you handled it so well. Shame about the aircraft, but as you say. it's replaceable, and you're not.