A Short Local Flight

Sunday April 15^th looked to be developing into a good flying day. At 8am the visibility was superb with a scattering of clouds above 3000 feet and a northerly wind that was forecast to reach a speed around 10 kts as the morning progressed.

I arrived at Barton a little after 9am with a plan to nip off for a short local flight before meeting up with some friends in the Airport Lodge. The Cessna was parked in its usual position next to a Yak and I unlocked the door, climbed in, and looked at the technical log from the previous flights. After deciding to add 40 litres of fuel, I undid the tie downs securing the wings, removed the pitot cover, and set about the pre-flight checks.

Although the day was very nice, there was not much activity, with only two or three other people preparing for flight. Pre-start checks revealed the stand-by battery was only just within acceptable limits. The procedure involves holding a switch down and checking that a light stays on for twenty seconds. In past checks, the light would stay on well over that time, but today it faded out exactly on twenty seconds. With the engine running, I called Barton Information on 120.25 mhz for taxi approval to pick up the fuel needed.

The wind for take off was reported as 350/11kts and I lined up on runway 27 Left. This was as good as a full crosswind departure, so I applied full right aileron to prevent the wing from rising during the take off roll. I think there was an element of tail wind in the mix as the Cessna lifted off and I accelerated to 60 kts to climb away. Shortly after I heard another aircraft asking about the wind ATC were reporting, as it looked different on one of the windsocks.

As I levelled at 1800 feet and turned to track to the POL VOR, ATC changed the runway in use to 02. The visibility was almost endless but the air was quite turbulent, from the high ground ahead, no doubt. I climbed to 3000 feet when I had cleared the Manchester lower level TMA and leaned the fuel flow to the usual 8 usg per hour. After POL I headed off to Winter Hill, where the top of the mast there is over 2500 feet above sea level. I descended to 1800 feet north of Bolton FC’s Reebok Stadium and turned towards Barton.

There is a large indoor skiing ramp called the Chill Factor near the airfield and it’s a great landmark on sunny days as the light reflections make it visible for miles. There was very little traffic as I positioned overhead the airfield and turned the aircraft into downwind left hand runway for runway 02. A smooth landing was made before the “Barton Bump” sent me up a few feet in the air, but raising the nose slightly cushioned the final touchdown. I taxied back to the parking position and secured the aircraft about fifty minutes after I had left. Surprisingly, no-one else had the plane booked for the rest of the day and it was only just after 11am.

Later I met some friends for a drink and although invited to head off for lunch in a MD500 helicopter, I had to decline due to an afternoon that held other activities. I’ll close this time with a photo of Steve’s new helicopter, the one that was used in the American TV series “Magnum”. Remember that one? It certainly looks appealing. Once again, it was hinted that I should get a rotary licence and join their group. Once again I was tempted. How long can I keep saying no?

Twinstar at North Weald

I completed my multi engine renewal at Blackpool on the Thursday and had fixed up a flight in a Diamond DA42 Twinstar for the Saturday morning. Since the Blackpool Twinstar went out of service last August, I have only flown that type on one occasion, (see post: Diamond Twinstar at Gamston (part two) in the archive) and I have missed it greatly.

Trying to find a locally based Twinstar has proved almost impossible, in fact the only one fairly near to me is at Gamston, in Nottinghamshire. This is available to hire, but you have to have an approved instructor on board at all times, so it’s useless for going anywhere in practical terms.

There is a Twinstar available at North Weald in Essex and it was this one I had arranged to fly alongside its owner, Sue, with a view to hiring it for a few flights over the summer. Of course this is a bit silly as it’s based about 170 flying miles from Barton. However, I thought I’d give it a go anyway and see if it could work out.

I did not fancy flying down to Essex, on to the Twinstar and then back to Barton in one day so I booked a room at a hotel in Harlow for the Friday night. Having already flown to North Weald less than a week ago, I was confident of that leg and planned to follow the same route again. I arrived at Barton late on Friday morning, giving the cloud base a chance to rise from the 900 feet it started at earlier. By around 1pm the base was up to 1200 feet, not great but good enough to go. The en route forecasts looked slightly better and so I set off. I had full fuel on board and although the visibility varied from 5km to 7km, I was able to cruise at 1400 feet on the way down, staying just under the cloud base. A radar service from East Midlands and Farnborough helped and there was not too much traffic around, probably due to the conditions.

The cloud base rose as I approached Halton, but here the visibility fell to around 2000 metres for a few miles, and only improved to 5km as I approached the BOV VOR. The tail wind helped my groundspeed and I was soon parked up at North Weald having a coffee and waiting for a taxi to the hotel.

I enjoyed the pool, steam room and jacuzzi in the hotel Friday afternoon and was well rested when Sue picked me up around 8:30am on the Saturday morning. We drove to the airfield where the Twinstar was parked up, fully fuelled and ready to go. This model has two litre engines and an integrated GFC 700 autopilot, along with other nice touches including electric rudder pedal adjusters and very nice seats.

The flight was a familiarisation sortie for me to show Sue I could fly her aeroplane safely, and for that we planned to head over to Manston for an ILS approach and go around, before returning to North Weald, where the plane was then needed for a trip to Paris.

Settling into the left hand seat I soon felt at ease as my 80 hours or so on Twinstars saw me confidently completing the checks ready for departure. I flew us off the runway into a downwind left hand on runway 02 before heading off towards the Detling VOR and Manston. The visibility was good but we were in and out of the clouds at 2300 feet, remaining below the 2500 feet base of the London TMA. Sue demonstrated the autopilot and it looked and performed very well. I had watched a you-tube video on the GFC 700 and this was helpful as I knew how to operate the functions.

Farnborough Radar East gave us a traffic service before Manston vectored us onto a downwind ILS on runway 28. It had been a while since I had done an ILS and it wasn’t helped by Manston vectoring me onto final too late as we went through and back on to the localiser. Still, I managed to get established and flew down to about 350 feet before going around and heading back to North Weald. Two circuits and we taxied in to park up where we started. Sue was happy and so was I.

So this Twinstar is now available for me to hire, the only problem is its distance from where I am in the North of England. After lunch I jumped in the Cessna and headed back to Barton in much better weather than I had the day before on the journey down.

I’m current again in Twinstar, Seneca, C172SP and PA28 Arrow. If only the Twinstar was closer to home I would be well fixed up for the summer. Still, I have a lot to be thankful for as I passed the 30^th anniversary of my first flying lesson last Tuesday, April 3^rd.

Here’s to year thirty one in my flying “career”!

Lovely "Office" of the DA42 Twinstar

On the apron at North Weald

Multi Engine Renewal in Seneca 1

Every twelve months my rating to fly multi engine aeroplanes has to be renewed by a flight test with an examiner. This year, as last, I arranged to do this at Blackpool, flying a Piper Seneca 1. My rating was due to expire in early May this year, but you can renew anytime within three months of the expiry date and still get the twelve months validity from the original date.

My first date for renewal was cancelled due to poor visibility and a low cloud base, but two weeks later the flight was on, although the conditions were only a little better than the previous occasion.

The aircraft for the test was a Seneca 1 that looked a little “tired” and had old avionics. This would not matter as the test is mainly on handling the aircraft and single engine work.

I usually fly a turbo charged Seneca 2 where take off power is limited to 40 inches of manifold pressure, but this earlier model had normally aspirated engines. Lined up on runway 28 at Blackpool, I opened the throttles to maximum and departed the circuit to the North, over Morecambe bay. Here I was asked to do normal turns both left and right before 360 degree turns at high bank angles. Next came a clean stall recovery, followed by gear and flap down stall recoveries from level and turning flight. I was given a simulated engine failure and had been briefed to actually close the engine down. The right engine was feathered and I then had to complete turns and handling on the left engine before restarting the right.

Next came a go around from the approach configuration of gear down and full flaps as if on a missed approach, or blocked runway. Returning to the circuit for a normal two engine touch and go and a planned single engine landing, wrapped up the test for another year.

I was pleased to extend my rating as I was planning to fly a Twinstar two days later, and having a freshly renewed rating was good to show the owner. Still a lot of flying to come this weekend, and I'm looking forward to it all.
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Seneca 1 used for my multi renewal flight

North Weald

Sunday 25th March was a day of high pressure and good flying weather. By mid morning, the fog in the south east was clearing and all was looking good for my flight to North Weald airfield in Essex. The trip was in the Cessna 172SP based at Manchester Barton and I spent half an hour or so checking over the aircraft, including adding a litre of oil to the engine. I also entered today’s flight plan into the Garmin G1000 system and laid out my various maps and logs on the front passenger seat, all close to hand.

The previous evening I created a SkyDemon flight plan on my laptop which gave me all the information I required today, including the estimated flying time of 1 hour 38 minutes. There was a headwind for the flight down and I wanted full fuel so I would not be delayed on the return trip. With 53usg or 201 litres of avgas on board, I taxied to A3 to prepare for departure. With a cruise fuel burn of 8usg or 30 litres per hour, I clearly had plenty of range and reserve for the day’s flying.

The plan in the G1000 was EGCB (Barton)-LLRN (low level route north)-NANTI-LONLO-PEDIG-DTY-HEN-BNN-BAPAG-EGSX (North Weald). This route took me over to Warrington, then south towards Winsford before turning south east down between East Midlands and Birmingham airspace. The journey then continued abeam Coventry, over Silverstone motor racing track, and just west of Aylsebury before heading east, towards the destination. North Weald is in an area of airspace that requires the carriage and use of a transponder, a TMZ (Transponder Mandatory Zone). Additionally, the airspace from HEN onwards is beneath the London TMA with a base of 2500 feet. It is also very busy, and I had planned to use Farnborough Radar to provide a traffic service to assist me in seeing, and avoiding, conflicting traffic.

A3 at Barton is the last holding point for a departure on 27 right, or the runway today, 27 left. I dialled 1200 feet as the autopilot altitude target, selected a heading of 240 on the bug and lined the Cessna up on 27L. Holding the yoke back to protect the nose wheel, I smoothly applied full power. With 10 degrees of flap, the plane was soon in the air and climbing at 60 knots, easily clearing the power lines on the climb out path. I engaged the autopilot which kept the plane climbing on runway heading and at the same vertical speed as when I pressed the button. Pressing the heading button turned the Cessna towards Warrington and then I pressed the altitude arm that would level me at 1200 feet. Next press was the NAV button and the plane follows the plan in the G1000, leaving me to monitor systems and position, by cross checking with VORs on route, and talk to any air traffic service providers on the journey.

It was the first time I had used Farnborough Radar North on 132.80mhz and I was very impressed. They gave me many traffic contacts and eased my way through to destination. On release from Farnborough Radar, I changed my transponder squawk to 7010 to comply with the TMZ, and show the Stansted controller my ident, altitude and destination, as this code is for North Weald traffic.. North Weald sits beneath the Stansted class D airspace that starts at 1500 feet. You do not need a specific clearance as long as you stay under this level and are transponding.

All the planning before departure paid off as I had an uneventful flight, which is how I like them! The landing at North Weald was not one of my best, due to being too tight on the left base join for runway 02. Nobody’s perfect, but something to improve on next time.

Cessna at North Weald

"The Squadron" at North Weald

I spent four hours at the airfield, which included eating a very nice mushroom omelette and salad at “The Squadron” and having a friendly chat with a retired IT consultant whilst sitting in the sunshine. I had a specific reason for visiting North Weald but it did not fully work out today. I will write about what this reason was in another post, as I hope to return to complete my “mission” soon. The return to Manchester, reversing the outbound flight plan was also uneventful. I positioned on a three mile final for Barton’s runway 09 and made a very nice landing.


The only stress on this particular trip was my undignified exit from the Cessna and my sprint over the grass towards the toilet, as soon as the engine stopped. I should never have had that tall, cool J20, before leaving North Weald.