The first official Circus trip of the year! And staring the weather gods in the face Bob laughs and decides we're going across the channel for lunch in Le Touquet. G-ASUD is on annual maintenance, so I cadge a lift in Bob's glass panel C172 - 50 delivery hours on the clock. This aircraft has airbags and cup holders! I ask you is this the spirit of aviation? There's no caution with battery power and guess work with the primer here - click, click, turn and the engine is running. Hmmm, never mind the spirit of aviation, comfort rules!

Cap'n Nick and Charles-Charles. Xray-Kilo under way.

Anyway, time for a role call, we have:

XK and CC leave in tandem from North Weald, ID from Stapleford. Up front in CC, Bob's co-pilot Nick has been reading the manuals and has the G-1000 programmed with Bob's route - Sittingbourne, Folkestone, Cap Gris Nez and down the coast to Le Touquet.

Canvey Island. Isle of Sheppey.

Somewhere past Sittingbourne and machine starts to dominate man. The G1000 insists on plotting to Dover VOR instead of Folkestone, so a call to Manston Information is made to altering the route to Dover. Who's in command of this aircraft?

Edge of the World. Blighty.

So far the weather gods are smiling on Bob. Southern England is pretty much cloudless, but there is still the channel and the French coast. Xray-Kilo calls to coast out at Dover, still ahead of Charles-Charles (you can't call a glass 172 'charlie'). Pretty soon we're coasting out as well, and it's all pretty calm. Mid-channel and radio change straight to Le Touquet. What this I see, clouds! However, they are over France itself and the coast is clear, no skimming the wind turbines today.

Cloudy France. Down wind turbines.

In to the circuit at Le Touquet and CC and XK both call downwind, but who is ahead. Six pairs of eyes in Charles and no doubt eight in Xray-Kilo are peeled. Eventually we spot them far enough ahead. On to final and we follow them down and wait for India-Delta to arrive.

So, ten for the beach - bundle into two taxis and off to L'Enduro, via the cash machine. Food for the day is mostly steak or omelette, but what's this? Richard has fallen to temptation - the seafood platter, the crab is back! I take full advantage of my non-flying status and order a beer. Just to make sure the point is understood I discuss making use of Charles-Charles's cup holders on the way back with the purchase of a bottle of wine. Comfort rules.

Le Crab is back!. Dozing lighthouse.

All to soon, with the short days, back to L'Aeroport and file the flight plans. Before long we are over Boulogne and leaving Le Touquet ATC. Crossing the channel I see a spec way down over the blue water. Is it a ship, a bird, no it's Xray-Kilo! No doubt re-enacting some of our weather enforced lower level crossings.

Paris Plage. Cape Grey Nose.

Back across Kent, past Southend and Hanningfield and North Weald is in sight. Bob elects to use the short cross runway and Nick warns him of the fence and the cones that have to be cleared. Touch down is uneventful and Charles-Charles is taxied to his home and it's off to the Squadron for beer, or more beer in my case!

North Weald. de Havilland Venom.

So, Bob charmed whoever is in charge of the weather, and the daring raid was carried off with proper Circus aplomb. No flying time for my log book, but I did get to ride in a glass panel 172 with airbags and cup-holders. I must have been pretty annoying in the back, sorry, thanks for ride chaps. Here's to the next one.

[Text & Photos: Rob, click here to see the rest of the pictures]