Qualifying Cross Country

Yesterday (Bank Holiday) I finally got a chance to do my qualifying cross country flight following the plan I've been practising for - Blackbushe - Lydd - Shoreham and back to Blackbushe. It was awesome!

The weather hadn't been looking promising with a warm front approaching from France and a change from very few low clouds to rain and wind forecast by early afternoon. It looked like a window of opportunity - I just hoped it was big enough. Barrie was confident, though he advised me not to hang around at the land-away airfields.

I managed to start Alpha-November leaving the tech log on the wing - stupid boy! Peter from the club and a few bikers in the car park were waving for me to stop the engine. When I got out Barrie and Will were gathering pink sheets from the 100 yards or so they'd been scattered behind me. They were most insistent that it was not problem as we gathered the sheets and stuffed them back in the folder for the flight. I was determined this was a good sign - getting something stupid out of the way and as it turned out it worked.

The leg to Lydd went very smoothly, with my navigation working well. The 1/60 corrections were spot on, radio work was smooth and timings were spot on. My only self criticism would be flying level, but I corrected reasonably well. Lydd was a welcome sight and I had the place almost to myself with a slight downwind extension to allow them to clear the field of birds. The runway was 21 as on all of my previous visits. The wind was pretty much straight down the runway - very nice.

After getting my paperwork signed and a quick drink I set off for Shoreham. I was a bit earlier than planned but I figured it couldn't hurt to try and beat the weather. My journey along the south coast was somewhat less accurate, but again 1/60 corrections helped. During a FREDA check I realised the compass and heading indicator weren't telling me the same thing. A quick correction there and things looked better. Visibility was slightly reduced with a hazy horizon. This was a short leg and in no time I was calling Shoreham ATIS and approach. I overflew the airfield at 2000'. They were pretty busy though and I was directed around again at that level before being directed to join the circuit at 1100'. My join was bad as I few outside the runway (thinking I was going to join crosswind - awful considering the number of aircraft taking off). I got into stride and was on downwind when they told me to orbit to the right while an IFR flight approached. Finally after three orbits and time to position myself I was number 1 to land. The narrow runway was a bit off putting once again, but the landing was good. Once again there was minimal time on the ground - documentation signed, fees paid and a criminally expensive ginger beer drunk and I was off, departing overhead to the west for Littlehampton.

The return to Blackbushe seemed short with the usual clearance though Farnborough's airspace, a slightly clumsy set of radio work for the re-join and a noticeable crosswind on landing, which once again drove me a bit too much off centre. I was down and back.

All in all a great day's flying with some good accurate flying and radio. A good day to be up there - not as busy as expected for a Bank Holiday, some fine sights and further amusement at Shoreham.