Gloucestershire (EGBJ) Airfield METAR summary on 01st at 19:20Z

Wind is 000 degrees / 00Kts

Temperature -03 degC, Dewpoint -03 degC

Visibility 4.32nM (8000m) --> MVFR
Few Clouds at 500 feet.
QNH 1012

Peaky Pilot

Second Night Flight 22/11/2023
This time it was a flight to Oxford for a Touch and Go, then return via Newbury. Plenty of lessons learned! Lesson one, we still fly direct. I had worked out a route via towns which would give me confidence that I was on the right track. That was binned. Lesson two, I should have researched the exact location of Oxford Airport a bit better. We got there, but I might have struggled on my own. From there to Newbury went well, as did most of the return to Gloucester, except the direct route required a Zone Transit at Brize and I was struggling to remember the syntax. As it turned out, we drifted slightly West so missed it. The final lesson was to be aware of the ground. I had fixated on the final approach and forgotten about Chosen Hill so we crossed it lower than we should have, but then that is all part of the teaching and I have learned valuable lessons.

UPRT course 10/11/2023
I had signed up for a Upset Prevention and Recovery Training course some time ago. Unfortunately the day it was due to happen, the weather was against us so it was cancelled. I arranged to visit Goodwood again on the 10th November but again it was cancelled. To save the day, we did the theory part of the course which was very interesting. At some point in the near future I plan to fly down to do the practical element of the course and am looking forward to that.

First Night Flight 31/10/2023
I had wanted to try night flying for some time, so with the clocks changing, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to book one. As it turned out, I got a slot quite quickly. It was an amazing experience watching the world get darker and less obvious. We flew down towards Chepstow, then turned across to Stroud and back up where I had my first test - finding the airport! I managed it quite well. We then headed North and swung around to indentify the airport from the East, much easier as we were in line with the runway lights. A touch and go went reasonably well, then a second full stop landing completed the evening. The landings were fine, but I should have paid more attention to the PAPI lights.

Wellesbourne for coffee 25/10/2023
Out via Banbury and M40 for a 36 landing, joining downwind for an excellent landing. Return via Alcester and Tewkesbury. Excellent flight out over the clouds which were broken so plenty of holes. Excellent landing, excellent coffee and cake and nice return flight, although the cloud base dropped towards Gloucester so I asked for and got a direct right base join for another excellent landing. All in all, a great day out.

Meteorological Training Day 12/10/2023
Spent the day at the Met Office in Exeter learning all about the weather. It was a very informative day covering synoptic chart interpretation, general weather forecasting and observations and how to make the best of the very informative Met Office website. It also counted towards my BMAA Wings Gold award so double bonus!

A real classroom day 08/10/2023
Club flyout to Bembridge on the Isle of Wight, a glorious day, what could possibly go wrong? Turns out, plenty. I was flying the outbound leg so taxied DJ over to the pumps, we filled up, then bang, could not restart. Had to tow it back to the apron. Hung about waiting for HANS to return. Taxied over to the pumps, 60 litres of fuel and off we went. Great flight down in the glorious sunshine but got to Bembridge too late for lunch! Disaster. Also on the way down, we noticed the fuel gauge reading much lower than we expected and might not be enough to get back. Given the late hour of arrival, we had a quick coffee and enjoyed listening to the others telling us what a fine lunch they had. No fuel at Bembridge, so we decided to visit Compton Abbas on the way back. We ran out of time, so headed directly back - we would be fine! Except we were not, the low fuel light came on about 17 miles from Gloucester so we diverted to Oaksey Park and were lucky enough to find someone who could dispense fuel. Then we had to phone Gloucester as we might not make it back by the 6pm closing time, so we got an indemnity. In the end, we touched down at exactly 6pm. A full day with lots of lessons learned.

Shobdon bacon roll 04/10/2023
Land away to Shobdon in DJ partly to do something other than just a local and partly because it was almost lunchtime! Good flight over although I found myself too far South and reported being in the wrong place but corected it. Very gusty day but mostly a strong headwind which made for a comfortable landing. The lunchtime bacon roll was excellent. Return was delayed slightly by the raincloud passing overhead. Gloucester was on 22 which always makes me think about the approach and where I am in relation to the circuit. No problems, joined Right Base and nice landing. All in all, a good day out.

Two up to Thruxton 15/09/2023
I had wanted to fly in the right hand seat for some time, just to see what it was like, the answer is, weird, but interesting. Steve and I flew down to Thruxton with him at the controls and me as adviser as I had been there before. No dramas on the way down and an interesting and different route. The bacon baguette tasted just as nice. I flew the return leg back via Highclere, Marlborough, Wooton Bassett and overhead Kemble to finally arrive at Gloucester. No problems with the flight and no issues, plus it was good to fly one of the two legs, it meant we could go further than perhaps one might do solo.

Back to DJ 24/08/2023
A fun flight down to Abergavenny and the Black Mountains. I did intend to fly over the Black Mountains but there was too much cloud so I moved Eastwards and followed the line of the hills to Hay on Wye, then turned Eastwards and eventually back directly to Gloucester. The Sky Demon was running North upwards which threw me a little initially until I realised, plus the day was a little hazy so I misread the direction of the Malvern Hills until I realised and corrected. No dramas on the flight and non in the circuit except I was told to follow a Cessna which appeared briefly on my Port side until deciding to do an orbit. Very confusing!

Fun flight in HANS 09/08/2023
Flew down to Chepstow in increasingly good weather, over the Severn and across to pass over Badminton airfield which I found straight away, then to Charlton Park which I did not spot immediately, then got too transfixed on it, only to look up and see an aircraft heading towards me. Standard avoidance with no issues, but just shows the importance of a good look out. I returned via overhead Kemble for a standard join. Another good landing so happy with that.

Solo in HANS 28/07/2023
My first solo flight in HANS for a couple of years. It went as well as it could. I had decided to fly over Over, Eastbach, Tredunnock, Ledbury and Defford airfields via the Malvern Hills. It all went well apart from an early diversion to avoid a rain shower. Had some trouble locating Tredunnock but other than that all good. Return to the ATZ went well and the landing was very good. All in all, a very satisfying flight.

Flexwing Trial Flight 25/07/2023
What an experience! I flew in a Flexwing for the first time ever today and how much fun is that! Neil Douglas at Over Farm took me in his DeltaJet 500. We flew down the river towards Chepstow and back in exactly one hour. After take off and level flying, I flew most of the way, getting used to the reverse operation - push left to go right, push right to go left, pull back to descend and forward to go up! The exposure is amazing.

Robin Refresh 21/07/2023
A final refresh before I am allowed to go solo in the Robins again. A nice pootle out to Kemble and back followed by a few circuits to test me. I managed to get perfectly into the circuit on the return but in exactly the opposite direction! Doh! Corrected and managed a couple of reasonable touch and go landings followed by a final low level circuit where I managed to get the speed all wrong (too fast) and the line up wrong. Homework is to practise low level circuits. On the upside I have been signed off for solo flying in the Robins again so happy with that.

Touch and Go 08/07/2023
Another refresher session covering Touch and Go. We did standard landing plus flapless, Glide and a couple of Power Fail landings, one on 09 and the other on 22. Great session, loving getting back into it.

Back to the Robins 30/06/2023
With the absence of SHMI, I have decided to reaquaint myself with the Robins, so with Phil I flew HANS for an hour or so, getting familiar with that again. We did some turns, slow flying and a forced landing - it comes down a lot quicker than SHMI! Then for fun, Phil took me cloud flying. Great day out.

Taildragger experience 14/06/2023
First flight in a taildragger courtesy of James Peplow. It was a Piper Super Cub and a really different experience to what I'm used to. For a start it is tandem so the instructor sits behind. All the controls are opposite so the stick is right hand and the throttle left hand. The flaps are on the left and the brakes are heel brakes! We did a run over to Ledbury airfield and three landings, then back to Gloucester. All good fun.

No plane! 11/06/2023
SHMI headed off to Evektor a few weeks ago for its 4000 hour checks and will be gone for some time. I am missing flying so much I am considering reaquiring my skills in the Robins. In the meantime I have a flight coming up in a tail dragger just to try that and I even contacted a guy with a view to flying a flex wing!

Biannual Skills Refresher 11/05/2023
Technically I did not need to do this as I have flown for an hour with an Instructor over the previous two years, but I was keen to have my skills checked to make sure I was still competent. After some delays due to fuel be temporarily unavailable, we headed off West to find some airspace. I did climb and level off, slow flying, steep turns with and without flaps, stalling, engine fail and partial fail, turn to heading and finally a fun flight down to Monmouth keeping at 700 feet. Back to Gloucester and an orbit delay whilst waiting for clearance completed the day nicely. All good and happy for another two years.

Military/Civil Air Safety Day 28/04/2023
As it said on the tin, it was a safety day aimed at both Military and Civilian pilots. The venue was RAF Benson which was an excellent place to be, the staff, officers and others were incredibly friendly, helpful and polite and a real credit to the base. We were allowed to look in a Chinook and ask all the questions, then enjoyed talks by various civilian and military personnel on a range of subjects including ATC, Air Ambulance, Police Air Service, 28 Squadron operations and other safety related talks. An excellent breakfast started the day and equally excellent lunch added to the pleasure of the day.

A Blustery Day 18/04/2023
I almost didnt fly as it was very windy, but I am glad that I did. Apart from a bumpy take off, it was all fine. I did a skills circuit including most of the skills on the list, I even did a Practise PAN with DnD so happy with that. The landing was into a strong wind which was very kind to me and I made a very soft landing.

Llanbedr Land Away 03/04/2023
Fabulous weather outbound via Rhayader in the Elan Valley and Aberystwyth on the coast. Some cloud but I flew above it as I could see gaps and also the end of it near the coast. Llanbedr airfield has huge runways, but no Air Traffic Control so its blind calls all the way. Cycled into Harlech for the castle and lunch. Flight back via Bala and Church Stretton was cloud free and superb. This is what flying is all about!

Finally back to Flying 27/03/2023
After what seems like forever, I finally got a flight! It was a superb day with few clouds, blue skies and almost no wind. I flew over to Shobdon via Chepstow and Hay on Wye which was excellent, then back via May Hill and a long direct onto 09. Coffee and Hot X bun was superb at Shobdon.

Skills circuit 22/02/2023
Off to the West for a skills circuit. The weather was showery but I managed to find some blue skies near Ledbury. Standard Skills circuit but this time I put the plane into a spiral dive and successfully sorted it out so well pleased. Also did a couple of full 60 degree turns which was exciting. Happy with the return to Gloucester and landing. All in all a good flight.

Aerobatics Fun 14/02/2023
Aerobatics course in the Robin today. We did stall recovery, both standard stall and wing drop stall, then banked stalling and spiral dive. Finished off with a bit of aerobatics with a few Ballistic rolls which were excellent fun, but made the stomach turn a bit on the third one. I now need to practise the stalls and recoveries in the Eurostar, but obviously not the aerobatic stuff.

Club flyout success 12/02/2023
A nice flight up to Sleap with CAC for lunch. Decent weather with cloud at around 3,000 feet so nothing to worry about. Good landing at both ends and a very nice lunch, whats not to like?

First new airfield of 2023 04/02/2023
Flew down to Thruxton for breakfast. Nice flight down, but rubbish landing so did a go-around, the second was not much better. Oh well! Nothing happening at Thruxton so I flew back to Kemble for a first ever visit. Nice airfield, and a very good landing. Helpful tower but very busy. Maybe pick a weekday next time. From there a quick ten minutes back to Gloucester and another good landing. Nice day out but it was a bit cold and dreary weather.

First Land away of 2023 28/01/2023
The cloud was pretty low but flyable. I initially had some problems with the plane. I taxied for fuel, then couldnt restart it! Dragged it back to Aeros. Tom turned up and started it straight away of course!

The flight to Turweston was direct out over via Morton and Banbury. Maximum altitude was 1,500 feet due to the cloud base and weather. Nice flight, no issues. I did consider returning via Kemble but changed my mind as it seemed rushed and the cloud base seemed to be getting lower. It was a good return flight although I did have to divert slightly to get around the Cleeve escarpment with the low cloud.

Another cancelled day 26/01/2023
I had the plane booked for the day with no particular destination in mind, but with a Northerly wind, Sleap was looking favourite. The cloud didnt look good but it did start to clear a bit so I went to the airport. Turning in I could just about see May Hill which wasnt a good sign, then as I looked out, the Malverns began to vanish in the clouds. My enthusiasm wained and I decided to give up, I dont need to fly that badly!

Cancelled Club Flyout 22/01/2023
Due to the possibility of freezing fog reaching Gloucestershire we decided to cancel the club flyout and one or two of us elected to have a local flight. Mine took me North to Worcester, identifying Defford on the way, then across and round the Malverns, then out to Ledbury airfield, over that and onto Eastbach before circling around and back via Frampton. Nice flight and good conditions.

Scary Flight 16/01/2023
The plan was to fly to Sleap. I checked with the destination and they told me the sky was clear and improving weather. The forecast had the cloud clearing in good time so I felt confident to fly. All went well until North of the Malverns when the cloud base dropped and visibility began to become an issue. I turned around and headed across to Worcester, hoping for better weather, none came, but I looked up and saw that the cloud tops were not so high so decided to fly over. The cloud was higher than I thought and I realised I would not make it, so turned around and found I was becoming enveloped. I headed towards the blue sky but the conditions rapidly deteriorated and I suddenly found myself completely in cloud. I was over 5,000 feet so no ground worries. Next thing I knew I was descending at an alarming rate. I have no idea how that happened. Correcting I levelled the wings and tried to sort myself out and calm down, eventually finding a gap and ground visibility. I decided to abandon for the day, descended below the cloud and headed back to Gloucester. It was a valuable lesson learned about cloud and the disorientation that comes with it.

GASCo Safety Seminar 09/01/2023

GASCo Safety Seminar 09/01/2023
A very interesting seminar focusing on the Manchester Low Level Route which was of particular interest as I have been wanting to fly that to Barton for some time now.

Another Flying day cancelled 08/01/2023
Today was supposed to be a club flyout but the more we talked about it the less enthusiastic we became what with the high wind in the wrong direction, dark cloud and forecast of rain, cowardice prolongs life as one put it!

Weather Watching Seminar 14/12/2022
Tonight I attended on line, a weather watching seminar which was excellent and taught me a lot

Day trip to the Seaside 06/12/2022
Back to flying with a land away to Lee on Solent. An excellent day with great weather. I used Brize, Boscombe and listened on Southampton before contacting Lee for the final bit. Excellent cafe with good food and coffee. Return was the reverse but I flew out over Portsmouth. No issues with comms, flying or landing.

Leaving Lee on Solent 06/12/2022

Two Hundred Hours flying 06/12/2022
Todays flight saw me passing the two hundred hours mark

Back flying again! 28/11/2022
Finally after far too long, SHMI has been fixed and I have been flying again. Two flights, the first being a few circuits with Tom to ensure all was well, it was. I then did an hour around the patch,up to Worcester, across to the Malverns, a few skills; slow speed flying, 30 and 60 degree turns and a couple of steep descending turns. All was well and Standard Overhead join finished the day nicely.

Brompton in SHMI 27/10/2022

AAC/CAA Workshop on PPL 28/09/2022

Pembrey Land Away 19/09/2022
Flew down over Pen-y-Fan and direct back. Did a circuit of the airfield as it was my first time but excellent landing. Owner is very welcoming but 18 pounds is a bit steep even if I did get a free cup of tea and biscuits! Cycled down to the harbour in about 15 minutes. Back direct South of the Brecons was nice and a good landing at Gloucester with a direct join onto Downwind.

Pembrey 19/09/2022
Pembrey

Club flight to Swansea 11/09/2022
Club flyout to Swansea, another new airfield. Excellent flight down over the cloud at 4,000 feet. Gentle descent into Swansea Bay and around to the airfield which easily comes into view. Landed on 10 which was more or less in the opposite direction to arrival so it was a direct join onto Downwind. There is nothing much at the airfield, not even a cafe so we had to blag a coffee from the flying school. Return trip went well. I flew pretty much a reciprocal course but there was much less cloud. Good landing on 09 but they wouldnt give me a direct because it was really busy. Great day out.

Circuits and Skills 05/09/2022
I started off with a few circuits onto 09. None of them were great landings, several were okay and a couple rubbish. In my defence there was an 8 Knot crosswind. Off for the skills part. All good apart from the engine failure forced landing which I was not happy with so repeated three times. First time was okay but I didnt use my flaps. Second attempt I changed my mind about the field and ran out of height. Third time was good but I was right over Ledbury airfield so used that, but it counts. I was tempted to actually land, but I was happy enough at 500 feet to know I would have got there. Probably need another similar session but maybe less crosswind to get the confidence back.

Popham Trip 19/08/2022
Another new airfield, Popham this time. I took the sensible approach of an overhead join so that I could get a better idea of how it worked. There is a dog-leg on final to get on the runway which was interesting and a lot easier than I expected. No dramas, good landing. The airfield is pleasant with a good cafe and I stayed about an hour. Off to Priors Farm next, only 20 minutes up the road. My initial approach was far too steep - I should have gone around - and I messed up the landing so took off again. Second time was fine and I got the angle right, although the altimeter was not quite right. Stayed for an hour and had lunch in the shade of the elevator and rudder. Good flight back to Gloucester but I messed up the landing a bit and had to add power to correct, then landed okay. Next session will be circuits I think as I keep getting 27 wrong!

Wellesbourne Club Flyout 14/08/2022
Nice easy flight but very hot. Lots of float on the landing but got down okay. Second flight around Birmingham to Abbots Bromley. Good landing on the second rise. Walked to the village for lunch - awesome garlic bread. Flight back was fine although my tablet overheated and shut down! Had to use the phone but no worries. Direct landing onto 27 via Right Base although they initially set me to 09 Left Base! Note: Take the tablet out on a hot day!

AAC/CAA safety Workshop 10/08/2022

Seaside trip 08/08/2022
One of the best flights of the year! Flew to Caernarfon via Bala Lake, Ogwen Valley, Bethesda and down to the airfield. The sky was completely clear until I approached Bala where I had to do some cloud dodging and in the Ogwen Valley I took the sensible decision to fly over rather than around them which took me to a personal height record of 5,000 feet! I had planned to go over Snowdon but there was too much cloud for a safe pass so I gently descended right to the airfield. I had taken my bike to ride into the countryside and managed 30 miles out to Rhydd Ddu and back via a lunch stop at Snowdon Ranger YHA. The return flight was equally spectacular with glimpses of Snowdon Summit then out via Cadair Idris, Tarren y Gesail and then directly back over the Elan Valley. No flying or landing issues but I did float a bit too long at Gloucester - must get into the habit of landing slightly quicker. Used Shawbury after Ledbury, then tried to contact Valley at Bala with no luck, so straight to Caernarfon. Return I had valley down to Tarren, the Shawbury to Shobdon who off loaded me to Gloucester.

Caernarfon 08/08/2022

Isle of Wight 01/08/2022
Flight down to the Isle of Wight via a devious route avoiding temporary controlled airspace around Kemble. Via Badminton, Stourton, Sturminster, then through the gap to Wareham and Corfe Castle before crossing the water to the Needles and around to Sandown. Late comms at Sandown was slightly confusing but ended up doing a LH onto runway 05. Cycled down to the town for lunch and along the front to Shanklin which was great fun and made the bike well worth it. Decided to call into Oaksey Park on the way back so got PPR via email. Returned via the standard route of Portsmouth, Petersfield, abeam Hungerford to Oaksey which took a bit of finding. Also note that Oaksey has no overhead joins so need to join into the circuit, easy to do if you spot it. Landing no issue. The runway is supremely flat. Good comms from the radio. Leaving should have been simple but as I climbed out, I spotted on Sky Demon that the entire area had become temporary controlled airspace! Presuming it had come from Kemble I located their frequency and gave them a call but got no response. At this point I was very close to the edge of the CTR so though the best course of action was to continue to Stroud which I did then called Gloucester and proceeded as normal. On further review I discovered that the Airspace Control didnt come into force until later so I was fine.

Oaksey Park 01/08/2022

Priors Farm Day 21/07/2022
Day trip to Priors Farm for lunch. Good easy flight out. Excellent landing on 01. Took off on 01 as well for a change and also the wind was Northerly so benefitted 01. Good flight back and good landing on 09 runway. A very nice day out.

Grass Strip Day 18/07/2022
Another grass strip day. This time Defford, Abergavenny and Eastbach. Defford was fine although I turned in a bit late, but no worries. At Abergavenny I did a go-around as I didnt give myself enough time on final but nailed it second time. I did think afterwards that maybe I should have landed the other way due to the wind, but no drama. Eastbach was perfect which I was really pleased about. Super hot day which did make me rethink the location of the tablet holder but this hot weather wont last I am sure. Good landing back at Gloucester so all in all, a good day out.

Grass Strip Training 11/07/2022
Training session with Phil. The sole intention was to land at Eastbach. Good fly over and approach and remarkably good landing, seemed much easier than last time. Went round, took off and did a second landing then straight off again. All good. Will be trying that one on my own next time. We flew back up the river at 200 feet above the water which was awesome. Might try that one too! All in all a very good training session.

Flight for Tracy 10/07/2022
Bimble around the county with Tracy. Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Broadway, Malverns, Ross and return via the Severn Bends. Good flight and good landing. Fabulous weather.

BMAA Silver Wings 05/07/2022
Today I got my BMAA Silver Wings Award Certificate, happy with that

(Not) a Training Day 03/07/2022
Today was supposed to be a semi-training day with Phil to do some grass strip landing practise. Due to the previous pilot over-filling the tank we were over the weight limit! I took the opportunity of going anyway and flew to Croft Farm, Berrow and Ledbury. All went well apart from Berrow where I had to do a go-around due to not being happy with the position. The second time I landed on the first hump so was well pleased with that. All in all, a good day out, putting into practise, stuff I have learned, most importantly keeping the stick well back on landing.

Strip Flying Part 2 30/06/2022
We went to Croft Farm on a direct approach Left Base which worked well, then off to Berrow. I missed the first hump but got the second okay and made a good landing. Must remember to pull the stick right back on landing even on tarmac. We practised slideslip which is cross controls, engine to idle, trim for 68mph and descend. Can also turn on the descent but be very careful not to induce a spin! Can get up to 1,200 feet/minute descent rate so best not do it below 3,000 feet and end the exercise early!

BMAA Strip Flying 30/06/2022
Today I passed my BMAA Strip Flying Course so well on the way to completing my BMAA Silver Wings Award

Raffle prize flight 29/06/2022
Took Ben flying for his raffle prize win. Standard tour around the county down to the Severn Bends and back up through FoD and across to the Malverns and Worcester. No problems. Good landing probably due to the balanced weight! Crosswind was 180/9 Knots onto Runway 22 so about 7 Knots crosswind.

Blustery Circuits 27/06/2022
A circuits flight today in very blustery conditions. The first touch and go was not even a landing I do not think, I just could not get it down properly. The next few were okay but the plane was being blown about in the circuit so after five, I ended the session. It was good that I kept control and corrected for wind with safe landings, probably could not have done that 6 months ago.

Welshpool Land Away 19/06/2022
Land away to Welshpool which had been on my list for a while now. Flight over was a bit longer than expected (50 minutes) but fine. Landing was okay, although I nearly messed it up but recovered with a bit of power - I let the speed drop too low and almost stalled it. Luckily the runway is long enough. Return okay and a reasonable landing given the 7 Knot crosswind. Took the folding bike which fitted in nicely.

Peterborough 12/06/2022

Peterborough Land Away 12/06/2022
Club flyout to Peterborough. Very windy and turbulent day with lots of glider traffic to contend with. On approach to Peterborough the wind was reported as 270/17! Made for a bumpy landing, combined with a very poor runway I had to power on and re-land. Reviewing the video I think I was slightly fast on the land which did not help. Return flight was similar. I got a direct in on Final which was awesome coming over Cheltenham. Good landing so happy with that.

Halfpenny Green Land Away 09/06/2022
Today was supposed to be Day 2 of my Strip Flying course but due to the rain this morning, we postponed it for a week. Having the plane and a reasonable afternoon I decided to fly to Halfpenny Green. This was good practise for several reasons; the weather was not fantastic so it would be good handling practise, I did not have the plate with me so it would be good visualisation practise for the destination and it was quite windy so it would be good crosswind practise. Land away was fine as was the flight up. Return was also good and I felt I handled the 8 Knot crosswind well with a smooth landing.

General flight with Laura 03/06/2022
Pootle around the county with Laura. All good and a nice flight. Slightly slow on landing which meant we bumped a little but all good.

BMAA Strip Flying course 31/05/2022
Today was the first session of the BMAA Strip Flying course. We did Eastbach, Ledbury and Berrow. Eastbach was by far the hardest and having reviewed the video I felt I over compensated for the wind, pushing the aircraft too far right then did not brake hard enough which forced us off the runway and into the grass. No harm done apart from pride! Take Off was fine and Ledbury where I had been before and Berrow both went without a hitch. Overall, happy with it but I will need an instructor for Eastbach for the next couple of visits though.

Skills and Nav 30/05/2022
General skills flight plus navigation to some of the grass airfields in the area; Defford, Berrow, Ledbury and Eastbach. Also did a skills session which went well apart from the Engine failure where I picked a field with sheep. Would have had time to relocate but need to do that one again. Really pleased with the landings.

Grass land aways 12/05/2022
Todays flight was a flight of discovery to locate and possibly land at some local grass runways. I managed to locate Berrow, then Ledbury (Dymock) where I landed with no problems. Stayed about 15 minutes then headed off to Eastbach in the Forest of Dean which looked ridiculously short so gave that one a miss - I will need an Instructor for that. Back to Gloucester. Two good landings, no problems and a good day out.

Dymock International 12/05/2022

Taster flight 08/05/2022
Took John for a taster flight. Had to stay low due to cloud base but we did a good tour of the county. No problems

Turwston Land Away 08/05/2022
Club flight to Turweston. Easy flight out, good landing and easy flight back. No problems apart from deciding which service to use. Ended up not bothering although Brize would probably have been best.

Land away to Wellesbourne 25/04/2022
A morning flight to Wellesbourne Mountford. Just a quick flight of 35 minutes over and 45 minutes back as I came via the Malvern Hills back. No problems, good landing at both ends and good handling and comms. Happy Birthday flight.

Wellesbourne Vulcan 25/04/2022

BMAA Silver Award 15/04/2022
Three legs, Leg 1 Gloucester to Dunkeswell down the Bristol channel and across. All good but managed to stall on the final couple of feet of landing. Leg 2 Dunkeswell to Priors Farm. Great flight and a good landing. Came in very low on final but all good. Even set the altimeter to a QFE! Leg 3 Priors Farm to Gloucester. Another good flight and good handling in the ATZ. Final was right on the PAPI line but then something went wrong and I had to do a go-around. I do not know what happened. I will get Phil to review the video (too fast on approach was the conclusion). Second time was perfect. All in all a superb day out , weather was excellent but I really need an Instructor circuit session.

Compton Abbas Land Away 10/04/2022
Compton Abbas was chosen as the destination for the club flyout. It is a great flight down with good views over to Bristol and nearby Bath. On approach I was told about high cross winds - 10 Knots gusting up to 15 Knots! A good approach but slightly high close in but I landed, then I felt I was ballooning so decided to go around. Second time was much better and I put it down nicely. Walking to HQ I was stopped by a couple of experts who asked why I had gone around. I told them why but they told me it was a good landing! The feeling must have been just the uneven surface. Chatting with the other guys they said it was the best decision regardless. One or two other aircraft did go-arounds so I felt happier. Excellent lunch of Pilots baguette which was sausage, bacon and egg in a baguette. Take Off was straightforward and the return via Bristol channel presented no issues. Straight in direct to Downwind and a good landing at exactly the time I had planned, 4pm.

Compton Abbas 10/04/2022

Abbots Bromley Land Away 08/04/2022
Superb flight to Abbots Bromley farms trip. Flight time was 50 minutes in the sunshine. Given the crosswind I elected to land on 04. Using Safety Com I updated my position etc and approached. I had been told about the concave nature of the strip but it still threw me out and I ended up too slow and badly positioned so got to practise my Go-around for real! Second attempt was much better and I did a smooth landing. Taxi to parking where I had it all to myself. The airfield is extremely well kept and the owner is as friendly as you will ever meet. Cobwebs cafe is about 15 minutes walk down a pleasant lane and well worth it for the cake. Also there is a small craft village there. For the return flight I continued my clockwise tour of Birmingham air space down to Draycote Water and across. Direct into Downwind on 04 completed the day nicely with another good landing. One hour and ten minutes back.

Abbots Bromley 08/04/2022

Skills Flight 28/03/2022
A skills fight today. I headed over towards Ledbury to clear 3 - 4,000 feet skies and ran through my skills set including turns up to 30 degrees, stalls with 0, 1 and 2 stage flaps, climbing and descending turns, 360 degree turns, slow speed flying and Power Fail. I also tried Sideslip but I am not convinced I have it right so that is one for next time I have an Instructor on board. Landing was fine although a late gust of wind tried to knock me off course.

Gamston Land Away 21/03/2022
Excellent flight to Gamston. Used Birmingham and East Midlands on listening mode. Doncaster to check QNH to ensure I stayed under their CTA and finally into Gamston. Very hazy day and not much in the way of photos but the flight was excellent, I kept the height spot on and did a good landing at both Gloucester and Gamston so all in all a successful flight. One note though, the cafe at Gamston was closed on this day and the nearby Starbucks is inaccessible being on the wrong side of the A1 - take food and drink next time.

Gamston 21/03/2022
Gamston

Brecons day out 18/03/2022
Scenic flight down to the Brecons and Black Mountains. All good on taxi and Take Off. Flight was good at 3,000 feet and then to 4,000 feet over the mountains. Return fine and I got to practise slow speed flying as ATC wanted me to delay. There was a significant cross wind on 04 of 7 Knots from 90 degrees. Given that, the landing went well, although it did push me to the left of the runway. I was pleased enough with it.

Brecon Beacons 18/03/2022

GasCo Safety Evening 15/03/2022

BMAA Bronze Wings 09/03/2022
Today I received my BMAA Bronze Award Certificate, well pleased with that, and straight onto the Silver Award

Sleap Land Away 07/03/2022
After a significant delay due to airport operations I finally got my flight to Sleap as part of my BMAA Bronze Wings Award. The flight went well and timing was pretty much spot on. Reasonable landing although a significant cross wind did little to help. Return journey was similar and even with an orbit on Downwind I still landed on time. Again, a reasonable landing but I could have taken more account of the wind.

GASCo Airspace Infringment avo 07/03/2022

Local Jolly 23/02/2022
Very windy day! Original plan to fly to Welshpool was abandoned in favour of an hour around the local area. Take Off fine and initial heading out West. Soon encountered rain and cloud so turned South to Chepstow. Slow going down but a very fast return. All good but final Standard join was interesting with the strong wind. Got caught up in that and trying to keep level and straight, ended up landing without rounding properly. No idea why not! It was not too hard but less than perfect. Gusting wind caused some issues keeping straight.

Sandown Land Away 11/02/2022
Excellent day for a flight down to Sandown on the Isle of Wight. No issues with the flight down nor the airfield approach. It was unmanned so blind calls all the way. Final approach was a bit short - I should have extended downwind which made the final a bit steep at the end. The grass was very soft so the plane skewed left a little. Next time I will wait for the astroturf. Return was good with a nice tour of the island first. Used Farnborough and Brize but neither would give me a traffic service and it was quite busy. All good. Runway 22/04 is the only one in use at the moment and it was my first landing on it which went well.

Portsmouth 11/02/2022

Old Warden Land Away 02/02/2022
Visit to Old Warden for the Shuttleworth collection of aircraft, cars, bike and lots more. Also very impressive gardens. Take Off and flight down was perfect. Old Warden had no radio/AFIS so it was blind calls all the way. It is a requirement that an overhead is done first which is no bad thing as the runway is a little vague. Line up on final was fine but it was gusty on approach with a 9 Knot crosswind. Landed okay. Taxi and Take Off also fine, even with a strong crosswind I hardly noticed it. I got a direct approach onto final so technically a 48 mile final approach! A great day out and one to repeat.

Old Warden Museum 02/02/2022

Final Robin Flight 27/01/2022
Final flight in the Robin for the foreseeable future as I have now used up all of the hours I paid for back in May. One touch and Go which went really well and then off for a circuit around the Malverns, over Worcester and back via Tewkesbury. Cloud was quite low so 1,500 feet was pretty much maximum height - fun going along the Malvern Hills. Final landing was as good as any I have done so an enjoyable flight.

Halfpenny Green again 16/01/2022
A quick trip up to Halfpenny Green which highlighted a few small, but important handling errors. Take Off and flight were fine. Radio contact with Halfpenny Green also okay. Landing was onto Runway 16 so I should have crossed 34 end at greater than 1,300 feet QFE then descended either on the Downwind leg or done a complete circuit and then descended, instead I approached directly onto the Downwind leg and came close (500-1,000 feet) to an aircraft in the climb out who, technically should have avoided me. Not being sure of the aircraft I proceeded to the Downwind leg which fine but I think I could have been further away from the Runway. Turning Base and Final wewre okay but that left me a little too close so my approach angle was wrong, although I was well lined up, I managed to bounce several times before staying in contact with the tarmac. Leaving was fine although ATC never said Take Off at your discretion and I had to ask a second time. I will check that one. Return to Gloucester was fine and the landing okay with just a slight amount of crabbing which I should have corrected. Overall a good learning experience and a handy airfield to visit again to put all that right.

Circuits again 10/01/2022
Poor weather meant that the original plan was cancelled and I decided to do a circuit session instead. Six good landings with some additional instructions thrown in to keep me on my toes; Runway 27 change to LH circuit then back to RH circuit. Orbit at the end of the Downwind. Part of the time it rained so it was good practise dealing with that plus a wet runway. No bad landings at all so happy with the session.

Shobdon Land Away 03/01/2022
Land away to Shobdon via several castles, Croft, Wigmore and Clun on the way out and Longtown and Grosmont on the return. Very windy day with the crosswind right on or just exceeding the maximum. Flight out was mixed weather with a big rain cloud followed by bright sunshine, and the flight back was just dull. Landing at Shobdon was okay but I did bounce before getting it under control. Good line up and pretty straight. Landing at Gloucester was interesting with a 12 Knot at 220 degrees wind. I managed to land okay but the plane took some lining up and a late correction just before landing. All good and I felt in control.

Henstridge Land Away 22/12/2021
Flight went well with no problems. Approach to the airfield could have been better as I was a little out of position on the final but tidied it up for a good landing. Nothing much at Henstridge and the start of 06 is a bit rough. Take Off was fine. The original plan was to skirt Yeovilton and head up the Bristol Channel but it looked a bit cloudy so I went straight back. Tail wind meant I was back much quicker. Got a Direct LH onto 27 but I think I should have been wider and gone further on the Downwind as I had a lot of height to lose on final. All worked out okay but I did land later than normal so had to roll to C1. All in all a good day out but three weeks since my last SHMI flight is too long.

Monthly DJ flight 09/12/2021
For my monthly flight in DJ I went to Halfpenny Green. Several reasons, it is a nice flight, I had not been there before and it was fairly close so a round trip would be about an hour. No problem with the flight over, although DJ felt heavy compared to SHMI. Take Off was fine and navigation okay - basically over Worcester, Kidderminster and think about looking for the airfield. In fact I flew right over the top. I must get used to giving airfields a bit of a wide berth until I am confident I know where they are. Coffee and bacon roll, paid my dues, got a brief on taxi requirements and I was off. No problems leaving and I remembered everything about AFIS departures. One to note for future visits is that they provide a good Basic Service right through to Worcester. Return to Gloucester was fine but I forgot to book in and could not get them on the phone. It was okay, but I did have to do a standard join which wasted some time. Landing was fine.

Sleap Land Away 21/11/2021
Nothing exciting about the trip up except there was a 20kt headwind so took longer than expected. Left on 36 so a good experience. Arrival was interesting. Once again I was over the top before I realised! Did a quick circuit and landed. 14kt headwind from 330 meant additional power was required to avoid a stall. The airfield is really nice with a good cafe, small museum and a hangar with some aircraft being restored. Return was much quicker due to the tail wind. Take Off was really short, again due to the headwind. Landed on 36 which was more good experience and I felt more comfortable using it and picturing what I needed to do. Great day out.

Fenland Land away 19/11/2021
Land away to Fenland. Initial Take Off was fine in good coinditions but cloud soon appeared so I elected to fly at 4,000 feet above it. It was a good decision and I enjoyed a sunny flight over. I did begin to wonder whether I had made the right decision as I approached my destination, but passing over Peterborough, the cloud vanished, leaving a glorious day. Initially I missed the airfield, only spotting it as I flew overhead. Long sweep around to get onto Base and a smooth landing. Runway 26 looked quite short on approach but I think that was just an optical illusion and I came to a halt in less than half the distance (330m). It is quite a low key airfield and parking seems fairly arbitrary but I found a good spot close to the cafe. Its just five pounds landing fee which meant my bacon roll and coffee were more than the landing fee! Leaving the airfield I got initial information but that was all. Take Off was fine and I did a circuit to see Spalding and The Wash before climbing to 4,000 feet over the clouds again. Unremarkable return until I neared Gloucester where I realise that it was totally overcast, despite the ATIS saying broken at 1,700 feet. I looked around for a gap but none was found so decided the best course of action would be to head towards Worcester, listen out and find the narrowest and thinnest gap I could. This I did and within a few seconds cleared the cloud to emerge below it. A bit naughty but what choice did I have? Turning I approached the airfield for a standard join, although I think I messed up the comms a little, probably pre-occupied with recent events.

Circuits in SHMI 13/11/2021
Circuit session. First landing was a little bouncy. after that, all good. Did four with flaps and two flapless. No issues but perhaps could take more notice of wind speed and direction. Maybe try to note it in the log.

Easy DJ 05/11/2021
Planned to be an easy flight in DJ just to keep the skills up and thats what it was...mostly. Flew down to Chepstow at 1,500 feet then through FoD to Hereford, rising to 2,500 feet. Over the Malverns and out to Tewkesbury. Busy day at the airfield so took a standard overhead. All good until emerging from the Deadside onto Crosswind. Cessna ahead and slightly left. It was obviously higher than me but not by much. I had been told to follow the Cessna which had reported as being Downwind and I had seen another aircraft in that position. I decided the best course of action was to continue, then orbit to give it time to clear. On approach to Base I saw it going very wide so followed it but it was clearly out of position for final, then so was I! Corrected and lined up. The aircraft ahead had turned left for some reason, so I continued my approach and landed smoothly enough but I may have bounced once. I think that was due to trying to get into a following position then correct onto the line but found myself a little too high. Of course, today was the day I didnt video the approach and landing.

Goodwood Day Trip 02/11/2021
Day trip to Goodwood. Great flight down, requireing a zone transit from Brize and a Traffic service from Farnborough - all good practise. Goodwood was easy to find and I initially intended to do a complete circuit to get the feel of the airfield but the approach was directly on the downwind leg to runway 32 so I dropped straight down. Good landing, no issues. Return flight was similar using the same services. Gloucester was mega busy when I got back and I had to do two orbits before being allowed into the overhead. Final approach was slightly nerve wracking as there was a helicopter on the runway seemingly playing chicken! I was 200 feet with engine cut and almost down before he moved. ATC told me to continue! Great day out.

Sandown Jolly 17/10/2021
Day trip to Sandown. Flew VFR above the cloud which was awesome. Over Portsmouth and onto IoW was superb. Did a tour of the airfield as I hadnt landed there before and did find myself a bit too high (1,500 feet) on Downwind instead of 1,000 feet but sorted it and made a good landing on the grass runway. Return was fine - same route via Petersfield then direct to Gloucester. Used London Information and Farnborough on the way down, then Farnborough and Brize on the way back. Landing at Gloucester was slightly bouncy. I think a combination of a steeper approach and gusty conditions caused me to flare slightly early and too much, should have just let it settle. Promising myself a circuit session next time!

Harwarden Day Trip 13/10/2021
Land away flight to Harwarden near Chester. Great flight up. Used Shawbury for Basic Service until past Chirk then switched to Harwarden Radar who I kept calling Radio. Doh! Final few miles was a bit tricky with very low cloud requiring 1,000 feet prior to the circuit and also on the Downwind leg I lost sight of the runway in the cloud. They give a very late final instruction and I was quite close before I was given a direction and join (Left Base). Rubbish landing with a couple of balloons but not a hard landing. Departure is interesting, They give a full description of departure; 1.5nM straight on Runway 22 blah blah, but no taxi clearance which then comes later. That is the reverse of Gloucester and did throw me out a bit, needing several Say Agains. Once I departed the return flight was good and landing at Gloucester no problem.

A tale of two 06/10/2021
Two land aways today, Compton Abbas and Priors Farm. The weather was good but there was a strong Westerly wind (good for Gloucester Take Off) which turned N/W (bad for landing/Take Off at Compton Abbas). The flight went well with good comms and despite the wind, the landing (on grass as well) went really well. Take Off also went better than expected despite being nearly psyched out by the aircraft ahead veering to the left! Landing at Priors was slightly hard but okay. Stayed about an hour. Take Off and return to Gloucester good. They gave me a late direct join Left Base onto 27. As I was almost at the end of 27, had an interesting zig-zag to get on line but landed fine with two red lights. All in all, a great day out.

Shobdon jaunt 24/09/2021
Quick trip over to Shobdon. Flight out was good. The Take Off felt slightly heavy but I did have a passenger so not surprising. Good direct in to runway 26 with a good landing and plenty of room for the first exit. Return flight was slightly lower at 2,000 feet as opposed to 4,000 feet and with the wind behind quite quick. Came back via Malvern Hills and Tewkesbury for a standard join. All went well until final where I had some trouble lining up and pulled back too far on the stick and landed awkwardly. Probably should have done a Go Around. Note to self: Practise Go around!

Seaside trip 20/09/2021
A day trip to Caernarfon today. I had planned Elvington but couldnt get clearance. Outbound via Aberystwyth and up the coast. Interestingly I couldnt raise Valley until North of Aberystwyth so used London Information from Ledbury. Altitude was around 4,000 feet to fly above the clouds whcih was great and then a long slow descent once clear of the big mountains. Wonderful airfield, flying over the sea, then around the circuit to land. Fabulous weather. Spent the day relaxing then flew directly back via Leominster which only turned out to be 15 minutes quicker. Also at 4,000 feet although I did have to descend by 500 feet a couple of times to dodge clouds. No issues and even landed with an 8kt cross wind at Gloucester. Slightly high on one side but happy with the landing. Also happy with the landing at Caernarfon.

One Hundred Hours 20/09/2021
Todays flight bought my flying hours to just over one hundred!

Two airfield day 03/09/2021
Two airfields in one day and one of them was a grass strip, a first for the Eurostar. The flight down to Thruxton was uneventful apart from trying to get a MATZ penetration with Boscombe. Im pretty sure they either said No, or didnt respond, either way I steered clear whcih is only a slight diversion to come in wide of Andover. From Andover it is straightforward although as I approached I did wonder about it - I was 2,000 feet but crossed the runway Take Off line. I might have to ask Phil about that. Coming downwind I dropped to 800 feet and being Air/Ground notified the tower of my position and intentions. All went well until just crossing the end of the runway where I was blown completely off course by the wind being deflected by the buildings. Bit of a shock but corrected and landed okay. Take Off and flight to Priors Farm was fine, although I did keep thinking I had arrived earlier than I did. Once actually spotted, I did a circuit, set the altimeter to read my height above the field and came into land. For a first grass landing in the Eurostar and a first solo grass landing I was well pleased. Needed less than half the length so no worries. Stayed for about 45 minutes, long enough to watch a Stearman land and have a chat with the owner. Take Off was equally easy and the return to Gloucester without issue, although I did climb to 4,000 feet just for the hell of it, and another first. Landing was no problem on 09. Might be getting the hang of landing a bit more now.

Circuits 01/09/2021
Circuits practise using 09. Five landings, two using flap and three flapless. All fairly good but could probably use a session with Tom. Some additional pressure with other aircraft requiring extension to Downwind and orbits whilst looking out for other aircraft was good practise.

Local in DJ 30/08/2021
Local flight in DJ. Started really badly trying to do a Short Field Take Off and the plane veered to the left. Only just managed to correct it and take off. All over the place down the runway. Couldnt find any decent height due to the clouds. Did a couple of stalls and tried a side-slip but I wasnt happy with it. Decided to give up and return. Runway had changed from 09 to 36. I approached from the West and asked for a direct join. Runway 36 Left Base I was told. Unfortunately I approached on 18 and couldnt understand how it was Left Base! I realised when they told me I was out of position - in fact, approaching the wrong end! I corrected and actually managed a good landing. Overall, not a good flight and one to forget.

Dunkeswell 29/08/2021
Land away to Dunkeswell. Second attempt! Cloud base was quite low so decided to phone the airfield and check - clear skies came the reply. Down Bristol channel had some challenges, there was some cloud even at 1,000 feet but I managed it okay. Crossing to the English side improved visibility considerably. South of Weston it improved even more. Approach to Dunkeswell circuit was maybe high and I should have descended much earlier - at centre line of runway ideally. Landing was a little hard I think, I let the speed drop too much and it stalled the final couple of feet. Return was fine although I couldnt raise Yeovil for a MATZ penetration so steered around to be safe. Otherwise no issues. Long circuit at Gloucester. Landing was a good one - kept the speed a little higher.

Dunkeswell 29/08/2021

Turweston for real 27/08/2021
Land away at Turweston. Direct this time. All went well with no issues and a good confident landing. Return was equally good. Used Brize Radar for Basic Service in both directions.

Turweston or not 22/08/2021
It was supposed to be a trip to Turweston via Huntingdon but quickly turned into a dodge the clouds game. A couple of times I did get enveloped but got myself out quickly with a 180. It was slightly worrying at times and eventually I decided to abandon. Actually there were a lot of good learning opportunities; dealing with cloud avoidance, getting out of cloud safely, talking to Brize Radar, returning to Base and doing a standard join for the first time in ages. All went well and the landing was a good one so even though I didnt get to Turweston I learned plenty and came home safely.

Shobdon Land Away 03/08/2021
Trip over to Shobdon in the Eurostar. Take Off good, although I need to focus on the aircraft rather than other stuff - too much messing about with the camera and didnt back off the throttle at the right time. Encountered another aircraft above and ahead to my right. Decided to do a delaying orbit as there wouldnt be time to reposition and overtake. Landed on 08 for the first time which was fine. Returning was all good - proper taxi out at Shobdon! Take Off good and direct join was good with a smooth landing. No mistakes and all good.

Second Passenger flight 29/07/2021
I was a bit worried about the wind but luckily it moved almost Westward so actually helped. I took Dan flying today. He seemed a little nervous at times but I think he enjoyed it. Usual route around the Malverns, Worcester and return via Tewkesbury and Direct onto Right Base. Excellent landing, really pleased with it.

Eurostar again 24/07/2021
An hour in the Eurostar. Not sure whether to go as the airport was really quiet and the sky was a bit iffy. Eventually phoned Phil who said it was okay, just a quiet morning. Runway 09 but taxied from the 27 end to half way, still plenty. Nice flight down to May Hill, Malverns and off in search of Broadway Tower - found it straight away. Direct join onto Downwind for 09. I think I got too high too close so had a steep approach. Must remember to aim further down for a shallower angle and look down the runway. Slightly hard landing with the nose too high.

First Passenger flight 23/07/2021
First passenger flight with Alex in the Robin. Full brief and off. Flew down to Chepstow then up through the Forest of Dean, Ledbury, Malvern Hills, Worcester and back to the Malverns and down to May Hll for a direct join onto 09. All good, no issues and a good landing.

Back in the Robin 20/07/2021
Back in the Robin because the Eurostar had a brake cylinder issue. All pre-flight checks done, apart from the fuel check which I remembered about 20 minutes after Take Off! Flew down to the Black Mountains and did a couple of loops - beautiful. Direct join onto Downwind and all was good, although I seemed to land quicker than expected but a nice soft landing so happy with that. All good.

Skills flight 13/07/2021
A skills flight today. Headed West for some space then did turns, shallow at first, then 60 degrees. Watched the horizon not the altimeter and was pleasantly surprised that I held the altitude really well. Did a couple of stalls, flapless, then first stage with the obligatory HASELL check. Headed back via the Malverns and did an engine fail drill, but its a bit of a non-event in the EV97 as there is almost nothing to check. Found a good landing site but pulled out a few hundred feet above. On the return, the runway had changed to 09 so asked for a couple of circuits. Did three landings. First and third were good, the second was a little hard but okay. All in all a good session with no mistakes. Even set the QFE!

Dunkeswell trip 11/07/2021
Planned flight to Dunkeswell. All went well, altitude 1,000 feet to fly under the Bristol CTA. Across the Severn to Weston was amazing although being so low I did think about the glide range - basically no chance of making land! The weather deteriorated significantly South of Bridgewater so eventually called Dunkeswell and abandoned. On return notified London Information of cancelled plans. Apparently it is not a requirement in uncontrolled airspace. Flying under Bristol I used Bristol Monitor with a 5077 Squawk. Joined Left Base which was new to me. Managed fine although cross wind was interesting. All good a single touchdown not too hard this time.On ground control is much improved. Landing improved but could still be better I think.

Brecons flight 08/07/2021
Great flight down to the Brecons, some very dark clouds which I avoided. Due to not being able to get fuel I had to turn short of Pen y Fan as I was starting to worry. Need to revise the speed in my plans as it is clearly set too fast. Return was fine and a direct join went well. Might have been slightly low as I came over the end of the runway and the landing was a little hard. I was looking down instead of along the runway and I should have had a shallower angle as I think I stalled.

Big Flight Plans 02/07/2021
Gloucester to Shobdon via Welshpool, Barmouth and Aberystwyth plus the Elan Valley thrown in for good measure. Got to try out Sky Demon which worked a treat but it was a demo version so switched off after 30 minutes but I have now purchased the full version. Take off from Gloucester was fine although due to changing runways as I was taxiing I actually took off half way down! No problem but got caught slightly in the crosswind. The journey was all good with no problems. I did give the mountains a good gap at 4,000 feet as I could feel the effects of the updraught. Took a litle while to identify Shobdon but a good approach I thought. Not such a good landing! I bounced. Misunderstood departure instructions. Shobdon has a grass taxi-way. I thought they meant for me to taxi down the runway. *Lesson learned - get more familiar with new airfields* Return to Gloucester all good and landing was fine. Slight waver on runway but no dramas. Could improve braking distance maybe.

First Eurostar Solo 29/06/2021
First solo in the Eurostar! All went well. Good Take Off. The route was Tewkesbury, Droitwich, Ludlow, Hereford and direct back via May Hill. Minor navigation issue on approach - too far to the right due to the misty conditions but corrected with 5 miles to go. Great landing, very happy with that. Compass seems a bit unreliable and I couldnt get Sky Demon working until after the landing. Screen is too reflective anyway so need a matt screen cover. Timings were all spot on which was nice

More Eurostar 24/06/2021
Back to the Eurostar for more circuits. It all went well with a steady improvement on each landing and subsequent Take Off. Eight landings in total but at the end of the session, Tom was happy to sign me off! Lots of practise required now

Avebury 23/06/2021
Gloucester - Avebury - Chepstow - Gloucester. No issues except I think the Wind report was not correct as I found myself too far South but could correct with visual clues - which is a good thing. Used Brize Radar from Kemble to Avebury but they closed and passed me over to what turned out to be London Information. I didnt use them, so enjoyed some quiet flying. Must check if thats okay. All good, no mistakes and a good landing.

Solo in the Robin 21/06/2021
Nice solo flight over Tewkesbury then off to Broadway Tower, Evesham, Worcester and down to May Hill for a Direct Approach. Really exciting approach and landing on 09. All good with no mistakes and felt very relaxed throughout

Eurostar Differences Training 12/06/2021
Having not been able to fly the Eurostar so far, but now I have my license, I can crack on with the Differences training. Good take off, although not such as steep angle as the Robin, HASELL and Stall skills were fine. Also stall in turn. Power Fail was fine although it is much more manoeverable than the Robin so can land on a much shorter strip. All R/T was fine. Landing was a bit floaty so get lower on final. Run out and steering all good. Shutdown drill is radios off, Mags off, Master and Alternator off. Need to check some basic info: landing speed, stall speed(s), flap requirements, cruise speed

First as Pilot 10/06/2021
First flight as an Official Pilot! I dont think I made a single mistake! Flew over Leominster and hit it spot on. I had not pre-planned any further so worked out a bearing to Hay on Wye. Got that including the correct ETA. I had intended to fly over the Black Mountains but the cloud was too low to get up to 3000 feet - so far I had been at 2000 feet. By passing, I flew along the East side which was interesting. Once I got down to Skirrid I took a bearing back to Gloucester and again the ETA was spot on and a well executed direct join saw a good landing. One comment would be to check landing speed next time as the stall warning was sounding. Also aim a little further down the runway as I am only just making it.

First after Qualifying 04/06/2021
First solo after qualifying. Rather ambitious flight to Welshpool and back (no land away). Longest flight so far. Pre-flight drills all okay but I went to the pumps first. Must remember to restart and do all the checks as I didnt turn on the alternator until the final power checks. Flight and Nav were fine. DI caught me out for a short while after turning but corrected it. All good and good comms. Only final mistake was not setting the altimeter to QFE again but landing was good anyway. Have now modified log sheet to add reminder about Altimeter.

The Skills Test 26/05/2021
I could not believe how nervous I was. The initial briefing was quite short and succinct: Read the skills list and let me know if you have any questions. We were off. I had prepared a Weight/Balance sheet which wasnt needed. Weather forecast also not needed and a Safety briefing that I had barely got started when he told me that was okay. Engine started and checks, no problem, taxi and Take Off okay. He had asked me to do a couple of circuits and I really naused up the first landing, then we were supposed to do a flapless landing which I naused up again! Third time I finally got it. Not going well! We then went off to Leominster and I found myself too far to the North but corrected it in good time, although he said I should have done it earlier. Next skill was the detour which went well and we did a 45 degree turn which I nailed. Next was Emergency Landing, okay but I could have picked a better field. I should have spent more time looking, but I picked what I thought was okay. Stalls next were fine and then we headed back via Tewkesbury. I got the approach okay and we did a standard overhead which I also got okay and finally into the land. I allowed the aircraft to be blown left and only just got on but he seemed okay with it. Taxi back and shutdown were fine. I totally expected to fail or have a partial pass so was amazed when told I had passed! What went badly: First normal and flapless landing. What could have gone better: Navigation - should have flown a couple of miles further West before turning onto the heading. Final landing could have been lined up better with cross-wind. What went well: Start up, taxi, R/T, Take Off, Diversion, Steep Turn, General Handling, Safety Briefing, Stall, Power Fail, Rejoin

LAPL Award 26/05/2021

Local solo flight 22/05/2021
Local solo flight to practise some skills ready for the skills test. Taxi and Take Off were fine, although I do need to slow down on the checklist to make sure I cover everything. Flew over to Ledbury then went in search of Putley Church. Got in the vicinity but didnt quite identify it. Did some steep (45 degree) turns, stall practise, slow flying and steep turns. All went well and happy with everything. Return to airfield via May Hill gave me the opportunity to ask for a Direct Join. I was told Right Downwind and not below 1500 feet. Perfect. On arrival I had to widen which also gave me good practise for different scenarios and I followed a Cessna in. One minor criticism is that I could have been down at 1500 feet on the Downwind instead of 2000 feet which gave me a lot of height to lose quickly. All good with the landing

A good lesson 18/05/2021
Much better lesson today. Good Take Off and level off at 2,500 feet. Did stall practise. Remember 90 degree left (with bank) and 90 degree right (with bank) for the Lookout part, then straight into skill. Also forced landing which went well, but always remember to land into wind and dont forget to turn off the fuel etc. Return for Right Base. Had height restriction. Flapless landing, 75kts, normal landing 65-70kts and short field 60kts landing. Easy on brakes for final skill.

Eurostar Circuits 16/05/2021
Circuit training in the Eurostar went okay, but things to remember are: more right rudder on Take off, more right rudder on landing and checking the speed before deploying the flaps. A couple of minor issues: I didnt set the transponder and a couple of misheard messages so dont be afraid to ask for a repeat. Need to copy the briefing card for reference and check it is complete as there are very few checks compared to the Robin

Circuits 14/05/2021
Started with a few circuits. It all felt very rushed, but I havent done them for a very long time and it always seems rushed anyway. All good on the standard landing. Flapless gave me some issues getting the speed right - the nose has to be up to reduce the speed. Remember power = height, attitude = speed. Must check the speeds required. We went off and did some upper air work with straight and level and low speed flying. That was okay, but again pay more attention to the attitude and the speed will come. Steep (45 deg) turns were fine and spiral dive recovery was fine too. Some confusion on my part returning as I misunderstood Phils request for a Direct Join (i.e. no overhead) when I called for Rejoin which implies overhead. Join and landing were fine. Direct join approach is 1500 feet unless stated by Approach. Remember on Direct Join, pre-landing checks should be done early. Also when QFE is given, change the altimeter immediately.

Navigation Exercise 11/05/2021
Repeating the Nav exercise as I made such a hash of it last time! Flew out of 18. Tower gave left turn, I should have requested right turn. Some minor issues getting back on track and identifying Ledbury. DI played up and it took a little while to get comfortable with direction using compass. Got to Leominster okay and diversion went well although initial bearing was off, I soon corrected it. Diversion was to Hay on Wye, then South across the Black Mountains to Abergavenny. Again okay, but I need to get more familar with spot heights. Return to airport fine although I could have used May Hill as a good reference. Tower gave me Right Base which confused me. Basically the join is onto Base but from the East means a Right Hand Turn onto final rather than Left hand overhead and onto circuit. Landing was good but a slightly fast approach.

Eurostar buy in 01/05/2021
Well, today I paid up for a share in an aircraft! It is a Eurostar EV97 and I now own 1/20th of it. I cannot actually fly it until I have passed my skills test and done the Differences training, but I own it so happy with that

Navigation Day 30/04/2021
I made a big mistake very early on by not checking the DI against the compass but I also underestimated the speed, I worked on 93kts and should have used 95kts which made enough of a difference so that I did not start looking for the destination early enough. Also I missed it because I was looking on the wrong side of the aircraft, then mistook another airfield. Eventually I located it with some help from Phil. The Diversion was planned okay with goo timing but because I had not checked the DI, I ended up 20 degrees off course! We decided to give up and head back and I got very disorientated with the consequence that the return fell apart, but I finally recovered for a reasonable approach and landing. Top lesson, the D (Direction) in FREDA should be done every 10-15 minutes and always when changing direction or circling for a diversion. Positives: The plan was a good one, and the direction was fine, I correctly identified places along the route. I held 2,000 feet for the vast majority of the flight and calculating the diversion went well.

Land away to Thruxton 26/04/2021
Today was a trip to Thruxton for my solo cross country skill as part of the LAPL course. Taxi and take off were good and the Navigation fine. I felt comfortable with the R/T understanding. I had a minor confusion with my MATZ penetration request so went in via Andover. The landing could have been better as I think I started to flare slightly high. I was happy with the comms to Thruxton and took the time to pop into the tower to ask the controller what he thought - answer was all good so happy with that. On my return I should have taken more time with the PLog as I did not write down all of the frequencies I was planning to use, especially Kemble which I planned to use. Happy with the comms back into Gloucester with a slight wobble on approach to landing and again a high flare but otherwise okay.

General Handling Day 16/04/2021
Today was all about performing the basic tasks. Leaving Gloucester, my Instructor and I flew over the Malvern Hills and past Ledbury to a safe area with little in the way of houses and villages and some large fields just in case my power fail drill was for real! Gaining 3,000 feet I did my HASELL checks and pulled the power. The Robin has a stall speed of 51 knots with flaps up. The stall itself is unremarkable, the stall warning going off well before the actual stall which is characterised by the airframe starting to shake and very easy to recover from and within 100 feet I was on my way back up again. A second and third stall with first stage and second stage flaps followed with no issues. Some 360 degree turns at 30 degrees and 60 degrees followed which I always enjoy, the skill of course is to maintain the altitude which I managed successfully. Finally a power fail drill, pulling the power and setting the glide speed to 68kts I had plenty of time to look for a suitable field, check for a problem, and (pretend to) make an Emergency call. As I approached around 500 feet above the ground and confident of a landing I eased on the power and started to climb away, conscious of not closing the flaps until I had enough speed to guarantee I would not stall. That was enough for today and it was a pleasant flight back to the airfield.

Departures

Last Flight

Gloucester 21-11-2023

Distance: 120 miles

Route: Night Flight Touch and Go to Oxford

Next Flight

Gloucester 01-12-2023

Distance: 70 miles

Route: Local flight with circuits as part of the Night Rating

Totals: 233 Hours, 377 Landings

Station Frequencies

Benson	MATZ	136.450
Benson	Zone	120.900
Birmingham	Radar	123.980	Sq 0010
Brize Norton	Radar	124.275	Sq 3727
Boscombe	MATZ	126.700
Bristol	ATC	125.650	Sq 5077
Enstone	A/G	129.880
Farnborough	Radar	125.250
Halfpenny Green	AFIS	123.005
Kemble	AFIS	118.430
Gloucester	ATIS	127.480
Gloucester Tower	Zone	122.905
Gloucester Approach	Approach	128.555
London Information	Info	124.750
Shawbury	Radar	133.150
Shobdon	AFIS	118.155
Sleap	A/G	122.455
Thruxton	A/G	118.280
Turweston	A/G	122.180
Welshpool	A/G	128.005
Yeovil	Radar	127.350
Safety Com	(Traffic)	135.480
MayDay	Emergency	121.50

+15

+16°

+10°

Gloucester

Monday, 17

Tuesday	+18°	+8°
Wednesday	+15°	+11°
Thursday	+17°	+12°
Friday	+15°	+12°
Saturday	+14°	+9°
Sunday	+13°	+9°

See 7-Day Forecast