The first Aerobility Touring Group trip was a great success, as Aerobility instructor Stuart tells us:
On Saturday, 15th March, 9 nine intrepid flyers
from the UK’s best known disability flying charity, Aerobility, came together to
start the 2014 summer season touring group with style. The mission? – fly 2
aircraft from Blackbushe to Duxford and back, in a day, round some of the most
demanding airspace in Europe.
The preparation had begun in the weeks before with phone
calls back and forward to Duxford Air Traffic to negotiate a special permission
to land our pioneering party whilst the airfield underwent some improvements to
its control tower. Builders came and went and permission was slow to come but
when it did come - the flying challenge began.
Chatter, coffee and excitement at the great weather fuelled
the flight planning from 8 until 9.30 am. 2 aircraft were needed to get the
nine of us there, 6 people up in G-CHFK – the Cherokee Six in splendid
Aerobility Livery and 3 up in the new, leased PA28, G-HARN, only on its second
day with the charity.
Both aircraft departed at 10am for the hour long flight to
Duxford. Our route took us due north past White Waltham and Heathrow at our
bumpy cruise altitude of 2,200ft, on to our first turning point of Marlow to
past between Booker airfield and the Heathrow zone. On we went past Chesham to
the left as London appeared to the right out of the lifting morning mist.
In the PA28, long-time Aerobility flyer Brian Jupp hand flew
the leg with instructor Stuart Redman Lusher taking the radio and Stewart
Clarke map reading in the rear seat.
Suddenly, crackling across the radio came Aerobility instructor, Nick
Glover who was Pilot in Command in the Cherokee ‘Farnborough North, GCHFK,
changing to Duxford 122.075’. It was good to hear the company traffic on the
radio and nearly at Duxford because that meant they had safely navigated the
narrow corridor between Panshanger and Stanstead, an aviation equivalent of the
ancient pass at Thermopylae!
Back in the PA28, the same routing took us on through the
gap 10 minutes after the Cherokee and we soon found ourselves looking for our
entry point to the Duxford Circuit, the town of Royston. Stuart raised Duxford
on the radio and we were given our airfield information and were soon on the
runway and told to park on the apron where a pre-arranged bus was ready to take
to our first objective – the cafe and secondly onto hangar 1 for our guided
tour.
Suitably refreshed with tea, coffee and sausage rolls for
some, new Aerobility flyer Richard Edwards offered to pay the landing fees and
we all set off as a ‘Magnificent 10’ around hangar 1 with our tour guide. The
story of early flight is housed here and we all saw an original canvas from of
the Wright flyer and for the next 45 minutes we saw one of the best displays
available in any UK aviation museum. Concorde was parked next to the Vulcan and
a Comet 4 on BOAC colours. Overhead hung a wood framed, Merlin powered de
Havilland Mosquito along with a late model RAF harrier and a Canberra, Nestled
amongst the undercarriages of the bigger Lancaster and Shorts Sunderland we saw
lesser known airplanes like the Airspeed Oxford and the similar looking Avro
Anson.
The group of nine then dispersed for the remaining 2 hours
of our visit across the other hangars with favourites amongst the group being
the American air museum and Hangar 2 which housed the older aircraft still fit
to fly. We reconvened at 3.30pm to brief and fly the return leg to Blackbushe.
The weather had settled when both the aircraft got airborne
from the south westerly runway 24 at Duxford and a smooth, slightly shorter
journey awaited us as we returned back to Blackbushe. Again the Cherokee 6 was
first airborne piloted by Trish ‘the Dish’ Amess in her first flight in many
months and first ever in the PA32. London was far more visible this time to the
left of us and crew and passengers of both aircraft were able to pick out
Wembley, The Shard and the Canary Wharf as we passed north of Watford and south
of the Chess valley that seems to swallow Chesham when you look at it from the
air. Turning south it was soon time to talk to Blackbushe and new pilot Richard
performed some impressive straight and level flying in the PA28 for someone
with 2 hours total time!
With both aircraft back at Blackbushe and the sun setting
our band of flyers took care of the bill with the ever efficient/gorgeous Sue
Dodds and enjoyed the 5th cup of tea of the day before we went our
separate ways. Everyone left thinking of the next trip – and overnight to the
Scilly Isles on Friday 16th May, just 7 weeks away!
My thanks go to Nick Glover for his expertise on the day,
the amazing staff at Duxford for whom nothing was too much trouble,
particularly the airfield manager Tom Turner for allowing the fly-in and
finally all the Aerobility flying members for really making the day.
If you wish to be included in the Aerobility Touring Group for this summer please email stuart@aerobility.com to add yourself
to the flight you wish to be part of. Everyone is welcome, from non-flyers to
highly experienced.
The flights are :-
Scilly Isles – 16&17th
May 2014
Oban – 13-16th
June 2014
Le Touquet - 19th
July 2014
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