The slight problem of training and flying at an international airport is … well .. it’s an international airport … with lots of stuff going on and only one runway on the island to use … and the circuits are designed to keep you nicely positioned and away from reasonably built up areas .. so mostly over the sea. In fact around 75% of the circuit is over the sea 

So, a while back, when I genuinely had what I thought was an overheating problem, I requested a really tight ‘bad weather’ circuit.

This is where you simulate that you have managed to ‘find your way’  the circuit I really bad weather and then stay very close to the runway …keeping it in sight all the time as you position yourself to land but way closer than you normally would.

The BIG benefit for me .. in the slow flying Sherwood .. is that I can get a circuit in in around 5 minutes vs 20+ …

Thankfully, the Super friendly Jersey ATC team try their best to let me get one or two of these tight circuits in a mix of normal large circuits or ‘round island flying.

The other really good learning for me is that you ‘arrive’ at the threshold .. not off a long 4 mile straight in approach but off a banked low level turn which brings in new skills and teaches you to read ahead and plan ahead 

Kicking her straight and losing that inevitable speed is still something I’m working on but will be a skill that is needed when you don’t have miles of uninterrupted approach space, a line of trees and a short stopping distance 

You will see at the last touchdown off the bad weather circuit .. I’m too fast .. I left too much speed on and the starboard wing lifts .. not once but twice ! only a small amount .. but boy you feel it inside … always learning … I’ve now added a tell tale marker on both ASIs to highlight the low end landing speed … so I can see at a glance 

Lovely Sunday winter cloud base … cold but oh so nice

This has to be one of my favourite flights to date …

The forecast was giving a relatively calm morning turning to 20-27 plus in showers … a delayed morning .. doing household bits meant it was going to be tight

Fuelled was there when I pulled out so another delay as I took the opportunity to fill up whilst he was there … as I was one up I could pretty much fill the tank giving me options to dawdle if needed once up

Even though it was quite cold the engine started pretty much first touch, warmed up in around 6-7 mins so I started the mile long taxy aiming to get to 50’ oil temp by the holding point. Dead on 50’ as I applied the brake and power checked and then off. The go pro later showed I was airborne in around 10 mins from startup 

Using runway 08 .. pulled up and right after take off and recreated through 1,000 to not above 2,000 … forecast was BKN at 1,400 .. just what I was hoping .. a chance to top out above clouds BUT not too high for poss icing 

The cloud breakup was just amazing and superb light … a few turns around then through, then bank above and peel away .. then some nice waggles in and around … just amazing fun …

After about 15 mins your feet really start to feel the cold … so it’s time to call for rejoin ! ☃️🛬😎

So last week .. Saturday was fog so thick you couldn’t see your hand in front of you … commercial stuff was going here there and everywhere .. EXCEPT here ! 

Then Sunday broke … fog gone .. yippee … but .. 15+ down the runway 080 ish 

By that time the pup had been walked it was getting up to 18, 19 but still pretty much down the track .. taxiing would be fun as 08 is a long mile plus taxy to the end of the runway 

Tied off the front harness as I was solo and taxied out … it was now up to around 20 … I used the carb heats for the first time as it as really cold … gave me a really high EGT for some reason .. need to check that .. EGT fine once the carb heat was turned off

Then was asked be ready immediate as they were squeezing me out before a landing Airbus .. handy or I would have to wait a bit … 

Take off was instant .. I don even remember the tail lifting .. she just went straight up like a Harrier ! pushed forward a bit so at least I got some forward movement .. then a slightly early turn to clear the centre line as requested

The first landing was great fun .. pretty choppy over the 08 approach in wind so kept the power on but with the 20+ headwind now she felt almost stationary … I now had a full waiting ‘audience’ of a departing easyJet holding at the threshold … no pressure 

As I cleared the cliff edge I eased back the throttle and took up the Harrier style VTOL approach … almost stopped dead on touchdown …great 😉