It’s another cold and frosty January morning as the Heelan’s Flying Circus members arrive at Andrewsfield for their monthly flyout. Today’s destination is Fairoaks, chosen because Steve R & Nick have money burning holes in their pockets which they want to convert into Garmin iQue GPS’s and, for the more fiscally challenged, a free landing voucher in Pilot magazine.

The day does not start well. As I arrive I can see the Arrow (DH) with it’s engine covers off, Shane in the P1 seat pumping the brakes and Ian (engineer) under the starboard wing trying to bleed the air out of the system. The Cherokee (TL) has a broken carb heat cable and the C172 (XK) has finally succumbed to permanent mag drop.

I drive down to the far end of the airfield where the group Cherokee (UD) is parked and hope that the bad luck hasn’t blown this far. I peel the frozen tarpaulin off the fuselage as Steve R arrives. Between us we check out the aircraft and I jump into the P1 seat and run through the start up procedure and press the starter button. The cold battery slowly turns the prop through two cycles and stops. I wait a few seconds and try again, same result. I wait a little longer, another shot on the primer and press the button. Two more slow revolutions and the engine springs into life.  I let the engine warm for a couple of minutes then taxi to nearby the clubhouse. The wings are iced up but if the sun breaks through it may melt before we leave and I won’t have to get the scraper out.

Ian & Shane are still working on DH’s brakes. Steve R has invited his friend Ivan to join us in UD and Nick has brought his friend Chris along to join him & Shane in XK. Richard & Steve M have arrived to fly DH, but air keeps leaking back into the brakes so DH is grounded, along with TL & XK. We go into the clubhouse to discuss the options over hot drinks.

We now discover that nobody has brought a camera, and Rob, who usually takes about 150 pictures on every flyout, can’t be with us today.

There are no 4 seaters for hire so Nick & Shane opt for C152 (JM) and Chris will take the fourth seat in UD. Steve M doesn’t fancy a 152 after the Damyns Hall incident and Richard is happy to save his money for night flying training, so they decide to motor down to Fairoaks in Richard’s car of the week, a Jaguar XJ6. I can see this turning into one of those Top Gear challenges between light aircraft and fast cars.

It’s 10:30 and the sun is now breaking through at Andrewsfield and the ice is melting so I phone Fairoaks. Fog Bound. So another round of hot drinks and flying chat.

At 11:10 I phone again. The sun is breaking through and the visibility clearing. Another call at 11:30 and the fog has cleared so we stroll out to UD & JM and Richard & Steve M jump into the Jag and head for the M25.

Nick is P1 in JM for the outbound leg and Peter (me) is P1 in UD. We settle our two passengers, Ivan & Chris, snugly in the back and Steve R is in the P2 seat. By the time we have sorted out the passenger comms and given them a safety brief JM is already lining up on 09L. I taxi down and do the power checks and select one stage of flap for takeoff. UD doesn’t usually need it but we are four up (full size), 120 litres of fuel and the grass is wet and slippery. The acceleration feels sluggish but we make 65Kts less than two thirds of the way down the strip and are airborne.

A right turn to the south and we head towards Chelmsford at 1800’ under Stansted’s CTA. West abeam Chelmsford and a climb to 2200’. West abeam Hanningfield reservoir and a frequency change to Southend Radar for a FIS via Thurrock to the Dartford crossing. (Is that Richard down there putting his pound coin in the tollbooth?). Southend are extremely busy and we are two miles south of the Thames before I can request a change to Biggin Approach. I request a FIS and transit via BIG VOR and am instructed to climb to 2400’ and report 4 miles to run. I climb to 2400’ and at 4 miles to run I can’t get a word in edgeways. 3 miles to run, 2.5 miles to run. 3 choices.

1. Transit unannounced and get a slapped wrist from ATC. No, I’m saving that one up for later.
2. Fly north abeam outside of the ATZ and mess up the GPS route.
3. Orbit and look at the lovely Kent countryside whilst awaiting a break in the radio chat.

Option 3 it is, and I’m only a quarter way round the orbit when I get my chance and am cleared to transit.

North abeam Kenley and I free call Farnborough Radar for a FIS to OCK VOR. I can hear JM just ahead of us also working Farnborough.

At Ockham we turn northwest towards Fairoaks and descend to 1400’ on the airfield QFE. We are now inside Heathrow class A airspace and must stay within Fairoaks ATZ. If only they would spray red lines on the ground it would be so much easier.

I cross the numbers for R/W24 at 1400’ and head for 06 downwind at the M3. Turning downwind I can no longer see the airfield against the glare of the low sun to the south. Must be time to turn left base and as I do Fairoaks Info ask for my position “I’m sitting in the front with Steve” is what I really wanted to say but it came out as “left base for 06”. “You are outside the Fairoaks ATZ and in Heathrow airspace. Turn final immediately.” In my struggle to locate the airfield I had wandered too far downwind. I think I could be in hot water when I get on the ground. But for now let’s fly the aeroplane. I turn 45^o to port and intercept the 06 centre line. A little high so full flap and a trickle of power takes us over the threshold at 50’. I flare a little too soon, these tarmac runways always look nearer than they actually are, so ease off the back pressure and UD descends another 10’. Hold off and a smooth touch down just about a third of the way down the runway. Check the speed, raise the flaps and there’s still a long way to go to turn off at the end. I taxi to the hardstand and park next to JM.

Nick, Shane & Peter go off to the control tower to book in while Steve R, Ivan & Chris go looking for Richard and Steve M.

In the control tower the FISO is busy on the radio and the telephone but finally gets round to us. Unfortunately his first words are not what I want to hear. “Who’s the pilot of UD?” A police helicopter tracking the M3 inbound to Fairoaks had spotted me (we didn’t see him) and Heathrow had also been on the blower. After a lecture on joining procedures and much humble pie I accept a slap on the wrist and know that much ribbing will follow. Before leaving the tower the FISO adds that this shouldn’t deter us from visiting Fairoaks again as there are at least five similar occurrences every weekend, and some of the culprits are based there.

Looks like Jaen's been converting to Cherokees at Fairoaks

Now for some lunch. The XJ6ers have arrived about ten minutes after us, so a Top Gear Test victory for the aircraft. But first a visit to Transair, and Steve R tries the Marrakech souk haggling technique. It doesn’t work quite so well in Surrey so Steve retires, wallet intact. Nick, however, accepts the deal on offer and acquires a new Garmin iQue GPS.

After lunch P1/P2 seats are swapped, Shane flying JM and Steve R flying UD. Richard, however, is still P1 in XJ6. There are no helicopters operating to the south of 06 so we are cleared for a right hand turnout at 500’ to OCK VOR. Change to Farnborough Radar but as we are going east of Ockham they don’t want to know, so free call Biggin Approach and get a FIS to Swanley. As we approach Biggin Hill we are catching up with JM so Steve takes us half a mile to starboard. We draw abeam overhead the airfield and make consecutive radio calls that worry the FISO no end. Steve and Nick confirm visual contact and engage in a bit of wing waggling as UD draws ahead and we change to Southend Approach. At Chelmsford we descend below Stansted’s CTA and are home in time for tea, well IPA actually.

By the time we have put UD to bed the XJ6ers have arrived and Rob has turned up for the post flight socialising, so we all gather in the clubhouse to mull over the day’s events. We have managed to salvage something from a poor start to the day, and although Steve M and Richard remained firmly on the ground they did get their bacon baps at Fairoaks.

[Text: Peter] [Photo: Richard's phone]