To Lydd and beyond - 21st Sept 2008

Deanland – Lydd – Headcorn – Deanland

2nd good weekend in a row, god were being spoilt. Always difficult to plan exactly what you are going to do with regards to going microlight flying in the UK as the weather dominates your decisions so much. With a bit of luck it looks like the planned trip might actually be doable on this occasion!

Up nice and early and across to the airfield by 0900. Carl due to join us @ around 0930. Pretty straightforward build this week although time seems to fly for some reason and its 1045 before we eventually get away. The numerous cups of tea and chats probably didn’t help.

When I take passengers they are often surprised at how easy it is to go flying i.e. many think you need to submit a flight plan for all flights and that you must “check” in with someone before going off. Thankfully this is not the case for most “light aircraft and microlight flying in the UK….at the moment. As long as we keep out of restricted airspace….highly recommended for all sorts of reasons, you can fly around the UK without having to contact anyone. Most but not all aircraft these days carry radio’s so we normally at least talk to our departure and arrival airfields but other than that you can pretty much keep to yourself. Before anyone out there starts panicking all pilots carry maps (and in most cases GPS’s) that show were and at what heights we can or can not fly. No sane pilot wants a close encounter with 747 or similar monster on a low approach to Gatwick etc.

OK so were wheels up and heading towards Lydd. This will be a first which is always exciting and worrying in equal measure. Although you have checked the maps, called ahead for clearance to visit (microlights often require PPR at some of the bigger airfields) and programmed your GPS you always worry about actually finding the place, not cocking up the join, circuit, approach etc etc. Its always the radio bit that I get apprehensive about, I’m always fingers and thumbs and inevitability end up tripping myself up at some point. Oh well on the whole most airfield operators I’ve encountered so far have been very helpful and patient. Hi, we all have to learn some time!

I decided to head in a pretty much straight-line for the coast to the east of Hastings (Pett Levels) and then head east along the coast. All going well, engine running smoothly although still not holding the cruise point very positivity, not a major problem just not that relaxing. Crossed the coast above the big white house (Grand Designs) @ PL and headed east. Quick listen into to the Lydd information service (ACIS) tells us which runway is in use, what approach to use, QNH etc. It also reassuringly informs us that the two MOD ranges in the vicinity of the airfield are not operating…yippee. Don’t really want any bored squadies or army cadets taking pot shots at us….Shadows would make a lovely slow moving target. Over Camber Sands at 1700ft, looks lovely down there. Quite a few kit flyers out and about today although at the moment the wind is coming pretty much from the north rather than coming in off the sea.
OK about 5 miles out and I can see Lydd airfield up ahead, always reassuring once you have spotted your intended destination. All initial radio calls now complete and a 1500ft overhead join requested. Slightly strange at Lydd is that you go straight from the overhead to make a downwind join rather than initially descending on the deadside before coming back across to commence your downwind leg. Oh well I’ll just do as I’m told on this occasion as Lydd has a full air traffic control service (ATC) i.e. just like Shoreham & Gatwick et al. You don’t get to do your own thing (within strict guidelines obviously) as you would at airfields that just supply an airfield information service (very good and welcome through it is) i.e. Headcorn, Goodwood etc.

As Lydd is situated very close to the Dungeness Peninsula when in the circuit you do get to see just how bleak and isolated this area is. OK so it’s a right hand circuit for runway 03. Nice to see the windsock blowing pretty much straight down the runway so onto finals. I have a habit of cutting in too soon which makes my finals run very short and thus makes me high on approach. Managed to judge it much better this time and have a slightly extended final approach which gives me plenty of time to loose height and set up the landing. The pretty good headwind obviously helps as well; at least it stops CC floating like a feather which is its want on occasion! What a massive runway (1500m), I could pretty much take off across it never mind along it!

OK we are down. They spoil you here as they send out the fuel truck to your parking position which considering I only need about 10 litres seems a bit of a cheek; that said those are the rules!! Decide to use the chocks on this occasion as there is quite a stiff breeze blowing across the apron.

Well after a couple of false starts Carl and I manage to find are way into the terminal building, not as easy as you might first assume. Very posh and much bigger than any other airport I’ve flown into so far. It has the feel that it has the capability and capacity to be a much bigger airport than it is at the moment. Although I’ve referred to it as Lydd Airport its proper name is actually: London Ashford Airport…yep seriously. This is despite the fact that it’s neither in London or Ashford. Oh well that said it does have a big canteen and bar although today it looks like its catering for the local WI out on a field trip. Turns out that the airport runs a series of lunch and pleasure flights on a Sunday, very popular it looks too.

OK lunch over, time for the next leg. Head off into a definitely stiffening headwind with a not insignificant crosswind component….Carl certainly felt it in the back! Straight climb out to the North East and then continue out to the North in order to avoid someone practising some form of ILS approach. It sounded like an interesting conversation between pilot and ATC but far too many three letter acronyms being thrown about for my liking. The wind had definitely picked up now reducing our ground speed to just over 40 mph. Had originally thought we might head for the North East coast of Kent but with this wind decided to head directly across towards Headcorn. Overheard a very interesting conversation between Headcorn information service and a Red Arrows pilot informing all local pilots that they were in the vicinity. That sort of info certainly makes you concentrate as you certainly wouldn’t want to stray into there path. Fortunately for me they were to the West of Headcorn so I could relax again. Pretty straightforward flight across to Headcorn keeping to the South of Ashford. We had had a quick look for a small strip called Pent Farm and although we appeared to be in the right area we couldn’t locate it.

Headcorn appeared to be its usual busy self so a little care required when joining the circuit which was left hand onto runway 11. From the look of things this was going to be a pretty interesting x-wind landing which is exactly what it turned out to be. In WWII circles I think this was generally called a bomber approach i.e. all over the bloody place. Certainly needed a bit of opposite rudder and a last second burst of power to keep things in line. Quick splash of fuel and time for another coffee.

As we had saved a bit of time in the East Kent area we decided to extend our return to Deanland via Bewl Water. The take off from HC was pretty exciting although nothing compared to the landing. Once clear of HC airspace we plotted a straight-line for Bewl water which was tinkling brightly in the distance. Not surprisingly bearing in mind the windy conditions the lake was pretty busy with a mix of boats and what looked like a couple of small dinghy races going on. Always nice to fly around Bewl taking a sneaky peak at the various properties dotted around the lake shore, jealous me, what gives you that idea! After a quick circuit we were back on course for Deanland. With the wind now mainly behind us progress was interestingly rapid with a ground speed of around 85mph even through the ASI was still showing around 60kts.

As always it was nice to spot DL in the distance and with the wind pretty much straight down 06 we set ourselves up for a left-hand circuit over Glyndebourne and Middle Farm. With such a positive and gusty head wind (slight x-wind from the east) a powered approach was definitely the preferred option. After such an “interesting” arrival at Headcorn I was definitely on my guard this time round. It always plays on your mind when you have had a bit of a moment. You have to analyse what happened and why and then look for ways of avoiding or controlling similar situations better in the future.

The final approach on 06 is always a long one especially so with a positive headwind. The gusty x-wind component certainly made its presence felt as we descended from the circuit height of 1000 although once below 300ft things did at least get a little more stable. I decide to come in quite low but keep the power on just in-case the gusty x-wind should intervene. Ah wheels down once again.

It’s hard not to think after each flight what a great privilege it is to be able to go off flying like this. Even in the so called crowded south there is still plenty of relatively unrestricted airspace out there to play in. As for the green belt you certainly get a much better idea of how rural the South East still is when you flying around at 2000ft. Obviously there are large built up areas but overall its not usually difficult to spot a way through or around most of them without having to go too far out of your way.

Another great days flying, time to pack up and rejoin the real world once again.