Oh Lordy Lordy, where has the time gone? Since the last post, my mate Siobhain and I have done the London to Brighton bike ride (along with 27,000 others - bit busy en route), and I've been flying TWICE (count em). The bike ride was good fun but dangerous at times. All sorts of riders took part, from Sunday Cyclists to cycling teams clad in full lycra strip - and in fact it was the teams who were causing the problems, going far too fast and occasionally taking out your more run-of-the-millers (like us two). Any cyclist wearing clips (you might not know, but if you ride a road bike you can clip yourself to the pedals so that you pull AND push) had problems as there was constant stop/starting, and when a clipped-in cyclist stops....down he or she goes.
Here we are safely at the finish. Please note Siobhain in stewardess outfit and me as pilot, which is really false information as Siobhain was firmly in charge and even conquered the dreaded Ditching Beacon. I'm afraid that when I realised people were walking faster than I was pedalling, I dismounted with a long face.
So that was the bike ride. And my two flights this week and just now were fab - great weather and not too many scary moments. I'm practising my circuits now; that's when you go around the airfield and make your preparations for landing. There's LOADS to think about; flaps down, throttle off a bit, descend, nose up, nose down, bit to the left, GET YOUR NOSE UP, radio call, turn right, third stage flaps, coming in too steep, POWER ON, radio call, stick back, stick back, stick back, WILL YOU GET YOUR STICK BACK....bump...bump.
I think I'm getting there. Today I got told off for taxi-ing too fast on the apron. This is a massive step up for me, who is usually Mrs Slow McSlow. Next time I'm going to see how fast I can go on the ground without actually taking off. Then there'll be some real shouting.
B x
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