Author: Ian Fereday

Eddsfield, Yorkshire We took off from Strubby 26 grass for the first time, with Ian at the controls. One stage of flap and we still only just got off before running out of runway. Outbound flight log Overhead the Humber estuary with Grimsby and Immingham Docks off to the left. Eddsfield is a 700-metre grass…

Shipdham Airfield Ian took the outbound leg with a nice tailwind and headed south over The Wash. Although there are several aircraft in the hangar, Shipdham is a quiet field and there was no other activity while we were there. Outbound flight log At the airfield Return flight log Kev took the return, intending to…

Turweston Airfield Ian took the outbound leg into a substantial headwind. The circuit was busy on arrival, which resulted in a go-around after following a slow aircraft in. Outbound flight log G-LTFB on the apron LAA Headquarters View from the tower Return flight log Kev took the return with a very helpful tailwind.

South Lincs It’s been a while since I had a chance to go flying, so with today being such a nice day, it couldn’t be missed! Meow joined me for a quick trip down the Lincolnshire coast to Gibraltar point and back.

Lunch in Kibworth Ian flew solo to Leicester Airport to meet his Mum and sister for lunch at Boboli Italian restaurant in Kibworth. Delayed a little on arrival with students in the circuit, necessitating an orbit on the deadside before landing. Boboli Restaurant The return was uneventful other than Waddington requiring MATZ transit at 3,000…

Sywell Aerodrome Ian and Kev took a trip down to Sywell to get familiar with the airfield prior to visiting in September for the fly-in, when it will be extremely busy. Ian took the outbound leg and Kev the return in deteriorating conditions.

Mark’s first flight Prepping G-LTFB outside hangar 3 at Strubby Airfield Ian took Mark for a trip down the coast to Skegness before heading northwest to land at Wickenby. The return took in Market Rasen racecourse, Louth and Covenham Reservoir.

New alternator fitted After ground running for several minutes to check the charge level with various electrical items on and off, I took a quick flight south down the coast to make sure everything was working correctly.

In-flight emergency An alternator failure isn’t really an emergency, but it’s not something you want happening when you’re in the air. The engine will continue to run as it uses independent magnetos for ignition and mechanical pumps for fuel and oil. The battery powers everything else (lights, radios, transponder, etc) and is recharged by the…

A short hop Ian and Meow nipped down to Skegness to scrounge some spare fuses for G-LTFB. Skegness’ grass runway is quite uneven and can cause you to ‘porpoise’ if you land too fast.