NIC WILLIAMS
NIC WILLIAMS
2011
This week’s blog is a little late, amazing really as I’ve spent most of the time in and around Cambridge.
I was supposed to fly on Tuesday but as the forecasters predicted it was wet and wild outside. My microlight instructor thought it would be best to have my first flight on a slightly more tranquil day so we planned for Friday. It turned out to be the most fab weather, warm, windless and not a cloud in the sky. Helena’s Mum and sister Andrea came with me.
Dave the instructor took me through a briefing (after having commented on my weight!). We used a model plane to show me how the flaps worked and all the other stuff. After about 15 mins we went out to inspect the plane before going through the pre flight safety checks. Once complete we taxi’d over to one of the three grass runways, lined up and let the throttle go. After just a couple of seconds the nose wheel was up and all of 5 or 6 seconds later the whole plane took off. The beauty of it was they practically take off themselves.
Once we’d climbed about a bumpy layer of air David showed me a couple of manoeuvres and then said ‘You have control’ at which point I was flying. 10 mins in an I’m flying a plane, bloody amazing. We took it in turns for him to show me something then I got to try. We stalled the plane, we did 60 degree banks (something you’ll never have done in a commercial plane) and we even turned off the engine to prove it really would glide. Unbelievable. Dave then got me to do a circuit of the airfield. All went well. After he turned us to line up with the runway he passed me control and told me to aim for the runway. As we approached I waited for him to take control back, he held off. We got within 100m and I was still flying, I was even in line with the runway. 50m I’m still flying. 20m I’m still flying. I start to pull us up a little. 5m and I’m still flying but I’ve pointed the nose slightly to the right. Dave corrects slightly and I land the plane.
I cannot tell you how big a smile I had. I wasn’t expecting to actually fly the plane never mind land it. I want to go back, but there is the catch. I’m under orders to drop at least a stone before I can have my next lesson. So I better start working on it because I want to go again. For £115 you all have to try it. I can recommend Pegasus Flight Training based at the Cambridge Microlight Club. Simon had his pilots license so I’m glad to have done this first step in his honour.
So the rest of the week was caching, BBQ’s and Sol’s 4th birthday. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
I can’t believe week 6 is done, where is all this time off going? I think I’m going to need to extend my break beyond the end of November. Maybe another year.
Week 6, Flying and BBQ’s
13/04/2011
My first quiet week other than flying a microlight, going to my nephew’s 4th birthday and hosting a BBQ