Sherburn - Oostende - Sherburn

Wednesday 26th August

Having realised I'd not done any solo cross country sorties since my QXC in February I'd booked a slot to undertake a short navex out to Beverley and down to Scunthorpe. Despite the murky skies aloft (a cloud base of just 2,000ft), it was good to be back in the air on my own for once with lots of room to spread out in the cockpit! Back at the club I bumped into Bryan who was planning a trip for the weekend (the weather was set to improve) and asked if I'd like to go along. After several phone calls Bryan decided on a trip to Oostende.

Friday 28th August

Sherburn - Fenland - Clacton VOR - Vabik - Oostende

On the Friday morning we met up with Ken, had some breakfast and finished off the flight planning, incorporating Doncaster's new controlled airspace which had just become live that day. Only one NOTAM was of any real concern - fast jets conducting high energy manœuvres in the Wash area starting at 11.00 am. We figured we'd be clear of this area by that time. The weather was calm with scattered clouds at 3,000 feet and a low level spot wind average of 285°\08 between 2,000 and 5,000 ft. At 10.15 we took off, said our farewells to Sherburn, before swiftly changing to Doncaster in order to negotiate a zone transit clearance.

Doncaster was incredibly helpful and able to accommodate our transit on a heading to Fenland for which I'd worked out an ETA of 10.43. After Doncaster we changed frequency to Waddington Zone. My first pin point was Lincoln, a distance of 30 nm which we reached on time at 10.32. After reaching Fenland a few minutes earlier than planned (probably because my very conservative plan had taken us out to Trent Falls first and not directly across Doncaster's zone!) we were asked to change frequency to Lakenheath. To me the controllers there always sounded like the default American ATC voice in FlightSim! He requested we squawk and ident before asking for any more information. For future reference Ken remarked that Lakenheath sometimes asked the pilot to 'report wings aloft' i.e. 'report overhead'.

My next pinpoint was Mildenhall at 11.04 and we were a few minutes early. After clearing the Mildenhall MATZ we were asked to contact Wattisham before finally being passed to Southend en route to Clacton VOR from whom we requested a Radar Information Service. We coasted out from Clacton on a heading for the Belgian controlled airspace waypoint, Vabik and at this point requested a radio frequency change to Manston, but were advised they had no radar facilities so we remained with Southend as far as we could.

Next we talked to Oostende Approach, advised them we were inbound at 3,500 ft and requested approach instructions. The current information was Uniform, QNH 1021 and we were given a squawk code of 6350. As we approached Vabik we were cleared to join on the downwind leg for 26 left hand. After landing we were met by a marshaller and ferried to the airport terminal where we caught a bus into Oostende for a few Euros each.

As we reached the centre of the city and sped alongside the marina, Ken pointed out a hotel he'd stayed in previously, the Burlington, so we alighted at the next stop. It was nearly fully booked as were all the other local hotels so Bryan & Ken decided to share the last double room and I found myself in a garret opposite the roof terrace, the door to which was locked. I pondered my options in case of fire and looked out the window. There I found a fire escape staircase about 10 feet below and figured I could probably make it without breaking both legs!

Over lunch and a long awaited cold drink we debated whether or not to visit Brugge and decided to stay put. To do it justice Brugge would need at least two days. After lunch we walked through the town and discovered a band playing in the central square. We stopped and watched for a short while before making our way to the promenade overlooking the beach. Here we sat in the glorious sunshine and watched the world go by. Dredgers were heading out to sea, tens of people were about with family or friends and their dogs (most of which seemed to be more like fashion statements than family pets!) and then we noticed a light aircraft overhead tracking the coast no doubt for the airport.

Further down the promenade we discovered a bus doing an hourly tour of the city, so investigated. The proprietor bemoaned the fact that this had been the first good day in ages and everyone had decided to stay on the beach, plus his audio system was broken so he couldn't provide any dialogue en route! We decided to go for the ride anyway to see some of the sights and shortly found ourselves in Leopold Park, 5 hectares of gardens constructed in the late nineteenth century. Bryan noticed a sign for 'Spiegal Mier'. 'What's that Margaret?', he asked. I wracked my brains: Spiegal, didn't that mean mirror in German at least. 'A lake', I decided. Sure enough one came into view as we emerged from the woodland.

Then we were driven down to the marina to see the Mercator, a training vessel used by the Belgian merchant navy between 1932 and 1960, now anchored in Oostende as a splendid nautical museum.

After the tour we walked down to the harbour and Bryan treated us to ice creams. As we passed the fish market a few moments later we were met with a crescendo of descending seagulls intent on mopping up the overspill from one of the waste bins at the back of the market. Finally we stopped off for a beer before returning to the hotel. By this time the roof terrace door had been unlocked so I was able to take some pictures of the city.

In the evening we decided to go to the Beethoven Bistro close to the huge gothic church on St Pietersstraat and around the corner from the hotel. Between us we had a variety of dishes: smoked salmon and crab cocktails for starters. For main course Bryan decided to have the house special - Occo Bucco (veal stew); Ken, Grandma's stew (beef stew) and myself some Dover Sole. Absolutely excellent service and food, all washed down with good wine and beer. It was great to spend an evening talking about nothing else except flying. Something I would not get away with back home! At 10.30 the bistro started winding down so we moved onto another restaurant for a night cap of coffee and hot chocolate. The latter was the most delicious I'd ever tasted and had me fast asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow that night.

Saturday 29th August

Oostende - Vabik - Clacton VOR - Fenland - Sherburn

I was first down to breakfast and spent most of it writing up notes and watching out for the weather on the news channel. It looked like a cold front was about to sweep across the UK. Locally the temperature was going to be 27° C. Afterwards I sat out on the roof terrace and planned the route back (using dead reckoning) and then went to look around the shops before meeting up with Ken and Bryan for some lunch before heading back to the airport.

At the airport we looked for Channel C and were fastracked through customs. After filing the flight plan, paying the landing fee and getting Mike Bravo refuelled we waited for the marshaller to arrive while I took some pictures.

Once we'd got ourselves settled inside the plane, Bryan keyed his route into the GPS and contacted tower on 118.175 to request start up on Stand 3. Our flight plan wasn't quite ready and we were advised that there would be a delay of a few minutes. At 14.04 Bryan started the engine and was asked to taxi to Foxtrot 8 then line up in sequence. We appeared to be in a queue of light aircraft from the BAFA flying school with at least three planes in front of us. When our turn came to line up we were cleared for take off, with a left hand turn out at 1,000 feet, wind was 120°\08.

Having cleared the coast we changed frequency to Oostende Approach and requested a climb to 3,000 feet which was approved. At the Vabik GPS waypoint Oostende asked us to squawk 7000 and change frequency to Manston on 126.35. Manston asked us to squawk 4261 and use a QNH of 1016

Just past Wattisham we changed frequency to Lakenheath, but there was initially no response and fortunately we were above their air space anyway. A few moments later the ATC asked us to squawk 0452 and ident. Then we were asked to pass our message. I noticed we'd reached my pin point, Bury St Edmunds 4 minutes earlier than anticipated. I checked the ground speed - we were now doing 180 knots. When Lakenheath asked us to squawk 7000 Bryan remarked there was no-one else to talk to now except Waddington.

By this time the clouds were closing in below us and the air was getting a little turbulent. Waddington Radar advised us to squawk 3602 and the Barnsley QNH was now 1010 so pressure was dropping rapidly as we approached the cold front! Just before Scampton we requested a descent to 3,000 feet. It was very bumpy indeed getting through the clouds to the murky world below!

Eventually we changed frequency to Doncaster and requested a FIS and zone transit. We were asked to squawk 6161 and surprisingly the Doncaster QNH was 1016. ATC then gave us clearance to transit the zone under VFR at 3,000 feet, and asked us to report any change in heading.

At the M62 we were asked to squawk 7000 and freecall Sherburn. We landed using a QFE of 1017 on 11 right hand tarmac. It had been another brilliant trip with Bryan at the helm determined to open up the world of flying to the likes of myself just starting out on such adventures!