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<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="045085a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Golf Mike Bravo going around...</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Golf Mike Bravo going around..."><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Golf Mike Bravo going around..."><U><B><IMG SRC="03b0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>   </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>     </B><A HREF="id206.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rochester"><U><B><IMG SRC="02f0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id208.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A look at Leicester, more Jodelling and "><U><B><IMG SRC="0300e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="046d2e83.jpg"> <div> <IMG SRC="8aba0780.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id116.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bembridge"><U>Bembridge</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id117.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Isle of Man"><U>Isle of Man</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id139.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Check outs and Bimbles"><U>Check outs and Bimbles</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id150.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shobdon"><U>Shobdon</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id151.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="First Passenger"><U>First Passenger</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id154.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Back in the 40"><U>Back in the '40</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id152.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flyer Magazine Bash"><U>Flyer Magazine Bash</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id153.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kemble"><U>Kemble</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id155.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shotteswell and Goodwood"><U>Shotteswell and Goodwood</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id156.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Night Training 1"><U>Night Training - 1</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id157.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Night Training 2"><U>Night Training - 2</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id158.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Touch of HEVN"><U>A Touch of HEVN</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id159.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Night Training 3"><U>Night Training - 3</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id160.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="On to the 10"><U>On to the '10'</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id161.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Getting used to the 10"><U>Getting used to the '10'</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id162.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Abbeville"><U>Abbeville</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id163.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Duxford"><U>Duxford</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hazy Sunday Afternoon"><U>Hazy Sunday Afternoon</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id165.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Avranches"><U>Avranches</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id166.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A little Jodeling"><U>A little Jodel-ing</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id203.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sywell"><U>Sywell</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id204.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Compton Abbas"><U>Compton Abbas</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id205.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Back to Bembridge"><U>Back to Bembridge</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id206.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rochester"><U>Rochester</U></A></div> <div> <B>Sleap</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id208.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A look at Leicester, more Jodelling and "><U>A look at Leicester, more Jodelling and back to Sleap!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id210.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Bonus Bimble"><U>A Bonus Bimble</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#CCCCE4" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Sleap</I></div> <bR> <div> Saturday 9th September 2006</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="8aca3c20.jpg" border=0 width="419" height="450" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0">It was a nice sunny day, with the wind breezy from the South East. I had originally intendes to go to Swansea, as Flyer magazine had published a free landing voucher (there's nothing in aviation quite like spending £200 to save a tenner!). But I managed to leave the voucher at home, and so scrubbed tha idea and had a hunt around for somewhere else to go. My first thought was Headcorn, but after a look at the NOTAMs, eventually settled on Sleap.</div> <bR> <div> Last time I did this trip was during training, and on the shortest day of the year, so we didn't exactly have time to hang about (we had to stop at Shobdon on the way back). This time was a bit more relaxed.</div> <bR> <div> Departure from Enstone was from runway 08, with a left turn onto track -- 330 degrees straight to Shawbury. This track took us straight over Braille's Hill, so familiar from all the training flights to and from Wellesbourne: Crossing the hill, we kept going straight on instead of turning North. At this point I took my leave from Enstone Radio and tuned Birmingham Approach for a FIS. Birmingham informed us that Snitterfield was very active with gliders and could we stay well clear to the West. No problem. One small thing: Where the hell was Snitterfield? Ian, my copilot for the trip, eventually located it just North of Stratford, we were well clear. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="8af40f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The familiar landmarks of Redditch and Bromsgrove slid by below us, and at Kidderminster we changed frequencies again, to Wolverhampton (Ha'Penny Green). They had lots of traffic in the circuit and joining, and so were pleased to know where we were as we passed by. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="8b040f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0">Approaching Telford we tuned Shawbury. Being the weekend, there was nobody there, so we made blind calls to indicate our intentions and then called Sleap Radio to get joining information. Runway 18 left-hand, with an overhead join preferred. There were several other aircraft in the circuit.</div> <bR> <div> After a somewhat firm landing, we parked up on the busy grass apron and went to pay the landing fee (gone up to £10!), and then enjoyed a relaxed coffee and danish on the tower balcony, overlooking the airfield. Round the back, by the fuelling area we spied the distinctive outline of a spitfire, so when we'd finished, we decided to go an investigate.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="8b140f00.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> It turned out to be a 2-seat training variant, based in North Wales. This is what the Spitfire Society web site has to say about it:<I> Tr9 PT462 (G-CTIX)</I></div> <div> <I> Delivered as a single-seat HF IX to 39 MU in July 1942, it operated with 253 Squadron in the Mediterranean. After the War it was flown by the Italian Air Force and the Israeli Air Force. It was discovered as a derelict shell and its restoration for Charles Church included conversion to Tr9 standard, flying again in July 1987. After the death of Charles Church flying another Spitfire, PT462 moved to Florida, but has now returned to the UK. She is owned and operated by Anthony Hodgson, and is based in North Wales</I>. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="8b240b80.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="184" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="8b340cf0.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="207" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> We watched for a while, and before long, the engine was started a belch of smoke and flames, and with a roar they were off.</div> <bR> <div> Another Enstone member owns a Bulldog, which was being serviced here in Sleap, so we decided to have a stroll up to the hangars to see if we could spot it. Sadly, most of the hangars were closed up, so we didn't see it.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="8b440b50.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="181" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Eventually it was time to go, so we headed back to the plane, booking out as we passed the tower. While we were at the hold doing the run-up checks, the active runway changes from 18 to 23. Since the hold is at the intersection of the runways, this didn't involve a diversion, but our departure would no longer be straight out. A left turn after take off took us over the town of Shrewsbury, and a heading of 120 degrees would keep us parallel to our original planned track, but a few miles to the West. This would once again keep us clear of Wolverhampton, and set us up nicely for a straight-in approach to 08 back at Enstone.</div> <bR> <div> Once again, Wolverhampton was busy with inbounds and circuit traffic. Slight alarm when another aircraft announced themsels to be at basically the same position and altitude as us, although we couldn't see them. Then on to Birmingham again. We didn't speak to them, but just listened to their inbound traffic flying the ILS. Over Moreton-in-Marsh, we contacted Enstone Radio, and announced the direct join for 08. A much better landing this time! While we were taxying in, the tower announced they were goin off air for the evening, so it was good timing!</div> <bR> <div> In the club house, doing the paperwork over a cup of coffee, I noticed that this trip took my P1 (Pilot in Command) time to just over 50 hours! Woo hoo! This means I no longer need to get each flight authorised in advance by an instructor!</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>