Sherburn - EMA - Gamston - Sherburn

Sunday 14th September

At 12.30 I met up with Brian, who had recently answered an advertisement I'd placed on the club notice for a flying partner to undertake landings at other airfields. He had joined the club relatively recently after qualifying for his PPL in Caernarfon and wanted to do a landing at East Midlands. With me, being almost an EMA veteran by now, I'd opted for a landing at the less familiar Gamston en route back to Sherburn.

We took off from 11 right-hand (tarmac) and left the circuit on the downwind leg on a heading for Sheffield airfield. I said goodbye to Sherburn and hello to Doncaster from whom I requested a Radar Information Service. He asked me to stand by for a very long time - almost to the point I thought I'd been forgotten about! Eventually I was asked to squawk 6167 & asked to pass my message. Abeam Netherthorpe I was handed over to East Midlands Approach who asked me immediately to squawk 4555 for continuity. The information was whiskey, runway in use 09 left hand and the QNH was 1027.

Brian kept his heading and the view in front of me became the ever familiar blur of urban sprawl leading up to Nottingham. East Midlands suddenly advised us of traffic travelling in the opposite direction. After a few seconds we clocked the army helicopter routing north and reported visual with traffic. We tracked to the west of Hucknall ATZ and when the M1 veered off to the left I looked into the distance for a familiar landmark - the viaduct a few miles north east of Long Eaton EE. Over to the east we could see Trowell Services and I recalled the several orbits I did there on my QXC waiting to be cleared to enter their zone!

As we hadn't been given zone clearance yet, I advised ATC that we were passing Trowell Services and approaching Long Eaton. ATC responded: our zone clearance was to enter at Long Eaton not above 2000 feet VFR on East Midlands QNH 1026 and track to the West of the M1 for 09. I was then asked who our handler was and responded that we were using Donair (an aero club that had recently opened up next door to the airport).

Shortly afterwards we were transferred to tower and instructed to proceed direct to left base for 09. On reporting our arrival we were then told to orbit and report visual with Jetset 233 (a First Choice Airbus A321) on 4 mile final. After reporting visual we were given clearance to proceed to final. However, just as this clearance was granted we were turning our back on the field in orbit number three so ATC quickly changed plans to enable a Ryanair 737 to land. Having reported visual with the Ryanair 737, a Donair Cessna was cleared to proceed inside our position and land! We were instructed to follow the Cessna, being number two to land with one on the runway to vacate and to expect a late landing clearance. Clearance finally came at 300' and after landing Brian taxied at speed all the way to Sierra One (realizing there was more traffic 4 miles out on final!).

Brian parked the plane just outside the aero club and inside we were greeted by a very friendly woman who made us both a cup of tea. Brian pointed out the picture gallery and we discovered our host certainly knew her Citations from her Lear jets. Over tea we perused the visitor's book - there were several entries for Sherburn, including Bob, my former instructor, who'd had to abort a take-off with one of his students that day because the cowling was loose (we were to learn later).

After a pleasant hour at the club, we booked out and said our farewells. Out on the tarmac we were cleared to taxi to M3 where I did the power checks, then M1. On reporting all checks completed and ready for departure we were given take-off clearance: 'Depart via Long Eaton, not above 2,000 feet on QNH 1026, VFR tracking east of the M1' fortunately in front of the BMI Baby 737 already lined up at the far end of 09. This was presumably to avoid any delay for us (and later traffic being controlled by ATC) having to wait for wake turbulence to clear before we could take off. (EMA airfield chart)

I made an early left turn and the 737 was cleared for departure having been instructed to climb straight ahead to FL70 and change to his designated London control frequency when advised. By this time we were departing the zone at Long Eaton and were given a FIS. Only a few minutes later ATC then asked us to freecall Doncaster and squawk 7000. In the meantime Brian contacted Hucknall to advise them we'd be skirting their ATZ to the west and they were very grateful we had taken the time to let them know.

Just north of Hucknall I turned onto my heading for Gamston and, after leaving Hucknall's frequency, I descended to 1,500 feet in order to stay below Doncaster's airspace (2,000' - FL60). Brian requested a RIS from Doncaster who provided a limited service (from below) and advised of two other contacts. Gamston was incredibly difficult to spot from the south west at such a low altitude and I found myself drifting farther west than calculated, making life more difficult! On spotting the runway outline, Brian requested a radio frequency change to Gamston, who asked us to join on the downwind leg for 21. I made a right hand turn for base inside the villages and set myself up for the landing. As with Shobdon, the runway perspective foxed me a little and I flared a tad high. We were the last plane to land on 21 before Gamston changed runway. A Cessna Citation jet, arriving from Cannes, landed on 03 about 5 minutes later.

We paid the landing fee and afterwards had a break. Brian chatted with the Citation pilots while I chilled out over a welcoming cup of cold water pondering the next leg of the journey. We decided on a new plan - instead of straight back to Sherburn there was time to take the scenic route via Gainsborough. However, by the time we'd surveyed a jet parked up in one of the hangers, we were late leaving the airfield (Gamston Radio had gone home by 18.05!). We therefore made blind calls from the moment Brian started rolling on 03 until we safely clear of the ATZ.

We kept well out of Doncaster airspace and headed for Gainsborough. Doncaster again provided a limited RIS and quickly advised us of helicopter traffic heading south at the same level. We tracked slightly to the west of Scunthorpe (avoiding the built-up area) at which point we were asked to confirm our next turning point (Trent Falls). Brian then tracked back to Sherburn via Selby and en route I noticed the extensive flooding on the river Derwent just beyond Breighton. Back at the club we paid our bills and had a welcomed cup of tea in the club house, both satisfied we had achieved our objectives for the day!