Monday 31 May 2010

Birds & Breakfast's

"What a life!" Claire our new aquantace says... "Is this how you boys
spend your weekends, eating all day breakfasts with birds having fun and
flying"

This particular Bird is an old friend if Jonneys who has a few storys to tell
herself. To start She is a bird with.wings, 777 type wings to be precise and has won a few
races too, a 70 miles kite surfing world record from silly isles to Newquay, over to Silverstone wining the odd race too...

So to answer the question, no not always, sometimes we just fly with the birds.

Wednesday 26 May 2010

Team - Hampshire - The "Comps"


Phil and I spend 3 hours practicing and discussing the best and most comfortable way to fly and how we operate best as a team, which tasks are best Primary and Secondary or shared? We tried a range of configurations and ended up reversing the traditional roles.

- Pilot in the back
- Navigator in the Front

Why? It is easier to see the map in detail when it is on your lap than if it is duck taped to the persons back! The space and viz is better too, all things that the navigator needs, Piloting from the back offers some challenges, however it gets easier the more I do it, however precision landings and landings engine off from 1000ft overhead are tasks that I still need to sit in the front for...

We had to develop a new language or at least one were were not familiar with. What heading do I need from here? Where is my next way point? What photos do we have left to spot, what is our Airspeed and ground speed estimates, and how does that compare to the timing on the track...are on the right track, what is my next way point? What heading should we pick up? The simple truth of all of this is that we needed to organise our minds and our processes into a loop.

- Where are we, exactly! Is it where we are supposed to be?
- What heading should we be on?
- What is the next visual way point?
- Do we see any of our pictures (not the key features)
- What effect is the wind having on us?
- What orientation is the gate?
- What is the next task?
- Are we on a collision coarse?
- What are the engine temperatures and pressures?
- Do we have options?

If we learn to loop this, we may have a chance at the next comp to run up the rankings......oh and if we build some of the devices too! This is Laurie's rather natty "Track up" map holder, Laurie turns out to be one of life's problem solvers, a bit ingenious, we like Laurie he really help us understand some of the insider tips without which we would not have had as many points...thank Laurie! Love the Cushion ;-)

Sunday 23 May 2010

Best Newcomers!

What a weekend that was, amazing flying, lively debate and a gong to end the weekend truly one great weekend, I could list the tasks, if you wanted me too drop me an email and I will give you the full gen, however the most interesting part of the weekend was finding a combination and method to work as a team in the cockpit as this along with some skill seem to be the biggest difference between first and last. Teamwork was what this was all about.

In the spirit of all of the other competitors, we are happy to share our "Secret Sauce", for us it was realising that Navigation is easier from the front seat and flying P1 from the rear seat was our breakthrough moment!

Thursday 20 May 2010

Know you Islay from your Islands?


Preparation is in full flow! Time to get to grips with the Scottish maps.Dave tells me he is only going to take a bottle this year and not buy any on route. Wise decision.
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Wednesday 19 May 2010

Hay Martin, I am flying over the English channel in a FlyBe jet, it's does not get any easier you know. We all stilll miss you. Wait for us, we will be there sooner than you can imagine.... We will be bringing our splashers be ready....

M: 07595329158

Monday 17 May 2010

Kate

Arriving at the Hanger, I am met by Kate and her Boy Friend, Kate is a Enthusiastic and rather engaging Vulcanologist researching at Oxford University, her 3rd Uni! Katie is looking to fly the South Coast, before her Army boy friend takes her to the mess BBQ and Social later in the day. We fly the South Coast for 25 minutes, Kate is enthusiastic and excited, "I can see why you do this its fantastic I love it" As we slide along side Cliff at 2000ft and break for a descending circle left there are whoops and joy from the back seat.

So we chat about the weekend ahead and Kate asks me the question all people ask when you fly them in a microlight "how long have you been doing this?" its a question that always amuses me, its a question I would have asked 2000feet ago while my feet were glued by gravity to the tarmac, nearly all passengers asks the question when there buts are planted in the plastic at half a mile up....what if the answer was........

We chat on and about Volcanic Ash and I tell Kate that last time we flew in the ash cloud we could see the red haze in then inversion at 3500 ft and that the Microlight was covered in a light pepper of dust when  we returned, and Kate tells me why this ask is bad stuff...

Kate tells me that under a microscope the dust particles are razor sharp particles and will wreck your lungs, as well as a Rolls Royce aircraft Engine....Woo ha! Is that's why I have been spitting blood particles for 3 weeks....how lung have I been doing this?

Saturday 15 May 2010

If you say so, it MUST be true?

Phil Armstrong and I have been preparing for the last 3 week, we practice cockpit operation two up, practice nav, set up the compass, packed and fueled, preflighted the aircraft, we are ready to got to the nations at Popham. Slight snag, Phil texts at 2200hrs to say.....its not this weekend its next week! We are a week early...Ce la vie what to do with am open weekend and a fully prepped Aircraft......

Friday 14 May 2010

Thursday 13 May 2010

35 days and counting...

The excitement is palpable! Preparation starts on this years Fly UK 2010, with the downloading of the 70 Strong Pilot list....yes the biggest yet! This year I am going to have Sooooo much fun! Tee Shirts ordered, booking fee paid, forms downloaded, let the banter begin!

Saturday 1 May 2010

Aware - Aware

Every now and again you happen across a product or a service that hits you between the eyes and is good value for money, better functionally and based on a business model that works for the customers and not the excutive board. Today at Popham microlight trade fair I did that with GPS. For years Garmin and others have been over charging pilots for hardware and raping us for updates, however today not only did I discover the "IPhone of GPS" in terms of flexibility and functionality Aware are selling the best value Aircraft GPS on the market today, £250 quid ish. Well done Mr Aware!

Simply put, this is the future of Navigation and Airspace GPS. Garmin, time to bed over and kiss your ass good bye.

Popham Microlight Fair - the season starts!!