Well, what a great day today was! With good weather forecast for much of East Anglia I decided to fly my friend's Aeroprakt Foxbat over to RAF Wyton, where I'd been invited for another lesson in the Grob Tutor with 5 AEF. I arrived bang on time having taxied past the lines of Grobs, parked up outside the flying club and made my way to the teabar, there I got reacquainted with Stu Rawnsley and watched the mandatory safety video again. After a quick cuppa I was fitted out for RAF flying togs and was introduced to my instructor Neal Adams, a very experienced ex-F4 Phantom pilot. We discussed the sortie and then walked for our aircraft. Neal isn't a QFI so I wasn't allowed to do the take-off this time, but he very quickly relinquished control once airborne (rather to my relief!).
We climbed to 6000' in-between Sutton Meadows and Chatteris and Neal demonstarted some 'unusual positions' and their recovery. It makes 'normal' unusual attitudes look rather tame I must say! My favourite 'U.P.'was pulling up well past the vertical and then recovering from various power settings. Lots of fun and I think I made a reasonable job of it all things considered (not perfect but safe).
Next on the agenda I pulled us into a standard loop just to get my eye in, and then Neal demonstrated a half Cuban 8 which was great fun. I don't think I'll be able to do this in the Nipper as there's quite a bit of negative G during the roll element. I shall ask my fellow Nipper fliers on the forum!
Sadly, UP's plus 1/2 Cuban 8's had made me a bit queasy so I only attempted 2, but it really was very satisfying and great fun. I flew us down to short final and then Neal landed. All-in-all, a very good lesson. Thanks again 5 AEF - you're absolute stars.
After a good de-brief with Neal over a cuppa, I jumped back in the Foxbat and flew back to Honington with a big grin on my face. Wyton even offered me runway 33 which was damned decent of them! On the way home, I got vectored out of the way of a KC 135 tanker near Mildenhall which is quite unusual. I never get tired of buzzing round the MATZ though, you never know what you'll see; I watched a pair of F-15's landing at Lakenheath on my way out!
With time in hand, I put the Foxbat to bed and pre-flighted my Shadow. 3 types in one day; why not! I had a nice half hour flight and chucked the Shadow round quite a bit to see how my new micro camera performed. It looks pretty good so I've put together a short video (below).
Well, that was the end of a great days flying; hopefully I can get up in the Nipper this weekend. Fingers crossed...
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