Aircraft General Discussion

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

Metalmuncher,

While making coffee around 1450h today, heard the sound of a Merlin engine being worked, so rushed out and spied a single aircraft doing a couple of circuits around Eye.

Could just make out what looked like D-Day stripes on the wings.

Definitely not a Spitfire as its wings had straight leading and trailing edges, but too far away to see details of fuselage or anything else about the thing.

A couple of minutes later it headed SW – To Duxford?

Workshop a cool 23-24°

Geoff – Next I'l be complaining about the cold

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> Had a Fieseler Storch trundle over this afternoon on its way to, I assume, Shuttleworth for tomorrow.

Not the fastest of aircraft, might just make it in time

Neil

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Neil,

From me he is almost on the approach as its only about four miles away, with the flaps hanging down and into a stiff wind they are almost stationary and I've seen almost a vertical landing from one at Duxford.

Martin P

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Having spent an excellent day visiting Prestwood Steam Rally in Buckinghamshire my wife spoilt it slightly by informing me that not only did the Vulcan display at Shuttleworth it passed very low over our house on its way back home, she heard two neighbours talking and one said what was that and the other replied I don't know maybe some sort of bomber.

As I typed the above a Spitfire was doing a practice routine about a mile away whilst waiting his turn.

Martin P

 

Edited By martin perman on 05/07/2015 16:44:09

Edited By martin perman on 05/07/2015 16:44:54

[Anonymous]

I thought I'd put this post here rather than in 'what did you do today'. Got up early this morning for my first day of towing in the Open Class and 20m Nationals at the local gliding club. Very windy day and looked c**p but I launched the 'sniffer' to assess conditions anyway. They then decided to launch the grid so off we went. My second tow was an ex-world champion glider pilot, so some pressure not to bog up the tow!

The club also had the BBC here today. So if anybody saw BBC Look East this evening and saw a glider being towed off by G-BVYM that was your scribe in the tug.

Lots of land backs and land outs today due to the scruffy conditions. One tug pilot did an aerotow retrieve from Cambridge and I drew the short straw to do a retrieve from Marham. For those that don't know this is a large RAF airfield near Kings Lynn. It is a Tornado training base, so a massive 2500 metre runway and arrester wires several hundred metres in from each end. The officious MoD types had a field day; aircraft insurance details to be faxed, I was supposed to carry photo ID, we had to get a PPR (prior permission required) number before we took off, yak, yak, yak. In contrast approach control and the lady air trafffic controller in the tower couldn't have been nicer. Especially as my radio performance left something to be desired. My excuse is that I'm an amateur pilot, not a professional fast jet jockey! The guys out on the airfield giving a hand were great too, said it had really livened up their day! It took an age to get back into a 20+ knot headwind and to cap it all we got rained on.

Time to hit the sack and repeat tomorrow.

Andrew

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

4 / 8 / 15 Les Monroe CNZM, DSO, QSO, DFC, the last of the Dam Buster pilots died in New Zealand at the age of 96 years.

Ian S C

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

The officious MoD types had a field day; aircraft insurance details to be faxed, I was supposed to carry photo ID, we had to get a PPR (prior permission required) number before we took off, yak, yak, yak.

I assume they kept the poor glider pilot flying round in circles while he arranged for his details to be faxed over too

Neil

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Don't worry about it Neil – glider pilots learn from an early age to go round and round in circles. It might be said that they enjoy it and it gives them a lift……….

Norman

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 03/08/2015 22:27:50:

….I drew the short straw to do a retrieve from Marham. For those that don't know this is a large RAF airfield near Kings Lynn. It is a Tornado training base, so a massive 2500 metre runway and arrester wires several hundred metres in from each end. The officious MoD types had a field day; aircraft insurance details to be faxed, I was supposed to carry photo ID, we had to get a PPR (prior permission required) number before we took off, yak, yak, yak….

What is the rule / advice for landing (involuntarily?) in an RAF base? I could imagine an enthusiastic reception if you landed without permission at one of the "RAF" bases that are full of Mercan servicemen (Mildenhall?). Presumably there is also the possibility of considerable further excitement trying to come in and land at the same time as one of their finest machines.

Murray

[Anonymous]

Posted by NJH on 05/08/2015 12:40:42:

Don't worry about it Neil – glider pilots learn from an early age to go round and round in circles. It might be said that they enjoy it and it gives them a lift……….

Norman

Us mere mortals go round and round in circles. Ex-world champions find lines of energy that allow them to fly the whole of the into wind (20+kts) leg of the task without bothering to circle. Different league to me.

Today didn't go so well. It started raining in the drop zone before we'd even finished launching the grid. Gliders everywhere and the circuit got very congested, so I pushed off a few miles and orbited until the excitement died down. Unfortunately I then had my own 'excitement', the nearest I've ever come to midair collision. The glider passed slightly to one side of me, at the same height, and probably less than 100 feet away. Closing speed was probably about 180mph. Scared the **** out of me, and required a change of underwear upon landing.

Andrew

[Anonymous]

Posted by Muzzer on 05/08/2015 21:02:59:

What is the rule / advice for landing (involuntarily?) in an RAF base? I could imagine an enthusiastic reception if you landed without permission at one of the "RAF" bases that are full of Mercan servicemen (Mildenhall?). Presumably there is also the possibility of considerable further excitement trying to come in and land at the same time as one of their finest machines.

The basic advice at any active airfield, military or civil, is to talk to the air traffic controllers. If they know who you are and where you are they are generally happy and can advise or move other traffic as required. What they don't like is an unknown radar return. It is generally regarded as pretty dumb to be circling on the extended runway centre line, even if you are outside the ATZ and/or MATZ and therefore technically legal. Fast jets fly fairly large circuits and he has an ejector seat while you only have a manually operated parachute! Landing without permission is definitely likely to lead to an uncomfortable 'interview' and a visit to the guard house. I've towed a few gliders out of military airfields, and they have all been pretty friendly and helpful. At the end of the day it our taxes that are paying for it.

Funny, but I was only discussing US military airfields in the UK with one of the other tug pilots (who is American) today. I don't think they are technically US soil, like the embassies. Again, if you talk to them they are helpful. We have regular liasion days with Mildenhall/Lakenheath so they know us and we know them.

Ultimately it could be claimed that a landing at an airfield is much less risky than a field landing, so if they refuse permission to land they are 'endangering' an aircraft.

One airfield you did not want to land at was Westcott, where the experimental rocket propulsion establishment was based. It is reputed that one glider landed there, inside the 'secret' compound. Grudgingly they let the pilot out, but when it came to the glider there was a major problem. Since there was no official paperwork to show that the glider had entered the area, it wasn't possible to create documentation to release the glider from said area. I don't know how the impasse was resolved.

Andrew

[Anonymous]

We had a P51D (Mustang) land at the gliding club this evening. Very impressive, and unlike airshows it was possible to get up close and personal with it. Definitely on my Christmas present list!

Andrew

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Perhaps you could trade the Pawnee for a Mustang, it will be a bit of a handful towing gliders with it though. Mustangs have been used to tow drogues, not gliders though.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 08/08/2015 13:07:16

[JAParticipant @ja]

Between the ages of three and six I lived at Lydd in Kent (before the airport was opened). All aeroplanes flew low and fast, each towed a drogue. Some had one engine, some had two. There were no jets. At the age of six one does not know very much about aeroplanes.

Distant memories.

JA

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Couple of hercs went over low yesterday. I didn't see them, just felt them…

First for quite long while.

Neil

[Ed DuffnerParticipant @edduffner79357]

Just as I finished cutting the grass today I heard what I thought was an old rotary engine bomber. But in the strong sunlight I could make out two biplanes heading south(ish). They banked left for a full circle and headed off in more of a SE direction possibly toward the Bristol channel and Airport.

Ed.

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Went passed Duxford on Thursday and saw the Blenheim and a Spitfire parked near the small hangers at the east end, my wife and I took our new, to us, Corsa out for a run last Sunday afternoon and drove past Shuttleworth who were having an air day and the Mew Gull was being flown and he wasn't sparing the horses and was giving a spirited display.

Martin P

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

The Vulcan has something of a northern tour tomorrow (Sun 9th), plus several displays in the coming weeks of its last display year.

[Anonymous]

At last a classic racing day in the Nationals at the local gliding club. Almost everybody got round, with only one technical landout, ie, the turbo was started, rather than an actual field landing. One fumble for me during the grid launch. We have six tugs launching 36 gliders in less than an hour. Ideally we maintain the same order of tugs. However, it got fouled up today as a dozy club member rigged a club glider and then towed it across the active runway without bothering to look. As a result he baulked me on finals, so I had to go around, which I announced on the radio so the other tugs would know. The offender was collared by the launch marshall and red carded, ie, not allowed to fly solo, only with an instructor. It seems he turned up late, so didn't attend the club members briefing about grid launching, and didn't bother talking to the duty instructor either, doooooh!

We also had a small de Havilland fly-in this afternoon. A couple of Rapides, two Tiger Moths, a Hornet Moth, Queen Bee and a Thruxton Jackaroo. One of the Tiger Moths (G-AOEI) was of special interest, as I used to fly it when I was learning to fly with the Cambridge Flying Group.

Andrew

Edited By Andrew Johnston on 08/08/2015 21:50:56

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Andrew, I didn't think there would be any Queen Bees still flying, but I see that there is G-BLUZ, as Wiki says, the original Drone.

Ian S C

[Anonymous]

Posted by Ian S C on 09/08/2015 11:52:07:

Andrew, I didn't think there would be any Queen Bees still flying, but I see that there is G-BLUZ, as Wiki says, the original Drone.

That's the one. It is part owned by a club member and is based at RAF Henlow only a few miles from the gliding club, so is a fairly regular visitor.

Andrew

[Anonymous]

Just heard an aeroplane, definitely sounded big 'n' heavy. Which it turned out to be as the B17 Flying Fortress flew over the bungalow at about 1200 feet.

Andrew

[DrDaveParticipant @drdave]

We were having lunch today when Sally B taxied in and parked outside the canteen. Not sure why she visited Cambridge, which is just down the road from her "home" in Duxford. Must have been getting ready to buzz Andrew…

[Bob Brown 1Participant @bobbrown1]

Just wonder how many aircraft are lost for ever one I remember mothballed in the 60's as I past it on my way to school is one of these.

Two passenger decks is nothing new

Bob

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Calshott?

[Author]

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