Hi there everybody,
Reading the message from John C, a new member, I thought it would be a good time for me to join too: I have been reading this forum for a couple of weeks and enjoyed the pics, the humour and the messages as well as sometimes feeling like I really wanted to voice my… hum voice 😉
So, for the egocentric part, I am a pretty confused but happy European citizen, born in France, leaving in the UK and having voted here last night and living with an English girlfriend… Got my PPL when I was living in South Africa in 2000 on C152, in Cape Town, which is probably one of the few places in the world where you can do circuits at an International airport, taking off or landing after 747s and enjoy talking to 4 different frequencies minimum :). I then moved to the UK after 2 years of African adventures and signed up with Thruxton airfield, Berkshire, where I learned to fly “A l’anglaise”, which is a bit different from the African way… In the process I had to repass most exams 😡 for my newly acquired JAR license and since then, I enjoy flying C172, PA28 and very recently Slingsby.
There you have it, it’s me!
So, if you don’t mind a frenchie on this forum, I’ll be happy to take part with pictures, comments and other arrogant posts :p
Cheers and happy flying to all!
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 17th June 2004 at 10:13
Funny you should mention that because apart from aeros and a cross-channel check out I am thinking of having a go at the cub 😉 but probably not for another 4 months… so make the most of it now !
Ah, my Rearwin should be flying by then. The Cub is fun. I like the fact that when someone is messing around with ridiculously long finals and you are the only other aeroplane in the circuit, you can pull the power back and just stop while they mess around!
It is also fun to fly it without the stick. Get it trimmed right and in smooth air you can fly for ages just on the rudders.
Cool, I know they have been refurbishing the whole lot but haven’t been down there recently… my next session (Slingsby) is on Saturday and I am really getting a severe cockpit fever about it now.
Cheers,
I was in there on Monday and Tuesday. Had lunch on Tuesday. Nice lady in te kitchen and the atmos is great.
Melvyn Hiscock
By: Steph - 17th June 2004 at 09:03
However, if you fly from Thruxton keep your hands off the Cub. I like the availability!MH
Funny you should mention that because apart from aeros and a cross-channel check out I am thinking of having a go at the cub 😉 but probably not for another 4 months… so make the most of it now !
Oh, and the food has greatly improved.MH
Cool, I know they have been refurbishing the whole lot but haven’t been down there recently… my next session (Slingsby) is on Saturday and I am really getting a severe cockpit fever about it now.
Cheers,
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 17th June 2004 at 00:13
It’s light, it’s fun and with the right training you should be able to do wonder in it.
cheers!
The T67M is fun, the B is underpowered. Both handle well.
However, if you fly from Thruxton keep your hands off the Cub. I like the availability!
Oh, and the food has greatly improved.
MH
By: Deano - 15th June 2004 at 14:52
Welcome Steph
Nice lass that Moggy 😉 got any more pics? (not the downloadable ones please :p)
Bloody France, I knew we’d lose that match, Steph, tell me where your house is so I can fly over and drop some sh*t bombs on it 😀
By: John C - 11th June 2004 at 12:22
Hi Steph,
This seems like a jolly nice bunch of chaps and chapettes – Just don’t gloat too much if France beat England on Sunday 🙂
You don’t want to buy a motorbike or a kidney do you? Both well used but perfectly servicable…
JC
Wingless wondering..
By: Moggy C - 11th June 2004 at 10:47
Looks like an excuse to post a totally off-topic picture.
Here’s a jolly nice French girl who kept leaving large glasses of beer on our table in Normandy last week.
Douves la Deliverance (Or something similar)
Translates to ‘Pigeons who can play the banjo’ as I understand (Sorry Steph, the humour does get better, honest)
Moggy
By: heyphil - 11th June 2004 at 10:28
Hey, have fun on this site, you’ll enjoy it
By: Steph - 11th June 2004 at 10:11
Thank you Moggy C!
As for the woman, well in fact we met in France when she was studying a year abroad so you could say that it’s the British women stealing French men 😉
[Slingsby]
Well, this is very recent for me as I had my first solo flight less than 2 weeks ago. I wanted to have a go at it to start doing “mild aerobatics” but also for the fun of flying something different. You see, I am more of a “CESSNA” man as I learned on a C152, then flew the C177 and over here I have been flying a C172 for nearly 2 years and with my limited experience, I can’t think of a plane further away from the trusty C172 than the Slingsby T67M, which is why I was quite confused during the first session.
*Stick?
It may not be common but before I had never flown a plane with a stick, only control column, even the PA28 that I fly now and then has a control column. That in itself is Very different. Furthermore the Slingsby, being a sort of Porsche of the air is VERY sensitive, so you tend to over compensate everything at first. My instructor described it as “writing”, ie doing tiny movements with the wrist. I am slowly getting used to it and it actually becomes a pleasure to have such control.
*Variable pitch propeller?
To add to the confusion, this verion the T97M has a VPP and although I had a go at that in the C177, it also takes time to change your routine checks around to incorporate the “blue knob”
*Low wing?
The slingsby is a low wing airplane and compared to the C172, I still have trouble at the touch down to evaluate the distance from the ground but a few more circuits should do the trick.
*Cockpit, canopy
The cockpit lay out is different as you have a row of instrument at the top an then the T intruments. On the canopy side, it’s marvellous and weird to have a full 360 view all around.
So, my first flight was a load of confusion but I enjoy new challenges and the second flight was much better as it saw me going solo 🙂 Again, if the C172 would be let’s say a Renault Scenic, the Slingsby would be more of a Porsche and at the moment, I can wonder around town in that Porsche and park but I can feel that on a track it would perform!
It’s light, it’s fun and with the right training you should be able to do wonder in it.
I am looking foward to my next flight but unfortunately I have a bl**y sore throat+cold that keeps grounded at the moment…
cheers!
By: Moggy C - 11th June 2004 at 09:35
Steph,
You are most welcome.
We’ll have to have a word about you French Johnnies coming over here and stealing our women. Haven’t you got enough over there 😉 ? But that apart, your contributions will be warmly received.
What do you make of the Slingsby? It’s an aircraft I’d love a go at.
Moggy
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June 11, 2004 at 9:19 am