Sherburn - Humberside - Sherburn

Saturday 7th February, 2009

After a week of snow and a closed tarmac runway at the aero club, I got up at 6 am to look at the weather reports. Brian had sent a text the previous afternoon to let us know the runway was operational and we had a brief exchange the evening before. Our main worry was the runway & taxiways - if there was going to be a frost overnight then they may not be clear of ice until the afternoon.

I checked the F214 \ F215 and the weather appeared ok with 40km visibility + NIL wx, but there were troughs snaking south down the west and east coasts, the latter bringing snow to the edges of Humberside. The air was also forecast to be freezing at low altitude. It didn't look promising to me. The weather wasn't good enough for Darren's QXC or even a trip to DTV and we decided to hold fire. Darren would phone the club first thing in the morning to find out if they were flying.

I phoned Darren around 8.30. He'd been listening to Radio 2 who'd advised the temperature in the East Midlands was currently -6°C! As I peered out of my dining room window across the Shibden Valley to the M62 the white landscape glistened in the morning sunlight and the bright blue skies beckoned. After further phone calls we were advised the runway probably wouldn't be open until lunch time so agreed to meet up at 11.00 am and aim for a land away initially at Doncaster.

I got to Sherburn at 10.15, settled myself in the club house with a welcomed cup of tea and bacon sandwich and set about doing my flight plan down to Doncaster. Searching for the English mustard I bumped into Richard, the club's new Swordfish editor, and discussed possible articles for the next quarter's edition. Afterwards Jonathan joined me and we discussed IMC training - was I going to do it? Not just yet, maybe next winter. I'd probably do my night rating first. Finally two aerobatic pilots barracked me for using a slide rule to work out my headings etc. I was just keeping my hand in I protested!

At 11.00 am Brian and Darren arrived and I was still in the middle of doing basically a one leg plan to Doncaster! I should have checked the landing fee first. At £55 we decided not to bother and to undertake a return trip to Humberside instead! While Darren booked us in with our favorite air traffic controller, Brian & I went out to check Oscar Echo and felt the snow crunch under our feet.

Once inside the plane, Darren primed the engine before starting. He primed again and injected with the throttle. It still didn't start. 'Have primed and injected so shouldn't need any more fuel. Let's try again'. The engine fired into life. As Darren resumed his checklist, he noted Fenton was open. We taxied for the power checks and noticed a call 'Final mid field'. 'What on earth does that mean?' asked Brian. The airfield had opened earlier than anticipated and it was beginning to feel like a busy day at Heathrow.

At this point a pilot asked for a wind check. 'It's 320°-330° at 15 knots'. 'Then we'd like to use 01' I recalled the icy snow underfoot on the grass and cringed (they couldn't be serious!). As we taxied down to the hold Darren pointed out that the weather looked to be closing in slightly from the east. Then we noticed a plane taxiing fast on the grass (or rather the snow) to the side of us. He presumably didn't want to get stuck in it. As we waited at the hold Darren applied some carburettor heat and we watched two Pitts planes take off.

Our take off from 29 was quite bumpy with a strong crosswind once clear of the sheds. 'Mm, this plane doesn't seem to be performing very well. It feels a bit strange', Darren announced. As we flew the downwind leg, Brian asked if he was happy to continue. 'It feels a bit out of trim and balance - but it's most probably the wind. Looks like it could be a two man landing again! What do you think of 2,000 ft?' As we passed Drax, Brian noticed traffic at one o'clock fade behind the steam of power station. 'It looks like a glider. Let's go north a bit to keep completely clear of Burn'.

Brian set the NDB for KIM and quickly obtained the ATIS. He then contacted Humberside Approach: 'Squawk 4255.' A few moments later the ATC responded: 'Oscar Echo you have been identified 2 miles north-west of Goole; runway in use is 27, QNH 994 and QFE 990'. 'Take the QFE', advised Darren 'and put in 108.75'.

The ATC advised us of traffic over Trent Falls and that Hibaldstow (parachuting) was active. 'Runway 27 - pretty much straight in, right hand then', advised Darren. ATC suddenly advised: 'Traffic Keadby Bridge, north bound, a Cherokee'. We immediately scanned the sky. 'Oscar Echo, traffic has you in sight'; It passed just below us on the right, heading west. 'Looks like bad weather coming from the north and it could be fairly showery' observed Darren. Over the Humber we experienced very murky low level cloud and watched a plane pass down our left hand side below us. We pondered whether it was in contact with Humberside.

On approaching the airfield, we were aware of two aircraft operating in the Elsham Wolds area. 'I'll join late downwind at 1,000 ft' announced Darren and noted another plane on long final. 'Number 3 is just turning base. Look at that cloud to our left.' We glanced across and noted the deep grey clouds heading towards us. On final we were seriously buffeted around and Darren remarked how twitchy the plane felt. We got down in one piece and were asked to park up on the southern apron. Darren reflected 'I would not like to have been in the cockpit on my own for that final approach!' We figured we would possibly have to sit out the weather that was closing in all around us.

As we clambered out of the plane we felt the snow flurries and gave the Sikorsky helicopter a wide birth as it was still running. Inside the airport we managed to get some hot drinks, sat and chatted to two guys from Solo Flight based at Humberside.

After an hour or so the weather had improved significantly so we paid the landing fee and booked out. Once inside the plane Darren checked the ATIS: '310°\13, 10+ km, FEW 1,900 feet, SCT 2,500 ft, +5C, 0C, QNH 995 milibars'. Prior to start up ATC did a radio check with us as there appeared to be somebody continuously transmitting and blocking the frequency. It wasn't us and we were given clearance to start our engine. The start-up time was 14.05 and we were instructed to taxi to Alpha for a 27 for departure. At Alpha we were asked to continue for 27, line up and report ready for departure. 'Let's do the power checks at the threshold', advised Brian. 'There's a good headwind so we should get off the ground quickly.'

Finally we were cleared for departure with a right turn out and a surface wind of 300°\13. Brian remarked he needed more airspeed as it was gusting and didn't raise the flaps until 700 feet. By the time we reached 2,000 feet we were asked to change to Humberside Radar. We were given the Barnsley QNH of 995 milibars and provided with a FIS. 'Let's track the 280° outbound radial from OTR' suggested Darren who then identified it on 113.9. 'There's a shower ahead so I'll put the carburettor heat on though it might not be as bad as it looks. Once at Trent Falls, suggest we head for Goole.'

Brian decided to descend to 1,500 feet to avoid more showers on the coast and noted Drax appeared to be bathed in sunlight. We clarified with Humberside that we would be routing north of Trent Falls to Sherburn and Brian figured our descent to 1,500 could have seemed a little ambiguous - ATC may have thought we were going to fly underneath their airspace. As our eyes acclimatised to shadow one minute and sun the next Brian reflected this was typical Caernarfon flying. We noted the outside temperature of -8C and noticed York bathed in sunlight and Breighton, the same, just to the right of us.

Having said goodbye to Humberside we attempted to contact Church Fenton who appeared to have finished for the day so contacted Sherburn. Disconcertingly it was very difficult to make out the airfield. The conspicuous white sheds had simply merged into the white landscape, but at least we could identify Bishop's Wood and worked out the airfield location from there.

As we joined overhead I noted a radio call: 'G-CT going round' and two other inbound planes. As we joined the circuit Charlie Romeo declared he was on final and then that he was going round. We landed and cleared the runway. It was now evident we had a pilot in the circuit on his first solo. As we taxied back another plane advised he had a rough running engine and was asked to standby by the flight desk. Everything seemed to be happening at once and we sat glued to the radio. Delta Bravo declared he was descending dead side and Charlie Tango that he was on final.

We watched Charlie Tango come in to land. He flared and landed just fine. Back at the club house I discovered the pilot was one of Bob's students and congratulated him. I recalled that I'd soloed in the same plane, signed off by the same instructor and pondered what it felt like from an instructor's perspective - sending a pilot off on their own for the very first time.