January 2011
January was well advanced before I logged any flight time in 2011. The first visit of the new year to Blackpool resulted in an hour in the Cirrus SR20, just getting some handling practise in after all the bad weather we've been having. I was intending to fly the Twinstar as well but fog rolled in over the airfield and stopped that. It was very strange to see fog and low cloud surrounding the airfield, but the area to the East of the field clear. I kept a close watch on the conditions before returning to land and taxi in for lunch.
Steve landed after an hour of circuits in the Twinstar to report the fog was coming in and sure enough within half an hour it finished the day's flying. On my way out of the airport on the dual carriageway I was amazed to see unlimited visibilty and no clouds. That's British weather and sea fog for you!
Two days later I was back at Blackpool and flew the Twinstar up to Ulveston and Windermere Lake before returning via Walney Island to a radar vectored ILS to runway 28. The ILS a bit ropey but within limits!
The follwing Friday I managed an hour in our Piper Arrow, the first time I had flown it since late July 2010. It was like meeting up with an old friend as I flew her up over Blackpool, Fleetwood, Lancaster and Preston before returning to land on runway 09 at Barton.
The following day I met Steve and Mike at Barton to fly both the Enstrom turbine helicopter and the Twinstar. We departed for Blackpool with Steve at the controls for an uneventful flight, landing at Blackpool about half an hour later. The Twinstar was iced up so it took a while to clean it up and preflight it before Steve jumped in the back and Mike took his place beside me. We were near maximum weight as we taxied to the start of runway 10 for the departure. The Twinstar took it in its stride with a rate of climb over 1000 feet per minute. I gave Mike the controls and he levelled us at 5000 feet before I talked him through a climb to 6000 and then step descents down to 3000 on the way back to Blackpool. He did very well and would have no trouble with a fixed wing multi rating. Once again, I was over Coniston and Windermere Lakes and Walney Island. I took back the controls near the Tall Tower and pulled off a great landing. Another hour of multi engine time for the log book.
Mike then fired up the turbine on the Enstrom and we set off for Barton with me getting a bit of "hands on" time as he talked me through climbing and descending the chopper. It was not easy but I seemed to do ok and Mike expressed his approval of my efforts. He tries to get me to do a helicopter licence and I try to get him into the twin flying, all good fun.
Here is a video as Mike flys us out of Blackpool for Barton.
Thirty minutes later we were back at Barton having a coffee and discussing our next flight. That was supposed to be today (February 5th) but high winds and low cloud and rain stopped it.
My next planned flight is to renew my multi rating and IMC rating in one flight on February 17th in an aircraft I have not flown before, a Piper Seneca. That could be interesting. More next month.
Steve landed after an hour of circuits in the Twinstar to report the fog was coming in and sure enough within half an hour it finished the day's flying. On my way out of the airport on the dual carriageway I was amazed to see unlimited visibilty and no clouds. That's British weather and sea fog for you!
Two days later I was back at Blackpool and flew the Twinstar up to Ulveston and Windermere Lake before returning via Walney Island to a radar vectored ILS to runway 28. The ILS a bit ropey but within limits!
The follwing Friday I managed an hour in our Piper Arrow, the first time I had flown it since late July 2010. It was like meeting up with an old friend as I flew her up over Blackpool, Fleetwood, Lancaster and Preston before returning to land on runway 09 at Barton.
The following day I met Steve and Mike at Barton to fly both the Enstrom turbine helicopter and the Twinstar. We departed for Blackpool with Steve at the controls for an uneventful flight, landing at Blackpool about half an hour later. The Twinstar was iced up so it took a while to clean it up and preflight it before Steve jumped in the back and Mike took his place beside me. We were near maximum weight as we taxied to the start of runway 10 for the departure. The Twinstar took it in its stride with a rate of climb over 1000 feet per minute. I gave Mike the controls and he levelled us at 5000 feet before I talked him through a climb to 6000 and then step descents down to 3000 on the way back to Blackpool. He did very well and would have no trouble with a fixed wing multi rating. Once again, I was over Coniston and Windermere Lakes and Walney Island. I took back the controls near the Tall Tower and pulled off a great landing. Another hour of multi engine time for the log book.
Mike then fired up the turbine on the Enstrom and we set off for Barton with me getting a bit of "hands on" time as he talked me through climbing and descending the chopper. It was not easy but I seemed to do ok and Mike expressed his approval of my efforts. He tries to get me to do a helicopter licence and I try to get him into the twin flying, all good fun.
Here is a video as Mike flys us out of Blackpool for Barton.
Thirty minutes later we were back at Barton having a coffee and discussing our next flight. That was supposed to be today (February 5th) but high winds and low cloud and rain stopped it.
My next planned flight is to renew my multi rating and IMC rating in one flight on February 17th in an aircraft I have not flown before, a Piper Seneca. That could be interesting. More next month.
posted by David M at 6:27 PM
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