Free landings at Manch!!
 

We were due to Chippy down to Old Wardon today, but the weather this morning looked a tad unpromising; overcast at 4K (that's OK), but some lumpy low stuff at about 1000 feet. And the forecast was for a front moving down from NW later, possibly much later, but since we wouldn't get away from OW 'till around 6pm we decided not to risk it.

We were wondering what to do with our Chippy booking when someone mentioned that Manchester International were celebrating 100 years of flight. They had various attractions at the aviation viewing park adjacent to 24R, and were requesting any unusual or historic aircraft to fly in, free of charge, and park on the grass adjacent to the viewing park. Now normally Manch charges an arm and a leg in landing, parking, and handling charges, so consequently it is many years since I flew into there (used to do it a lot in the old days).

So we got ourselves a slot with air traffic, and launched (even the fact that our xponder is u/s didn't put them off!). A short hold at Sale Water Park, then onto a 2-mile final (staying high to avoid wake turbulence from the preceding biggie) and having been asked to land long 'for the photographers' we flew down 24R past a couple 75s and a Virgin 74 waiting to cross to 25L for departure. Lovely tyre-squeak 3-point landing up near the viewing park, and a 'follow me' to the grass. We were whisked around through the security gate in an airport 'people carrier' to the park itself, given 'aircrew' nametags and a free stopwatch, a cup of tea, and a Mars bar. Then we spent some time looking at the exhibits (including the Avro RJX, the last airliner built in UK, out of the Woodford factory and straight into retirement), a glider from Camphill, a Venom nose section, and lots of other stuff. Came time to go, we were whisked airside again, and shortly after departed for the hop back to Barton, 24R, early right turn.

This afternoon, I did it again, with someone else in the back seat (Manch won't do this often, if ever again, so I thought I'd grab it while it's going!). This time, as we taxied out for the return, we held on a taxiway to allow a Lufthansa Canadair to pass. "Very nice aeroplane, Sierra Lima", came the Teutonic voice from the Canadair. "So is yours", I replied (it was - but he didn't own his!). I'd managed to blag a departure of the new runway, 24L. The clearance had been originally for 24R .

Altogether an unusual and interesting day.

And yesterday I flew a 150HP Citabria for a bit, and chased a steam train. Two locos working hard, the white/range glow from the fireboxes clearly visible from above. So we did a strafing run (not too low, of course), and gave them a wing-rock!

Ah well. Work tomorrow :~(

SSD

Some people have too much fun! I've been groundbound for a month :(

PFA Rally Friday :)

I too heard of the free landings game on Saturday morning via text on me moby.

So we jollied off on Saturday pm and got the VIP treatment in the Citabria - absolute greaser of a landing if I say so myself - I was sweating cobs at the thought of groundlooping and showing myself up to the hordes at Manch but all was well.

Got excellent views of the BBMF flypast and the Junkers 52 arrival.

Then got another slot and did it all over again on Sunday (including the greaser!).

Both times I had just a bare 2-3 minutes wait at Sale Water Park. Barrelling down the approach to 24R at 130 mph was lots of fun albeit a bit nervous of being caught in wake vortex or nudged from behind by a 767.

And Sunday evening, I put the Citabria to bed at her new home in the NW - Liverpool airport, in the Keenair hangar. Hopefully she will shortly be available for considerate taildragger pilots to hire, so a decent tailwheel/entry level aerobatics/strip flying machine is at last around in the NW !!! That is, if you can stop me flying her. She is a beaut
:p :p :p :ok:

It was Poet's Citabria I flew on Saturday, when I went train spotting. She certainly is a beaut - a very smart, very clean aeroplane with lots of 'go'.

Unfortunatly, the cr*p weather precluded aeros, but hopefully I'll rectify that before too long.

For anyone within reasonable distance of Liverpool, I can recommend a fly in her. Just a pity the commitee at Barton inexplicably turned her down when she was offered to them (obviously not a TAP among them). But Barton's loss is Liverpool's gain.

SSD