“Man must rise above the Earth – to the top of the atmosphere and beyond – for only then will he fully understand the world in which he lives.” – Socrates 469-399 BC.
Amazing RAF rescue
Jim O’Neill suddenly lost his sight, as the result of a stroke, at 5,500 feet last week. He was guided into RAF Linton-on-Ouse by Wing Commander Paul Gerrard, flying a Tucano T1 training aircraft.
The story made headlines but what’s really extraordinary is the audio recording of the conversation between the RAF officer and the pilot.
That calm reassuring voice you hear on the radio when you talk to RAF controllers for a LARS service or when you visit an RAF base – here it is saving a man’s life. Quite extraordinary. I hope they give Wing Commander Gerrard a medal.
Lelystad Aerodrome (EHLE)
I flew to Lelystad, Holland on Saturday. It’s a purpose-built GA airport about 30m east of Amsterdam. The flight from Denham was fabulous in good weather – we flew right over the top of Schiphol at 9,000 feet.
The airport is very welcoming. They have customs and immigration officers on site (although the book says to give four hours notice) and there is a cafe in the small terminal building. The landing fee was around €50 which compares well with about €300 for the same Cirrus at Schiphol the week before.
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Although Lelystad has NDB approaches, they are only active outside daylight hours. Arriving in daylight, you have to end your IFR flight plan just past Amsterdam and descend below 1,500 feet.
The best part about Lelystad is that there is a aviation-themed cafe (with staff in pilot uniforms!) called Flantuas and an excellent aircraft museum – the Aviodrome. Both are a few minutes walk from the terminal.
Flantuas – with aircraft models and a view of the runway
Lelystad’s reconstruction of the Schiphol’s terminal building from the 30s
Outside the Aviodrome with a view of their KLM 747
San Francisco fleet week air show
I’m in San Francisco and it’s Fleet Week. This means a big airshow – today is the practice day and tomorrow is the main event.
The weather is CAVOK with virtually unlimited visibility. I’m staying in the Mandarin Oriental and my room has a panoramic view of the flying area (roughly the Golden Gate bridge over Alcatraz to the Bay Bridge).
I’ve already seen an Osprey, a Pitts Special, a Virgin US Airbus and a four-ship Extra display. I’m looking forward to the Blue Angels, due later on. I didn’t manage to do any flying on this trip. But last time I was here, I flew from KSQL in a Diamond for a few hours and it was great fun to fly over the bay.
Stibbair pre-flight planning checklists
Pilots love checklists. I use this one to plan my flights. I fly an N-reg aircraft on an FAA CPL/IR so it’s geared to IFR trips in airways but other pilots may find it useful for different kinds of flight (e.g. VFR channel crossings). Anyway, no guarantees, no support, use at your own risk but enjoy!
Stibbair Pre-flight Planning Checklist
Currency
- JAA PPL Medical
- FAA CPL Medical
- JAR PPL
- RT licence valid
- JAR SEP Land
- UK IMC
- BFR CPL Checkride
- IR currency (6 IAP, VOR, hold)
- PLB registration
- 90 Day Rule (Day / Night)
Route planning
- Update charts in Flightstar
- Plan route in Flightstar
- Crosscheck Standard Route Document (Available from Jeppesen)
- Review route on VFR charts
- Identify alternates
- Check NOTAMs in AVBRIEF and/or NOTAMPLOT
- Check official night and night currency
- Complete weight and balance form
- Check fuel requirements (30m day VFR, 45m night VFR, 45 IFR at alternate, 123 rule for alternate)
- Check flight plan with CFMU validator.
- File flight plans with HOMEBRIEFING (or fax and call to check it arrived. Heathrow: Tel: +44-(0)20-8750 2615 / 2616, Fax: +44-(0)20-8750 2617 / 2618, Manchester: Tel: 0161 499 5502 / 5500, Fax: 0161 499 5504, Scottish: Tel: 01292 692 679 / 692 663, Fax: 01292 671 048)
Paperwork
- Book plane!
- Check timezones and prepare schedule
- Check customs PPR, handling and customs at destination.
- Fax handling request if required
- Complete GAR in plenty of time (EU: 4 hours before inbound, Channel Isles, IOM, Eire and Northern Ireland 12 working hours inbound and return) and fax to Denham 01895 833486 or to GAR central on 0870 240 3738 or by email to ncu@hmce.gsi.gov.uk or call on 0870 785 3600
- Print plates, plogs, W&B, GAR, flight plans, schedule
- Confirm details with passengers
- Pack in plastic folder trip kit
Day of flight
- Print SIGMET, wind, synoptic, TAFs METARs, radar picture, satellite cloud (Note that Homebriefing has a SIGMET with cloud tops on it unlike the Met Office version)
- Check freezing level
- Complete risk assessment and print
- Check passports
- Call destination for customs, handling, PPR as required
- Call Red Arrows and Royal Flights 0500 354802 if VFR or check www.raf.mod.uk/reds
- Call French ATC to close flightplan if arriving at a non-IFR French airport +33 810 437 837
- Arrive one hour before flight
- Don’t forget: passport, Euros, phone, flight plan docs
Stibbair boarding card
I recently set up a site with information for passengers at a new address, www.stibbair.com.
On Saturday, on a trip to Rotterdam, my passengers had their first boarding card.
What I particularly like is the the carrier: “UFO”.
Now all I need is an AOC and I can start my own airline!