Keeping Current – Winter flying from a grass runway
I have always found keeping current in the winter months a challenge. Working full time and having a young family really limits when I can fly. There have been more than a number of frustrating days when I look out of the window in my office in London to see clear blue skies yet when it comes to the weekend the clouds roll in and the winds pick up.
So with some time booked off work over the 2018 Christmas period I booked in a flight to Kemble with pilot friend Graham who I have flown with before and is a member of the club where I used to be based at Biggin Hill. On arriving at Headcorn we could tell that we wouldn’t be going anywhere as the cloud base was at only 300 feet.
We decided early on that we weren’t going to make it to Kemble but we would hang around for a while, have some breakfast in the cafe at the airfield in the hope that the cloud would lift so that I could so some circuits to keep within the club’s 40 day currency rule.
With stomach’s full, we went back out to the airfield and the situation hadn’t improved at all. So decided to call it a day and resigned myself to the face that I would have to book some a flight in with an instructor to regain currency.
Two days later, it was my last day of my leave before returning to work and there was a surprise break in the weather (although the air pressure was high). I checked the aircraft booking system and there was a slot available in the Cessna 172 G-ATWJ long enough for me to do 3 touch and goes to regain club currency and also be legal to carry passengers for another 90 days.
I made the trip down to Headcorn and completed the pre-flight checks on the aircraft which had just come out of it’s annual check/inspection. Given that we had just had a lot of heavy rain and the main club offices were closed over the festive period, I went to the air traffic control office to get a briefing and obtain any important information.
This is when I got my first real taste of winter flying from a grass airfield. I was told that the first 1/3 of the runway from the threshold was unusable due to being waterlogged and to line up at the part of the runway marked with an orange cone. On top of that and to add a bit more pressure, I was told to make my touch and goes longer than normal in order to touch down after the orange cone.
As the aircraft was low on fuel, my first stop was to the self serve fuelling station. I don’t think I have ever fuelled a Cessna 172 on my own before. The high wing and the need to climb up a ladder while trying to hold a fuel hose is quite a challenge. Although not the easiest task when flying solo, I managed it. I hopped back into the aircraft started up the engine and completed the engine run up checks before making my way to the runway.
Other than medication, the affected individual should have a consultation with your doctor and let them know about any other type of debilitating fear Stress and Anxiety: Anxiety and Agoraphobia Stress Panic attacks Agitation Depression and feelings of tiredness, as there is insufficient generic tadalafil 5mg oxygen being carried to all parts of the body. Hormonal imbalance in a female body causes generic cialis dryness in the vagina. If majority of the people are swearing by this medicine, viagra tab this must definitely be a pleasurable experience for you. Sacramento Kings (27) – Down goes Kevin Martin (surprise, surprise) and Tyreke Evans is ready to battle Jennings for the ROY, 55 points in two games is a good start. 26. more info here tadalafil india
I shouldn’t have worried about the added pressure of landing long as I completed 3 touch and goes that all went smoothly in a circuit that was relatively quiet by Headcorn’s standards.
After my final touch and go, I vacated the runway, parked up and shut down the aircraft and proceeded to the club to complete the paperwork and finalise the worst part of flying (settling the bill).
So after some very pleasant solo circuits, I was current for another 40 days at the club and legal for another 90 days to carry passengers. But would that be enough to beat the winter weather before my next flight……
View the video on my YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiPNRX3XCIs