VFR from France to the UK – Le Touquet to Headcorn in a PA28

As this was a check out flight and not necessarily 100% for pleasure, or at least what I would plan if I had friends and family as passengers our stop in Le Touquet was only brief.

After clearing customs and paying the landing fee, my instructor/examiner and I headed to the restaurant at the airport ‘L’Escale’ for a quick snack and a drink while we debriefed on the flight. By the time we had got there, the staff were ready to close for the day but were more than happy to remain open for us.

Without wanting to out stay our welcome, we settled the bill and left after we had debriefed. We then went back into the terminal building where we had about half an hour to kill before it would be possible to activate our flight plan for our return trip.

We took this opportunity to brief and agree our plan for the flight back to Headcorn. This tuned out to be the perfect amount of time given that we needed to give the aircraft a once over as well.

We continued through the departure lounge, cleared customs and headed airside. After checking out the aircraft, we put our life jackets on before boarding. It wasn’t until reviewing the footage after the flight that I realised this is where I made my first mistake of the trip back home. I had put my life jacket on the wrong way round … not good from a safety point of view and I am glad that I did not need to use it. But lesson learned and I will thoroughly check in future to make sure that life jackets are fitted correctly, not just for myself but my passengers too.

As per the procedures at Le Touquet airport, we called the Ground frequency to request engine start and they confirmed that they had our flight plan by stating that we were flying back to EGKH.

After starting the engine, we completed the remaining checks before getting our taxi instructions. Runway 31 was still in use which would put us on a perfect course for our flight back across the channel.

On reaching the holding point T3, we contacted the Tower frequency who gave us our take off clearance.

After departure we made a slight right turn and took the same route back as we did on the inbound leg initially heading towards Boulogne Harbour.

It was at this point that I learnt my second lesson of the day and that is to trust your judgment. I was pretty confident that you can’t receive a Basic Service outside of the UK, but I just wanted some clarity from my instructor before making the call. This lead to me making an incorrect radio call to Lille Information.

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The controllers at Lille Information were extremely helpful with giving traffic information and kept us will informed for the duration of the service.

Just as we approached the FIR boundary, they asked us to change frequency to London Information. We didn’t actually intent on speaking to them and waited until we were mid-channel before calling Lydd Approach for a Basic Service.

The channel crossing was uneventful but a lot slower than the inbound leg as we had a reasonably strong head wind managing a ground speed of around 80 to 85 knots. We eventually coasted in at Lydd and passed directly overhead the airfield.

They then asked us to report and the Royal Military Canal, which I had never heard of before, luckily my instructor had. Usually the controllers at Lydd ask you to report at Tenterden which is just a bit further north and in all honesty, I think I was prepared to be given that instruction hence my surprise when being asked to report at a different location.

On crossing the Royal Military canal I requested a frequency change to Headcorn Radio. I called them when overhead Tenterden to get the airfield information for our approach and informed them that I intend to join on left base.

Given the muddy and marginal ground conditions at Headcorn, it was very quiet on the approach and we landed nice and smoothly on runway 28. We then taxied the PA28 just outside the hangar as all of the aircraft were being put away due to some bad weather that was due the following day.

We walked back to the club house and were met by 2 very pleasant officials from UK Border Force to check our passports. They did mention that it was a slow day for them and usually they wouldn’t have bothered with a flight like ours.

So that was the end of my first international flight since joining Weald Air Services at Headcorn and I now can’t wait to make the trip again with family and friends when both countries are out of Coronavirus lockdown and it is safe to be travelling again.

Watch the video on my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVA4LHuuPVQ