Sherburn - Calais - Deauville - Saint Helier - Sherburn

Tuesday 1st April

Bleary eyed I dragged myself out of bed at 05.30 to undertake the remains of my flight planning and noticed a very stormy wind raging outside. I showered, got dressed and finished my packing having checked my eclectic list of things not to forget: - passport, life-jacket, chargers, eyebrow pencil, French maps...

At 06.00 UTC (i.e. 7.00 am) I downloaded the low level wind forecasts from the met office web site. The wind at 2,000 & 5,000 feet between 55N and 50N averaged out at 265°\40kts. The general forecast also showed gusting at 40+ knots. It didn't look promising, but I set off for Sherburn at 07.30 anyway with the hope that conditions would improve.

By the time I arrived club members were already exchanging notes over bacon butties and cups of tea. As the empty bird feeders swayed violently out on the club house patio, I sat down and got talking to a group of aviators I'd not met before - Mike, Mark & Darren. I mentioned I was at the point of prepping for the Skills Test and it was encouraging to hear their recollections of the said event in a pilot's journey!

When intrepid co-pilots Geoff and Pete arrived we decided to wait until the lunch time TAFs to see if any window of opportunity opened up. If it did, we thought about attempting to get to Lydd and position ourselves for Calais the next day. However close to lunch time grey cumulus clouds billowed speedily towards us quickly followed by heavy rain. We decided to call it a day and Pete phoned customs to advise of our change of plans.

Later that afternoon Geoff phoned me at home to advise that we were going to break at Connington (Peterborough) not Fenland en route to Southend to be on the safe side in view of load performance etc. Was this because I'd arrived with an 18lb overnight bag I pondered?!

Wednesday 2nd April

Sherburn - Connington - Southend - Calais

On the second day the weather had improved significantly with an average spot wind of 312°\24kts. After downing more bacon butties and tea, Richard decided to take a group picture before we all set off. Although the take-off from 29 at 10.35 and climb to 2,000 ft was quite bumpy I managed to catch a view of the church in Sherburn.

We tracked out via the Gamston VOR, changed frequency from Doncaster to Waddington at Newark, then to Cottesmore Radar and finally Connington A\G. My flight plan ETA was 11.26 and we arrived at Connington at 11.27 - so far so good. We were advised to use 28 left-hand and the surface wind was 280°\16kts:

With the plane parked up on the tarmac (and not grass) we noticed the tyre pressure was low in one of the wheels and asked if some air could be added. Meanwhile Geoff discovered he had oil on one of his shoes and asked for advice at the flight desk. The ladies there were very helpful and suggested steaming it out (having taken it off his foot first of course!).

At 12:20 we took off for the south coast. We decided to give Upwood (glider base) a wide berth and called up Cambridge, but they advised us to talk to Wyton first. We successfully negotiated the area and then changed back to Cambridge heading for our planned turning point at Sudbury. Cambridge then passed us to Wattisham. We managed to cut the corner at Sudbury to avoid the MATZ stub and then set our course for Southend avoiding Wormingford, another glider base.

At Southend we were just about to advise Southend Radar that we had the airfield in sight when a student, it seemed, came on frequency advising all manner of things except where she was. The ATC asked for her current location and advised her to stay outside the zone. After that Geoff managed to get his call in and Southend gave him clearance to join on base for runway 24. Geoff landed the plane with finesse and on touching down it was good to see two of our club planes taxiing out for departure and two others parked on the apron.

We paid the landing fee and then Geoff showed me how to fill in the flight plan for the Southend to Calais leg. We ordered lunch while Pete went to talk to the Delta Echo crew (Mike, Mark & Darren). He found out our tour leader, Steve, had already arrived in Calais and the channel crossing had been fine. However the hotel we had earmarked to stay in was full so it was every man (& woman) for themselves on arrival!

We donned life jackets, departed from Southend at 14.20 and tracked out to the DVR VOR. Over the mouth of the Thames we heard Delta Echo on the radio. Southend Radar was asking them for information regarding an aircraft flying east along the Thames (but not talking to any ATC). As we passed over Herne Bay we changed frequency to Manston for the Calais crossing and lost Delta Echo (who we discovered later couldn't get Manston so had contacted London Info instead). Manston asked us to report 'Coasting out'. 'Report what?' Geoff asked Pete. 'Coasting out or leaving the coast - possibly an old RAF phrase', replied Pete. We started our 'coasting out' to the east of Dover with land across the channel comfortingly visible in the distance.

It took us all of ten minutes to cross the water and near the French coast we changed frequency to Calais Approach. Delta Echo was ahead of us requesting joining instructions. 'Join right hand for 24', instructed the Air Traffic Controller. Darren read back and added 'downwind' for clarity which wasn't challenged. Then we obtained our joining instructions and watched Delta Echo landing. We were number two to land so quickly scanned the final approach for another aircraft and clocked a Cessna. Satisfied we could now safely proceed we turned onto base.

After landing we parked up next to Delta Echo, paid the landing fee and debated whether we explicitly needed to close our flight plans. We were advised they would automatically be closed. We shared a taxi into Calais and piled into the tourist office who found a hotel for the six of us for 45 Euros a night - the Hotel Pacific. Initially we dropped off our bags at the hotel and and met up with our tour leader and the rest of the group in a bar just off the main square. We had arrived all in one piece and drank to that!

Back at the hotel, after a shower and change of clothes, I went down to reception to meet Pete & Geoff. Meanwhile four young men arrived to find only one single and one triple room available. They briefly debated who should have the single room and concluded - the one who snores!

We met up with the others in a restaurant a few minutes from the hotel for dinner where over 20 of us were accommodated quite easily. We wined and dined over excellent food and conversation digressed into checking out the local karaoke bars, which, on a Wednesday, were fortunately shut! So we strolled along to the main square and flocked into one of the bars for a final drink. Here we met a group who had also completed an evening of wining & dining and challenged us with the meaning of the word God (or rather Dieu). Pete, who can speak French fluently, endeavoured to participate in the surreal conversation.

At 12.30 am I finally crawled into bed but shortly afterwards all hell let loose in the room next to me - the three young men staying in the triple room had arrived back and the triple room just happened to be next door to mine. I figured I'd give them an hour to settle down before politely knocking on their door. I needn't have worried - they had totally crashed out half an hour later!

Thursday 3rd April

Calais - Deauville - St Helier

Mark from Delta Echo and I were down for breakfast first. His crew had to head back to Sherburn as planned originally for the Thursday. We figured out how to boil an egg each in the steamer but didn't realise the egg timer had to be turned over twice to make sure they were properly cooked! Then I couldn't find any butter for my bread and asked the proprietor for some. She wryly produced a wrapped portion from the kitchen and I didn't dare ask for seconds!

Geoff and Pete finally arrived and after breakfast we went for a stroll by ourselves having arranged a taxi for 10.30 am. I took various photos in the vicinity of the hotel.

On arrival at the airport we bumped into Steve and Jill who were also setting off back to Sherburn and having to forego the leg to Cherbourg. The French controllers were incredibly helpful and welcomed us into the tower. They printed off the TAFs and METARs for our respective journeys. Pete and Geoff decided that Jersey looked very doable so we parked ourselves in one of the briefing rooms and set about the flight planning.

We took off at 13:03 and tracked to the BNE VOR. Initially we talked to Calais Tower and then changed to Lille Approach 7 miles south of Calais who advised us to report overhead ABB (Aberville) VORDME. Twenty miles south of ABB at 2,500 feet we witnessed an eagle (or similar), a deep golden brown bird with a huge wing span, glide effortlessly past us in the opposite direction bobbing left to right carried by the wind. I suddenly felt such an imposter in the skies.

We arrived at Deauville and met up with Richard's crew for lunch. They were heading to Cherbourg for the night as originally planned. The airport was a gem with a restaurant serving excellent food - the best niçoise salad I've ever had - and a good view of the runway.

After coffee we bid fairwell to Richard and decided we would make a final decision near Cherbourg regarding whether we could safely head for Jersey.

We took off from Deauville at 16:09 from runway 30 with a surface wind of 340°\07kts. Eleven minutes later at Cabourg, and the start of the Normandy beaches, we requested a descent to 1,000 ft until Rade De La Gapelle. This was greeted with an affirmative and we were asked to report north of Caen and the NDB was set to determine the point to call.

As we approached Rade La Gapelle, we attempted to get the Jersey ATIS, but there was too much interference. Geoff therefore asked the ATC if he could provide the latest Jersey weather. The ATC was incredibly helpful and came back with a report: surface wind 360°\09kts, FEW 1,000ft, visibility 10km+ and QNH 1031. We decided to go for it and changed heading for Carteret.

At this point the cloud base had lowered so Geoff and Pete debated whether to go above it or below it. He opted for the latter and changed frequency to Cherbourg Tower. Geoff found himself talking to an ATC with a regional French accent and likewise the ATC found himself talking to Geoff! We made it to the coast via the Carteret Lighthouse - a VRP for Jersey - and changed frequency to the Jersey Zone. A very self-assured ATC asked us to stay outside their air space and report our level.

Shortly afterwards we were given Special VFR clearance and advised the runway in use was 09 so we headed for the south eastern corner of the island. Then we were asked to do a right hand orbit until advised (as it happened at 1,000 ft over a rocky outcrop!) as a jet was coming into land. After two orbits Approach asked us to continue to final and advised us we were number two to land (after the jet). On advising the ATC that we had the airfield in sight we were asked to contact Tower who directed us to continue with our approach; surface wind was 360°\09kts. On landing we were asked to park up at the Aero Club. Then we noticed the sultry Jersey weather and had a beer at the aero club before heading over to the Merton Hotel where Geoff had managed to get us rooms for the night.

Friday 4th April

St Helier - Southampton - Nottingham - Sherburn

The next morning we knew it was going to be misty, but when I got up around 6.00 am to work on my notes before breakfast I looked out the window and discovered the sea had merged with the shore to produce a grey haze. By 8.00 the sun was shining and a shoreline was just visible so getting off the island looked hopeful. Prior to our agreed rendevous at 9.30 for breakfast, I went to get some post cards from the shop opposite the hotel and sat in one of the conservatories to write them. After breakfast we went for a stroll down to the harbour, through the town and back to the hotel before setting off to the airport at lunch time.

At the aero club we did our flight planning, a route from Jersey via ORTAC & NEDUL GPS waypoints to Southampton with Bournemouth as an alternative. We filed a flight plan and Geoff made some calls to see if a VFR route was feasible. Later Geoff & Pete went upstairs for a coffee while I finished off my calculations.

By chance I found myself talking to a softly spoken airline pilot who'd wandered into the room looking for someone and then noticed me up to my ears in charts, protractors, flight computer and rulers - in fact probably looking quite disorganized!

'What's your flight plan?' he asked. I explained we wanted to get to Southampton en route to Sherburn, but visibility was poor over the channel at the moment so it was unlikely we'd get Special VFR clearance. 'What about IFR?' 'We really want to fly VFR if possible'. He advised he'd just flown in from Southampton and it was clear over the other side, but that there was a heavy mist rolling south towards Jersey. 'Let's look at the TAFs & METARs', he suggested. Then we looked at the METAR for the airfield displayed on a screen above the flight planning area. It showed visibility had dropped to only 800m.

At that point Geoff & Pete returned. The consensus was that we would leave it for another hour and have some lunch. At 14.00, visibility was increasing so we decided to head out to the plane. On leaving the restaurant, I bumped into the same airline pilot. He wished us a safe journey.

We loaded our luggage into the plane and then ourselves, having donned life jackets first. Pete got on the radio to Jersey Tower and then the bomb shell - they refused Special VFR clearance. Pete advised the Tower that he had a current IMC rating and was prepared to fly IFR if they would give him clearance. Tower then cleared him for take-off.

Once up in the air we could clearly see the mist which had almost reached the end of the runway. Although we'd planned a heading to ORTAC, we were instructed to head due north until Alderney so we tracked to the NDB there. Meanwhile Geoff & Pete were already planning the landing at Southampton. They studied the airport's ILS plate and worked out the radio calls they would need to make.

As I looked out the window at the featureless view I realised Pete's workload must be extremely high keeping us flying safely straight and level. Fortunately the air was relatively smooth. We stayed with Jersey for as long as possible and finally they asked us to contact Solent Radar who asked us to report 5 miles south of the Needles. The Isle of Wight slowly came into view and from there visibility improved dramatically. At the Needles we were given joining instructions for 02 and asked to report at Calshot VRP. It had taken just over an hour to cross the channel and we were relieved to be over terra firma once more.

It was very turbulent coming into land and there was a full crosswind which made life somewhat difficult, but Pete got us safely down. We landed at 15.30 and the marshaller directed us to a parking place just beside the tower.

We cleared customs within half an hour and took off again at 16.11. The wind had become even more challenging but Geoff handled the take-off brilliantly despite the gusting conditions. En route we stopped off at Nottingham as opposed to Leicester for a comfort break and then headed back to Sherburn. We tracked to the Gamston VOR and were soon back in familiar territory - the power stations near Gainsborough stood out like beacons! Then suddenly Doncaster announced at 18.10 'All stations - radar equipment failure'. Fortunately they didn't appear to be too busy with commercial traffic, but I increased my look out accordingly.

At 18.30 we landed back at Sherburn and discovered all our fellow aviators had also arrived back safely. Marisha and Julia drove over in the tow waving frantically and welcomed us back! After doing the paper work we wended our way to the Swan in South Milford for dinner. Geoff and Pete asked me what my overall impressions of the flying had been. I thought long and hard. 'Just how the hell did you both keep the plane so well trimmed?' That was one overriding impression I'd had sat in the back with a clear view of the altimeter. I only had to fly over Scunthorpe to gain a few hundred feet without noticing! Pete assured me the knack would come eventually.