I Learnt Flying from This
First let us set the scene, having only past the PPL test a week previously I had not received my license from the CAA so technically was still a student. The most experienced Pilot that I knew on the airfield asked if I would like to accompany him on a flight to an airfield some 100 plus miles away, naturally I jumped at the chance. I was given the task of doing all the flight planning, notams, weather etc (probably why I was asked in the first place on reflection)
It was to be a straight forward flight-a straight line-no notams to effect-weather clear skies and a 15knot northerly (we were going east) but a cold front due from the north late afternoon. The plan was to leave at 10am, a one hours flight in a 172, a couple of hours on the ground and one hour back—no problem.
I had the aircraft out, refuelled and carefully preflighted by 10 am but still we did not get away before 11 am, not unusual what with chatting to others on a lovely morning for flying. I was given the left seat for the first leg while the owner would do the return leg. All went fine; we arrived pretty much on the hour and landed on the correct runway (always a good way to finish a flight).
Sign in; pay the landing fee and being 12 o’clock, a bite to eat. There were four of us in the 172 and two went to look around the hanger. Some 2 and a bit hours later they returned, un be known to me they were looking at a prospective aircraft to purchase—another cup of coffee then get ready to return home. I was again offered the left seat and did not say no.
That’s the scene set and we are now some ten minutes airborne facing a dirty
pilot in the right suggests, no orders, turn right 30 degrees and on we go but the cloud does not disappear. In cloud but not too bad we have ground contact and maybe a couple of miles forward viz—good practice for my next rating, IMC. Things are getting worse, no forward viz and poor ground contact—“shall we turn back I ask” No we had better descend to keep ground contact says my man in the right hand seat—Oh NO highest ground just to the left of our planed track goes up to 2600ft, we are not going to descend without forward viz. No problem says my man I have the VOR tuned in and we still have ground contact of sorts. More twiddling of knobs—this time the ADF,--me with just four hours IMC under the hood, am working hard not withstanding that it’s getting a little more turbulent. More knob fiddling, this time on both sets and me working hard to hold height and heading—WHATS THAT --it’s the coast, AH! Good turn left and descend. Just where are we? At least I can relax a bit from holding heading and height. But, where are we, nothing looks right for where our man says we are, north of Fishguard. A little further on, my man back to twiddling knobs, surely I recognise this bit of the coast hell we are north of Aberystwyth. No, No says my man we are north of Fishguard look the needle of both VOR and ADF are pointing south east so head 125 degrees—hell we are back in the hills and at 2000 ft now. They look much closer too damn close—this isn’t right, tell my man we can’t keep going around in circles while he twiddles the knobs so tell him we must find a field to land in because we don’t know where we are, it’s raining worse than ever and it will not be long before its dark. It’s like a weight off of my mans shoulders, he immediately agrees. Easier said than done to find a suitable field in this terrain and weather. We look at one, I make an approach to it—no go—too rough-up steep hill—too short. Go around and look for something better. Spy another field much bigger but wires across can’t see them but can see the poles, so over fly—field looks good but will have to land with a cross wind if its anything like what we had previously. Round we go to a sort of downwind to the landing direction NO QFE here, mark one eyeball only. The good thing about a 172 is its handling and its barn door flaps, approach with the stall Warner blipping on and off—just see a wire fence, a couple of strands, in time to lift over then chop the throttle and almost a greaser—BRAKE –NO-- cadence braking is the only answer on the wet grass and STOP, more or less under the wires (the next day revealed we’d used not much over 200 yards). Secure the aircraft, no cattle and make our way to the road we saw when going down wind, cross the railway line that we never saw and onto the road by now soaking wet, I was probably soaking wet from sweat before we vacated the 172. We had just set off in the direction of where we thought the nearest village was when a car stopped and offered us a lift—that’s when we found out where we were for sure and I had been right all the time. The car driver told us he had seen us circling around obviously lost and was waiting to see what happened, he also said we were not far from where an American bomber had crashed during the war. He dropped us off at the village pub where it was drinks for us all before we rang to be picked up. Following day we were back in the field with the local press, numerous onlookers and one of Brawdy’s red arrow pilots, who was one of our instructors to fly the 172 out. My man had to fly with him for insurance purposes. After a few trial runs and a briefing between the two off them, it was decided there was sufficient space to get airborne, gentle easing down flap to about 15 degrees as the speed increased. Tail back in the hedge and since it was doubtful if they could out climb the trees at the far end, they would turn right down the valley as soon as the wheels left the ground and they had sufficient speed to make the turn. All went to plan
What did I learn—not to trust the weather forecast-NO- on second thoughts use it as a guide but if I am flying the aeroplane I MAKE THE DECISIONS—yes by all means listen to advice because you are not always right and a second opinion should make you reconsider. The other decision I made was that given the opportunity I would practice my landings and my navigation skills—to this end I have managed to achieve some success in those skills competing in many countries around the world, and the third was to practice regularly my IMC flying, better to do it on my terms than be in the position of nature dictating to me.
Malcolm Evans
Time to call Grenchen “G-ARFI pass your details”, followed by” call field in sight!” In sight I thought! All I can see is cloud! Ten long minutes later and as if by magic the cloud disappears and as I look down I can see a gleaming newly resurfaced runway Grenchen, at last.
As we taxied in Malcolm and Maureen were there to greet us, “good trip”, enquired Malcolm to Maureen for once in her life she was speechless! An hour later as we finished our lunch our story unfolded. The two Maureen’s then decided that the Airport Shop was a good way to recover half an hour later they emerged heavily laden with some amazing but very heavy plates, “ err got some room in the back of your aircraft” I enquired to Malcolm.
What did I learn:
How important through flight planning is,
How important weight and balance is
By the way the rest of our trip was just fantastic, and our Swiss hosts could not have done more to make the trip thoroughly worthwhile.