High ground ahead chaps!

The Caernarfon trip had been well discussed, as usual, at the club bar and over the Internet in the previous weeks and at last the weather looked favourable. The usual suspects turned up, GASUD was crewed by Robert, Richard G and a nearly qualified student Paul. GJFER crew was Jackie and John and Richard T, GRJCC as usual with Bob, Nick and myself. Due to a party the night before I requested to be navman and Bob piloted whilst Nick sat in the back, took photographs and made stupid comments.

Navman gets to work. Bob's new hangar.

We rang the others at Andrewsfield and we departed North Weald at about 10:00 local (more about local and Zulu time later). We routed from N/W to Old Warden, overhead Wellesbourne, then overhead Welshpool and direct to Caernarfon. The others routed a more northerly route over Daventry VOR, Wellesbourne, Hawarden, Colwyn Bay and Caernarfon.

Close all windows - safari park. Just a taster.

After we departed N/W and turned west at Old Warden I contacted London information for a basic service. The controller was plainly bored and seemed very pleased to hear from us. Basic service agreed, squawking 0017 and we were on our way. By now discussions are taking place in CC about how high we need to be to fly over Snowden. Nick was in a “no way” frame of mind and Bob, who had been unusually silent, now seemed to have woken up and was in a “oh yes we will” mood. I remained neutral whilst studying the height markings on the chart thinking we might need oxygen and a bigger engine.

Bracken in the spats. Time for a PFL?.

We listened out for the others but never heard them talking to London Info. At one stage we thought we were on our own and maybe the others had turned back when the cloud base lowered. We all thought "no way" will we make it over the top of Snowden. About this time London Info woke me up asking for a position report and ETA to Caernarfon. Luckily I knew roughly where we were, but asked them to standby while working on the ETA. I then called London and proudly announced we would arrive at Caernarfon 11.30 Zulu. This was completely wrong, Nick and Bob had a great time at my expense and I had to make another call to London to explain and reverted to local time, the good natured controller laughed and said he had already twigged my mistake.

West coast - Nick breathes again. Disused.

After a while the hills and mountains started to loom ahead as the cloud base lowered further. Bob by now was getting the urge to go IMC but Nick and I contained his excitement by making him play with the autopilot to give him something to do. Fortunately we remained at about 3600ft just enough to clear with safety most of the mountains. However with some higher ones ahead (Snowden) I routed, with the help of Nick, west down a valley and headed for the coast at Pen Sarn overhead Cricieth, then onto Caernarfon. I switched from London Info and tried to contact RAF Valley but nobody was in so we listened for a while to Caernarfon radio.

It's not over yet!. Final destination.

The view was fantastic and it was the first time over high ground for me in a light plane and speaking personally I found it a great buzz. I called Caernarfon and after an overhead join with Bob avoiding a twin doing circuits and a single doing, well I'm not sure, we landed on runway 26 and taxied out the way as quick as possible for some fuel.

Final. G-JFER.

Landing fee and fuel paid we headed for the canteen and Nick treated Bob and I to sausage and chips. Now this normally goes against the normal Circus tradition of the bacon sandwich but we felt after such a long and dangerous mission over mountainous foreign territory we deserved it. Eventually GJFER and GASUD crew landed and we pulled some tables together and swopped stories about the trip. Robert and Richard G threw caution / weight and balance to the wind and ordered massive amounts of food. The healthy eaters among us including Paul tried to advise them that letting us eat some of their chips would be good for them but we were ignored. Jackie looked on and, I think, thought we were like a bunch of silly schoolboys, which probably isn’t far from the truth.

The Menai Straits. Castell Cricieth.

After a couple of hours gossiping we decided to head back. Due to the weather we decided on the same track back, as did the others. We heard GASUD call London but never heard GJFER. After buzzing Nick’s relatives house we spent the last hour of the trip avoiding gliders. It’s amazing how they blend in to the background and the fact they never seem to talk to anybody even when operating in busy airspace makes them a real hazard.

Barmouth. Seen enough mountains?.

From what I gather it was an uneventful trip back for all and the end of a great days flying, which reminds us sometimes of why we do this; not just for the flying but for the laughter associated with this often frustrating pastime. I must add the controller working London Info was first class with a great sense of humour, even when talking to the airline pilots he was joking when appropriate. Pity there are not more around like him.

[Text: Steve] [Photos: Nick, click here for more]