Note to self: If we book Charlie out for first thing in the morning allow an extra half hour, and if fuel is needed at the destination airport allow yet more time.
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The drive to the airport on a quiet Sunday morning couldn’t have gone any smoother. We were there with 1.5 hours to spare as planned – enough time for last minute paperwork, a quick chat with anyone else who happened to be around (in this case, one person), aircraft checks, refuelling and any delays at the holding point. What we hadn’t banked on was that, at that time of the morning, the hangar hadn’t yet been opened and Charlie was right at the back with four aircraft to be towed out onto the apron before we could get a clear thoroughfare. It took a surprisingly long time to manoeuvre everything out of the way, especially the plane which insisted on braking every time we tried to turn it more than 10 degrees to right or left.
Wheels up eventually at 10.30, and we were on our way – after an apology to the friends we were due to meet at Shoreham Airport that we’d be half an hour late. Refuelling when we got there and then trying to get from airside to landside with the Covid one-way system and a ‘hidden’ exit gate added another half an hour, but luckily we were quickly forgiven for our lateness and lunch at The Hummingbird beckoned.
It had been a lovely flight across, especially as we’d had permission to go through controlled air space which allowed us to cross the channel to the Isle of Wight, before turning back towards the South Coast passing Hayling Island, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton before joining the circuit just south of Lancing College. As a prominent landmark for the airport, we had seen the college chapel from afar, towering over the surrounding South Downs and well-deserving of its title as the largest school chapel in the world. Shoreham Airport itself is also a record-breaker being the oldest airport in the UK and the oldest purpose-built commercial airport in the world still in operation. Anyone who knows their airports will immediately recognise the distinctive Art Deco terminal building, built in 1936 and designated a Grade II listed building around 50 years later.
For such a popular airport, Shoreham – or to give it its official name, Brighton City Airport – was surprisingly low on number of aircraft parked up and there were quite a few empty tables at the airport’s Hummingbird Restaurant too. With the sun shining and hardly a cloud in the sky, we had expected it to be rammed but we easily managed to nab premium seats overlooking the apron and runway. The skies hadn’t been too busy either considering it was perfect flying weather and a weekend day. Then it dawned on us – Euro 2020 and England were playing!
For the first time since flying Charlie, we actually had enough time for a leisurely lunch and a good catch-up before heading back. We took a more direct route home and were back at the airport well before closing, finishing the day in a reverse of the start, putting Charlie back in the hangar followed by the other four we’d towed out earlier. I don’t think any of them had moved all day.
A Pilot's Companion 