17/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

For the past 6 months, this new baby pilot has been doing various nav ex to aerodromes such as Wellsbourne, Gloucester, Oxford, Southend, Leicester and Connington (many times) and lots of local VFR flights out of Cranfield. This flight to Old Sarum would now be testing as the route would cross RAF Benson MATZ (Military Air Traffic Zone), RAF Boscombe Down combined MATZ and routing away from Southampton Control Zone class D airspace to Old Sarum. Old Sarum is tucked neatly between Thruxton, Boscombe Down, Middle Wallop and the historic Cathedral town of Salisbury. The route back took us over Stonehenge, keeping south of danger zone and south of the A303, towards Andover, then back to RAF Benson and home to Cranfield. A brilliant day out!

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11/08/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

This plane trip is dedicated to our patron Suzi Duncan..flying from Cranfield - Leicester - Cranfield

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21/07/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Dum Dum airport is a very odd little place in India. I particularly like their style of announcements as per this slideshow..you will need to have headphones or switch on your speakers.

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14/07/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

During my week in Kolkata I talked alot about what it is like to fly light aeroplanes. During my flight home, i could not stop thinking about getting back in the air in the left hand seat of the PA28. My first call once i got back was to Terry at Cranfield and i booked his PA28.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day for flying. I chose to go on my own and enjoy spending some quality me time with myself and watching the world. My first time flying to Gloucester. The Landing fee was a bit steep but nevermind. I had planned to fly to Kemble, however due to the Royal International Air Tattoo, there was no way that i was going to get caught up in all the various restrictions in the NOTAMS. So i chose the diversion airfield for Kemble, which is Gloucester.

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29/06/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

I never thought that i would be going back to the City of Joy so soon without my mother. Yesterday, i saw my grandfather who spent hi birthday with me at Cranfield Airport. I am glad i got to do that before i leave for India. As a present, i secretly arranged a special flying lesson to take him over his house and the area where he lived with my grandmother.

It does feel scary to be going back to Kolkata. I really do not know how i will react, but i feel i must return. I would love to go back to the city of my birth with my mother, sister and grandfather, but that trip will have to wait. for now i am going back on a voyage of personal discovery.

During the week, i have been nicely distracted with work i have been doing with bands at glastonbury music festival, freedom wings and seeing really good friends who i wanted to see before i left. Alongside all this activity, i have been reading really interesting documents about my past, the adoption process and it has surprised me. It took so much work to organise the adoption.

Not really sure what else to say - waiting for my taxi, it is a dark grey morning, weather forecast in Kolkata is rain, thunder and not very nice, spoke to the missionaries of charity sister christie just now - converting music for my mp3 player - having the right to listen to whilst meandering around the city will be helpful

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25/06/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

I love the fact that this airport in Kolkata is known as Dum Dum. I will be very much looking forward to seeing how the airport has changed if it has changed since 1995 when i was last there. I heard from my mother recently that i used to live in a orphanage near the airport. I am about to embark on a momentous and emotional trip to back Kolkata. Perhaps because i used to live near an airport, my love for all things aeroplane and aviation related was instilled in me back then. I fly out from Gatwick with Emirates to Dubai and return to Heathrow. First time flying with Emirates and first time transiting in Dubai.

When i recently met with Polly Vacher, she had some good stories to tel about her time at this Airport during her round the world flight. Maybe one day i too can experience the joys of Indian administration during my round the world flight.

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11/06/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

At 0930 we arrived at Cranfield. It was sunny and the sky was clear. The sort of day that makes flying even more exciting. It would be my first time flying through a control zone. I chose Luton class D as it is right next to Cranfield. I often fly under the zone. With me came Donald and Valentina.

After take, we climbed to 900 feet before i made a left turn above circuit height. Heading 090 and once over my first routing point, i changed freq to Luton radar and requested a Zone transit. Read the rest of this entry »

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08/06/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Tomorrow, i will be flying to Southend from Cranfield. Thus far as part of my hour building i have flown routes that have tested me but within my limits and boundaries. The trip to southend will test me flying through controlled airpace (Luton) if they give me clearance. Read the rest of this entry »

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20/05/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

I opened my eyes this morning to glistening sunshine beaming through my curtains. I got myself ready, sent some emails and then called Terry Ackeroyd at Cranfield to check if India Oscar was available for me to do a navex to White Waltham. I checked to see if my Flight instructor friend Bruno would be working but no, it is his day off today.

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15/05/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

  Aviation Without Borders, in association with the Scottish Aero Club, hosted its first ‘Introduction to Aviation’ day in Scotland on Saturday 19th April 2008 at Perth Aerodrome.  The event was supported by EADS and the Scottish Aero Club, who also kindly offered the use of their clubhouse.

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05/05/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

It was last may that i took my friend Luca flying out of Lasham during the early part of my private pilots licence training. That time Paul was giving me lessons on stalling and steep turns - we also went cloud bashing as it was put to me. The day was boiling hot and visibility was great. Luca was sick in my rucksack 3000 feet up which meant that we had to finish the lesson early. I did manage to get a few circuits in at RAF Odiham though. Read the rest of this entry »

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04/05/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Last year we took Rusty gliding from Lasham - the weather then was sublime. This year, Edward and I, had planned to take Rusty home to Norfolk to have lunch with his parent for the day to celebrate his birthday. Well, seeing there was a party on Friday night, we did not see him until mid afternoon on sat. The weather was also not as brilliant as last year..so, with weather and a later departure, i planned a route to Wellesbourne Mountford instead and get Rusty some birthday cake. This we did and once back in london we ended the day with some fish and chips or as i like to say cod and potatoes, wizardora see ya lata… watch the short slideshow with backing music from The Doctors of Love, which is one of Rusty’s bands….
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03/05/2008 by Mr Shoe Wingtips.

Weather is starting to get better so the best way to spend a day for me is to do some flying and keep building my hours. My initial ideas was to fly to Sibson. Local weather around the airfield was not brilliant and i still want to explore destinations with longish runways before i start to visit fields with short grass strips. So instead I plotted a route to Wellsbourne Mountford (EGBW), close to Birmingham CTR. Read the rest of this entry »

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