IMC practice to Coventry

Rusty IMC skills My IMC skills were getting a bit rusty through lack of use, and I’d been discussing with a couple of other club pilots the possibility of an IMC practice session. The idea being mainly to focus on instrument approach procedures rather than anything else. With a day in lieu owed to me after a period of intensive business travel, the opportunity came up to share a session

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Going to Sleap

I think it’s pronounced “Slape” rather than “Sleep”, but the residents of this airfield seem to be happy with any of these variants. It’s the home of the Shropshire Aero Club and located just west of Shrewsbury on the Welsh/English border. It has been on my list of places to visit, and my last attempt to get there was unsuccessful due to low cloud. Keeping Current It had been a

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Two aircraft landaway to Compton Abbas

Wet weather all week The weather has really been playing up the last few weeks. Bank holiday Monday had been my plan for a good day out with the family, but heavy downpours were forecast. Other commitments meant I was late in booking an aircraft for the previous day (Sunday) afternoon instead. With two aircraft out for maintenance, I took the only 2 hour slot available in the afternoon. A

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Solo Arrow landaway to Perranporth

A longer trip With the weather being much better today than yesterday, I hoped to make the most of it. I was fortunate to be allowed another afternoon away from the family, and with summer time having come into force the previous week, sunset was now almost 8pm. With the 130knot cruising speed of the Arrow, this meant that an afternoon’s flight puts many more destinations within reach. The plan

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Diversion to Gloucester in the Arrow

Should I or Shouldn’t I The forecast wasn’t looking great today, but I had the full day available for a flight and wanted to make the most of it. In retrospect, it would have been better to have rescheduled for a different day but it did give me more exposure to what it’s like when the cloudbase drops and you have to make a diversion. If this happens with passengers

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Local landaway at Enstone and Membury

Weather limiting range It was one of those days where the weather was due to be adequate, but troughs were coming through that would bring heavy localised rain showers. I had been looking ahead at the weather forecast and almost written off any flights today, but the latest forecast looked more promising. I had discussed sharing a flight with Andy, but he was taken ill and unable to fly. All

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Solo Navex to beat the snow

Almost snowed off I’d arranged to fly in one of the club Warriors from Kemble with Andy today, with the intention of practicing some IMC approaches. Looking at the forecast, it didn’t look like we could make a full day of it – snow was expected to arrive after lunchtime – so the best that we thought we could do was a short “local” flight around the area. Andy wasn’t

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Gamston and back

Flying during the working week I had a day off in lieu due to me because of working the previous weekend, so with an eye on the weather forecast arranged to take it at short notice. With all three of the club PA28 aircraft either being booked or away for servicing, the only choice left to me was the smaller Robin HR200. I’d completed the differences training on it back

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Pansghanger, North London

A trip to North London Andy and I had discussed flying again together this weekend, but this time he’d take his family in the Arrow while I would fly to the same destination in the Warrior – a sort of “mini-club-flyout” if you like. I was actually quite keen to fly both legs if possible, to continue to increase my hours towards the 100 PIC that I need to be

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Old Buckenham at 140 knots

A solo flight from Kemble to/from Old Buckenham (near Norwich) in a club PA28. Windy indeed Winds aloft were forecast at 30-40 knots but surface winds were a more reasonable 10-15, and straight down the runway too. The weather forecast for the weekend had looked dubious all week, and I’d not expected to be able to do much today. I hadn’t arranged to share a flight with another pilot or

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