Expo 2014 Sywell
Thread Starter
Expo 2014 Sywell
For those of you who are flying in to Sywell for the Expo Fri/Sat/Sun, you will have noticed that arrivals are 1 -2 every minute. This can be just as dangerous as flying in the Battle of Britain. Mortality then was not too good. So can I ask you to:
1. Stick to your slot time.
2. Keep you eyes wide open.
3. Look with your ears. You know what this means.
4. Do not land on the numbers, then taxy all the way up the runway at 5 knots.
5. Be aware of what is behind you and be considerate.
6. Follow the instructions given in the NOTAM.
7. Above all, have Situational Awareness.
8. If you have to go-around due to someone not doing the above, then follow the rules above, yet again.
If we all do the above, hopefully will not be any tears. Or Air Rage.
Enjoy. See you there?
1. Stick to your slot time.
2. Keep you eyes wide open.
3. Look with your ears. You know what this means.
4. Do not land on the numbers, then taxy all the way up the runway at 5 knots.
5. Be aware of what is behind you and be considerate.
6. Follow the instructions given in the NOTAM.
7. Above all, have Situational Awareness.
8. If you have to go-around due to someone not doing the above, then follow the rules above, yet again.
If we all do the above, hopefully will not be any tears. Or Air Rage.
Enjoy. See you there?
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.. and please, if you have a slow performance aircraft, like the gyrocopter that got in front of us last year, don't cut in on a shortened circuit.
My pilot was so shaken up by the arrival from the Pitford hold that he was a nervous wreck on finals, made worse by the gyrocopter struggling to keep a decent speed on approach.
If I had been driving I would have gone round, but he was in overload.
My pilot was so shaken up by the arrival from the Pitford hold that he was a nervous wreck on finals, made worse by the gyrocopter struggling to keep a decent speed on approach.
If I had been driving I would have gone round, but he was in overload.
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.... and please don't post on forums afterwards about how your arrival was perfect but everyone else was too fast / slow / flew too large / small a circuit etc.
Always remember that you won't have seen the aircraft that you carved up on the way in!
Always remember that you won't have seen the aircraft that you carved up on the way in!
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If those concerns are real, then I know where NOT to fly.
I've happily been into many events where the skies are full in the circuit. My only problem with Sywell is that the instructions are massive and lots of people don't bother to read them.
I really don't like the Pitsford hold. It's worse than an OHJ and very difficult to spot traffic. The only radio call is on finals so you don't build up much of a picture of what's about.
Faster aircraft are mixing it with slower as they stream to the same finals position and only then do you know if the aircraft in front or alongside is positioning for the grass or the hard.
It's a real test for the Mk1 Eyeball!
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I have a slot for Saturday but am having second thoughts now...
Ah yes, this sounds reminiscent of the LAA rally, I suspect the joining
procedure is the same.
On the 3 occasions I've flown into the rally, 95% of those attending adhered to the joining procedure, its the bloody 5% who don't, you need to worry about, the mavericks who just do their own thing regardless!
And yes, I'd include myself in the former. Good luck
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I would ask is that folk who can approach v slowly maintain a reasonable speed until short finals and either land long if on hard or clear the runway as soon as safe if on grass.
Thread Starter
After last year's problems, I spoke to ATC who stated that they would not condone any other RT call than finals. Of course this means that, especially in less than perfect viz, one has no idea where other aircraft are. Add to this the problem of pilots not following the same approach path from the hold, arriving at the wrong time or worse still, arriving without a slot, not having read the NOTAM (that happened) and/or flying variable speeds (the one ahead of me was flying at 50 knots, my VAT is 65 its) was a recipe for problems.
95 % of us are professional, but it only needs one crow to scatter the pigeons.
Keep you eyes open.
95 % of us are professional, but it only needs one crow to scatter the pigeons.
Keep you eyes open.
Jeez, there are some doom merchants on this thread.
Yes, the skies are busy, and yes, some don't comply with the procedures.
Hasn't stopped me and thousands of other pilots flying in sucessfully each and every year though.
I'll be flying in on Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.
Yes, the skies are busy, and yes, some don't comply with the procedures.
Hasn't stopped me and thousands of other pilots flying in sucessfully each and every year though.
I'll be flying in on Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.
Thread Starter
Mariner 9, if you think fore-warned is not fore-armed then continue to fly with your head in the clouds 
I well believe in the phrase 'There are no old, bold pilots'. Just a little advice from someone who is old, has 10,000 hrs + under his belt, who has survived being shot at by SAMs, crashed, went solo in 1959, has flown everything from Chippies to Fast Jets, (with a few 4-engined airliners thrown in for good measure), might have something to say and something that the 100 hr PPL pilot might consider.
If just one inexperienced pilot reads my initial comment, thinks a little, then avoids hitting another this weekend, then personally I have achieved what I set out to do.
Obviously you don't need my advice, but possibly some do.
I well believe in the phrase 'There are no old, bold pilots'. Just a little advice from someone who is old, has 10,000 hrs + under his belt, who has survived being shot at by SAMs, crashed, went solo in 1959, has flown everything from Chippies to Fast Jets, (with a few 4-engined airliners thrown in for good measure), might have something to say and something that the 100 hr PPL pilot might consider.
If just one inexperienced pilot reads my initial comment, thinks a little, then avoids hitting another this weekend, then personally I have achieved what I set out to do.
Obviously you don't need my advice, but possibly some do.
From the Sywell email confirming your slot:
The slot system is intended to promote a smooth distribution of
traffic throughout the day; if you miss your slot e.g. due to a
weather delay, do not worry - [you] will not be turned away.
traffic throughout the day; if you miss your slot e.g. due to a
weather delay, do not worry - [you] will not be turned away.
Also, when you do read and digest the procedure you'll see it's actually very straightforward. The length of the doc is mostly due to the need to provide background context, and the need to cater for different wind directions to 2 runways in simultaneous use.
There's too much scaremongering in this thread, IMO.
It would be worse, not better, if everybody was calling at multiple points around the hold and the approach.
Oshkosh manages many times more aircraft every year with a similar technique - why can't we? (A: We can).
Have fun, stay safe, follow the procedure accurately, see you there.
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I suspect that flying into the Popham microlight fair provides more useful experience for a safe arrival at Sywell than flying fast jets, airliners and attracting missiles.
then continue to fly with your head in the clouds
As for Aeroexpo - No need to be a sky god to fly in safely, read and comply with the procedures, and keep a good lookout is all that's needed IMHO
Further to above: A very switched-on lady elsewhere once summarised the procedure (for the LAA Rally, but much the same here) as:
Yes, there's more to it than that, but not much and that's the essence. The instructions aren't "massive" if you digest them.
Originally Posted by leiafee. DO NOT USE FOR PLANNING PURPOSES!
1. Fly to Pitsford reservoir.
2. Fly round it in a square until you see a sensible gap between you and the aircraft heading off in front of you.
3. Join on a sort of massively extended left base if it's 03 or a wide-ish right downwind if it's 21.
4. Keep your gob shut unless you're on final or on fire.
5. Park where the blokes in orange tell you to.
2. Fly round it in a square until you see a sensible gap between you and the aircraft heading off in front of you.
3. Join on a sort of massively extended left base if it's 03 or a wide-ish right downwind if it's 21.
4. Keep your gob shut unless you're on final or on fire.
5. Park where the blokes in orange tell you to.
Fly round it in a square
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Quote:
Fly round it in a square
Hm. Perhaps my mind is too straightforward for some certain environments, but could someone kindly explain how to fly ROUND in a SQUARE? This is one subject my poor little pilot's syllabus did not cover.
Fly round it in a square
Hm. Perhaps my mind is too straightforward for some certain environments, but could someone kindly explain how to fly ROUND in a SQUARE? This is one subject my poor little pilot's syllabus did not cover.
Try "fly around it in a square".