Our Diary & Plans

August 6th 2001

August 6th 2001 Saturday was an interesting surprise. On Friday evening, Urszula had been reluctant to tell me what we were doing the next day (which is unusual for her) Saturday dawned, she and our Daughter Deborah were up early and soon there was a wonderful smell of "Full English Breakfast" coming from the kitchen. Deb's (who rarely rises before 12) asked if I could fire up the PC as she wanted to "surf the web" Why at this time? She then handed me a Birthday card and pointed me at the following picture on the PC screen:-

Tiger Super-Cub G-BBYB

"How would you like a flight in this?" she asked, "I'm not too sure" I hesitantly reply - then (hoping to buy some time) "When are you thinking of" "How about today - right now?"

We all pack into the car, including the Dog and my aged video camera. Had a great drive to Headcorn Airfield, Ashford in Kent where the "The Tiger - Vintage & Tiger Moth Flying Club" are based. There we met up with a colleague of Deborah's who flies from here regularly and were introduced to the Tiger Super-Cub. We pushed G-BBYB over to the fuel pumps and topped her up, both wings tanks, taking all of 75 litres, not a hell of a lot really?

After a very professional briefing and explanation of the "do's and don't" (or how to be a good passenger), we fired her up - well actually someone else hand-cranked the prop round rather unsuccessfully a few times. When the engine won't start easily, this doesn't exactly fill one with confidence, however a bit of "priming" soon cured the problem (the engine was not as hot as they initially thought) and we were ready for taxi and power checks. Cloud was low - 3,000ft, but weather OK, the threatened rain had yet to appear and after a short pause to let the para-gliders "drop plane" get away ahead of us, we turned onto the grass strip known as the runway. The "control tower" suggested we could take off "at our discretion" there being no official traffic control as such, at this field.

The wind-sock was pointing at just less than right-angles to the strip, we had a jerky take-off. Luckily I spotted UTB and Debs with the Video, so I was frantically waving to them at my point of most stress. Once off the ground, it was too late to worry. We climbed slow and straight up to near 1,500ft, where we turned right and the sky was ours.

I always thought that in a small plane I would be fine, it is just Jumbo's I can't stand, having nearly thrown up once when, not having left the ground yet, we were only taxiing at Heathrow. This flight however, proved everything I had ever imagined.

These planes are rather basic, somehow you expect better of something that flies? It was all wires, rusty clips, sticky-tape and you could have easily pushed a finger through the skin. It didn't rattle too much though and the wings stayed on.
Navigation was very basic, a compass with a deviation card. We had a map, folded down to about B5 in size on a clipboard, no GPS. The only "digital" item was a small clock, which I assume was measuring engine, or flying hours? There was a rev counter, oil and temperature gauges and a spirit level which sort of registered "yaw" (but I didn't understand that bit), altitude and air-speed indicators. The twin fuel gauges were actually a couple of clear plastic(?) site tubes above our heads with a small red ball that floated at the current level. I kept a very close eye on these, as did my pilot.

Our ceiling was 2,000ft as we flew down the M2 and the new high-speed rail link workings to Hastings on the South Coast. I was surprised that, from this height only, we could quite clearly see the Thames estuary to the North and buildings on the South coast at the same time. The Grain Sands power station stood out well at the confluence of the Thames and Medway rivers and I could look down on the hotel on the seafront at Hythe where Urszula and I had stayed some years back. Having said that, I "lost" the airfield almost immediately after take-off and only really spotted it again as we made our downwind run.

From the ground, our little over-populated island feels just that, all buildings and concrete. Only a few hundred feet up and even this populous South Eastern corner quickly becomes a patchwork quilt in squares of differing greens, a carpet of fields stretching away as far as the eye can see.

Landing was "interesting" the wind was by then very much sideways to the strip, the three planes ahead of us having made five attempts to land between them. We crabbed down and as the ground came up, it was clear we were way over to the left of the strip. Full power was applied, a hasty call made to control and round we went again, now I know what "Touch and Go" really means!

The second approach was similar, but better lined up although a little low, in fact we touched down some 50 feet short of the strip, however no problems at all, we were able to quickly clear the strip, turning off right in front of Urszula and Deborah with the video running - great!

Now I appreciate this has got nothing to do with boating, but it was quite an event in my life. Thanks for the early birthday present Deborah!



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