When you have time go by air.

Hello.

I have misplaced my camera. :-( I think I know where it is so here is hoping………… anyhow, you can all sigh and say thank goodness. Hahahaha

Anyhow, I decided to go fly today on the spur of the moment. Got my work done and headed off to the Tiger Club at Headcorn. You may well ask why I did not head off to Old Hay and that is because Mavis is having new brakes fitted. I think it is those cleaveland thingies. Anyhow, the Tiger Club now has a new addition to its fleet. A lovely electric start Cub. :-) No more begging and pleading to get some one to swing the prop.

I dully arrived at the appointed time and was asked if I would mind helping a fellow pilot to go retrieve his machine from Thurrock so he could then fly it back to Lydd and I would then pick him up from Lydd and fly him back to Headcorn so he could retrieve his car. I am always happy to help a fellow aviator.

Well that was the plan. Jim flew the leg to Thurrock in the Cub. I have never been into Thurrock. Lovely airfield. Grass and tar runway. Jim hopped out did his walk around and once he had confirmed he was happy I set off in the Cub to Lydd. Hmm, I did feel a bit slow that even though I took off first Jim was already calling for joining instructions at Lydd and I had not even passed Headcorn yet!! Hahahahaha. Viz was a bit carp and interesting Skydemon does not take you to the overhead of Lydd. It was rather a lot out but I assume that is because of the type map they use. Anyhow, good old Mark 1 sorted me out and Lydd said nought about my strange join. Eeeek. The 2nd eeek was I now needed to get Sway onto the ground at Lydd in a straight across the runway cross wind. Happily it was only around 8kts. Still, I had not landed a dragger on tar in over a year. Went well except I flared a bit hi and I did a perfect 3 point arrival. Hahahahahahaha. Blush. Still, she tracked straight down the runway and did not try bite my arse so I guess I did summit right or I had knocked all the fight out of her with my arrival.

Anyhow, Jim put his aircraft to bed and climbed into the back and I fired up, got the ATIS and as I am about to call for taxi I felt the left brake go flat. Hmmm, I let her creep forward a tad to see what was up and I had nadda left brake. Shut down and had a look and there was fluid pissed all over the floor of the cabin and a puddle under the Sway. There ended Sways flying for the day. Logistically Jim decided to get his aircraft out of bed and fly us back to Headcorn and he would leave her there for a few days until he could get it back to Lydd. The irony, Sway stuck at Lydd and The Saratoga stuck at Headcorn. “when you have time go by air”.

First for me today:-
– Thurrock in the log book – never been
- Flew in the back of the Cub for the first time although I may have done so years back but cant remember and still it was good fun
- Lost my camera although I may know where it might be
- Flew in a Saratoga TC. Man that is a beautiful machine. All singing all dancing piece of kit. I have flown the older Lance but the Saratoga is streaks ahead in build quality and so forth. My only two negative comments I can say about it is it did not have a lot of room up front front for my long legs and because they have moved switches to the roof some of the windshield has been lost. Neither are major issues and you soon get used to it and for a shorter person it would be a non issue altogether BUT man the comfort more than makes up for that. A thirsty beast however.