Piston Heads Airforce

[Graham]

So how many people and planes are flying to LM this year, it seems like quite a few..

There is 3 of us in some dodgey old french 4 seater plane flying from Wellsbourne at 10am on Thursday weather permitting

were flying down to dover, following the ferries to calais landing there for fuel and lunch before the last hop into Le Mans...


anyone going by car fancy a race from calais airport to au portes des circuit pub ?

hopefully the Plane will be sporting a PH sticker.. speed really matters

>>> Edited by Graham on Friday 4th June 10:53

[fatsteve]

Flash git!!, we're going down in convoy with Cliff, so I'd imagine we'll be airborne at some stage...

Steve

[boredpilot]

Im taking a seneca from peterbough to jersey, uplifting fuel there and then into Le Mans.

The second plane is also a seneca from peterbough taking the same route and if I can fill the third its taking off from retford/gamston I expect picking people up on the way and flying direct.

Plane 1 me IFR to Jersey then VFR to Le mans in formation with plane 2
Plane 3 IFR all the way

So looking at 15 people if 3rd filled with me. What time is your landing slots?

[Graham]

fatsteve said:

Flash git!!, we're going down in convoy with Cliff, so I'd imagine we'll be airborne at some stage... Steve

you havent seen the plane yet

actauly neither have I

[SoftwareSorcerer]

Saratoga - Gamston IFR Le Mans and return. Going via Jersey for the cheap fuel costs too much time for the cash saving.

[Graham]

IFR ? VFR? i'll be sitting in the back crapping myself all the way...

This will be the second time our pilot has flown across the channel the frirst time being last week


apparently i get to sit in the front on the way back and drive...


can you donut a plane?

[SoftwareSorcerer]

Graham said:

IFR ? VFR? i'll be sitting in the back crapping myself all the way... This will be the second time our pilot has flown across the channel the frirst time being last week apparently i get to sit in the front on the way back and drive... can you donut a plane?

IFR = not primarily looking out of the windows
VFR = looking out of the windows

There, that's made you feel better hasn't it, knowing that when we fly we don't necessarily look at where we are going

Have a go at driving - it's a lot easier than you might imagine, providing the weather is fine etc. Landing needs a spot of skill, and they are tricky when it's dark, stormy and people are shooting at you, but generally that doesn't happen on the Le Mans trips...

Donuts should be possible in a twin with one prop in beta (thrust reverse for a prop). Can't say I fancy it though.

The channel is very narrow, and if your man takes the shortest crossing the exposure over water will be about 8 minutes for a small single. Given that it's likely to be able to glide for about 1 minute per 500' loss of altitude, there really isn't much risk. And don't forget, the engine doesn't know it's over water...

[Graham]

>IFR = not primarily looking out of the windows
>VFR = looking out of the windows


TA i had guessed at it meaning Instrument and Visual...



>Have a go at driving - it's a lot easier than you >might imagine, providing the weather is fine etc. >Landing needs a spot of skill, and they are tricky >when it's dark, stormy and people are shooting at you, >but generally that doesn't happen on the Le Mans >trips...


There were bullets landing at the hotel carpark at Sebring though

I've had a hours flying a few years ago. the instructor said i was very smooth. the truth was i was crapping it and moving the controls veeerrryyy slooowwwllly..


>The channel is very narrow, and if your man takes the >shortest crossing the exposure over water will be >about 8 minutes for a small single. Given that it's >likely to be able to glide for about 1 minute per 500' >loss of altitude, there really isn't much risk. And >don't forget, the engine doesn't know it's over water.


Yep our chap has worked out the short time where we carnt glide to land... He didnt fancy the direct route which is over water for an hour or so...


i'll find out what time were due into Le mans and let you guys know that and the reg no... mmm PH formation flight down the Mulsanne...

G


is it really next week..

[SoftwareSorcerer]

Graham said:

I've had a hours flying a few years ago. the instructor said i was very smooth. the truth was i was crapping it and moving the controls veeerrryyy slooowwwllly.. i'll find out what time were due into Le mans and let you guys know that and the reg no... mmm PH formation flight down the Mulsanne...

Slow and smooth is how it's done in the cruise - more pressure than an actual movement.

Sadly there's no flying over the circuit - it's covered in helicopters and you simply aren't allowed to over-fly.

Tips for your man if he hasn't flown to LM before:

Have a stiff drink before paying landing fee. It will be a shock.

Have another stiff drink ready for after he has paid the landing fee, as the first one won't be enough to dull the pain.

Don't even think about buying fuel - it will take weeks to arrive, you'll miss the race, and even Gordon would wince at charging that much.

File your return flight plan immediately after you pay your landing fee. The number on the sheet is very important - you'll need to use this number over the radio when departing.

It will be very busy both when arriving and on departure.

Don't try to walk around the airfield perimeter to the circuit - there's a minibus which will take you across for buttons.

[boredpilot]

If he is going VFR he wont need to worry to much about a departure slot its only IFR that there concerned with for the departures.

Last year I spoke to the guy before I went so no departure number just call up.

He will need to file a flight plan assuming he is going VFR it will need to be in about 1 hour min before you go, but if your VFR you will have 1hour leway before you need to refile it.

And yes the landing fee is steep, I paid £60 last year for the twin, fortunatly that was a light plane, this years is 1999kg so will cost me dear.

[boredpilot]

ops forgot the call signs of mine

G-BORH Seneca II
G-AZIK Seneca I
Not sure about the 3rd plane yet but think it will be a PA 23 either 160 or the 250 if it arrives in time

[Alf Essex]

Hey,

Wish I was flying in with you guys in my plane
(G-UTSY) but this will be my second drive down there (last was at testing a month ago) and as am in drivers parade (give me a wave! - Tuscan S) I can't fly in clearly

These fly-in's to big events are great fun in the circuit....planes coming in all directions, people cutting each other up not following ATC instructions (specially everyone talking in French, so you don’t know where they are coming from!)...the amount of traffic is just like being back above Kent in 1940 great fun!

Nervous flyers...don't worry...we know what we are doing (most of the time )

Alan.

[SoftwareSorcerer]

boredpilot said:

If he is going VFR he wont need to worry to much about a departure slot its only IFR that there concerned with for the departures. Last year I spoke to the guy before I went so no departure number just call up. He will need to file a flight plan assuming he is going VFR it will need to be in about 1 hour min before you go, but if your VFR you will have 1hour leway before you need to refile it. And yes the landing fee is steep, I paid £60 last year for the twin, fortunatly that was a light plane, this years is 1999kg so will cost me dear.

Not so much a departure slot that needs booking, just getting the paperwork done - if it's left to file just before departure (assuming you are departing almost immediately after the race), then it's bedlam. The number on the flight plans is just to allow the ops guys to find it easily - not actually a slot number.

I've never paid just £60! In fact, never had a fee under £100 yet, the lightest aircraft being a PA28-235, so not exactly top-level stuff. The year I took a King Air 200 was a bit spendy though...

Enjoy your trip, and it's G-RAMS, PA32-301R.

[boredpilot]

So if your in a PA 32 6 seater I do belive with 300hp you wont be far of the 2 ton mark as well. Ill have to bring my second wallet to pay this years landing fee.

[Graham]

Mmm were flying in on thurs and back monday to avoid the worst of the rush

[Graham]

Just setting off for the pl;an ( after voting )

wish me luck i think i'll need it...



now i know how those chaps in the gliders felt 60 years ago....

G

[Graham]

Bugger low cloud carnt fly...... any suggestions

[boredpilot]

ive just checked the weather, dont no your routing but, the clooud is mostly broken so you pilot is legal if he is ontop of the cloud and can still see the ground through the patches (VFR which is the rules he will be flying under means he must stay clear of cloud)

Over france the weather significantly improves

And over Le mans as we speak we have

LFRM LE MANS ARNAGE (Elev. 194 ft - 6mb) LME
Today 10/06/04 Sunrise 03:59 Sunset 19:59 UTC

UTC now 9:06 UTC offset time 10:06 (UTC 1 Hrs)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

METAR
LFRM 100900Z 31005KT 240V020 CAVOK 24/18 Q1020 NOSIG=
LFRM: Issued on the 10th at 09:00 UTC
wind 310 degrees, 05 knots
varying between 240 and 020 degrees
CAVOK Visibility 10 km or more, No Cumulonimbus cloud,
No Cloud below 5000ft or Highest MSA (Greater),
No weather significant to aviation.
temperature 24, dew point 18 (degrees C)
QNH = 1020 mb
no significant change

LFRM 100800Z 29004KT 240V360 CAVOK 23/18 Q1020 NOSIG=
LFRM: Issued on the 10th at 08:00 UTC
wind 290 degrees, 04 knots
varying between 240 and 360 degrees
CAVOK Visibility 10 km or more, No Cumulonimbus cloud,
No Cloud below 5000ft or Highest MSA (Greater),
No weather significant to aviation.
temperature 23, dew point 18 (degrees C)
QNH = 1020 mb
no significant change


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAF
LFRM 100800Z 100918 32005KT 9999 BKN033 BKN100 PROB40 TEMPO 1118 340103G25KT 5000 TSRA SCT023CB BKN080=

LFRM: Issued on the 10th at 08:00 UTC
valid from 09:00 UTC on the 10th until 18:00 UTC on the 10th
wind 320 degrees, 05 knots
visibility 10km or more
broken cloud at 3300 feet
broken cloud at 10000 feet
probability 40%
temporarily 11:00 to 18:00
wind 340 degrees, 103 gusting to 25 knots
visibility 5000 metres
THUNDERSTORMS, rain
scattered cloud at 2300 feet (cumulonimbus)
broken cloud at 8000 feet

[boredpilot]

The only major hazard is the possibility of CB's (thunderstorms) between a possible arrival for you, it just means your chap will need to use common sense, if there is a big black cloud fly around and if said cloud is spitting fire and brimstone give it a wide birth and dont land if its near the field, let it move on then land.

Have fun, its not all doom and gloom. The weather is realy not to bad over there

[Graham]

Jumping on the eurostar, hopefully flying back...

see you guys there

g