In this month’s edition:

• Down on the Farm 33 – Tony Palmer
• 10 Top Landing Ideas – Paul Riley

Down on the farm 33 this month 5/21

We will have our first strut meeting and Flyin at Chilsfold Farm on Saturday the 19^th June and if everything goes well our first evening meeting at the Swiss Cottage on the 7^th of July.  Another date for your diary is Saturday the 7^th of August which is the fly-in here at Palmersfarm.

Klemm L25C G-ACXE

On the 25.5.21 we started engine for the first time, it fired on the first stroke of the propeller. Video available https://youtu.be/uTAi0-b9pm0 the video does not show the actual start as there was only 2 of us, Jim was doing the swinging and I was operating the controls.

The engine cowlings have moved on, both sides and the top are done and the right hand lower panel is almost complete. See pics.

 

Bristell NG5 G-NGBBFlyin at Chilsfold Farm on Saturday the 19^th June

Farry has been over twice to progress the wiring, the panel is in and wired. I am doing the art work for the decals. See engine pic above

Rotax 912 Supercharged engine Mk2

The carburettors have been rebuilt and the push in pressure compensation connections have been replaced with screwed versions to stop them blowing out when the inlet pressure starts. These lines are connected to the air box which will be running at about 0.5bar above atmospheric pressure.

Tony Palmer

10 Top Landings

Many people set themselves a personal goal of obtaining their PPL and I congratulate Flyin at Chilsfold Farm on Saturday the 19^th Juneeach and every one of them as I know the effort and dedication required. After reaching such a goal it is a case of what to do with the qualification now. While you can do a few exciting trips to have a nice lunch, even take your friends with you to enjoy the pleasure of aviation, but what else can you do to set yourself a few goals for the future. It’s time to come up with a few interesting ideas you should try landing:

• Beach landings – The excitement with a beach landing is the rarity of it. I was very fortunate to get one in my logbook a few years ago at Copalis State in Washington State but another option in the United Kingdom is Barra and sometimes there are special events arranged elsewhere. Preparation is the key as with any new aviation activity, remembering to check the wind direction and the tide times. Get everything right and it’s like landing on a regular tarmac / asphalt runway. Do remember to wash the aircraft after as no one wants to be dealing Flyin at Chilsfold Farm on Saturday the 19^th Junewith salt corrosion.

• Mountain – Can be a great experience but it’s important to ensure you are safe flying but also the landing. While the UK has limited mountain landing options France does have some great ones with its altiports. To land at these requires to be checked out or it may be worth taking a pilot with mountain qualification with you. Why not consider Peyresourde altiport in the Pyrenees, which was location of a James Bond movie or if you fancy something similar try nearby Bagnères-de-Luchon, an airfield at the end of a long step-sided valley. This is part of my future bucket list!

• Outback – This is currently top of my recent flying experiences. Throw a tent and sleeping back in the back of the aircraft and head to somewhere remote. Depending on your continent this can be more or less accessible. One of my favourite places to is Tieton State airport (pictured above) in the wild countryside of Washington State. Each spring a team of people go and make these rural Flyin at Chilsfold Farm on Saturday the 19^th Junerunways useable. This place has it all with lake, mountains, tranquillity and a few wild animals.

• Ski – I am a keen skier but I have yet to find the opportunity to combine both and take to the skies in a skiplane. This is true outback flying in some real wilderness that is not accessible to many. Why not seek out an opportunity!

• Float – On a similar vein to the snow, why not combine flying with water while it’s in a liquid form. There are some limited opportunities in the UK but it’s much more accessible in places in the US and across Europe. On one of my next trip to the US a short floatplane flight is definitely going to be part of the planning.

• Island Flying – This is a really accessible option in many countries. So if its starts with a short flight to the Isle of Wight, in the where the water crossing is minutes or somewhere more adventurous. I loved my flights to the Scilly Isles, off the Cornish coast and can also recommend the airfields across the Puget Sound, north of Seattle such as Friday Harbour for some great food and the possibility of whale Flyin at Chilsfold Farm on Saturday the 19^th Junewatching on the flight.

• Farm Strip Flying – is a common term used for any flying from a strip that is not from a licensed airfield. Farm airstrips can be various levels of difficulty and there a great selection of resources that allow you to develop these skills. While your flight handling skills can improve with this type of flying it does bring access to a different group of aviators, to add to our flying family.

• Inner City – This is an interesting way to explore as airspace restrictions can make this more difficult in some locations. Do your homework and you may find there is opportunities to overfly a part of a large city, say up the Thames towards London-City airport. My favourite was flying to the summer home of the EU to Strasbourg, where they have Polygon Airport, only a short walk and tram ride from the beautiful city centre. This airfield requires specific notification due to the high profile site nearby. How about flying up the Hudson River, pass Manhattan?

• Commercial Airport – While Coronavirus has offered opportunities to overfly Flyin at Chilsfold Farm on Saturday the 19^th Junelarge commercial airports like London Gatwick, there are some places where this might be possible every day. I was lucky enough to flying into McCarran International Airport at Las Vegas at sunset just as the strip is lighting up. It was a truly one-off sight as well as avoiding the big jets.

• Find something new – So to conclude think about trying something new, or somewhere new. Want to fly to another country or even a new airfield for a nice lunch or a nice view, just go and make it happen.

What do you think? Have you got a favourite place to fly, tell us why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!  aviationmover.com/

Paul Riley

Events

Corona Virus Restrictions:  Club nights may be able to restart in July; watch this space!

• Fly-in at Chilsfold Farm on Saturday the 19^th June

For the latest list of events, go to the Events page on the Strut website.  I’m including exhibitions and displays later in the year as they are announced; it’s nice to have something to look forward to – let’s hope they happen.