How lucky am I? The day after my lesson in the CAP and the weather over at Marham looks do-able although with showers a-plenty, so I head over in the afternoon and drag out the Nipper for a thorough pre-flight check. This is quite daunting, there’ll be nobody there to save me if I get it wrong so I’m very focused and determined to do it right!
I hand prop the Nipper and she start second blade which is immensely satisfying; there really is a knack to this and today I get it just right. Perhaps its an omen! Fighting the slipstream I clamber into the Nippers cramped cockpit, strap myself in and get as comfortable as possible (not very if I’m honest!). I make blind calls and head off, pausing to watch the club C150 G-JAGS do a touch and go, before backtracking 01. Checks complete its time to line up and off I go. As usual I overcontrol the Nipper a little on climbout, she’s so much more responsive than my Shadow and it always takes me a minute or two to settle her down. I had hoped to aerobat directly over Marham but the cloudbase is too low so I decide to have a go over the airfield at East Winch (just in case the engine goes quiet on me you understand…) Away we climb heading for a patch of clear blue sky to the North of the field.
At 3000’ I level off, perform a HASELL check and here we are, the moment of truth. My first ever loop on my own. Well, no turning back, here we go, dive to 115 mph, a firm pull back.. and over we go, it really is as easy as that! No drama, no fuss and not even a cough from the engine. Awesome! If I’m honest, it wasn’t quite straight and it probably looked rubbish from the ground, but I’m grinning from ear-to-ear in sheer delight! I do more and more loops before deciding I really ought to have a go at rolling.
Oh dear, the Nipper isn’t nearly as brisk in the roll as the CAP and its all going horribly wrong so I chicken out and dive away to wings level. Hmmm, another go, same result. Ah well, lets do a loop then and I think I’ll climb a bit higher for my next go!
Topping out at 5000’ I decide to attempt the roll again but elect to use an extra 10mph entry speed. This time we go all the way round but it felt very, very ragged. Enough’s enough, I’m cold and uncomfortable; time to call it a day. Making a rapid, cruise descent back to Marham I land long on 01 to save taxiing. As I shut down, I look at my watch and can’t believe it’s only been 35 minutes since I taxied out. What a brilliant flight! I can’t wait to do it again…
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