Learning To Fly: Cherbourg On Saturday

As Leeds Flying School was winding down its weekend private pilot training programme I was soon the last remaining PPL student. It was time to look elsewhere to complete my flight training. Sheffield City Flying School is a similar distance from home so I gave them a call.

Unfortunately there were no flying lesson slots available this weekend due to the school flying out to Cherbourg in France. I replaced the phone and wondered just when and where I would be able to continue my flying. Then I thought, why not ask if I can join the venture to France?

I called the flight school back and before I knew it I was giving passport details over the phone and I was ready to fly to France at the weekend. Fantastic, this is what General Aviation flying is all about.

This diary entry is slightly different to the others, it is more a direct log of what happened en-route as I was a passenger for our outbound and part of the inbound journey legs. This gave me a great opportunity to watch and learn as the other pilots took turns to fly the aircraft.

We started early at the flight school on the Saturday morning at Sheffield City Airport (EGSY - now closed). Completing the plans and pre-flight checks as I was introduced to the other 3 pilots that I would share the journey with.

We were to fly in G-BFYM, a PA28. Engine start at 0935 with a plan to refuel at Bembridge Airport (EGHJ) on the Isle of Wight.

The weather was calm on R28 for left hand climb out and straight away things were different to what I've been accustomed to. We had to turn as we climbed and follow a military style circuit due to Sheffield vaguaries. Airborne at 0940. Tune in to the Daventry VOR to track the 180 radial due south, additionally tune the DME and ADF to East Midlands DME coded as EME.

We left Sheffield Radio and changed to East Midlands (EGNX) to request zone transit and Flight Information Service.

This was my first proper introdution to using the radio navigation instruments for a planned flight route. In G-BFYM the ADF is the fat yellow arrow on the nav instrument, the VOR is the light green needle representing VOR2. So the top instrument is showing the ADF direction with the VOR needle tuned to Daventry. In this particular aircraft VOR1 was unserviceable for this trip.

The VOR is tuned in using the NAV radios, DME is tuned using the DME avionics which also provide further information such as distance, ground speed, time to run.

We were overhead EME at 1010, abeam with the East Midlands runway as the EME beacon is aligned with the centre line. Being aware of such an alignment is good thing to use to fix where you are when temporarily unsure of position.

Continuing south and twelve minutes later we were passing Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome. A lone 747 sat on the airfield which is also the home of the Vulcan To The Sky project.

Shortly afterwards we were passing the Bitteswell disused aerodrome VRP. I paid special attention as I would be using this as a routing point for my upcoming qualifying cross country. I noted that one of the warehouse / factories had a blue trim around the tops of the walls.

Soon it was time for our first change of flight plan. In order to avoid the aerials and restricted flying area around Coughton we decided to head on to the Compton VOR on 114.35 with some 15nm to route to Bicester.

At Daventry we tuned the NDB to 426 to route us towards the Isle of Wight. Silverstone racing circuit passed by on the left, we could hear one of the DA40s (G-CCFU) behind us, some 40 miles from Daventry.

Overhead Turweston it was time to switch from Coventry (EGBE) ATC to the military controllers at RAF Brize Norton (EGVN). We were given our squawk and told to advise when at Compton, and to avoid RAF Weston-on-the-Green where there was significant gliding activity.

We wanted to avoid the MATZ so changed course 60 degrees right and headed over Oxford and tracked towards the very visible power station at Didcot, intercepting the Compton radial on 180.

It was now 1050 and we were ready to route to Southampton (EGHI). We left the Brize controllers and switched to Farnborough who provided us with a Flight Information Service as we maintained our heading on the 180 FROM radial out of Compton.

Greenham Common passed on our right, Aldermaston AWE to the left at 1107.

Basingstoke was our next visual reference point and here the DA40 overtook us, or so we though. We switched to Solent ATC - which covers the Southampton area - and were visual with the Isle of Wight by the time we were flying overhead New Alresford.

We were on the 168 radial at 40 miles and ready to turn south on the 180 radial, and then visually follow the main dual carriageway between Petersfield and Portsmouth. Preparing for Bembridge by aiming towards the centre of the Isle of Wight. We heard that the DA40 had been held in orbits north of the Solent zone. We were home and dry as winners of the first leg.

Tuning to Bembridge we were expecting R30 right hand circuits. As we switched to Bembridge frequency over the Solent we were given R12 left hand circuits so we started our descent onto the base leg over the Solent, turned final and touched down at 1140.

After tea and coffee at the airfield, a long lunch at the Propellor Inn - two hours for a sandwich order to be completed - and a flight plan filed, we set off for Cherbourg with a new pilot at the controls.

Rolling on R12 at 1415 with one stage of flap, rotating at 60kts, and a right hand turn out once we were clear of any gliders. Flaps up, and climbing, heading for St. Catherine's Point, the southern most tip of the Isle of Wight.

Flying Across The Channel
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Leaving Bembridge radio we called London Information and passed our message - climbing through 2500ft to FL050. We were climbing to what would become FL052, and so set the altimeter to 29.91 inHg (1013mb) - this particular aircraft had the altimeter set using inches of mercury. The outside air was still above freezing at our crusing altitude. We leaned off, only slightly, and headed along the VFR route but above the clouds.

Using the DME from Southampton to estimate when we would be at the FIR boundary between UK and France. We estimated that the boundary would be 57nm from Southampton. Through the gaps in the clouds we were looking for the shipping lane full of cargo vessels, this would also provide an indication of the FIR boundary.

Although we had the DME it was good airmanship to calculate the estimated time of arrival at the boundary based on our location, heading and speed. This was a good thing to consider as shortly we began to lose the signal from Southampton and we were dead reckoning. At our estimated boundary arrival time we left London Information and switched to Deauville (LFRG) control who promptly asked us to change frequency to Cherbourg (LFRC). At the same time we tuned the ADF for Cherbough on 373.

The cloud had cleared and we began our descent. Identifying lighthouses along the coast as reference markers. We still had the VOR tuned to Southampton and used the 185 radial for navigational assistance. Cherbourg gave us R28 right hand, QFE 1016 and to report airfield in sight.

We began a cruise descent and changed tanks. At 2000ft we reported visual and returned the mixture to rich. There was some French chatter on the radio interspersed with the occasional English. An uneventful approach and touch down at 1510 UK time. Asked for taxi instructions we were told to continue down R28 for another 1000m or so. The French do like their long runways.

We found the taxiway, turned off the runway and travelled at at walking pace until we reached the GA apron and parked up. One of the DA40s arrived a couple of minutes later.

We unloaded and locked up then headed for the arrivals gate. There were no customs, no Gendarmes, no officialdom whatsoever. So we made for the cafe-cum-wine shop and celebrated with coffee and beers while waiting for everyone else to arrive.

This was a good time to fill in the UK CAA GAR forms (General Aviation Regulations) in preparedness for tomorrow's return. What was needed was passport number, name, address, inside leg measurement etc.

Our intention was to fly into Popham (EGHP) but this may be reconsidered later. The cafe owner booked us a hotel in Cherbourg - one with 10 rooms available for all of us to stay together - and a couple of taxis turned up to take us there. We had an enjoyable evening in Cherbourg, finding bars that had no wine and drinking Irish beer.