Back to Bembridge
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Back to Bembridge
Friday 21st July, 2006
Originally I was going to meet up with Derek, my retired ex-boss, for a spot of lunch somewhere "about halfway" between Aylesbury and Didcot. We'd often talked about going flying sometime, and I just had this brainwave -- why not fly somewhere for lunch! So I arranged that he'd drive a bit further and meet me at the airfield.
Things always seem to take longer than anticipated, and despite turning up an hour before the plane was booked, it was 11:45 before everything was planned, the plane preflighted and Bembridge called for PPR ("We don't do PPR: Just turn up!"). The plane was low on fuel, and so I wanted to fill the tanks before we left. Naturally, just as we were about to pull the plane across the taxiway to the fuel pump, a Robin taxied in and claimed first position. Another delay. By the time we were fuelled and strapped in, it was 12:10!
As with the first trip, my route was directly South through Brize Norton zone and as far as Newbury, then in order to avoid the controlled airspace around Southampton turn slightly east and track to Petersfield before returning to a Southerly course to Havant and out into the Solent.
On departing runway 26, I climbed towards 2500ft, turning South in the process. The cloudbase was well over 3000ft, and I had planned to curise at 3000ft once clear of the zone. I called up Brize for the transit at 2500ft, and was cleared to cross via Farmoor Reservoir, not above 1500ft. I was already above 2000ft and still climbing, so needed a descending left turn in order to enter the zone as cleared. While over the reservoir it became clear why we'd been given this particular clearance: There was a VC10 on long final for Brize, and our planned course would have put us in confliction. Once the VC10 had passed over and behind, Brize cleared us back up to our original level. We were considerably East of track and so had to conciously divert around the Harwell restricted area.
Once South of the zone, we were kicked off frequency by Brize, and tuned in to Farnborough for a FIS. We stayed with Farnborough all the way to Havant. At Havant, we tuned Bembridge Radio and listened in for a while. They seemed quite busy, with several aircraft in the circuit. We then announced our position and I elected to make a downwind join for runway 12. As I set up on the downwind leg, there was one other aircraft on final, and two more (a DA40 and a Robin) announcing their intention to join from the North. Then, just as I was turning base, the DA40 called "turning base" Huh?! Where had he come from? barely a moment ago he'd made his initial call as being over Havant! Then I saw him, hurtling from right to left, straight across my path, going at full chat. "What the f....?!" This idiot was cutting me up and deliberately pushing in!
Now I've flown a DA40 before, and I know for a fact that slowing down quickly is not anywhere on the spec sheet. Initially I thought that perhaps he wasn't goint to land, but was just busting through the circuit, but then he started weaving and turning this way and that, presumably in an effort to lose height and speed. Over the threshold he was still very high and fast. By now I'd called final, and "contact with the DA40 ahead". I should have said "idiot", I certainly thought it. Anyhow, he was easily halfway down the runway before his wheels touched the ground, and I would imagine very close to the far end of the runway before he stopped. It was obvious to me that he wouldn't clear the runway before I got there, so I declared a go around.
 The second approach was without incident. The Robin had been much more accurate with his position reporting, and was now number two in the circuit behind me. I landed and taxied around to the suggested parking space on the grass, and then shut down. The DA40 was parked in the row behind us, the occupant nowhere to be seen, which was possibly fortunate, as I would like to have exchanged a few words. A few moments later the Robin parked next to us. It was the same Robin that had fuelled in front of us at Enstone! We exchanged pleasantries and Derek and I wandered off to the tower to pay the £10 landing fee and order a taxi to the Crab and Lobster. 
The people from the Robin were also going to the Crab and lobster, and so we ended up sharing the taxi. As the name of the pub suggests, seafood featured heavily on the menu. It was a nice sunny day, and the pub was doing brisk trade. Even so, the food arrived promptly and was very tasty. the plane was booked to someone else at 4pm. I'd guessed that it would take about half an hour to get back to the airfield, book out and ready the aircraft, meaning we'd need to be heading back by 2:30.
 All too soon it was time to leave, and the taxi was called. My guess wasn't far out, since I released the brakes and started to taxi to the hold for power checks at exactly 3pm. I'd originally hoped -- and planned -- to route back via the Needles and then past Bournmouth and up to the Bristol Channel. This was a longer route by about 15 minutes, and realistically there wouldn't be time, so we basically backtracked the way we'd come, mainly using pilotage and approximated track, since I hadn't precalculated headings. Again we had a FIS from Farnborough, and this time, Brize cleared us straight through. We were on the ground with the brakes on at 4pm precisely.
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