Sherburn - Sheffield - TNT VOR - Conway - Caernarfon

Saturday, 19th October, 2008

The weather was looking good with visibility 10km+ and we had Delta Bravo booked for the afternoon so we considered our options and thought about Caernarfon: Brian trained for his PPL there and I was keen to see the stunning landscape again, having been to north Wales for the first time in May with the touring club. Having checked the F214, F215, TAFs, METARs and NOTAMS we completed our flight planning. Then we made our PPR to Caernarfon.

As P1, I took off from 24-grass at 11.20, departed the Sherburn circuit and at Ferrybridge set my course for 216° to compensate for drift. Brian said goodbye to Sherburn and changed frequency to Doncaster who gave us their squawk code 6160, the Doncaster QNH 1008 and asked us to report at the M1. However the wind was slightly stronger than the calculated spot wind average of 268°/29 knots and we were a little bit off track for our first waypoint, Sheffield (EGSY); also four minutes late. We resumed track and I changed heading to our next waypoint.

As I routed towards the TNT VOR, the weather was glorious and the views were fantastic with the Peak District to the north of us and low undulating hills to the south. At this point Brian was talking to East Midlands ATC who was, as usual, extremely busy. The woman's voice was very familiar to me. I recalled my first training sortie to East Midlands Airport, when she very diplomatically advised me I was several miles east of track for the airfield as I entered the zone. She suggested I flew to right of the power station at my one o'clock to get back on track!

As I changed heading for Hawarden we listened to a brief debate with another pilot where she concluded: 'Hot air balloons, ah but they don't show up on radar!' At the M6, Brian reported our position as instructed and requested a radio frequency change to Hawarden. He asked for an overhead transit of their zone which was granted. At this point, as an exercise, I used the ADF to track to the HAN 340 NDB and noticed the hot air balloons to the south of us which appeared as grey ghostly blips on a blue-white sky.

At Hawarden we could see Liverpool and noted their CTA airspace on the chart (1500-3500ft) to the east of us. Brian had landed there only the previous week on a trip out of Caernarfon with some of his friends. Before leaving Hawarden's frequency Brian asked for a weather check at Caernarfon. They obliged and a few minutes later advised us: 220°/20, 10km+, broken 2,000 feet, light rain and runway 20 left hand. We then tried Shawbury LARS twice, but received no response and couldn't hear any transmissions so we contacted London Info who asked us to squawk 1177 mode C and provided us with a FIS.

As we approached Colwyn Bay the cloud base lowered to around 2,000 feet and we in fact flew through a brief squall en route, the coast still being visible up ahead. After that there was no more rain and visibility was 10km+ so we flew over Llandudno and down the Menai Strait towards Caernarfon. On changing frequency Brian requested a join on base for 20 which was granted. I joined about a mile and a half out over the long finger of land jutting out from the Isle of Anglesey. Directly south of Newborough I turned onto final and Brian pointed out the single house in front of the runway - essentially I could use it as my half mile marker. I thought to myself 'who in their...?' at which point Brian must have read my mind. 'Don't worry; the person who lives in it is another pilot!' My landing in the crosswind wasn't particularly elegant, but got us down on the ground in one piece, just over two hours after setting off from Sherburn at 13.20.

Aborted sortie...

Following a welcomed cup of tea and break in the busy cafe at the Caernarfon Aero Club, I went out to re-fuel Delta Bravo while Brian dealt with the landing fee and paper work. After all the external and internal checks we taxied out for the power checks. At the hold we were cleared to back track 20 at which point the radio operator asked us if another plane could follow us and park up behind us in the loop. Brian nodded. 'Affirm' I responded. As we flew up the Menai Strait, keeping to the right, visibility appeared as good as it had been on the way down. However as we approached Great Ormes Head, we could hardly see Llandudno. A thick wall of mist had closed in down to the surface. There was no way through or around it without an IMC rating. We needed very little discussion to agree on the next course of action. As our spirits sank, Brian turned the plane back towards Caernarfon.

Back at the club we discussed our options with the acting CFI, Phil, who had been Brian's instructor at Caernarfon. We weighed up whether we should try again (if the weather improved) against time constraints and getting back before official night. In the end there was sufficient doubt regarding any weather improvement in that area over the next few hours so we decided to stay put in Caernarfon. We then considered the forecast going forward and realised the next good VFR day would most likely be Wednesday or Thursday. I phoned the club and advised them of the likelihood of not getting the plane back before mid week and checked the impact of this. The flight desk advised they had sufficient planes to cover all the bookings (without Delta Bravo) until then and not to worry!

Phil phoned one of his students, whose family ran the Garden Hotel in Bangor, to see if they had any rooms available and got us checked in so we'd at least have somewhere comfortable to stay overnight. After an impromptu tour of the jets in the hangers, we returned to the club at which point I picked up a text from Darren who I'd arranged to meet at Sherburn Aero Club later that afternoon (in order to introduce him to Brian as both were training for their ATPL). I was going to text him when we got back to Sherburn so had completely forgotten all about contacting him. I quickly phoned and filled him in on the situation.

Following Phil's last slot, a pleasure flight, he drove us over to Bangor (via a supermarket so we could pick up vital overnight supplies) to the Garden Hotel where he was also meeting his wife and in laws for a meal. We joined them for dinner and I discovered Phil's wife, Lindsey, was in fact a helicopter pilot. Having been part of the Search and Rescue team for Valley RAF for several years, she commended our decision to return to Caernarfon that day.

After dinner Brian and I sat in the restaurant, pored over our charts and reflected on the day. What could we have done better? Could we have avoided the situation, could we have got back another way etc; etc? We decided everything was much easier with hindsight. Given the information we had, we couldn't have predicted the wall of mist that closed in so tightly between the sea and the mountains. Later we got talking to Sandra, Phil's student, who was still working in the restaurant and chatted about life at the Caernarfon Aero club. At around 10.30pm, extremely tired, Brian and I wended our way upstairs to our respective rooms (once we'd recollected where they were amidst the maize of corridors, stairs and fire doors - so much for our navigation skills!).

Getting home...

The next morning we met up at 8.30 for breakfast but neither of us could accommodate a cooked one following the excellent and very filling meal the evening before so settled on toast and a cup of tea, something we were later to regret. Around 9.30 I phoned Sherburn to determine the weather and get a prognosis for the rest of the day. It was bad: drizzle, showers and the TAFs had been very optimistic where the cloud base was concerned. They were cancelling up to lunch time at least. Also the north-west visibility was poor. I then checked the EMA ATIS by phone - already scattered cloud at 1,000 feet, though forward visibility was 10km+. Meanwhile Brian checked out the weather around Caernarfon with Phil. It wasn't looking good - mountain waves were forecast - so all in all, not a good day for flying.

Brian and I decided to check out from the hotel before the 11.00 deadline. We paid our respective bills and walked up to Bangor Station in order to determine the train times. Afterwards we met up with Phil for a coffee. I phoned Sherburn to let them know we definitely wouldn't be bringing the plane home that day and that he was being well looked after, having been safely secured in one of the hangers courtesy of the Caernarfon Aero Club. Apparently Delta Bravo had already been assigned holiday status ('in Wales') on the whiteboard back at Sherburn!

Eventually we decided on the midday train back to Leeds (via Manchester) and set off. En route I was fascinated by, on the one hand the proximity of the flat coastline to the north and on the other, the rugged mountains to the south. Brian pointed out the cloud formation (mountain waves) to the north. The journey went downhill from there. When we reached Chester, it quickly became apparent that the public transport system was in disarray. Instead of a seamless connection we had to get a bus to Manchester Piccadilly (via Warrington) where we looked at the boards for a train to Leeds, but couldn't find one and subsequently discovered there were none. Outside the station we gleaned we'd have to take another bus to Manchester Victoria. An hour later we arrived only to discover we'd just missed a train to Leeds. By this time we were starving and wished we'd taken the cooked breakfast option that morning. To kill time we settled for a sandwich and cup of tea instead.

Thanks to Brian's partner, Kath, who picked us up at Leeds station, we arrived back at the club before it closed around 19.00 in time for me to retrieve my car and house keys!

Getting Delta Bravo home...

By Tuesday we had decided on a plan of action. It was going to be difficult for me to take any more time off work, having just had a week and a half off, so Brian offered to fly Delta Bravo back with Phil (just in case of IMC). The weather was looking quite good for Wednesday.

On Tuesday evening Brian set off for Bangor and I drove over to Sherburn to drop my return rail ticket off at the club. Phil was going to use this to get back the next day. On the way home I heard an SOS text message alert so pulled into the car park at the White Swan in South Milford. It was from Brian; he was stuck at Llandudno for an hour on the train. I phoned him back and we chatted for a while. During the call Darren sent me a timely text - 'were we back from Wales yet?' I said farewell to Brian and left Darren a voicemail before driving back to Queensbury. I hoped Brian would get back to Bangor soon and have a good night's rest.

The following morning I was in Copley for the fortnightly infrastructure surgery and touched base with my boss. We caught up with our respective work challenges and I reflected on this very personal one. As I checked where I had to be for the surgery, I noticed the clouds closing in and decided to text Brian an impromptu weather report, given Copley wasn't a million miles from the POL VOR (just in case they were heading back that way): 'How's it going? We have lowish cu\st around here (near POL) this morning'. Brian replied that the weather was fine over there. They were just waiting for the okay from Sherburn (to allow Phil to fly the plane if necessary). I made my way to the Ryburn Room and managed to squeeze myself, laptop and tea in-between two other attendees at which point I received another text: 'Approved. We are off'.

Meanwhile in Caernarfon, Brian's view of the world...

At 10am, on a lovely morning in Caernarfon, Phil and I were about to set off to Delta Bravo when we met up with Andrew. He had just arrived back from Deauville on the Cessna 421 G-HIJK. He'd also been stuck away from base as the aircraft had developed a technical problem in France, but at least this had given me the chance to catch up with a fellow pilot I hadn't seen for some time.

At 10.30 Phil commenced the external checks whilst I settled in to the left hand seat and made the initial cockpit checks. I started the engine at 10.40 (local time) on the main apron. Phil was handling the radio: 'Caernarfon Radio good morning it's G-BODB on the main apron, request airfield information and taxi; VFR flight to Sherburn in Elmet and 2 POB'. 'G-DB taxi 26 RH the QNH 1017'.

Upon taxiing to the runway the instrument check was performed as the aircraft turned left past the fuel bay and I announced 'Turning left; ball skidding right; HSI decreasing; compass decreasing; needles are tracking no flags'. The power check was normal and at 10.50L G-DB was ready. Phil reported 'G-DB holding 26 ready for departure' with the instant reply: 'G-DB circuit is clear wind is 250°/8 knots'.

We took off at 10.50 and climbed initially to 1300 ft on 1017. (During the week, when RAF Valley is active, aircraft have to maintain an altitude below 1500 ft in the Menai Strait unless instructed otherwise by Valley Radar). Phil contacted Valley for a Radar Information Service, and upon setting the assigned squawk 3727 we were identified. However due to traffic density elsewhere in the controller's area we could only be provided with a Flight Information Service. The controller was very apologetic. The first turning point was Llandudno with an ETA of 11.04. As we passed Bangor, Valley Radar informed us that we could squawk 7000 and that there was no longer a level restriction. We climbed further to 2000 ft and arrived at Llandudno 2 minutes earlier than scheduled at 11.02. During the turn Valley also asked us to freecall Hawarden Radar and wished us a pleasant flight.

Hawarden assigned us squawk 4602 but were initially unable to offer a radar service due to our distance and relatively low altitude. Five minutes later Hawarden called us: 'G-DB squawk ident'; which we did. This was followed almost immediately by 'G-DB you are identified 5 miles to the south of Prestatyn; it's a Radar Information Service, Hawarden QNH 1019 maintain 4602; you are cleared to transit the Hawarden overhead not below 2000 feet; report overhead'.

At this time we were tracking the HAW NDB but not long after we could see Hawarden in the distance. We tracked directly for the field and when were about 2 miles away Phil reported that we were approaching the overhead. The radar controller replied 'G-DB roger, very limited Radar Information Service as you pass overhead due to your proximity'. Having passed over Hawarden 2 minutes early (I saw a pattern developing) we could see the Jodrell Bank radio telescope very clearly to the left and Stoke on Trent to the right.

By this time we were picking up the TNT VOR, and once it was identified we began to track the radial 105° inbound. About 5 degrees of left drift correction was applied to maintain the track. During this time Hawarden had informed us about four items of traffic, and all but one of these we had seen visually: the one remaining piece of traffic was a long way above us. Hawarden then informed us 'G-DB limited radar information service as you approach the edge of solid radar cover, suggest that you call East Midlands on 134.175 or Manchester Approach on 135.0'.

We elected for East Midlands. The controller was extremely busy and it was hard to get a call in. Eventually we were offered a flight information service. Whilst listening in on this frequency we determined that there was a Ryanair 737-800 doing circuits and an instrument rating exam (call sign Exam 16) performing a go around. In addition there was a Ryanair 737 inbound and a few aircraft from the Donair flying club dotted about the place. The controller said 'Exam 16 climb FL90' and there was a long pause. The controller repeated 'Exam 16 climb FL90 and fly heading 300 degrees'. A very nervous 'Standby Exam 16' was heard. After a few radio exchanges Exam 16 started his climb to flight level 90, but Phil feared that it may have been too late. For a brief moment my mind reeled ahead a couple of years to the day when I would be doing my IR flight test. The mood of our flight changed for a minute or two-we both felt for the chap!

Back in Copley...

At 12.00 one of my Group Technology colleagues offered up a packet of chocolate digestive biscuits and a bag of grapes (as the healthy alternative) in order to address the lunch-time blood sugar dip, given the hospitality ban. We battled on through the agenda and at one point I glanced out of the window, having noticed the sun shining brilliantly. Hopefully Brian was enjoying himself.

Back in the air...

By this time, the TNT VOR was only 8 miles away so it was time to set up the outbound radial in the HSI whilst maintaining the inbound radial on the VOR2 display. The outbound radial was 025 and by now the VOR needles were all over the place as we entered the zone of confusion: time to just maintain heading and wait for the TO/FR flag to switch over. As the flag changed, we established the new heading 025° and waited for the needles to settle again. As they did we made a 10 degree left turn to establish the 025° radial outbound. The wind was rather strong, and about 15 degrees of drift correction seemed to be what was needed to maintain the track.

Although out of range we tuned the ADF to the Sherburn NDB in preparation for identification of it closer to home and flew a few miles to the east of Sheffield at which point Phil spotted the disused runway at Sheffield City. By this time we were already talking to Doncaster Radar who'd asked us to report at the M62 and squawk their conspicuity code 6160. As we approached the motorway, Phil pondered that it might be the M62 but a little logic and a glance at the chart convinced him this was not the reporting point. It was the M1. Phil now started to get ready to call Church Fenton, and 5 miles south of the M62 he requested a radio frequency change. Doncaster replied 'Squawk 7000, freecall Church Fenton and thanks for your call'.

We spoke briefly to Church Fenton who instructed us to enter the MATZ not above 1500 feet on 1017 and report Sherburn in sight. As Sherburn was already in sight, we were then asked to freecall Sherburn. We were advised that the runway in use was 24 and quickly established that there were two other aircraft in the circuit. The approach was extremely smooth and the landing was a gentle touchdown just beyond the runway numbers at 12.15 (local time). After shutting down and finishing off the paper work, Phil and I retired to the club house for a well-earned lunch.

Thereafter attention turned to getting Phil back to Wales. Phil is not renowned for his train-catching abilities but with the written instructions I'd prepared he couldn't possibly get it wrong; could he? Fortunately he didn't and Brian, G-DB and Phil were, once again, all in the right places!

Back in Copley...

At 12:24 I received a text: 'G-DB is home'. I smiled intensely to myself (which probably left some of my colleagues around the table pondering how on earth I'd managed to find the SAN discussion we were having so enthralling) and sent my thanks. At 13:55 the agenda was in danger of overrunning and I had to be on the 14:15 shuttle bus to make a 15:00 meeting at Commercial Street. As it happened a fire alarm cut the meeting short at 14.00, so I said my farewells to Ken, our chairman, and made the bus back. En route at 14:30 I tried phoning Brian but got through to his voicemail. I figured his battery was probably just about flat.

Sherburn Aero Club...

Brian and I caught up later at the dining-in evening prior to a talk by Andy Paul (Squadron Leader from Church Fenton) which was very entertaining. In the Q&A session following it we gleaned some very interesting insights into life in the RAF. I dined partly with Brian and partly with Geoff and Pete (pilots on the trip to France and Jersey in April) having not seen them since June.

Finally, at long last, I managed to introduce Brian to Darren...!