about this newsletter newsletter spring 2015 - egkh wac spring newsletter.pdf · order book before...

Springtime again, so welcome to our

Spring 2015 Newsletter and a big thank

you to all of you who have contributed.

This year at Headcorn you can see

Spitfires, Harvards, Red Arrows Dis-

play and a Vulcan amongst others. You

can also join us at the Battle of Britain

Ball and Airshow, which commemo-

rates the 75th Anniversary of the Battle

of Britain. This will be another opportu-

nity to see Spitfires, Hurricanes and an

ME109.

Mid June sees the first of Aerolegends

“Ultimate” packages, which includes

flights in a two seat Spitfire, Harvard

and Tiger Moth. Seven such events are

planned for 2015. Examples of all these

types will be based at Headcorn.

The Combined Ops Display in August

sees amongst others the BBMF, Red

Arrows Display, Vulcan bomber and

Gnats Display team. This is in addition

to the wide range of Military Vehicles

on show.

Our museum continues to grow with

the V1 on display in its new building

during the summer.

This year we hope to bring you fly outs,

instructor briefings, competitions and a

greater emphasis on social events. Keep

an eye on the notice board or look out for

emails from Weald Aviators.

Shelley has joined us in the Weald

Operations Office and one of her tasks

will be making sure you have renewed

your subscription and signed the Flying

Order Book before your next flight.

Wings Bar and Restaurant is open now

and Stacey and her team look forward to

welcoming you for a drink and a bite to

eat.

As ever, we do want to hear your views,

so please contact us via the Club 01622

891539.

We wish all our members a safe and

happy flying season and look forward to

seeing you at EGKH.

David Smith

2015

Newsletter Spring 2015

CLUB NEWSLETTER

About This Newsletter

In this newsletter we aim to

bring you a snapshot of

activities undertaken by the

club and its members through

the year. Your contributions

are always welcome. Contact

the Editor—see back page.

Weald Aviators Club

Lashenden Aerodrome

Headcorn

Kent

TN27 9HX

Tel 01622 891539

www.headcornaerodrome.co.uk

In This Issue

Achtung Spitfire! 2

Schweizer 300 4

Eclipse March 2015 5

Madeira & Porto Santo 6

Destination Redhill 7

Southend Class D 8

Flying Docketts 10

Wooch with an “L” 11

Upside Down Aeros 14

Bits and Pieces 19

Need To Know 20

Thanks to everyone who con-

tributed to this edition of the

Newsletter.

Going Places—La Rochelle

Achtung Spitfire! Paul Tolhurst

PAGE 2 WEALD AVIATORS CLUB 2015

It all started at a BBQ following a successful fly out.

Seated around the table were a few pilots and their

partners enjoying beer, sausages, and salads. A

great deal of talk centred on flying and conversation

inevitably turned to favourite aircraft. It is a cliché

but I have always loved the look and sound of the

Spitfire. My love affair began as a child attending a

Biggin Hill airshow in 1970 or thereabouts. Two of

those around the table said they had flown in Spit-

fires and another said they had flown a Mustang.

Crikey! What have I been doing all my life?

The conversation continued. Aero Legends would

be offering flights in their two seat Mk 9 Spitfire

from Headcorn in 2014. So a few days after the

BBQ I contacted Aero Legends and got myself

booked in for their ‘Ultimate Package’ It was expen-

sive but having thought I would never get the chance

I could not pass up this opportunity.

I was booked in to fly from Headcorn in August

2014. I was due to fly a Tiger Moth, Harvard and

Spitfire. A few days before I received a call from

Aero Legends: forecast crosswinds at Headcorn

were going to make the day tricky and they wanted

to switch operations to Duxford. Given that I live just

15 minutes from Headcorn, and a few relatives were

hoping to witness my trip I was not enthused about the

drive to and from Cambridgeshire, but needs must……

The day finally dawned and sure enough there was a

stiff breeze with around 5/8 cloud scudding across the

sky from the north at about 2500 feet. Arriving at Dux-

ford I was introduced to my fellow punters; Aero Leg-

ends book three people for each days flying. The

weather was still going to interfere: we could not fly the

Tiger Moth that day and the Harvard could not fly in

the morning as it’s crosswind component was lower

than that of the Spitfire. But we would each get an ex-

tended trip in the Spitfire and follow up with our Har-

vard flight in the afternoon when the wind was forecast

to drop.

Cliff Spink was to be our pilot and instructor for the

day. As a retired Air Marshall and former Battle of

Britain Memorial Flight commander Cliff has more

than enough experience. He took us through a thor-

ough, engaging and amusing briefing: leaving us all

keen to get cracking! I was to be number 2, number 1

was zipped into her flying suit, strapped into the Spit-

fire and away she went.

An hour or so later at 12.00 Cliff taxied G-CCCA with

me in the rear seat. I was tightly wedged into my flying

suit and the Spitfire, neither of which were built for a

man of my generous proportions. Cliff lined up on the

broad grass runway and explained that he would take

off diagonally across the runway to reduce the impact

of the crosswind.

Behind us the Grace Spitfire had taxied out and was

cleared to line up. Cliff opened up the throttle and we

were accelerating across the grass.

get a fighter pilot’s view of our victim. As we passed

close the Grace Spitfire decided to join in and for the

next few minutes we chased each other’s tail, twisting

and turning in a dogfight. Recognising the age and

value of the aircraft this was rather more sedate than

back in the 40’s but still about the most exciting flying

I’ve ever undertaken.

Back to Duxford, both Spitfires formed up and we did a

run and break over the airfield. Joining the circuit

downwind Cliff talked me through his landing checks

and actions. He made a smooth and continuous turn

from downwind to final, hold off and then a gentle drop

onto the Duxford grass. It was all over but it had been

bloody marvellous!

Later in the day I flew in the Harvard; with me having

the chance for some tuition and flying aerobatics myself.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Harvard flight, but it could not

match the thrill of the Spitfire.

CAA regulations have changed, making a flight in a

Spitfire easier and there are now more options available.

Aero Legends will be operating out of Headcorn in

2015. They gave me an unforgettable experience, it is

expensive as maintaining and flying a Spitfire is a costly

business, but you should find a way to treat yourself.

Just be warned: flying alongside another Spitfire is not

always part of the programme! Paul Tolhurst

In just a few seconds we were airborne with Cliff talk-

ing me through his actions as he adjusted the throttle,

and prop and raised the undercarriage. Turning left

we continued to climb and were soon downwind and

heading east. Cliff asked me to follow him through on

the controls and then we turned and headed north.

After a few minutes Cliff received a request from the

Grace Spitfire: could they form up on our port wing?

“You’re in for a real treat Paul,” he said, “This is not

usually part of the programme”. Seconds later the

Grace Spitfire tucked his starboard wing just behind

our port wing. Twisting in my seat I was amazed how

close they were, what a sight! Cliff led our formation

in a few gentle turns with the second aircraft sticking

to us like glue. The passenger in the Grace Spitfire

was clearly as excited as me and we exchanged waves

and enormous grins. Time for us to do our individual

details, the Grace Spitfire broke away to port and I

had a fantastic close up view of the duck egg blue un-

derside of the Spitfire as it peeled away. Breathtaking!

Cliff handed control to me and for the next five min-

utes I flew a Spitfire. A few turns, a climb and a great

sense of elation I was actually flying this legend of a

machine.

Cliff asked me to skirt around a rain shower near

Cambridge and as we approached a farm strip he took

back control and we went through his aerobatic rou-

tine. Rolls, loops, and some upside down flying: great

fun. I didn’t want it to stop, but of course after what

seemed like only a few seconds we were climbing

back up to 2000 feet and Cliff said we had to go

home. He again passed control to me and gave me a

vector for Duxford.

A few minutes later he asked, “I can see the other

Spitfire ahead, do you want a bit of fun?” Why not?

He took control and we quickly gained another thou-

sand feet. “OK, now let’s see if we can bounce him”.

Cliff pushed the stick forward and opened the throttle,

speed built and peering past his head I could just about


Paul (right) with Cliff Spink

WEALD AVIATORS CLUB 2015

Finding myself without an

aircraft following the sale of

our group owned Grumman

during the summer, I decided

to try my hand at helicopters.

Now, to be fair, this wasn’t

going to be my first attempt

at mastering rotary flight. I

had previously had a trial

flight in one of Thurston’s

Robinson R22s a couple of

years ago. To say I wasn’t a

natural helicopter pilot would

be an understatement and I

quickly reverted back to fly-

ing our Grumman where the

wings were travelling at the

same speed as the fuselage.

I had always maintained that it was the Robinson’s ‘T Bar’ cyclic that I had found very counter intuitive which

had prevented me from making the startling progress that I had envisaged for myself. Time then to try a heli-

copter with more ‘traditional’ controls to see if that made any difference.

Trying to locate a flight school that doesn’t use Robinsons as their training aircraft proved the first hurdle, but I

located a Schweizer 300 (formally Hughes 300) being operated by Advance Helicopters at Shoreham. Their CFI

Spencer Philips operates both the Schweizer and Robinson aircraft from Hangar 4 which is almost the first

building you come to when driving onto the airfield. He runs a very friendly operation with a receptionist and

one other instructor. The offices and hangar are immaculate as are the aircraft. He explained that, as already had

my fixed wing PPL, I was at an advantage over an ab initio student in as far as the RT, the navigation and the

‘being in the air’ parts of the course were concerned, I was already comfortable and wouldn’t need tuition in

those areas. With that said, rotary flying is challenging and this is reflected in the fact that only 5 hours is cred-

ited by the CAA to fixed wing pilots converting to rotary.

Spencer had already pre-flighted the helicopter, and we sat in the aircraft for the final checks. The first thing that

struck me was the size of the cockpit compared to the Robinson. I’m no lightweight but there was easily enough

room for the two of us without rubbing shoulders. Spencer completed the engine checks and the take off before

allowing me to take the controls. The Schweizer has an electric trimmer ‘top hat’ on top of the cyclic and with

the friction lock on the collective lever it was possible to fly the helicopter ‘hands off’ for brief periods. We flew

up the coast towards Brighton Marina at around twelve hundred feet before turning inland to circle back to the

airport. For most of the trip I was allowed to fly with Spencer no doubt keeping a close eye on everything. As

we approached the field I did feel as if I was able to control the machine, maintain straight and level flight and

even make it turn the way I wanted it to go.

Back at Shoreham Spencer put us into the hover at about fifteen feet and let me have a try at maintaining the

aircraft’s position. The Schweizer differs from the Robinson in that it doesn’t have an automatic monitoring and

adjustment of the engine revs/rotor speed, having instead a ‘correlator’ which helps but doesn’t replace manual

input of throttle adjustment. With that said, the fully articulated 3 blade rotors of the Schweizer contrasts fa-

vourably with the two rotor system of the Robinson in providing arguably a more stable training platform.

Anyway, did I manage to hover it? No, of course I didn’t! But, and it’s a significant ‘but’, I nearly did. And

more importantly, I felt that I would be able to do it eventually, which is something I hadn’t felt when flying the

R22.

Flying the Schweizer 300 Paul Bowman


As soon as I read about the solar eclipse in March I knew I had to fly

up in the skies to watch it. Apart from the fact that the weather knows

I like to fly on Fridays and acts accordingly it also has an uncanny

habit of deliberately clouding over when celestial events come around,

night or day. Also the hearsay was that it might become darkish.

The CAA don’t have information on eclipses so Tony was booked…

six weeks before. Kevin and I arrived at Headcorn at 08.00 and of

course it was cloudy. I had turned out my 1999 memorabilia and

found four pairs of eclipse glasses so that was good.

We took off at 09.00 and broke through the cloud at about 2000 feet

and flew in a southerly direction over the cotton wool clouds below.

Tony took control and I put on the glasses and tentatively looked to-

wards the sun. I could not believe it. The glasses were perfect. Black-

ness was everywhere except for a light orange sphere which was slowly but perfectly being “eaten” before my

eyes. “I have control” I said to Tony as I took off the glasses “you have to look at it, it is truly amazing.”

My husband Kevin was taking photographs as we flew, it was magic. The aircraft cruised on the still air and the

sun became a wry smile, almost as if it realised we had broken behind its veil of cloud and were seeing the secret

event that was taking place. It seemed so quiet and tranquil. The silence was broken by Tony saying “it’s coming

out of the other side now.” Sure enough when I gazed through the glasses again the orange disc was becoming

larger.

It was a marvellous thing to see. Tony mentioned later during the evening that having watched the evening news

it actually made him realise the enormity of what we witnessed up there in the sky.

How lucky we were to be able to fly up above the clouds and watch something so rare. I often look out from my

home at sunset time and watch the sun go down in a velvet red cloak or later look up at the stars glistening in the

dark sky. Glorious shows provided by nature and they are free.

The Eclipse—March 20th 2015 Tracey Lester

The stunning photos accompanying this article were kindly allowed by Annabel Cook, who made the trip to Vagar in a light twin to witness the

eclipse. Her story will appear in a future edition of Flyer Magazine—Ed.

Flying Around Madeira and Porto-Santo John Evans


That runway at Funchal is part of aviation folk-lore,

wedged, as it is, on a mountainside. We were keen

to give it a go on our winter sun quest to Madeira.

Antonio Rodrigues at the aero club, responded with

the customary Portuguese ‘No problem! Just bring

your licence.’ Of course, they weren’t going to send

us off around their windy rock without a local in-

structor as a guide.

On the day, it was informal and business-like. We

planned to overfly the island of Porto-Santo, and

then make an anticlockwise circumnavigation of

Madeira, all at 1500 feet. The 3000 metre runway

on Porto-Santo, is a NATO granite aircraft carrier

38nm from Funchal, from which it is often isolated

by a low cloud bank.

We picked a half-decent day and so take-off was

easy, and immediately we had views of the Ponta de

São Lorenço, and in the distance the Ilhas Desertas.

However, as we headed north we were soon ‘on the

panel’ for ten minutes. When we regained VMC

Porto-Santo came into view, and the whole,

spectacular island was set before us in gin-clear condi-

tions. It’s about 7 miles by 4, and studded with large,

conical hills, of which some are over 1000 feet. The

runway almost bisects the island, which is fringed with

sandy beaches. Apart from a few shuttle hops over

from Madeira, and the occasional airliner, the airport

doesn’t get much use, and appeared completely de-

serted as we overflew it.

Back into cloud as we returned to Madeira, emerging a

few miles from Porto da Cruz. The north coast is often

swathed in cloud, concealing steep slopes up to moun-

tains over 6000 feet. Prevailing northerly winds and

that unforgiving terrain conspire to create spooky vari-

able visibility and cloud fragments, under a dense layer.

Not a place to be uncertain of your position! However,

our instructor, Sr. Menezes, knew the craggy coastline

like the back of his hand. (Not surprising really, be-

cause there’s nowhere else to go that’s closer than about

300 miles).

It took about 10 minutes to reach Porto Moniz, the most

northerly point on Madeira, where we got a good view

of the sea bathing pools that we had earlier visited on

the ground. A few minutes more took us toward the

most westerly extent, Ponta do Pargo, where a light-

house high on the cliffs provides a beacon for transat-

lantic sailors. As we reached it the sky cleared, and we

followed the south coast toward the capital, Funchal.

On the way, we passed Jardim do Mar, where Atlantic

rollers provide excellent surfing. As we passed Ribera

Brava, a deep gorge, our instructor told us that on a few

days a year it is clear enough to fly through, over to the

north coast. ‘Not much room for error, and a bit

bumpy,’ he said. I’ll take his word for it.

Just before Funchal we passed the Cabo Girão, which at

1900’ is among the world’s highest sea cliffs. Funchal

itself sits on the rising slopes of a ring of mountains,


and has a harbour much favoured by cruise liners.

There are few high-rise buildings, and so the count-

less orange tiled roofs atop white walls make this city

easy on the eye. Exploring Funchal on foot reveals

lots of interesting gardens, old buildings, markets,

and places to eat excellent, fresh, seafood.

Now we come to the challenging bit; the approach

and landing. We were offered a straight-in from the

west, onto 05, sparing us the curved base-leg that

greets most visitors by air. ‘Keep the speed up, about

100mph and only 10 degrees of flap, three whites and

one red; watch out for the wind shear,’ was our in-

structor’s advice. It was bumpy as we crossed high

ground and along the coastline on finals, with a no-

ticeable sink just before the threshold. (The under-

shoot is a vertical wall, and so best avoided!) Land-

ing next to another wall on the north side of the run-

way was unusual, although there’s plenty of room for

a light aircraft.

After 90 minutes our adventure was over. A few

days later as were about to depart in our A320 Air-

bus, we caught sight of the PA28 sitting all alone

amidst the big birds. Glimpsing Madeira through the

window of an airliner leaves so much undiscovered.

Share our experience on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/u9Tvth3b9qU

Redhill Aerodrome is a mere 30 nm from Headcorn yet it

was somewhere I had never visited until the last couple

of years. But the opening of the Pilot’s Hub Brasserie,

offering either main meals or some very excellent coffee

and cake, gave us the opportunity to pop along and take a

look, and now it has become a local favourite. The cafe

is now located on the front side of the blue hangar shown

in the photo, and that’s where you park and pay your

landing fee too.

Navigation is hardly a challenge – pretty much follow

the railway westwards and make sure you are safely be-

low 1500 feet before you reach Bough Beech Reservoir.

Given its proximity to Gatwick and other difficult

neighbours, you would expect detailed directions about

joining and circuit procedures but although lengthy, they

are not difficult to observe; particularly when you can

check ‘em out first using Google Earth. And you don’t

need to talk to Gatwick.

We’ve always found the welcome friendly.

Full details of opening times, procedures etc at

www.redhillaerodrome.com.

Liz Hollands

Destination : Redhill

https://youtu.be/u9Tvth3b9qU


If you have a current chart (of course you do), it won’t have escaped

your notice that Southend is now covered in a large slab of Class D

airspace, and we are likely to be inside it for pretty much any flight to

the north of Headcorn.

Crossing Class D is no big deal. So, rather than trying to skirt around

the space, Southend have issued 18 helpful pages of requirements and

suggestions for you. Above all, the Air Traffic Controllers are keen to

point out they are service providers and are there to help and offer a

service to all airspace users. Although I’ll précis the information here,

I recommend you look at the full details yourself – Google “SEN

2015/001” and you will find the link.

All aircraft require a clearance from ATC before entering Class D air-

space. Separation standards are not prescribed between VFR flights

nor between VFR and IFR flights in Class D airspace. However, ATC

has a responsibility to prevent collisions between known flights and to

maintain a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of traffic. This objective

is met by passing sufficient traffic information and instructions to as-

sist pilots to ‘see and avoid’.

Instructions issued to VFR flights in Class D airspace are mandatory. These may give route or visual holding

instructions, level restrictions and information on collision hazards. Route instructions are issued to reduce or

eliminate conflict with other flights, such as final approach tracks and circuit areas and will often include Visual

Reference Points (VRP’s).

THE VRPs

Photos of the VRPs, including their proximity to Southend Airport, are on the web link previously mentioned.

WEATHER

The pilot is expected to request a clearance appropriate to their rating and aircraft type.

VRP Name Lat/Long VOR/DME Fix Description

Billericay 513800N 0002500E LAM 095°/9.9 nm Lake Meadows Park

South Woodham Ferrers 513841N 0003606E LAM 091°/16.8 nm Sewage Works

Northey Island 514320N 0004319E C CLN 246°/17.6 nm East of Maldon, in river Blackwater

Southminster 513928.00N 0004949.00E CLN 227°/16.5 nm Lakes

Whitstable Harbour 512148N 0010136E DVR 314°/17.4nm

Southend Pier 513054N 0004319E DET 021°/13.5 nm Seaward end, Cultural Centre.

Sheerness 512649N 0004441E DET 033°/10.2 nm Docks

Gateway Port 513017N 0003011E DET 344°/12.6 nm London Gateway Port

VFR Flights operating to or from the aerodrome

Visibility Cloud Ceiling

Day Aircraft other than helicopters 5k And/or 1500 feet

Helicopters 1500m And/or 1500 feet

Night All Aircraft 5k And/or 1500 feet

Southend Class D Airspace


Southend ATC will not issue VFR clearances during daylight hours to arriving and departing aircraft when the

Southend MET visibility is less than 5000m (or less than 1500m for helicopters). At night VFR clearances will

not be issued when the cloud ceiling is less than 1500ft .

For those aircraft wishing to by-pass Class D, consider that the weather may result in a routing that takes you

close to or inside CAS and could potentially lead to an inadvertent CAS infringement. If you are planning to

remain outside CAS but are unsure of your position please don’t hesitate to contact the controller and ask for

confirmation.

ATC

ATC need to ascertain the following information before issuing a clearance to enter CAS.

Flight details - call sign, aircraft type, point of departure, destination

Position - geographical feature, bearing/cardinal direction from VOR

Altitude - current altitude

Flight Rules - IFR,VFR

Intended Route - geographical location, VRP, Navigation aid etc

Service Requested Outside CAS

Stick to CAP 413 standards. Protracted conversations could delay clearances to others.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Pilots requiring transit should contact Southend Radar on 130.775 as soon as practicable. On first contact, ATC

may advise you to remain outside controlled airspace. This is because controllers have to find out your flight

details and in most cases co-ordinate your flight before a clearance to enter can be issued. At this stage it does

not mean you are being refused a crossing. Controllers will endeavour to approve your transit as requested,

but sometimes alternative routings and levels will be issued. When there is a lot of traffic an instruction to remain

outside CAS may be given, but controllers will give you an expected onward clearance time. Transiting aircraft

may be transferred to the Southend Director frequency 128.950.

It remains the VFR pilot’s responsibility to maintain VMC and adhere to the “see and avoid” principle. Pilots

should inform ATC if unable to remain VMC. Aircraft not equipped with a serviceable mode A or C trans-

ponder should not expect transit above altitude 3000ft.

Aircraft operating IFR can request an IFR clearance to cross Southend Controlled Airspace. ATC must separate

IFR aircraft from other IFR aircraft and SVFR aircraft. This clearance may be given as a heading to fly as well as

a level to maintain. Pilots should expect IFR transit at levels that will be at least 500ft from the base of the

LTMA Class A airspace (above Southend) due to ATC separation requirements. In most cases the maximum

transit level will be altitude 3000ft.

FLYING INTO OR OUT OF SOUTHEND AIRPORT

Arrivals : As with transiting aircraft, pilots requiring to enter Class D to land at Southend, or at an airfield within

the Control Zone, should contact Southend Radar on 130.775 as soon as practicable. Arriving aircraft may be

transferred to Southend Director frequency 128.950 or direct to Southend Tower 127.725. VFR arrivals will re-

ceive a clearance to enter the Southend Control Zone together with any routing requirement, joining instructions,

flight rules and altitude restrictions.

Departures : From 2nd April 2015 all aircraft that have not filed a full FPL must book-out prior to departure.

This includes local flights. Pilots can book-out using a form in Flight Briefing or by telephoning Southend ATC.

(01702 538420).

As I said at the beginning, this is just a précis, so please check out the full version. Liz Hollands


On 12th May 2013 Martin Dockett had a trial lesson with me. Two weeks later he returned to buy some books

and stated that he would like to commence training for a PPL. Training commenced in XE.

Three weeks later Martin asked if we could use a larger Robin as one of his daughters would like to sit in the

back. At the end of the lesson she declared that she also would like to commence training for a PPL.

A month or so later Martin asked again if we could use a larger Robin as his other daughter would like to sit in

the back. At the end of the lesson she declared that she also would like to commence training for a PPL.

So the three from one family came to be known as The Flying Docketts. I am wondering how long it will be

before I receive a similar request because mum Jenny would like to sit in the back !!

As many will know, they were awarded the Adrian Gurr trophy at the last Christmas dinner, not so much for

achievement, although they have all achieved brilliantly, but for a fairly unique family involvement in

aviation. Almost matching the Freemans.

The Flying Docketts Tony de Ste Croix

PILOT, racing driver, debutante, media darling, medical practitioner, farmer, model – Diana

Patten, who was the driving force behind the creation of Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent, has led

a remarkable life. Now over 80, this bundle of energy still hardly pauses for breath and grabs

every chance she can to fly – planes, helicopters or gliders.

Encouraged to share the story of her colourful life with others, the book, with its fascinating

array of ‘period’ photographs, chronicles the many chapters of Diana’s adventurous life.

Copies at £10 available in Air Traffic.

Wooch with an “L” Torben Theisen


For some people during their PPL there’s that

thought of ‘would I like to do this for a living?’ and

for others there’s the thought of ‘I can’t wait till I’m

doing this for a living!’ I definitely fall into the latter

category, the PPL was just the start of it all, so hav-

ing had that for 3 years as well as obtaining my IMC

and night ratings it was time to get cracking with the

more intense CPL and IR.

I trawled the internet and found only positive re-

views of a company in Poland called Bartolini Air. I

did some research on their facilities, what they offer,

where they were and how long it would all take and

it was definitely looking too good to be true. Both

parts combined, done in 8 weeks, for roughly

£13,000 excluding living expenses. This was in-

credible! I mentioned it to a friend of mine who

went over to Lodz (that’s pronounced wood-ch -

obviously...) to have a look and he seemed pretty

impressed with it all. The aircraft were fairly new

with another brand new one being flown in a few

months later, the classrooms were fine if a bit basic,

but it was all there and the current students seemed

pleased with the course. Well that was my mind

made up - cheap, good planes, good course and an

interesting place to fly, what more could you want!

Fast forward 3 months and I was stepping out of a

Ryanair 737 into the sweltering summer heat of

Lodz that I can only describe as being much like that

of Zimbabwe, happy days! After clearing customs I

walked outside to try and find my rental car, which

hadn’t turned up surprise surprise so I decided to try

and walk to the other side of the airfield to where the

Bartolini building was, and fairly soon I found my-

self sat in a security booth with a cup of tea chatting

to a blonde security guard carrying a Glock, wel-

come to Lodz! She called me a cab and eventually I

was on my way to the right side of the airport.

The first step in the course was to get the CPL sorted.

This basically consisted of VFR navigation, manoeu-

vres, emergencies and some basic IR work. Our choice

of weapon for the job was the Tecnam P2002jf Sierra,

kitted out with the Garmin 500 and 650 GPS/MFDs

which made radio work a breeze. Of course we weren’t

allowed to use them for navigation but having never

used one before I don’t think it would have been of

much use to me anyway. My introductory flight con-

sisted of some unusual attitude recovery, PFL s and a

quick burn around a few of the VRPs in Lodz’s air-

space. Being class D flight plans are mandatory for all

flights within the area, although there was no radar

there at the time so separation was still down to the

mark one eyeball and maintaining a good lookout.

Over the next week I clocked about twelve hours flying

all over the middle and south of Poland with my in-

structor Piotr who I found out was quite high up in the

gliding world and was a keen fisherman. Our flights

generally were about two to three hours long, often to

multiple airports where there were no landing fees

which was fantastic. Piotr was surprised when I didn’t

seem bothered by the prospect of landing on a grass

runway but understood once I’d told him that I could

probably count the number of tarmac landings I’d done

on both hands and how slippery Headcorn can be in the

winter! At one point he asked why I spoke differently to

everyone else from the UK, but his response to me tell-

ing him I was from Africa was a hearty laugh and the

words ‘I’m not stupid!’ To date I’m still not sure if he

believed me.

After the VFR and CPL section was complete, the next

step was to get my MEP done and dusted, welcome to

the world of the P2006t. My instructor Maciek was fan-

tastic, he’d done some flying in America and was easy

to talk to, explained things incredibly well and became

a good friend whilst I was there. The MEP course is

much the same as ours, just an hour longer. It consists

of general handling and familiarisation, engine failures

Torben

The IR test was roughly two hours of flying. We left

Lodz, joined the airways and then shot across to Warsaw

in a complete white out in the clouds with a leaking win-

dow and got vectors onto the ILS at Modlin airport. Af-

ter two manually flown approaches I was asked to dem-

onstrate an autopilot approach which was fine up until

we descended below one thousand feet at which point all

hell broke loose and the autopilot started throwing us

around. I disconnected and hand flew the missed ap-

proach procedure at which point we were vectored back

to WAR VOR and cleared back to Lodz for the engine

out procedures and approaches which all went well. We

even managed to squeeze it all in before a Ryanair flight

came in which was a stroke of luck.

The MEP and CPL sections of the test were also fairly

straightforward. I was asked to plan a route for the CPL

which we flew VFR and along the way had a few engine

failures and then back in to do the last section which was

the MEP phase, again fairly straightforward with some

general handling, engine failures in the cruise and then

circuit work with various emergencies. And once that

was over I was done, a full CPL IR holder - the feeling

of taxying back in after that last flight knowing it was all

done and dusted was indescribable!

Poland is an amazing place, some parts of it are abso-

lutely crazy and defy all logic (for example the taxi ride

from the airport can be described as a mix between

Thorpe Park and Grand Theft Auto) and other parts

wouldn’t look out of place over here.

in the cruise, and then circuits and engine failures after

takeoff and a navigation exercise. My navex took us

down to the city of Wroclaw (that’s Vrotslav to me

and you!) to collect another instructor and his student

and then back to Lodz as evening set in. With all the

lights on it really felt like we were flying along in an

airliner.

Next thing on the agenda was a one week ground

school regarding the Instrument Rating, followed by

five hours of basic IR training in the twin and then the

simulator in Warsaw which was amazing.

We flew for about 8 hours a day, all over Europe prac-

ticing various emergencies from engine failures to

sticking undercarriage and sick passengers. Bogdan

my sim instructor was brilliant, everyone who did any

flying with him will be familiar with the phrase ‘so Mr

Captain... is your aircraft alright?’ if he had failed

something that we’d not spotted, or just if he felt like

putting us on edge, honestly it worked either way.

Following a week in Warsaw it was back to Lodz for

the last few hours of instrument training on the twin

with another fantastic instructor, Leszek, who used to

fly Senecas for the equivalent of the air ambulance

over there. We flew various approaches and airways

routes through all sorts of weather, at one stage ATC

gave us a hold that put us right in the edge of a CB, so

on one side of the hold you’re being sucked up at a

few thousand feet a minute and the other it’s throwing

you down just as fast. After that was all done and

dusted it was time for the test.


Navigating in Poland is a breeze, there are gigantic

forests everywhere which are marked incredibly well

on the charts, and it’s incredibly flat so you can see for

miles. There are numerous large highways all over the

country as well as train tracks and power lines which

are also marked on the charts. The radio is also fairly

simple although the basic service doesn’t seem to exist

there. Warsaw Information also sounds like they are

in a tin can about a thousand miles away but they are

very friendly and accommodating. We visited various

smaller airfields which were not English speaking so

transmit blind in, much like we do going into Thur-

rock.

Lodz itself is a peculiar place, some areas look like

they are fresh out of Zimabwe whilst others look like

they belong in Le Touquet. It has a few shopping

malls, the likes of Manufaktura and Port Lodz, stand-

ing in either of them you’d never believe you were in

Poland, there is absolutely anything you want in the

shops, from curved sixty inch HD TVs to the most

obscure vegetables on the planet, often in the same

shop! Accommodation is cheap, the food is amazing

(hands down the best pizzas and potatoes on the

planet) and Lodz itself has one of the longest high

streets in the whole of Europe. It’s well worth a visit

for anyone flying in!



Whilst being debriefed after a gruelling 30-minute

checkout with my long-standing flying instructor

Andrew Viall, he mentioned that he thought of doing an

aerobatic course, which would, in his words, “stretch his

envelope”. Being a fond lover of stationery of all types

myself, I said that I too would like to have a bigger en-

velope and so would our mutual friend Paul Tourret. A

cunning plan to spend more money was hatched.

Andrew went on that we could be bold and do an EASA

course in Jerez, Spain, where it would be sunny, cultural

and cheap. I think ‘cheap’ was a major motivation here.

Andrew has a holiday home near Jerez so he flew over

in an A320 and did a recce and reported back. It

seemed that after a careful selection process we had all

been accepted. It was just like Top Gun.

So come Monday 23rd March the three of us met at Gatwick with wives and suitcases for the week long course.

We flew to Seville and collected our hire mini bus.

The journey from Seville to Jerez was uneventful, apart from the rear bumper falling off; Andrew leapt out of the

right front seat then instantly declared that he was navigator and that he didn’t have the skill set to fix it. I appar-

ently did and kicked it back in place. Paul managed to slide open the door whilst I was in mid-repair and I re-

ceived a door shaped ‘V’ on my bonce!

The hotel (Jerez Hotel and Spa) was very nice and comfortable, situated just on the outside of Jerez which is a

lovely old Spanish town with plenty of eateries.

The following day we travelled to Jerez airport to meet our instructor, Aldo. Andrew, who had previously met

him, had said that he was a much organised, efficient 60-year old Swiss master of the skies, but didn’t seem to

have a sense of humour. A new challenge was thrown down; surely we could bring the worst out of him and

consider him a ‘Headcorn’ type.

All went well until we actually met him, where he declared Paul and I were too tall to fit in his aircraft, an Extra

200. Undaunted we sat through a mornings briefing, hoping the Extra was bigger than Aldo remembered. He

explained the course and the various ways we could die. He was going to teach us recovery from all different

positions and then show us our physical limitations. I already knew mine, but apparently 6-pints of Guinness

don’t count. After the briefing we wondered if we

had made the right decision and whether sitting by

the pool wasn’t a better option. We filled out loads

of forms, paid insurance deposits and promised we

wouldn’t crash the Extra, as if!

We then all jumped into the tour bus and headed off

to a small neighbouring airfield called Trebujena

(LETJ) a 20-minute car ride. We travelled down a

dusty track to a group of hangars beside a tarmac

runway.

Aldo ushered us into a hanger where a Scottish

chap (who reminded me of Compo) was repainting

a Seneca. He instantly grabbed us to help move his

plane onto the apron (nothing changes!).

The Upside Down World Of Aerobatics Stephen Deane

Stephen, Andrew (aka Shorty), and Paul


Moving to the other side of the hanger

we met the Extra 200, which is 1m

shorter than the Extra 300 and 200hp,

and by all accounts is more manoeu-

vrable than the 300.

Aldo did the normal instructor thing

of showing us around explaining all

the controls, knobs and switches and

other cockpit stuff. Paul and I tried

the Extra for size. Luckily if we did-

n’t wear a parachute we could sit in

the back, where the radio and engine

controls were. So, Aldo said we

would have to do that. Marvellous, we

had done the normal student thing and hadn’t paid attention.

Andrew opted for the first flight, which Aldo said would last no longer than 20 minutes because; a) we wouldn’t

last longer than 20 minutes (our reputations are global), b) it didn’t have enough fuel in the front tank and c) he

would have probably got bored with us swearing at him.

All sorted, and because he was short, Andrew was strapped in the front - the Extra taxied out. It is a lovely

looking aircraft and we discussed later that it exudes a certain look of ‘purpose’, similar in many ways to Lima

X-ray. We stood watching from the ground as the Extra performed a series of stalls, spins and other stuff. My

turn soon. Andrew returned to terra firma looking like someone had run off without paying for a lesson, it was

that bad. Aldo carried out a debrief where he explained the importance of stall, cross controls and accelerated

stall etc. Before each flight he had to issue a flight plan which he had to close when he landed.

First though we had to refuel the plane. This involved a series of Gerry cans and hand pumps. We all got in-

volved and was greeted as a welcome distraction from the fear and anticipation of what lay ahead.

So, next it was my turn. As I’m blessed of being of normal height, I was in the back and was given some

instructions.....Again—

Fuel lean

Pitch fine

Fuel pump on

Crank engine, when it fires move to rich

Turn off pump

Check T’s and P’s

Remember three radio frequencies and after take-off throttle back to 24 inches and prop to 2400 rpm and don’t

get the pitch control and the mixture mixed up as they’re next to each other. Then change frequency to Jerez

and get a Squawk then switch to

Seville and tell them what you’re up to.

Nope, can’t do it... I don’t have the

mental capacity; Aldo was very under-

standing at this point.... he would speak

to Jerez. Thanks.

We taxied down the runway in a cross

wind and it was clear that our new

friend Aldo was at his happiest if he

just sat there and you flew his plane.

He obviously thought we were far

more competent than we were.


We lined up and I followed my instruc-

tions, we shot down the runway and

climbed like a rocket. I busily changed

power, flicked the radio and tried to

hold a 90mph climb. Once sorted we

levelled out at 3000 feet, my brain now

reaching saturation point.

Now, I will admit that I have very lim-

ited aerobatic experience, that’s why I

was there. But I also suspected that I

would probably feel sick and that a cer-

tain apprehension or terror would stifle

my enjoyment.

The Extra is lithe and responsive, it just has a capacity to do anything you want and do it safely. The first exer-

cise was the stall, all ok, 70 kts I think. Next, crossed control, if you do this in a Robin you get yaw. In the Ex-

tra you go sideways! Massive rudder control with a touch of opposite aileron. It’s a bizarre feeling.

We then did accelerated stalls. This involved getting

into a stall then pulling hard back on the stick. The

Extra just drops like a brick, not a dive, but a flat

plummet. Aldo then used full rudder deflection to pre-

vent a wing drop, one side then the next. Most upset-

ting. Ultimately it would go into a spiral dive if you

didn’t commit to the rudder fully.

Then the dreaded spin, I hate spinning, it’s the antici-

pation I think. Aldo claimed it would be one slow ro-

tation then it would get fast. The first one was fast; the

subsequent 3 or 4 turns were bloody fast. Recovery

was instant - opposite rudder, in fact it would recover

from pretty much anything if you just let the go off the

controls, and surprisingly this made you feel safe. We

landed and I too looked a bit peaky.

Big Paul was up next. The same routine as Andrew and I, but Paul loved it and Aldo could clearly see a willing

victim who didn’t mind the physical abuse the Extra could deliver.

Back to the hotel for a beer or three (and a sweet Sherry) and to swap experiences. We all agreed it was scary

but we were learning loads. It also transpired that Aldo was born in Italy, had moved to America and had be-

come a flying nomad. He was also far from serious

and he got into what he called the British ‘bullshit’.

The next day, Wednesday, started with more aviation

faffing of paperwork, fuel and pushing planes about.

Aldo wanted to go over the same recovery manoeuvres

as yesterday then start on aileron rolls. Andrew was up

first again. To be fair to Andrew he had a nasty bout of

‘man flu’ and didn’t feel in the right frame of mind for

making an envelope bigger. But off he went, stoically

like the trooper he is. After another 20 minutes of be-

ing hurled around, with the work load in cockpit now

at a maximum, stalls and spins lasting longer, Andrew

landed. The man flu seemed to have got the better of

him. It’s quite possible that +4 -2 G manoeuvres he


had been doing may have caused the

sudden and unexpected movement of

mucus from one part of his head to an-

other. He needed to sit down and be

with himself.

My turn next. Off we went with Aldo

now seemingly wanting us to taxi and

then do the take off. The same proce-

dure as Andrew, Aldo now upping the

manoeuvres and everything becoming

more extreme. Oh no, I felt sick. We

then did full deflection aileron rolls at

about 120kts. I’m sure you know the

drill, flat and level, nose up 30 degrees,

check, and then stick hard over. The roll rate is a biblical 360 degrees per second. I did a number to the left and

felt disorientated and then reversed to the right. Really sick now. Enough – I needed to land.

At that point I had to accept that aeros were making me feel a bit queer. I felt completely disorientated. Aldo

provided steadying words of comfort. “It happens to everyone, get on with it!” On the ground I felt wobbly. So,

the physical limitations are obvious, aeros are exciting and demanding but your body has to become properly

acclimatised to the unnatural G-forces.

Last but not least, Paul was up next. He seemed not to suffer and is the sort of annoying bloke who has more

than one go on the ‘Big Dipper’. Up he went and we watched from the ground saying things like ooh and arr

and bugger that!

We broke for lunch at a local cafe where we discussed the morning’s proceedings. Aldo was in full flow and a

token British comedian by now. He went on to say that apparently next door to the cafe there was a house of ‘ill

repute’. He thought it might be a good idea of combining the two hobbies together as a perfect business plan.

We’ll ring you on that one Aldo!

Andrew and I opted to sit out the afternoon as we were both suffering a bit. But our hero Paul had another go,

venturing into loops and the odd Ingleman manoeuvre (a half loop where you roll out on the top).

At the hotel, we had a couple of beers and a sherry, collected our wives and headed out to Andrew’s bachelor

pad in a lovely old medieval town Olvera, we ate in a local hotel which was fantastic and then made our way

back, we were all completely worn out.

The third day, Thursday, I had to have a quiet word with Aldo. I confessed to feeling under the weather so

could I keep the manoeuvres within the limits of my stomach, he understood and said it would be ok in time.

Andrew wanted to get over his vicious mucus attack and get back in the saddle; Paul wanted to have a go at any-

thing Aldo felt dangerous.

Andrew got on with his rolls and then

some loops and seemed happy with his

bigger envelope. I was doing some

rolls and some wing over’s (they’re

lovely, especially in the Extra) and

fully inverted flying, whilst repeatedly

confusing the “smoke on” switch with

the RT switch. Not the time for

Aldo’s headset to fall off mid-

manoeuvre then. Paul had said to

Aldo, ‘go on- scare me’ and he en-

joyed every moment. We had a full


day each doing what they felt comfortable doing and

on balance that is really important as you’re there to

enjoy it as well.

On one particular flight Aldo said “shall we do a

low level pass” – “oh yes please”. The Extra man-

aged 200kts at 100 ft off the ground. What a plane.

After I landed Andrew and Paul both exclaimed that

they wanted to do it as well. They didn’t want to

miss out.

That evening we went to Seville, the traffic was aw-

ful but it is a beautiful cultural city and worth a visit.

Andrew had been publically sacked as Navigator

due to some “partial locational situational awareness

issues” and watched on as Paul sent us all over

Spain via iphone maps. We got there eventually. We ate outside near the Cathedral and then ventured back to

Jerez.

The last day, Friday. It was clear that we were not going to complete the necessary 5-hours to get our EASA

qualification, however, we had seemly covered most of the syllabus, but it needed work to get the manoeuvres

spot on.

We had all found our place on the trip. I was called upon if any spannering was required. Paul did the flight

plans and Andrew was our cultural attaché, complete with hat.

The day’s flying was more of the same with the emphasis of getting it right. Andrew was doing his loops and

Inglemans, me doing ‘gentle’ aeros and maintaining my equilibrium and Paul trying to learn aero manoeuvres

that he had no idea how to do, and showing an ability to fly upside down better than the right way up. Stall

turns, vertical flick rolls and other exciting (from the ground) routines.

Aldo had treated us to lunch at a small restaurant near the airfield. It specialised in fish. We had tuna. It was

very nearly a whole one, enormous.

On our last evening we ate at the hotel and Aldo joined us for dinner, our turn to treat him this time. We had

formed a friendship with him and he appreciated our ‘mucking in’ and our humour. He would fit in perfectly at

Headcorn and it wouldn’t take any effort at all for Aldo and his Extra to spend some time at Headcorn running a

short course. An extrovert with a love for life and flying but a super competent pilot who seemed to take us to

our own point of ‘enough’. Aldo has gone to France now to run courses over there. It’s not so hot there.

So, there we are - a week in Jerez. Would I recommend it? Definitely, Absolutely!

Flying can take a number of different

forms and people get different enjoy-

ments from whatever they do. But a

weeks flying in an Extra helps you ap-

preciate what a high performance plane

can do and what to do if it all goes

wrong. Aerobatics is scary at first and

challenging in the extreme, but it is

about having a bigger envelope. Which

we have now. After 4 days of being

upside down, even prolonged spinning

is sort of ok. Have a go.

Stephen, Paul and Andrew


Tim & Karen Freeman

went to Sydney and tried

out a Beaver on floats as a

replacement for the Arrow,

next winter at Headcorn!

This year’s intrepid entrants were competing with the weather as well as each other, as the wind got up later in

the afternoon and was all over the place. It was good to have some new faces along this year too, as well as five

different aircraft types represented. Judging responsibilities were taken very seriously, with marks awarded for

accuracy, safety and style, and the eventual winner was Will Harris with 280 points; Ed Crutwell was second

with 240 points and Stuart Hiseman third with 210 points.

Spot Landing Competition—September 2014

The Committee ......

We want to hear your views. Please do contact us via

the Club!

01622 891539

David Liz Paul

WEALD AVIATORS CLUB

Renewals were due on 1st April and your membership must be current in order to book an aircraft. If you have not yet re-

newed, you can download a membership form from the website www.headcornaerodrome.co.uk. Please complete the form

and take or send to the office together with photocopies of your licence and medical, plus the appropriate payment.

If you need a Biennial Flight Review this year, don’t forget to book it in good time.

Once again, charts are available through the Flying Club at a discounted rate. Please ask in the office.

If you need to cancel a lesson or aircraft booking please telephone your instructor or the office as soon as possible—not the

day it is due! If you are not good at remembering dates, ask for your lesson details to be written down on the appointment

cards available in the office. Then we can maximise fleet and instructor utilisation by booking the slot to someone else.

A reminder that Weight & Balance schedules for all Weald aircraft are loaded on the Flying Club computer , giving you

no excuse not to make the required calculations before departing for a flight. A reminder that policy is not to refuel after

flight, as this could give rise to weight and balance issues for the next user.

Not flying enough—thought about sharing flights with others? Ask your instructor to introduce you to other pilots with

whom you can share costs; or sign up to join in our fly-outs. It’s a great way to visit new places. meet more like-minded

people, and make your flying money go further. Also look out for our instructor briefings, quiz nights and spur-of-the mo-

ment flyouts—see notice board in the club house or our regular emails.

A reminder that the Club has a Sky Demon subscription which you are welcome to use as a means of checking your flight

planning.

The following aircraft are available for hire at the time of going to print. Please call the office to check prices

and book, on 01622 891539. Or register so you can make use of the on-line booking system.

Make Type Number Available

Cessna C150/C152 inc Aerobat Three

Cessna C172 One

Robin DR400 Four

Piper PA28 Two

Instructor rate is based on one hour brakes off to brakes on. PPL hire rate is based on one hour on the tacho.

Only fully-paid up members may book club aircraft.

Using the on-line booking system, it is possible to book an aircraft for any dates during the year.

Aircraft Hire

2015

Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Club nor its instructors.

Newsletter edited by Liz Hollands ([email protected]).

Dr Peter Player will carry out medical examinations for all pilot and parachute

licences at either Headcorn, on the second Tuesday afternoon of each month,

or at Flimwell. Booking essential please, online at www.ringdenmedical.co.uk.

Need A Medical?

Attention All Club Members This Means You!

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