CPL Qualifying Cross Country

29th March 2009

Sherburn - Lydd

On the Friday Darren sent me a text. Was I up for a sortie on Sunday morning? The weather was looking extremely good and it was a shame he couldn't get a plane for the whole day. He'd be guaranteed to get his CPL QXC done. I quickly advised him he could have the two slots I had booked Sunday afternoon in Delta Bravo. The Sherburn Flight Centre worked their magic, re-organised the slots and Darren found himself with Oscar Hotel for the day.

As I drove through Queensbury on the Sunday morning I noticed the golf club was already busy. At Hipperholme I clocked a hot air balloon on the horizon to the south of me. Heading out through Lightcliffe a car, laden with bicycles, sped past me. At Garforth I drove past a group of walkers waiting at the bus stop. Everybody was coming out to play and enjoy the first fine day of the year.

Darren had decided on a route of 300+ nm with landings away at Lydd and Conington. On the PPR call to Lydd he was advised the weather was CAVOK, surface wind 330/09, temp +3ºC and dew point +º1C. Danger area D044 (Lydd ranges) was closed; D141 (Hythe ranges) was active.

We decided not to hang about and set off to locate Oscar Hotel on the apron under brilliant blue skies. Darren started the engine at 9.35 am and we were soon in the air and talking to Doncaster. He advised ATC we were routing Sherburn to Lydd, requested a zone transit and Traffic Service. ATC advised there would be late warning of traffic due to range overhead and agreed a climb to 5,000 feet on 1013. A few moments later Doncaster reported traffic in our SSW position at 2,500 feet. Darren was asked to report passing 3,500 feet when we would be 1,000 feet safely above it.

We levelled out at 5,000 feet and tracked to the GAM VOR 164º radial. As we flew overhead the beacon we entered the 'zone of confusion' and the course deviation bar on the HSI began to twitch. Darren set the 139º radial and we watched the bar come back into the centre as he turned onto the heading. He estimated 10.59 for the next waypoint. ATC advised us we were now leaving controlled airspace and instructed us to contact Waddington Zone on 127.35. On changing to Waddington, we were advised we had a Traffic Service and had been identified at FL050. Darren quickly pointed out that we were at 5,000 ft not FL050 even though the QNH was virtually the same as the standard pressure setting. ATC acknowledged the correction.

At 10.11 Darren did his FREDA check and changed to the left fuel tank. A few miles north of Grantham we passed Barkston Heath RAF base at which point we were advised of traffic 1,000 ft below and to the south. We both looked out for traffic and Darren advised: 'Once CLN becomes more reliable I'll hop off the GAM VOR and onto CLN'.

Darren identified CLN VOR to track the 142º radial and then the Cambridge NDB so that it could be used as a position check once abeam it. At 10.40 he did a further FREDA check and changed to the right fuel tank. Overhead March we could see the canals just to the south of Chatteris etched into the landscape. Waddington then instructed us to change frequency to Luton: 'Luton Radar, 5 miles south east of Chatteris, abeam Ely routing CLN, DET and Lydd'.

ATC responded: 'Traffic Service, squawk 4651; confirm routing'. After Darren replayed his route ATC advised us to change to Farnborough North LARS on 132.8 and kindly contacted them for us. Farnborough Radar provided us with a Basic Service (because of range) and instructed us to remain clear of Stanstead airspace. Darren changed the VOR frequency to DET on 117.3 and identified it. 'When the 185º radial starts coming in we'll turn onto it' he explained. I noticed Lakenheath out towards the west and a few minutes later spotted military aircraft parked up on the apron at Mildenhall as we flew past.

Overhead Bury St Edmunds Darren turned towards the DET VOR and began his descent in order to get underneath the Class A airspace. He decided to stay east of Witham to make sure he was clear of the Stanstead LTMA at 2,500 feet. He estimated we would arrive at DET at 11.27 local time and noted a further FREDA check would be needed at 11.10. Then Farnborough ATC announced we could now only be provided with a reduced Traffic Service due to traffic density.

Shortly afterwards we were asked to change frequency to Southend who advised 'with you, identified on handover'; also that their ATZ was very busy so could we track to the west of it? At 11.10 Darren did the half hourly checks and changed fuel tanks. Eventually he had to request that he resume his original track as we were in danger of straying into the London TMA. The request was granted, and as we crossed Canvey Island towards Rochester, the air became quite bumpy. Southend advised they were too busy for a handover to Farnborough so Darren requested a frequency change to Lydd. 'Routing DET 3,000 ft in bound'. Lydd responded '03 right hand, report 4 miles from overhead, QFE 1014. Do not descend dead side'.

As Darren announced our approach to the field Dungeness loomed ominously in the distance: stark, grey concrete on a barren and wind-swept coastline. We joined overhead and descended onto the right hand downwind leg for 03 for an uneventful landing at Lydd airport. After parking up and doing the shutdown checks we made our way into the airport through a mini labyrinth of freshly painted white corridors devoid of any other human being. On trying to escape I accidentally set off the alarm. Darren reflected: 'I can't believe you just did that!' Neither could I but it got us out of the building. I later discovered I wasn't the first to do this and I certainly wouldn't be the last! In the restaurant we relaxed over a cup of tea and I pondered whether or not to have something to eat, having noticed the carvery starting to serve a very appetizing Sunday lunch.

Lydd - Conington

In the end we decided to head to Conington for lunch and at 12.43 started up the engine. Lydd Tower advised we could undertake the power checks at holding point C and that we had a Basic Service. We were then asked to go to holding point D for runway 03. We waited for a student pilot who was quite high on late final. In the end he decided quite rightly to go around. Shortly afterwards we were advised 'Left turn out; cleared for take-off'.

At Ashford Darren changed frequency to Farnborough Radar who asked us to squawk 4645. We were tracking towards the DET VOR on the 316º radial and on reaching the VOR we changed frequency to Southend Approach on 130.77. ATC asked us to report overhead their ATZ at 3,000 feet on 1014. By this time we were tracking to the CLN VOR, a slightly different route back. At Southend we were asked to maintain 3,000 feet, report Bradwell Bay and advised of traffic moving left right in front of us. Once clear of Bradwell Bay Darren changed frequency to Farnborough Radar: 'PA28 out of Lydd routing Peterborough-Conington via CLN VOR on 332º radial'. 'Farnborough Approach, Basic Service QNH 1013, squawk 4650'.

Shortly before reaching the CLN VOR Farnborough advised that we were on the edge of their section and requested we contact London Info on 124.60'. On changing frequency Darren tried transmitting several times but received no response. Suddenly the workload increased dramatically. Had the radio failed? Initially he considered changing frequency to one of the military units, but decided to change back to Farnborough first. They advised London Info had been able to hear us but we hadn't heard their response. He tried London Info again and readability this time was five. Currently we were tracking towards CLN on 061º and from there we'd be tracking from CLN on 322º and skimming the Wattisham MATZ. The turning point ETA for Conington was 14.11.

As Wattisham was closed Darren decided to remain on the London Info frequency who advised there was high level parachuting at Chatteris and traffic - two Cessnas to our right - at Bury St Edmunds. From the wind farm north of March we tracked 231º for Conington. Eventually we had the airfield in sight and changed frequency to Conington who advised the runway in use was 28 left-hand and the QFE was 1013. As we came in to land on final we noticed the proximity of some spectators parked up at the end of the runway beyond the airfield fence, one of whom visibly flinched as we descended over the threshold. The last place I'd be standing to watch planes land, I thought to myself.

Conington - Sherburn

After a brief debate whether or not to eat at Conington or wait until Sherburn and a couple of calls later, we decided to wait until we got back. I settled for a welcoming cup of filter coffee, reviewed my notes and took pictures of the charts.

At 15:46 Darren started up the engine and undertook his power checks at Alpha. A\G advised us to keep straight on the way out as two other aircraft arriving and wished us a safe trip. Outbound from Conington we tracked 051º radial and heading towards the windfarm we were then advised of traffic, an air ambulance dipping towards the western side of the ATZ. At this point Darren changed frequency to Waddington on 127.35 who provided us with a Basic Service, the squawk code 3626 and agreed FL050. At 15:55 we rejoined the original track from CLN VOR and turned onto a northerly heading (055º to GAM). At this point the air was quite bumpy so Darren decided to descend a little to get out of it and reported the level change to FL045.

Then I noticed a speck of dark grey ahead of us and peered into the blue sky. 'I think there's a balloon ahead'. Sure enough, within a few minutes its outline became very apparent. My air law sprang to mind: 'give way to balloons…' Darren reported the balloon at 3 miles north-west of our position at approximately 5,000 feet and, as it was being blown towards the east by a westerly wind, took avoiding action to our port side.

As we passed Grantham to the left Darren requested a radio frequency change to Doncaster. We flew up to the Trent past Swinderby, a disused airfield, and noticed gliders below us near Darlton. Doncaster advised we were clear to transit their zone not above 4,500 feet on the Doncaster QNH 1012 and to squawk 6160.

As we approached the airfield ATC provided a vector enabling Darren to route east of it (instead of west) because traffic (a Dash-8 Delta) was about to depart. Incredibly, neither of us could see it even when it reported lining up on 20 and then taking off.

Doncaster then offered another vector to take us back to Sherburn but Darren was already tracking the SBL NDB and the familiar white sheds of the industrial estate behind the airfield were clearly visible. We were on our way home, his CPL QXC mission very successfully and professionally accomplished.