MD500 Helicopter and Cessna 172SP

The plan was rather ambitious: take four people flying in two aircraft, land at an aerodrome, have lunch, and then swap them into the other aircraft for the return journey. The four people were Jean and Ian, Fred and Andrew. Fred is a young lad whose birthday was a couple of weeks away, Andrew is his dad, and Jean and Ian, his grandparents. The two aircraft were an MD500 helicopter and a Cessna 172SP.

I should have played the lottery this weekend because all the elements of weather and aircraft servicablility came together and it all went without any hitches. The helicopter is owned and flown by my friend,Steve, and the Cessna is the one I fly from Barton. Jean and Ian were to fly down to Sleap with me, while Fred and Andrew would be in the MD500 for the first leg.

I took Jean and Ian on a detour around Beeston Castle before heading down to Ellesmere and on to Sleap. Although we departed before the helicopter, we arrived to see that Steve and party were already there.

Fred In the Helicopter

Young man poses with MD500 and our Cessna

 

We all had a nice lunch in the Sleap cafe before swapping our passengers so that I could fly Andrew and Fred back to Barton, while Jean and Ian would sample the helicopter. We set off in the Cessna and flew back the same way I'd flown down earlier. Steve's helicopter lives over on the west side of Barton, and we all got together at Barton's Airfield Lodge for a drink when they had made the short drive over.

Everyone enjoyed the flights and it was good to give four people a positive image of how good general aviation can be.

Andy, Fred and Ian

Jean and Ian

Jean and the MD500