Winging it!

Holy moly it's cold today minus -4 but blue still skys so it's a
chance to rig the wing. Replace some rusted washers and clean the wing.

The funny thing was that as I rigged the wing a small washer dropped
out! Now I wonder where that came from!!

All fixed and washed I am worried about icing tonight so.....

Phase II - dash replacement

Phase II

List of Repair & Maintenance

- Wheel Bearings Remove - Clean - Re grease
- Replace engine mounting frame with new
- Balance Prop
- 3 in 1 oil all cables - check for abrasions
- Remove - clean - spray exhaust
- Recalibrate Fuel Tank mountings
- Drain - Flush and replace coolant
- Drain oil - replace filter - remove oil reservoir - remove mag plug - clean both - assemble
- Test Slipper clutch for friction settings
- replace all breather tubes and connections with new tubes
- replace all nylocs and washers with new where removed during the coarse of the rebuild
- drain - remove and clean disk brake calipers - flush - bleed air and reset brakes
- Route and replace all electrical and sensor cables

To do:
- Strip wing and replace washers and nuts that show signs of corrosion
- Replace bungee cord
- Check and re profile batons where appropriate
- Clean fabric

Perfect Balance

So did I waist £13.50 plus VAT on a prop balancing tool? I loaded the prop set the tool as per
instructions to find its in perfect balance! Ah! With its dingks and dents filled with Araldite and smoothed off each blade is exactly the same weight, what skill and dexterity. I wish I would be able to say the same for the rest of today's tasks. Routing the cable for CHT, EGT, Oil Temp did not go so well, three or was it four setting up and re routing's be now all is in place and zip tied in place. I should list all the jobs completed....

Progress report

Engine mounted tomorrow we connect the sparks, fuel, sensors and
cables after a short break to de coke a 582!

Assembly starts!

The parts arrive and we are ready to start the assembly. Engine frame on and the two wishbones, tomorrow on with the suspention struts!

Spot the difference

Interesting! New engine frame arrives very little differene except in
the weight. Old is 5.6Kg the new is 6.6kg and it looks like the welder
has been to night school:)

Wheels off

Down to the bones the frame is now unclutterred and ready for the
removal with the undoing of the final two bolts.

On close inspection I find another crack, I wonder if one more swooop
would have seen it fail in flight, a crack on each corner means it was
on it's way!

Preflight! Preflight! Preflight!

3 Cracks ;-0

3 Cracks ;-0

With the Airframe now unfettered by the engine not one but Three Cracks are visable, quite a find. I dont know how I feel about this, but will chat about the fixes with PM Aviation. However we are almost finished with the dissembly, and so can start with the repairds. Only tasks left are the removal of the suspention wishbones and wheels so that included the removal of the brakes, then its off to the welders and poweder coaters!

Cracked Engine Mount

Once a year "SA" is permitted it's an MOT for aircraft, this year is
the first year she did not pass... The engine mount has a hairline
crack. A few weeks in the garage will put that right and help prep for
next years adventures!

Thinking!

You know it's going to be a good week when this is the view from the
window at 0820!

Capturing the Last few flights

At this time of year its soo... special to capture those last flights of the season, they are perhaphs the most spectacular of the seanson simply due to the colours and range. its breath taking to skim the tree tops of every shade of green and brown. How lucky are we few..

1000 Hours - One life to live

The man looking through this "Iraq Big Gun" is Dave Hill, he was he man that helped me fix my first "Moped" a rather knackered Yamaha DT50, I de-coked it and stripped one of the studs and then blew the head off it while on my way home in Purbrook, at the tender age of 16. If 30 years ago you would have said I would know Dave now I don't think I would have understood the significance of that.

I moved away from my home in Watford with a push bike and an attitude back in 1980 finding my feet during time spent working with Dave at a Pneumatics and Engineering business in Waterlooville. Positive role models were thin on the ground, but Dave was very different, postive, engauged and hilariosly funny. He was a surrogate Dad I suppose, certainly was while I worked with him in those early years.

Dave now spends his perpetual summers bounding between the UK and New Zealand every 6 months just living the life he and wife Mavis elect. He is a Grandad with a gold tooth and a passion for life and flight.

This weekend we flew to Duxford together and during that flight I passed my 1000th hour as P1 in a microlight, to spend my first working week and my 1000th hour with Dave was a delightful coincidence, and somewhat of an honour.

I am pleased to be able to say that Dave Hill is a friend of mine, and that is all you need....

Show me the bank!

Duxford - we are off!!!

Roll Call - Duxford

Jon Summers G-ORLA ZZZZ Redlands
Laure Wood G-TFLX EGHF Lee on Solent (Aircraft/Variance)
Gustav van Furan G-SUKY EGLS Old Sarum
Paul Leigh G-HTML ZZZZ Kent
Peter Shergold G-CGHZ EGHF Lee on Solent
Brian Searle G---ZH EGHF Lee on Solent
Colin Green G-CCHH EGHF Lee on Solent
Richard Wells G-SHEZ ZZZZ Thorney Island
Ross Cuthbertson G-CUTH ZZZZ Pyle
Daryl Cornelius G-DAFI zzzz Thorney Island
Richard Keyser G-CDLJ ZZZZ Colemore Common
John Amos G-BVHI ZZZZ Redlands

DH9 - Misson Duxford

This is a letter sent by a friend who mantored me when I was 16 and had left home in Watford to live by the sea! His name is Dave Hill and we are off to Duxford by Microlight at the weekend to see the DH 9

Just back from our trip to Belgium and a visit to Pat and Andrew Web, Pat is Roger Few's daughter and my God Daughter. I showed everyone a copy of Fred's letter written from the POW camp and copy of the Daily Telegraph Western front war map from October 1918. We soon had an expedition planned to visit the area in which Fred made a crash landing.

His aircraft, a DH9, was cut out from his 108 Squadron whilst on a raid over enemy lines,and with the Pilot wounded and unconscious, Fred , the Observer, some how or other made a landing and survived. The mark on the map put the crash site 12 Km ESE of Roeselare ( marked on the map as Roulers) just north of the N399 and about 4 Km SW of Tielt.

We didn't really expect to be super accurate about this but we eventually made it to that area and everyone felt a sense of something special. Fred must have been over that area, no doubt about that. I have attached a couple of photos showing us on site and a local farmhouse that could easily have been around in 1918. Now the one aspect about this story that seemed a little far fetched was a matter of fact passage from Fred's letter which read, '...my Pilot was
wounded in the leg and had fainted and whilst I was busy firing, the machine went into a spin. I pulled her out after 8000 ft. and afterwards crashed rather badly.' Now just think about that for a minute! It's Biggles stuff! But this is Fred talking and he was a pretty serious bloke.
I have flown a Tiger Moth and was taught how to recover from a spin, it's hard opposite rudder and then forward on the stick to regain flying attitude. So how did Fred manage to do all that from his cockpit way back down the fuselage?

I took a detailed look at the DH 4 and noticed the Observer cockpit was indeed way aft BUT the DH 9's Observer cockpit was up close to the pilot. Evidently the DH4's Observer cockpit proved to be a problem, separated by a fuel tank from the Pilot 's cockpit it made the aircraft more vulnerable to enemy fire and it was a problem for Pilot and Observer to communicate.
Geoffrey DeHaviland re-designed the aircraft and the DH9 version was born. So Fred in this aircraft had every possibility of pulling off that remarkable feat. OK he couldn't have got to the rudder control bar but I guess the Joystick sufficed.

The DH4 was still very much in service but Fred's 108 Squadron had the DH9 and that's the reason all those Fred Eveleigh folk are now living a life. That, plus a very determined Observer.
There's more to come. Another letter in the scrap book album is from a Mr Matheson. He wrote to Fred's parents saying how pleased he was that Fred had survived and although a POW was safe and sound. He hoped to hear soon that his son was safe. In the cuttings from The Daily Telegraph a Lt. A.M.Matheson is listed missing along with Fred. Matheson must have
been Fred's Pilot. The address on the letter is intriguing; Meadoville Station Road. Victoria Co. NS. Well that doesn't sound much like a British address, and indeed a quick Google Map inspection shows a Meadoville Station Road 15 Km due west of Pictou, Nova Scotia. But that's not Victoria County, so the plot thickens. Fred's Pilot was Canadian. I haven't got around to it yet but I would like to see if any of Lt. Matheson's relatives are still around.Anyone heading Nova Scotia way?

Blios ULM Show

The great thing about living in Europe is that every nation appraches technical subjects slightly differently. How about this for a solution to wing folding??

St Secondin - Old Friends - New Friends

Arriving over head is a Chevron Formation, we are complimented on the arrival, and inspire a couple of students who have not seen Microlight formation! Its one of my hopes that one day we will create a formation Microlight team, watch this space and let me know if your interested!

Party night with a trip to town on Graham Slater’s trailer and a chance to meet new friends, I met Pam Aires daughter!

A must visit airfield next year's Blois they are going to have a band!

Angers - Time for Tea

After flying for about one and a half hours in very thermic dry and hot conditions we happened up on what looked like a race track, deserted and covered in Tarmac in all directions we just had to stop and brew some tea! Landing on the approach for the skid pan we touched down in a deserted test track, with rumble strips, skid pan (Aire Plane! in French!) and spent a happy hour brewing tea and taxing about the test track looking all it had to offer! Onward later to St Secondin!

Nattie Invention....

This on the wall map is natty! it has a pull cord from the Airfield your at in this case Averanche, pull it out to the destination field and read off the mileage on the scale on the left, neat! I want one!

190 miles to run to San Secondin our final destination of the day, having flown 1.20hrs to Cherbourg, another 1.10mins to Averane we have another 3 hours to run, its very thermic and very tiring flight, the Therms are pushing us up and down 5oo feet, Brian is in his element souring the list and powering around the sink.

Airways mean we need to be below 800 feet AGL and so 500 up and down puts us into then Pylons, the need to pay attention is acute.

Averanche

Destination Averanch

Averanche is a small filed covered in grass and sheep, the sheep cut the grass in a strange harmony with the Pilots and the Parachutes that fly from this small none radio flying club. Welcomed were offered a Beer! its not yet 1100hrs! But it is there fly in......Coke is the order, we have another 3 hours to fly today.

Cherboug - Customs Clearance

Landing at Cherbourg the sights and sounds of France are immediately apparent, the relaxed RT and friendly welcome and the approach to Aviation is just different. In France one has the right to fly, in the UK by comparison one is awarded the privilege to fly, the same outcome different approach, one day I think I might live in France for a while.

Blois 2009 - Mid Channel

Off to Blois with two groups one left the hanger on Thursday and flew across directly to Le Haver a 75 mile direct crossing, those of us with work to do left on Saturday! I flew across to Lee on Solent to RV with the Laurie, Colin and Brian. Arrival and it seems Laurie cant make then flight but has helped out with all of the flight planing and so eases us on our way.

We left Lee on Solent at 0835hrs climb to a cold 5000 feet and cross out over the South of the Isles of Wight. Communication with London information is good until the mid point, then "PAN - PAN - PAN" an emergency call on London Information means that all on frequency are told to keep radio silence.

We did and the pilot was navigated to Goodwood where he landed, a spam can with a very bad vibration apparently. By this time we are 5 mile to run to Cherbourg without incident, but with thoughts for our fellow pilot who was not so lucky that morning.

Dirk is Dead

Followers of this blog will know Dirk from the Fly UK posts in June. This morning I awoke first light and though I must call Sandra and Gustav to ask about Dirk. When I got around to calling Sandra said Dirk had died at 0600hrs.

Did Dirk visit to say good bye?

I am really very, very sad we cant fly again, just one more time, one more take off, one more landing, one more swoop, one more roll, one more thermal, one more splash. Today was Dirks last take off his landing will be somewhere else.

Dirk, if they have blogs where you are, I hope the wind under your wings is warm and dry, keep your splasher ready... I hope you will be there to welcome me.........

Blois - France The Trip Begins!

http://www.ulmblois.com/frame-idx-uk.html

Lawn Cut
Fish Water Changed
Pillows Packed
Aircraft Prep ed
Plans Made - Made Again
GAR Forms Filed
Buy Camera
Say chero to Charlotte
Ring the kids...


Its time to fly to France!

As always I feel a pang of doubt about the 65 miles across water 130 if I want to come back! is the risk worth the reward? Do I stay with the aircraft of jump at the last minute in the event of accident.....I a jumper... I hope not to find out if this method works!

Last Leg - Parchute's & PFL's

Flying in to old Sarum seeing friends on the way home the skydiving school has had a "malfunction" on a tandem jump the chute and the bag were lost. Flying Gordon on a search path it's found! The strings were tangled and not likely to open, they landed on the reserve and we found 2k worth chute! Interesting to chat to the Skydivers, "by the time a parachutist can tandem, they have so much experience they look forward to the odd ride on the reserve.." Oh!

Now the last flight home before an Early night in a soft bed..I leave after the airfield is closed and depart for a great if not direct flight home, PFL's for the day across the Salisbury Plain were my first of the day, miss two got one, not a good average and probably due to fatigue.

Approaching Southampton I am cleared for a route down Southampton water and a direct route home. Nill ish wind at Old Sarum turns into a ground speed of 104mph on the coast, into wind and Thorny and its 25mph on the deck, home bed and show, sleep I am so pleased to see an email from Brian who clearly enjoyed himself ;-)

Treebrough Farm - Misson Aviation Fellowship

Twice in two weeks I meet Paul, last week it was on Lundy. He was featured Augusts Pilot Magazine the article was about farm strip flying. Bumping into Paul & Jo & No9 for a second time at Treeborough.

They are planning a move to Africa working for http://www.maf-uk.org/ "If you are a Pilot, Christian , and have a heart to help they might take you too..." Paul commented. Check it out for yourself. There must be a reason I met Paul twice after being in contact through Pilot Magazine while I was on the M.A.F Stand at "New Wine" with the family....hmmm I am listening to see what that reason is....

Treeborough Farm - Exmoor

Taking off from Farway Common the conditions were a little "joggly" with a ceiling of cloud at around 2500feet with great horizontal viz. It was a delight to see the Devon hills rolling out in front of us a welcome sight after 24hrs on then deck. We formed up on Brian in a lose Diamond Formation and flows this for 30 minutes across Devon looking for an airfield we only knew the rough location for! Never the less it was 2nm north of two lakes which were relatively easy to find. I recall a holiday with Charlotte as we fly over the reservoir before kids we had a VW and slept over night and biked around the reservoir, I find myself remembering those precious days as we fly overhead.
Treeborough comes up on the nose and Brian now practiced at using the Bar for Speed and Power for Height gently formed the Diamond to intersect the runway 25 overhead at 2000ft, we split and completed a standard over head join. Two landing Long, two landing Short we are all on the deck in unison. Compliments flow from the PFA on the ground who said the formation and break were "great to watch", "Very tidy formation" "Just like a red arrows formation break to land"...... AH! an ambition is forming.... and as the price of Quiks lowers might become a reality...
Its raining, occasionally and the sky is lowering, now the decision onward or retreat? The wind had gone out of my sails as we had been stranded at Farway and the clearer Sky's to the east called me to follow Colin and Brian home, via Old Sarum.

Sunday - Mark's First Flight

Hitching home from Sidmouth yesterday we were given a ride by Mark
from Honiton, his kids in the back of the van with a collection of push bikes! They were interested to see the Microlights and came across and took a closer look. Mark managed to come back in the morning for breakfast made up of caviar, crab and lobster on crackers washed
down with coffee!

A ride for a ride if your a fan of "not the 9 O'Clock news!" Marks first flight this morning in the back seat with Johnny, they flew the close and the Vally's of South East Devon. Now it's off to see The instructors at Somerset Microlights - Dunkerswell !!! Enjoy your first lesson Mark great to meet you...

We are off to a farm fly in at Treeborough a small farm strip north of Taunton (where my kids were born)

Tonight's plan if the weather plays ball we may be in Fowey Cornwall...

Plan C! - Scillys are off...

Sadly the Isles of Scilly plan is now now officially off. It rained all last night, and the cloud is still on the deck with then local Oriographic still in play. The choices are to stay at the airfield and hope or "holiday". Ron the Engineer from Farway offers us a lift to the local bus route which takes us to Sidbury, where a double decker takes us and a bus load of bus passes to Sidmouth.

We visit the best pasty shop in then world, stroll the town and sleep in the shelters on then prominard. Half awake Half asleep I catch every passer by's conversations, interesting 80% are about recolation of the past and people and places folks have been, the other 20% are about other people. I wonder do my conversations split in then same way?

Bus home , Jon and I jump off for a visit to Liddle, and then try a hitch home...

Thinking Sunday will take us to Newquay...

Good bad forecast

It's wet the cloud is on the deck and so will we be today, the good
news is that it's so bad we don't have to wait in the hope it will
change so it's a walk to Sidbury, and bus to Sidmouth today.

We now need a plan b as Scillys airport is shut on Sundays.

Splash!!

A valiant effort to get all four machines to into Farway Common this afternoon, as so oftern happends we left Hampshire in sunshine and at Portland the weather changed to cloud and some mist, a combination that as caught us out before.

Arriving at Branscombe, we squeek under the "Oragraphic" cloud cover no higher that 100 foot. with approach by flying the Sid Valley, fly up to the end and pop over the fence into
the airfield.

Fuel run next, and a decision to camp here with an early flight tomorrow, as the weather looks like it might not play ball on Saterday.

Colin collected his well earned splashed for noted flights, to Stornaway, and Orkney. It will get its first run out tonight!

Fellow Flyer

Just as I am leaving a tired fellow flyer drops in at Thorny, clearly tired and ringed I offer biscuits and water. I take my leave...

Another adventure! Isle of Scilly

Another long weekend and the weather looks like it is going to be
flying weather! Jonny, Gustav, Colin and I set off for an overnight
in. Cornwall and on tomorrrow to the isles of Scilly.

Slight aprehesive leaving Thorney alone to meet the others at farway
common pm today www.farwaycommon.com