After months of being on terra-firma, we finally made it back in the air. It had been so long since our last flight, that Will had had to go out with an instructor again. Due to us being unavailable, Charlie being unavailable, the wrong type of weather or maintenance issues, Will hadn’t been able to do the three take-offs and landings in 90 days that are required by law, so before he could take Charlie up again, he needed to prove that he was competent to do so.
A few days after that important tick in the box, we were on our way to Shobdon. Just a short trip there and back. I’d only been to Shobdon once before, on the first ever trip in Charlie with Will as pilot. At that point everything seemed so rushed and we hardly had any time on the ground before having to head back. This time around we knew what we were doing and had planned for the inevitable delays (such as catching-up with people we hadn’t seen for ages).
As we were nearing Shobdon, Will asked for clearance to do a touch-and-go which went perfectly, after which we still had plenty of time to sit outside the airport’s Hotspur Cafe and enjoy a leisurely coffee. It was obviously a stopping point for bikers too – nearly every table, inside and out, was occupied by people in leathers enjoying a late breakfast, while motorbikes of every make and size were lined up just beyond the fence.
The airfield was also busy with gliders with a constant flow of take-offs and tows. More gliders were parked up near the top of the runway surrounded by people presumably waiting to go up.
Someone had booked Charlie after us so we needed to get him back to the hangar by early afternoon. Due to the proximity of the gliders, we had to stop short of the normal holding point to do the pre-flight checks.
As far as I’m concerned Will can take as long as he likes going through the checklist. These are obviously critical and ensure that the aircraft is in a fit state to fly. The first checks are done before the engine is even started. Once the engine’s on there are more checks, after which permission is sought to enter the taxiway. At the holding point near the entrance to the runway, more checks are done and then, if conditions are safe, permission is given to enter the runway. Inevitably there are times when you have to wait for other aircraft to land or you end up in a queue so it can take quite a while from getting into your seat to the wheels finally leaving the tarmac (or grass). And that’s without getting any fuel!
Anyway, back to the flight….. We cruised most of the way to Shobdon at around 3,500 ft over the mountains, and slightly lower coming back. Visibility was excellent and the weather was calm most of the time. However, there were some areas of turbulence which caused a few bumpy moments and at one point as we started to descend towards home, there was a sudden drop – the type where your tummy feels like it’s been left behind!
It’s not unusual at our home airport to have to hang back or stay in the circuit as it gets so busy, but that day it was surprisingly quiet and we were able to go straight in.
Charlie is again off-duty having an avionics upgrade after which he’ll be due for his next service so it’ll be a little while before we can get up again, but now that summer’s well and truly here we’re hoping there’ll be plenty of opportunities once he’s back.
A Pilot's Companion 