I know I’ve said it before but every so often I get bowled over by how lucky I am to be able to fly more or less when and where I please.
This week I flew from Swansea down to visit my mum for her birthday — a twenty minute flight which would have take two hours and got me there with the barbeque gone cold on the train. I landed on a local golf-course-cum-airstrip and left the aeroplane there overnight (landing fee nil, parking nil). The following day I took my stepdad for a quick bimble and was delighted all over again by his enthusiasm.
I could enthuse for ages, but for once I’ve got decent pics so will let them do the job for me.
Left Base
The runway starts near the houses in the centre of the picture and continues on through the gap in the hedge at the top of the field. I opted for taking off downhill landing uphill since the wind wasn’t doing a great deal.
My “circuit” at Rosemarket (as seen in Google Earth)
Approaching from the east with a low pass to chase the golfers off. Slightly vain attempts to avoid the villages but I think I was moderately close and neat.
On the course…
Watch out for steath golfers. Runway to the right through the gap in the hedge
Rolling
Aim between the hedges!
Like a golf course… Oh…
One thing you can at least be sure of on a golf course airstrip — the grass was immaculate!
Waiting for my passenger
I got a silly childish amusement out of seeing my little shaeroplane parked amid the cars and golf buggies!
On the course
Spot the runway… Ready for engine start, parked near the clubhouse.
The definition of “Bimble”
Ambling around south Pembrokshire. The long loop out towards the west coast was my stepdad having a fly.
Pembrokeshire flying
Green grass and less scenic refineries in the distance!
Milford Haven
Looking up the eponymous waterway. (And at another refinery)
Heading out towards the Cleddau river
Back in an abbreviated circuit of sorts over Rosemarket, looking east
Rosemarket back to Swansea — the long way
Click for full size
Bimble bimble, then home via Cararthen to avoid the danger areas. Watch how my heading-keeping slips once I’ve got the danger areas safely south of me and the Loughor estuary in sight — so much for the neat little corrections I made on the first leg!
The striking difference in my tracks when I’m “navigating properly” as opposed to “I know where I am and can see where I’m going” continues to be a source of fascination!
Google Earth track available in the new widget to the top left for the curious.
