Great day flying today … very calm start but low cloud so delayed until after lunch to get airborne

Temp much warmer than last time so started at the touch of a button and ran very smoothly

Did a load of close bad weather circuits with lovely variations of touch and go’s … got high on one approach so tried the old Stampe crossed controls and side slipped off the excess ..

Then a couple of normal (15 min circuits) followed by a head off for ‘round the island

Heading off to the South East (training) area I climbed to just over 1,400’ and then did some nice steep turns and figure of eights and some stalls and dives ..

Back along the top of the island and then back into the circuit with some great landing practices slotting in between the commercial traffic

Eventually .. and mainly because even my 4 layers weren’t keeping me warm enough – certainly in the foot area ! .. anyway .. decided to land .. 1 hour 30 and around 8 landings in

Fuelled up and went to put her away and thought no .. fire up again … good to practice hot start technique on the jabiru 2200 … no choke … and slight open throttle .. fired at the first touch and ticked over beautifully

Then out again for a couple of close circuits … reduced to one as an Embraer from Flybe was on 8 mile final … so made a normal and touch and go off that and then into what I callled as my last circuit

Doh ….

Maybe I was distracted .. maybe the cross wind had got up a smidgen … but I def rounded out too fast ….

Touchdown was fine and smooth but it was obvious I was too fast and I should have gone around

Trying to get the tail down the port wing lifted – into the now slightly stronger cross wind, right wing went down ,. Scrape … at this point you are a passenger and can only steer a bit with your feet.

Left the runway onto the grass .. pulled the throttle right back and stopped the engine .. stick full back … and came to a calm standstill .. just short of the PAPI s

Tower calmly asked if I needed assistance … started first touch and my nice big tyres let me drive her around and off and back onto the runway .. quite a step up to it .. so took it very steadily …

Was accompanied back by the fire crew ! Inspected runway and only a green scrape mark .. brushed the bottom of the aileron and left a smooth mark of about 3” diameter …

lesson learned … get your speed down on round out !

A very good friend of mine once said ..”It’s not over until it’s back in the hanger with the covers on”

RIP Capn Greg Graham

Been hoping that better weather arrives soon .. have managed a couple of short local nips around the island and, best of all, have established a ‘usual starter’ of 2-3 bad weather circuits to start off with each time.

This means that I can get a take off and landing inside about 3 minutes ! Better than the usual 15-20 with the odd ‘position behind the A320 Airbus, recommended distance 5 miles’ which sort of elongates the touch and go’s somewhat

Still Jersey ATC are brilliant and very accommodating and so my now usual very close circuits (inside the airfield perimeter) mean I keep my landing training levels high .. already done around 78 landings since start

Finally .. with Spring allegedly approaching .. I managed to get her airborne before work .. a pull out of the hanger just after 7 and then started first touch in the cold cold morning.

Had planned about 60 mins but had to curtail when the radio went offline downwind ! I’ve had this once before and narrowed it down to a bad crimp … have commented earlier on this .. guess what .. found another similar bad crimp .. may re do the whole panel in the summer !

Duly located, photographed for evidence and sharing my slip up ! And then man handled the loom and couldn’t get it to go offline again

Graham, my (real) engineer cohort reminded me that pretty much every commercially built light aircraft has a radio master override .. ie battery to switch to fuse to radio … have a switch and just ordered another 5A fuse from LAS so will fit that as ultimate fallback