Out With The Old, In With The New.

Aircraft Of The Month

This week I have decided to dedicate the entire post to the aircraft of the month, because in order to best describe why I have chosen it as a worthy candidate, we need to look at its role and why, only recently, it has come to light as an important aircraft. 

I am talking of course about the

AugustaWestland AW139 and Westland WS-61 Sea King. 

"Hold on a second?!" I hear you cry. "There's two aircraft there!" and yes, yes there are. The reason for which will hopefully become apparent. You see, here at Lydd the most recent development for the airport has been the arrival of Bristow Search And Rescue which is the civilian company that has been awarded the UK search and rescue (SAR) contract until 2026. 

But first, I would very much like to talk about what Brstow is replacing. For decades, the role of Search and Rescue in the UK fell on the military. Specifically the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy. Although both services have used many different aircraft in the past, one of the most successful and beloved has been the Westland WS-61 SeaKing 

Specifically for me, S-125 (Pictured left) Formerly Rescue-125 this SeaKing has provided most of the South East and West of England with swift and reliable air sea rescue for a great many years. 

Based at RAF Wattisham (EGUW) in East Anglia. S-125 was one of two SeaKings operated by 22(B)Sqn (the other being S-127) from 1993, just after the airfield was handed over to the Army Air Corps. On standby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year the crews of 22(B) were ready at a moments notice to respond to any emergency that required the unique capabilities, offered only by a helicopter. 

Being a member of the RNLI at Littlestone, machines such as S-125 serve an invaluable role in the protection of people out at sea. An experience I was able to witness first hand during an exercise between Littlestone Lifeboat and S-125 that allowed me to understand what exactly goes into a coordinated rescue between a vessel and an aircraft. 

 

As you can in the picture to the right. The assisting Lifeboat can provide on the water support to a stricken vessel, person in the water or even sinking ships! However, where it is unsafe to to transport casualties by water to the nearest help, the air sea rescue helicopter steps in to provide a smooth, stable and fast transport platform back to safety. 

It is the overall teamwork of the crews on board the helicopter and Lifeboats that ensure a safe transition from sea to air. But, sometimes the helicopter might be tasked with conducting a rescue without the aid of a Lifeboat. 

In this case, it becomes the very unique and challenging task of fulfilling the 'Search' aspect of Search and Rescue when it is necessary for the helicopter crew to work together and fly a search pattern near where there is someone in need of their help. Once found it is then the difficult job of the pilot to keep the helicopter in a stable hover over the casualty and the equally growling task of the aircrew to deploy the winch man down the winch to the aid of someone below. 

Often though, these challenges become close to the impossible, when the casualty maybe on the deck of a moving ship and there for the speed must be matched by the helicopter, or the weather may be nothing like it is in the photos, but windy, rainy and dark. As you can see in the picture to the above, as the lifeboat is departing, the sea spray being violently blown by the down wash of the helicopter shows yet another variable that needs to be taken into consideration when operating at low level like these crews do. And it is for these reasons that S-125 and her crews are my aircraft of the month as now sadly, S-125 flew for the last time from Wattisham to Fleetland where she has been scrapped, but graciously giving one very fortunate apprentice one last flypast. 

Moving on however, it is with a heavy heart that we must say farewell to S-125. As of friday the 14th of August, SAR operations for the South-East have been officially handed over to Bristow, who bring with them two Agustawestland 139 helicopters G-CIJW (Below) and G-CIJX 

 and although I cannot tell you much about these aircraft, I look forward to perhaps one day being able to approach the crew and ask them myself to which I shall then pass on the information here. 

All I can tell you is, that unlike the SeaKing these aircraft are bristling with high-tech equipment, such as thermal imaging cameras and inferred sensors to help detect more quickly objects or people in the water.

 What I can say for sure is though, I look very much forward to learning more about these helicopters, and how they live up to their predecessors. Also, to maybe one day work with them on the lifeboat. and even, in the not so distant future, applying myself to becoming a search and rescue pilot which for a long time now has been my ultimate goal.













Writing about these aircraft is all well and good and I really do hope that you have enjoyed reading about them. However, some of you may have heard of the horrific crash at Shoreham airshow on Saturday, involving a Hawker Hunter jet. That, while attempting a loop, collided with the ground on A27 and killing at least 7 and leaving dozens more critically injured. With the death toll expected to rise I would like to send my sincere condolences to the families affected by this tragedy and wish the speediest recovery to Mr Andy Hill who is fighting for his life after surviving the crash.

Many thanks to you all, and please join me again next week. 

Floating and Flying

Today, I shall start by explaining the flight I took this week with Clive. On Wednesday, Clive decided to introduce me to, and cover in the syllabus, instrument flying. The art of being able to operate an aircraft in circumstances where simply looking out the window isn't an option. My course dictates that I must be able to complete a full 180° turn while under "The Hood"
and for those who are unaware, "The Hood" (or Foggles) are generic terms given to a pair of glasses or headband that limits a pilots view so they can only see the instrument panel. The aim of which is to simulate IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) at any time of year and with minimal risk,   for the purpose of practising this unique and challenging task.


Now, my experience of instrument flying can only be described as disorientating. Clive briefed me on what we would cover during our flight and to what direction we would travel. Apart from that, if you were to ask me specifically where we went, I would not for the life of me be able to give you an accurate answer. Luckily the weather was suitable for VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flying and therefore Clive had a perfectly good idea and view of where we were flying to and has since told me that we were operating out to sea near Hastings. I cant tell you that we were operating at between 1800-2500ft.

The Attitude Indicator

So, to start with I was able to taxi and take off without my vision being impaired, all went well and I feel as though my initial call was on point. Once we departed from Runway 03 we climbed past 500ft and before I was handed the dreaded "Foggles" that reside in Clive's flight bag. Once I had put them on I immediately understood why people in the past had told me they feel ill whenever they go under the hood or put on the foggles. Suddenly the general operation of an aircraft becomes very close and mentally hectic. Instead of using the horizon as a reference to attitude you now find yourself staring primarily at the Attitude indicator (AI) instead of out of the window. It is then a matter of scanning the instrument panel and maintaining a number of different factors all at once; Including heading, altitude, attitude and/or VOR track.


As if it wasn't enough of a challenge Clive then blanked out the AI  and the heading indicator, meaning that I was now flying the aircraft with references only from the "Turn and Slip indicator" and magnetic compass. This was by far those most challenging flying I've ever done, but also the most rewarding. After doing recoveries from unusual attitudes, climbing and descending turns, VOR tracking and finally some NDB tracking back to Lydd. I was allowed to remove the foggles as we approached the overhead where we completed a standard right hand circuit for 03.


Moving on, I would like to explain why I have titled this weeks post "Floating and Flying".


Due to some adverse weather we had (as I'm sure the local audience will know) we at Lydd found ourselves under around 2 inches of water, inside the airport! As you can see in the photo on the right, the entire club ended up being flooded, and it wasn't just the club, the airport lounge and restaurant were all flooded. I can safely say that I have never experienced anything like this in the UK the rain fell so hard the new "Lydd Aero Lake" formed in just under 40 minutes and took the rest of the day to clear, using brooms, brushes and vacuum cleaners. it is only now, 4 days later that the carpet is actually dry.

















Sticking with the water theme, I spent my entire weekend in or around the seaside. On Saturday I was fortunate enough to compete with my friend Jack in the RYA Topper National dinghy sailing regatta in Whistable. Although we didn't win the race, we were actually out to sea beneath the displays that were happening as part of the Herne Bay airshow. Featuring displays from the likes of the world famous RAF Red Arrows and Vulcan XH558 V-bomber, who sadly is retiring at the end of this season. So the opportunity to see it display from such a unique perspective meant that the dinghy race was the last thing on my mind as I left Whistable that day.




As always, thank you very much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post. Next week I'm hoping to catch up with my friends who have no completed their CPLs and also do some more research on my Aircraft of the month for August.

The Training Continues.

Apologies for my late post, even after announcing that I will now be doing all I can to publish a new post at a set time of 18:00 (GMT) on a Monday, for the benefit of the ever growing international audience. My late post comes after a short break away in Devon, which although doesn't have anything to do with aviation did give me the opportunity to stop off on my return at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton. One of the Royal Navy's primary air stations and training areas and also home to the largest Naval aviation museum in Europe. WELL worth a visit if ever you get the opportunity.


Back to the training however, recently I have been working on VOR tracking. For those who don't know what VOR tracking is, it is a method used for navigation that involves determining your location with reference to a VOR beacon. These 'Very high frequency Omni-directional Radio range' (VOR) beacons are located all around the UK and do exactly as their name suggests. They emit a specific radio frequency that can be received by the VOR instrument in the aircraft. It is used for determining your location in relation to the VOR or your distance from (often coupled with DME or 'distance measuring equipment') or can be used to track a radial inbound or outbound form or to the beacon. There are whole essays and websites, videos and 'how to' videos based around VOR tracking and therefore I shan't explain everything but if you have any questions do feel free to put them to me anyway you can.


Having now completed nearly 24 hours of flight training, I'm now looking to prepare for my qualifying cross country. In doing so Recently I flew the Robin up to Rochester (EGTO) and also t Headcorn (EGKH) to practice some more soft field landings. Personally I found Rochester very challenging as the the runway we landed on (20-02) is very uneven and quite narrow. Fortunately after a fairly artistic landing we I was able to get the thing down and stopped.  As for Headcorn, I found going there for some circuits very enjoyable, if a bit exhausting.

Yesterday, to get back into the swing of solo flying after my break, I went for a 50 minute solo flight to Canterbury. For those who don't know, I went to school in Canterbury for 14 years, so the chance to fly over it and look specifically for areas I found interesting was a unique and welcome one. I routed up there via Rye and Ashford, and on return took the opportunity to practice some of my VOR tracking and so intercepted the 210° radial inbound the the Lydd VOR (LYD 114.05). Below is the only photo I was able to take, as to focus on photography when one should be flying an aircraft is not ideal. The next step on the agenda is to continue with the navigation and begin getting used to landing at other airfields. All things I look forward to keeping you updated on.

Although a dull post, I promise that next week will be far more interesting. As always many thanks for reading!

Future Pilot Profile.

Something a little different today, over the past month or so, a young aviator has been quietly training every day here at Lydd. Seeing as it his last day with us was on Saturday, I leapt on the opportunity to ask him a few questions after his 'qualifying cross country' in G-EOMI (the last major milestone before the final skills test of a PPL)

Nic has been training with us at Lydd since mid June and has managed to complete all of the ground exams and training up until his qualifying cross country in a very short time, going solo in just over 11 hours. 

Here are Mr Nicola Avitabile's answers to my questions about his Six Week Intensive PPL Course.

Firstly, I asked Nic to tell us a little bit about himself. 

"I was born in Singapore in 1998, with Italian parents. We soon moved to Bangkok and then to Hong Kong. I've been living in Hong Hong since 2002 and that's what I now call my home. At around the age of 11 i figured out that flying was for me and when I turned 16 I flew over here to the UK to commence my PPL training, with the support of my parents."

And then what made him want to learn to fly.

First Solo

"I believe it all started with a video game I had bought, 'Flight Simulator'. I started off with just a mouse and keyboard and after 3 years, I had a full simulator set up in my house. I then went off to gain some work experience with various different aviation related businesses which only made me fall more in love with planes. I recently got myself a job at a simulator centre and after 6 months of working, whilst also attending school, I've decided its time to start my career."


What his dream job would be and why. 

"I can think of nothing more I'd rather do than be an Airline Pilot with 'Cathay Pacific.' Not only do you get to fly hundreds of people around the world, but I reckon the pride an airline pilot has for getting their passengers safely from point A to point B is beyond what any other job can offer."


As I mentioned, Nic has taken most of his PPL with Lydd Aero Club during his school holidays, as a young man of only 16, travelling this far on his own must have been enough of a worry, without the added stress of learning to fly. Therefore I asked him what the biggest challenges he faced while learning to fly were. 

"I reckon the most challenging part of the flying has been the multi-tasking that comes with the navigational aspects. I found that having to talk on the radio, maintain the correct heading and altitude, while also keeping track of where you are on the chart, is highly demanding. But, as time went by and my hours built, I gained much more confidence and figured out that there is a lot to be said for the phrase 'Navigate, Aviate, Communicate'"

Departing Runway 21

Now that Nic's time with us has come to an end I was curious to know where he would go next after leaving Lydd, and what highlights he will take away with him.  

"The next step for me is to finish my high school diploma. On top of that i still have my Skills Test to look forward to back here at Lydd in October. But, once that's done, I will be applying for a variety of different cadet programmes, first and foremost will be the Cathay cadet program. As for the highlights I have really enjoyed; Meeting everyone at the Club and talking with such a lovely bunch of fellow aviation enthusiasts.
Doing my first landing,
Taking off ahead of an Airbus on long final at Southend.
Steep turns took my breath away!
The motivational speeches and advice given to me by the senior staff.
 Rob's constant quizzing about planes.
And my qualifying cross country flight."




 I also asked Nic if he had any advice of his own that he would be able to pass on to other young people who were or are undergoing flying training. 

A Pilot's Selfie

"The best advice I is first off, get a simulator. It's not exactly the best for practical skills but the technical knowledge you can gain is a great start. Secondly, inform yourself. It is vital to know what the requirements are to become a pilot and what type of routes there are to get a job. Finally if you can get a few hours of flying experience,  if you intend to apply for a cadet program, it will really highlight your interest."





Finally, I asked if Nic had any other comments he'd like to share and his reply was; 

"I would just like to thank everyone at the club for their constant help and commitment on helping me work towards my PPL. It is truly, highly appreciated and my time here has been an unforgettable experience."


Personally, I would also like to thank Nic for keeping my days interesting, I'd also like to wish him the very very best of luck with his school diploma and look forward to seeing him again in October! 

If you would like to follow Nic in his aviation training, click on the links below to his instagram and YouTube channel. 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/321MrBest

Instagram - https://instagram.com/nictheitalian/

The Future Of Aviation.

Today, now that the commercial media storm has passed at Lydd. I can write to you about my 'Aircraft of the Month' for July.
I'm sure some of you have heard that a very important aircraft was due to depart from Lydd (EGMD) on Friday the 10th of July for its first, and longest flight across the channel to Calais (LFAC).


The aircraft in question, was The Airbus E-Fan. The first all electric aircraft that is due to be put into production by Airbus by around 2017. The aim of which, in the short term, is to vastly reduce the Co2 emissions of light aircraft in the general aviation industry, and for flight training. Eventually, Airbus Group Innovations and its partners aim to move from the 2-seater platform, currently being exhibited in the E-fan, up to a 4-seater, and, in the future, to a 150 seat commercial airliner.

Fortunately for me, I had the very unique opportunity to take a very close look at this aircraft as it was being assembled in the hangar at Lydd last week. It goes without saying that the importance of an aircraft like this is huge. The environmental benefits would be staggering, (when you disregard the cost of production at this early stage). And, to have had the chance to witness this remarkable plane in action for its first cross channel flight, allow me to give you my perspective;

Walking up to this aircraft, I was surprised at how small it was. Understandably so, considering that its two 32kW Siemens motors are small enough to fit in a lunch box. Spanning 30.8ft (9.4m) and standing 6.5ft (2m) the aircraft is similar to a mid sized microlight.


The E-Fan project originated during the Paris Air Show in 2011. The aim of which was to revolutionise the aviation training industry by producing a 2 seater training aircraft. The company who decided to take on this massive challenge was Airbus Group Innovations, along with Aerocomposites Saintonge. Designs for the first E-Fan were developed later that year, with a final a 'go-ahead' for the technology demonstrator (F-WILE) given in 2012. Once produced the demonstrator went through an accelerated development and construction phase which meant that the E-Fan was unveiled at the 2013 Paris Air Show. Following on afterwards, the demonstrator F-WILE also made appearances at the Farnborough Air Show and the ILA Berlin Air Show.

After assembly at the airport on Thursday,
F-WILE taxied to the runway for an initial test  flight which was unfortunately cancelled due to a radio interference issue. This meant the aircraft had to return to the hangar. A short while later F-WILE re-emerged and began its taxi run back to the runway for its test flight In full view of the press, with both chase helicopters hovering nearby, the Airbus E-Fan took off at 16:30 (local) and flew for a total of 15 minutes before touching down at 16:45 (local).


The next morning, the airport was flooded with every broadcasting agency imaginable, hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of camera equipment were focus on F-WILE and its test pilot Monsieur Didier Esteyne.


















After walking the aircraft to parking stand 'Delta' (just in front of the restaurant), Monsieur Esteyne began giving interviews to many different cameras, while swarms of photographers clambered to get the best angle on the aircraft itself. After around 20 minutes, Monsieur Esteyne began fitting his parachute and emergency beacon, clambering into the cockpit and running through the systems.

All the while the press were still badgering for a few words and a good picture. All I can say is; as a student pilot, I can think of nothing worse than trying to perform internal checks while having a photo lens rammed up my nose!

Soon the time came for departure, the press were asked to retreat to the safety of the viewing area, the chase helicopters started the engines and positioned themselves. And, without any warning and with no drama or finesse, F-WILE just started to move. Any radio controlled aircraft enthusiasts who are reading will know exactly how the E-Fan sounds when its moving, but for those of you who do not, it sounds remarkably similar to a hand-held drill.

 The aircraft lined up on runway 21 and was cleared for take off, in no more than 300ft or so, the E-Fan was airborne and began a shallow climb to around 1000ft, turning right at about 400ft. Just like that, the first all electric cross channel flight was under way. 

I am reliably informed that 43minutes later, the E-Fan (F-WILE) and Didier arrived safely at Calais (LFAC) accompanied by its chase helicopters and was welcomed with open arms.  

For me personally, this aircraft marks the beginning of a long and exciting road to development. I am very much looking forward to hearing more about these electric aircraft and Airbus's future developments. I hope that the electric aircraft, does for AVGAS, what the electric car did for classic motor enthusiasts. Meaning that for all the air work that needs to be done in the future, where there is no need for display, noise or leisure, can be done by these brilliant work horses. Graciously leaving our skies clear at weekends, to make way for the noise, power and spectacle of of a piston driven or jet aircraft, because no one goes to an air show just to look at a Spitfire.    

Sources; Airbusefan.com, Airbus Group Innovations, www.airbusgroup.com

I'm Back.

As some of you are aware, I have been on a short break from the flying at the moment, hence the lack of blog updates. I am however very pleased to announce that normal service can now resume and the blog posts will keep coming.


In case you were wondering, my short break consisted of a visit up to Treforest in Wales, to stay with a great mate of mine (Jack). The reason I'm writing about this fact is because Jack, much like myself, is a very keen young aviator and shares many of the same interests as me. Now, Jack attends the University Of South Wales and its Air Squadron and I was lucky enough to be invited up for the annual summer ball hosted at their operating base at RAF St. Athan. An interesting experience as I have never been to a UAS event and was extremely surprised to find that it was absolutely nothing like what I expected. I expected it to be much like the Air Cadet events that both Jack and I used to attend when we ourselves were in the Air Training Corps, but, as I mentioned, it was nothing like that.

Jack and I at the Sun 'n' Fun Airshow in Florida
2012

Once I get hold of Jack again I shall write another post all about the University Air Squadron with his help, but for now, the best thing I can say is; if any of you who are reading are pursuing a career in aviation and attend a university that has an air squadron. GO JOIN!



On to some more flight training, I have devised a time table that I aim to stick to for at least July that should give me around 32 hours over the month, putting me well on track for completion of the course by the end of my apprenticeship. I am very very pleased to tell you all that I have now flown the Robin solo, and took it for a wonderful local flight in the glorious weather we have been having recently also on my own.

route plan (SkyDemon)

As you can see here, the route I had chosen to take would give me about 45 minutes in the air. As the was a VFR (visual flight rules) flight I did not use any GPS equipment and had only my chart with me. It was a fantastic and pleasant flight and a real wonder to be able to do it by myself. For those that know about it it also gave me a unique perspective of operation stack.

 Here are the very few pictures I was able to take/have taken from my flight. I'm hoping soon to get the appropriate mount for my camera so as to capture some more in flight stuff as I go along. As it stands I now have over 15 flying hours of which 2 are solo.





Now that I have returned from my break, I shall be updating the blog as often as possible. For now, I need to get hold of Jack for you, I hear he is away volunteering with the UAS at Cosford. Also I am looking out for an aircraft of the month for July to cover for the end of the month.
Thank you all for reading, and sorry to have kept you waiting for this post.

Robin's Return/JP Walk Round

Hello again everybody! Apologies for the lateness of post number 7 of  the blog.

Starting from where I left off last time, I have been keeping very busy here at the Club, with the summer weather finally making an appearance, I was fortunate enough to take G-BSTP up for another 50 minutes of solo circuits the day after my first solo, giving me the perfect opportunity to refine some landing techniques without an instructor. To my pleasant surprise, the lack of an instructor meant I was able to develop my own mental train of thought for things like a glide approach, full flap landing, short field take off and approach which means I am now confident in the procedures when I'm with Clive.



Another exciting flight I took this week, was with a colleague of mine who works with me at the Club, Malcolm. Recently, we have had a work experience attendant who had not been flying during his placement with us and Malcolm had very, very kindly decided to hire the clubs PA-28 (G-EPYW) for a short local flight towards Dover.

The route flow by myself and Malcolm

 I'm happy to say the flight was extremely enjoyable, we took off and flew towards Ashford to fly over where Sam (work experience) lived, then climbed up to 3,500ft to play around in the clouds where we then descended towards Folkstone to take a look at the national Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel' Le Ferne. Finally, we headed back to Lydd via Ashford again for one more flight over Sam's house, before joining overhead for runway 21 on the return to Lydd.



The big news over the past week has been the very long awaited return of the aircraft I initially started my training in. The Robin HR-200, G-EOMI, the third training aircraft operated by Lydd Aero Club. For those who don't know, MI is a two seat, low wing alternative to the Cessna 152 I've been flying. My personal preference has always been the Robin because of the low wing configuration and the fact it has a stick control (a set-up that is extremely familiar from my cadet career). In terms of performance the Robin is very similar to the Cessna and the speeds are all pretty much the same, meaning that although I haven't flown this particular aircraft in nearly 3 months. With a little bit of practice it should all come back.

The cockpit layout of G-EOMI

Now, as I have mentioned previously I was planning on doing an 'Aircraft of the month' feature and although this particular machine arrived on Saturday, I have cheated a little bit and decided to make it my Aircraft of the month for May. The aircraft in question is, I feel a fantastic one to start with as it is part owned by one of the members of the Club and flown also by a good friend of mine, enjoy!

The Jet Provost T.MK3 XN-637 (G-BKOU)

The Armstrong Siddeley Viper jet engine

Built in Luton in 1961 this Mk.3 Provost entered service as an RAF jet trainer until 1963 when it was then moved to RAF Shawbury and put in storage. 15 years later in 1978, it was acquired at a swap meet and moved by road to Duxford for restoration, with the civilian registration G-BKOU. Then, after the company conducting the restoration moved to Cranfield and work was restarted, it was declared airworthy. Then in 1988 XN-637 it made its first post restoration flight and then its first display flight at the Biggin Hill Air Fair in 1989 and, after many years of successful displays, in 1995 XN-637 was moved to North Weald under new ownership where, after a brief stay at Cranfield, she now remains under syndicate ownership with "The Classic Jet Preservation Group" who acquired the aircraft in 2008 where the owners fly her regularly. She remains the last original Jet Provost T.3, that is still airworthy, in the world.

One very lucky apprentice

 For me personally, this aircraft represents everything that is and was great about the golden age of aviation. I know from my misspent youth that the aeroplane was built by Hunting Percival, a British aircraft manufacture who were also responsible for the Gull and Petrel. Being shown around this aircraft by it's part owner is not an experience I shall forget and I am envious of those who are able to fly these glorious machines.



As I clambered up onto the wing, the noise of the engine still 'clinking' as it cooled, I dreaded to wonder ever having to get to the cockpit in any sort of  hurry. Its quite high up and very awkward to get into, however once you're there it is surprisingly spacious. Granted, there is no in-flight entertainment system, but I'd rather go places in this than an EasyJet. (not a comment against anyone who might be reading who works for EasyJet)

From the pilot's seat

Once I'd lowered myself into the seat I felt as though I'd taken a leap back in time. All the instruments looked weathered and old, all of the finish on the control column and throttle   was slowly being polished off by hands using them. Being a classic car owner I'm familiar with the smell of a vintage machine and the JP was no exception.                            

But I hear you cry, what is it capable of doing. and to that I shall answer with another visual aid.