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Flying. Everything planes.


rb14
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3 hours ago, rb14 said:

This is quite cool. I flew up to a tiny little grass strip yesterday. I don't know whether any of you are aware, but the vast majority of General Aviation (i.e. Private) flying is navigated using amazing moving map software called SkyDemon. The founder Tim Dawson was awarded an OBE for his efforts. Anyway when I'm back on terra firma (which has been the endgame of every flight I've completed, so far) I'm able to review the flight in all its glory. 

 

I'm going to try and attach a couple of links to my Google Drive which, I hope, means any saddos like me on here can download and load into Google Maps Pro (PC). You can see the flight, warts and all. Track and elevation.

 

Let me know if it works for you. I think it's fascinating.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GNJ_Y0DeWNpPv0QlEfJwF39rYwnqO-ub/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18uST2exocCyeNbRtu_fxTYrmVse7g7dj/view?usp=sharing

 

Just had a quick nosey at that. I'd love to have a bash at flying but I far exceed the weight limit.

 

As you passed near London, do you have to be on your toes so as not to upset those guarding that airspace? I believe it's heavily restricted but surely there'd be some sort of leniency?

1 hour ago, Stouffer said:

Used to spend 9 hours a day in LFA13. Wasn't flying in it tho'.

 

Sorted, respect due.

 

X

Is LFA13 centred around Spadeadam? Just had a quick nosey as to where it is.

50 minutes ago, Stouffer said:

Was doing a job in the gulf when 12 of these fuckers landed on the beach, amazing to witness. My pal took the photo (had to crop some of the scenery out, sorry).

 

 

P1010142.JPG

Bizarre aircraft them. Incredibly quick too from the times I've seen them in Wales.

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11 hours ago, Preston Red said:

As you passed near London, do you have to be on your toes so as not to upset those guarding that airspace? I believe it's heavily restricted but surely there'd be some sort of leniency?

Ohhhhh. You DO NOT want to ask that question. Airspace, in fact anything aviation, is a swamp of red tape and rules. Work on the basis there is NO leniency. If I get it wrong, at best I'll get a slap on the wrist from the CAA - which NO pilot wants, really. It's no laughing matter. At worst, you can close down a major airfield and they will, they absolutely will, scramble fighter jets.

 

I've attached the SkyDemon track of my return flight from yesterday. The blue line is my actual track, And the faint magenta line alongside, is my planned routing. From the North, you'll see that I passed through Luton Airport airspace (CTA 2500-3500 & TMA 3500+) and then immediately entered Stansted airspace (SFC-1500 & CTA 1500-2500) before going overhead Stapleford and Damyn's Hall (looks like it's "Thurrock") enroute to the Airways Reporting Point BAKER where I made an early slight right turn on to heading 190. 

 

I had to speak to Luton before and during transiting. They passed me over to Stansted for their transit. I can only overhead Stapleford at a certain height (above 2185 and beneath 2500ft) without further clearances. I turned early before BAKER as these sort of places become pinch points that can be fairly busy. As an example, I might fly visually (as opposed to on instruments) and see the QE2 M25 Dartford River Crossing and aim for it. It's very pretty and an easy visual reference. Trouble is, loads of other pilots might be doing the same thing. And the vast majority will be somewhere between 2100 and 2400 feet. And they'll actually be navigating at 2100, 2200, 2300 or 2400. So suddenly, at the bridge, converging air traffic has a one in four chance of being at the same level. 

 

My North to South track is an area of high intensity air space and traffic, where I'm juggling flying straight and level, maintaining my track, checking my plane's vital statistics, retuning the radio(s) and making the requisite calls, all whilst keeping a lookout for other aircraft, watching a 737 landing underneath me, taking a few pics on me moby and having a ciggy. No autopilot on that plane, more's the pity. 

 

skydemontrack.PNG

 

In the attached pic from earlier in the flight, you can see I'm transiting East Midlands Airport. So you've Donington Park racetrack beyond the far end of the runway. If you look above the left centre of my wingtip in the grey cloud, you might just be able to make out a RyanAir flight turned crosswind. That had landed in front of me, performed a touch-and-go, and had taken off again. It was then heading around to repeat. It's either a maintenance, training or currency flight. They do them there a lot. There will of course be no passengers on board. 

 

PXL_20210923_093319089.jpg

 

Sorry if I waffle on a bit.I think all this stuff is fascinating. I'm sometimes - rather disappointingly - nerdy.

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10 minutes ago, rb14 said:

Ohhhhh. You DO NOT want to ask that question. Airspace, in fact anything aviation, is a swamp of red tape and rules. Work on the basis there is NO leniency. If I get it wrong, at best I'll get a slap on the wrist from the CAA - which NO pilot wants, really. It's no laughing matter. At worst, you can close down a major airfield and they will, they absolutely will, scramble fighter jets.

 

I've attached the SkyDemon track of my return flight from yesterday. The blue line is my actual track, And the faint magenta line alongside, is my planned routing. From the North, you'll see that I passed through Luton Airport airspace (CTA 2500-3500 & TMA 3500+) and then immediately entered Stansted airspace (SFC-1500 & CTA 1500-2500) before going overhead Stapleford and Damyn's Hall (looks like it's "Thurrock") enroute to the Airways Reporting Point BAKER where I made an early slight right turn on to heading 190. 

 

I had to speak to Luton before and during transiting. They passed me over to Stansted for their transit. I can only overhead Stapleford at a certain height (above 2185 and beneath 2500ft) without further clearances. I turned early before BAKER as these sort of places become pinch points that can be fairly busy. As an example, I might fly visually (as opposed to on instruments) and see the QE2 M25 Dartford River Crossing and aim for it. It's very pretty and an easy visual reference. Trouble is, loads of other pilots might be doing the same thing. And the vast majority will be somewhere between 2100 and 2400 feet. And they'll actually be navigating at 2100, 2200, 2300 or 2400. So suddenly, at the bridge, converging air traffic has a one in four chance of being at the same level. 

 

My North to South track is an area of high intensity air space and traffic, where I'm juggling flying straight and level, maintaining my track, checking my plane's vital statistics, retuning the radio(s) and making the requisite calls, all whilst keeping a lookout for other aircraft, watching a 737 landing underneath me, taking a few pics on me moby and having a ciggy. No autopilot on that plane, more's the pity. 

 

skydemontrack.PNG

 

In the attached pic from earlier in the flight, you can see I'm transiting East Midlands Airport. So you've Donington Park racetrack beyond the far end of the runway. If you look above the left centre of my wingtip in the grey cloud, you will see a RyanAir flight. That landed beneath me, did a touch-and-go, and took off again. It's either a maintenance, training or currency flight. They do them there a lot. There will of course be no passengers on board. 

 

PXL_20210923_093319089.jpg

 

Sorry if I waffle on a bit.I think all this stuff is fascinating. I'm sometimes - rather disappointingly - nerdy.

It's ace Rog'.

 

I've flown quite a few times but that was 20 years ago. I'd love to able to do it now but unfortunately live in an area where you absolutely cannot fly (R413).

 

Having a tab while flying tho', you smooth bastard. 

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4 minutes ago, Stouffer said:

I've flown quite a few times but that was 20 years ago. I'd love to able to do it now but unfortunately live in an area where you absolutely cannot fly (R413).

 

Having a tab while flying tho', you smooth bastard. 

Windscale. Sellafield. I didn't know you were up there. That is one stunning part of the world. As you undoubtedly know, it's restricted SFC-2000ft, but you're OK above 2000. Your nearest airfields are hardly close. Barrow, Cark (G-O-S) and Troutbeck. 

 

You and I know that under NO circumstances, never, would I consider having one ciggy whilst flying. How very dare you.

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2 hours ago, rb14 said:

Windscale. Sellafield. I didn't know you were up there. That is one stunning part of the world. As you undoubtedly know, it's restricted SFC-2000ft, but you're OK above 2000. Your nearest airfields are hardly close. Barrow, Cark (G-O-S) and Troutbeck. 

 

You and I know that under NO circumstances, never, would I consider having one ciggy whilst flying. How very dare you.

Ennerdale is just up the road, it's my favourite lake.

 

I used to fly out of Leeming and Warton but it's just too far to travel when you live the arse end of nowhere. 

 

Normally the only aircraft we get is the air ambulance.

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11 hours ago, rb14 said:

Ohhhhh. You DO NOT want to ask that question. Airspace, in fact anything aviation, is a swamp of red tape and rules. Work on the basis there is NO leniency. If I get it wrong, at best I'll get a slap on the wrist from the CAA - which NO pilot wants, really. It's no laughing matter. At worst, you can close down a major airfield and they will, they absolutely will, scramble fighter jets.

 

I've attached the SkyDemon track of my return flight from yesterday. The blue line is my actual track, And the faint magenta line alongside, is my planned routing. From the North, you'll see that I passed through Luton Airport airspace (CTA 2500-3500 & TMA 3500+) and then immediately entered Stansted airspace (SFC-1500 & CTA 1500-2500) before going overhead Stapleford and Damyn's Hall (looks like it's "Thurrock") enroute to the Airways Reporting Point BAKER where I made an early slight right turn on to heading 190. 

 

I had to speak to Luton before and during transiting. They passed me over to Stansted for their transit. I can only overhead Stapleford at a certain height (above 2185 and beneath 2500ft) without further clearances. I turned early before BAKER as these sort of places become pinch points that can be fairly busy. As an example, I might fly visually (as opposed to on instruments) and see the QE2 M25 Dartford River Crossing and aim for it. It's very pretty and an easy visual reference. Trouble is, loads of other pilots might be doing the same thing. And the vast majority will be somewhere between 2100 and 2400 feet. And they'll actually be navigating at 2100, 2200, 2300 or 2400. So suddenly, at the bridge, converging air traffic has a one in four chance of being at the same level. 

 

My North to South track is an area of high intensity air space and traffic, where I'm juggling flying straight and level, maintaining my track, checking my plane's vital statistics, retuning the radio(s) and making the requisite calls, all whilst keeping a lookout for other aircraft, watching a 737 landing underneath me, taking a few pics on me moby and having a ciggy. No autopilot on that plane, more's the pity. 

 

skydemontrack.PNG

 

In the attached pic from earlier in the flight, you can see I'm transiting East Midlands Airport. So you've Donington Park racetrack beyond the far end of the runway. If you look above the left centre of my wingtip in the grey cloud, you might just be able to make out a RyanAir flight turned crosswind. That had landed in front of me, performed a touch-and-go, and had taken off again. It was then heading around to repeat. It's either a maintenance, training or currency flight. They do them there a lot. There will of course be no passengers on board. 

 

PXL_20210923_093319089.jpg

 

Sorry if I waffle on a bit.I think all this stuff is fascinating. I'm sometimes - rather disappointingly - nerdy.

That is superb. Thank you for posting what is involved and the hoops you have to jump/fly through. Same for yourself too @Stouffer I often forget about areas like Sellafield.

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14 minutes ago, Preston Red said:

That is superb. Thank you for posting what is involved and the hoops you have to jump/fly through. Same for yourself too @Stouffer I often forget about areas like Sellafield.

Cheers P, spent years doing ground radio and air defence stuff so happy to talk about it, where I can anyway.

 

As for S********d, can't really say owt.

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