LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 1

LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 1
Our ‘Drop of the hat’ DOTH was held on
Saturday the 12th of August at East Fortune.
After an agonising decision over the
weather it turned out we were right to go
ahead. Altogether eight aircraft attended and
there were enough movements to pay for the
£200 the farmer asked for the runway for the
day.
By lunchtime the wind had got up and
there was at least 15 kts, sometimes 30
degrees off the runway and backing to 10
degrees now and then. You just had to pick
your moment to take off and the minute you
were airborne a gentle turn to the right avoided the wall of trees ahead. I have to say over
the whole day the standard of airmanship was
very high. In spite of minimal radio the flying
kept going smoothly and never looked unsafe.
Iain Gibson did sterling work fending off
cars at the threshold end. Those who attended were mainly Strut members and their
families and friends. DOTH 2 was deemed a
success in no small part due to the excellent
company, organisation and hamburgers.
Next DOTH we are going for September
but in the meantime I hope to see you all at
Sywell.
turned up to participate and/or help out. Despite
the approach over the East Coast Railway Line
putting a couple of people off we had eight
visitors and numerous flights by Strut pilots taking
friends/family/other Strut members up for a local
flight. Another Grand Day Out.
The next meeting is on Monday September 1st
at the Harrow in Dalkeith at 2000.
The two Lancasters at Prestwick over the
weekend of September 6th/7th appear to be
taking off from Prestwick at lunchtime to do their
display at the sea front park before heading off for
a display in N Ireland and returning later that
afternoon. On the Sunday they are open to the
public at Prestwick before taking off at lunchtime
again for a local display before returning to N
Ireland and then back to Coningsby.
Over the same weekend at Perth there will be
Air Racing – possibly the first time post war in
Scotland. It’s not a public event but I understand
it will be possible to have a view from outside the
Scottish Aero Club clubhouse. Typical Scotland to
have two events over the same weekend.
Also immediately before our next meeting is
the annual LAA fly in at Sywell. Whether flying or
driving enjoy your aviation.
The DOTH to Keith Griggs’ invitation fly in on
the 9th at the motor cycle track at East
Fortune was an excellent day out. Many
thanks to Keith for organising it, Tim Rayner
for doing the burgers and everyone who
If you’re going to Sywell, take lots of photographs
for the Newsletter.
This newsletter can also be viewed on the Strut
website: www.eos-strut.org.uk
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 2
Monday 1st September 2014
from 20.00 at
The Harrow Hotel
Eskbank Road
Dalkeith
29-31 August
LAA Sywell International Rally
Monday 1st September 2014
Next Strut meeting
Monday 6th October 2014
Strut meeting, Harrow Hotel
About the Light Aircraft Association:
www.laa.uk.com
The Light Aircraft Association represents and defends the
interests of some 8,200 pilot, builder and aviation enthusiast
members from all areas of powered light aviation.
With a full-colour monthly magazine, plus nationwide
social and technical support networks, the LAA offers the
widest range of aviation member services in Europe. It
provides full technical and coaching support for the build,
operation and airworthiness of over 4,000 sport and recreational UK light aircraft, plus sector-leading consultation and
lobbying in aviation regulatory matters, both in the UK and
Europe.
The Strut fly-in at East Fortune, 1
Words Justin Kennedy, photographs Colin Lourie
Colin Lourie
I arrived at East Fortune from Perth at around 10:30am on Saturday. The
wind was about 8 kts at 20 degrees off the runway heading and the landing
was made on 24 which is the straight for the motorcycle track. 24 has a
railway line with overhead power lines within 20 metres of the runway
threshold and at the end of the 500m runway there are some 25m high
trees dead ahead. Well, the margins were huge but flying into a strange
and challenging strip gave the feeling of bush flying. Great fun!
Tim Rayner and Keith Griggs had been really busy setting up the BBQ and
providing seating at Keith’s hangar and Tim and Annie had bought the
Hymer so there was an air of organisation about the place.
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 3
A Macleod
East of Scotland members were much in
evidence. Keith flew his daughter and
her family, one at a time that is, in the
Piel Emeraude and Alex McClintock arrived in his Kitfox for one of the shortest
flights of the day. Jim Oliver also flew in
in his Ikarus. Well done Jim.
I saw Ed being shoehorned into the
Kitfox for a flight and to the credit of the
Kitfox it didn’t look too cramped. Ed is
surely getting a wide experience of light
aircraft.
Colin Lourie
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 4
Colin Lourie
Last but not least Trevor made it from Kingsmuir
in the very yellow Emeraude.
I made quite a few joy rides, the last and most
notable being to Andrew Macleod who to my
surprise accepted the offer immediately. Having
made a low pass of Keith’s hangar where the
BBQ had been set up, we scooted around East
Lothian to see the sights and returned.
This was the fourth landing I had done and by
now it was quite bumpy and I had to keep the
speed up on the approach to cover the bumps.
On my first approach there was simply not
enough control on this blustery day to fly a slow
steep approach to avoid the railway wires. I set
up the landing by arriving too low and too soon
and then used power to maintain straight and
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 5
level with everything down at 55kts (stall speed
42kts). Once happy that I had cleared the
railway wires I chopped the power and dived for
the threshold as steep as I dared. This required
an early flare but the aircraft sat down nicely as
I lowered it onto the runway at a gentle >40mph
ground speed.
It had taken four landings to perfect but I now
had it off pat. I will be most interested in
comments at our next meeting.
In the end the crosswind was not worth the
mention. I don’t know how impressed Andrew
was with the dive for the runway but to his credit
he never said a thing.
His Baked Alaska ended up in the bin but Tim’s
burgers made up for it
Colin Lourie
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 6
The Strut fly-in at East Fortune, 2
Photographs and fly-in details from Iain Gibson
There were eight on the ground during
the day
G-BBKL Emeraude based East Fortune
G-ILRS Ikarus C 42 based East Fortune
G-ZTED Europa based Perth
G-RMPS RV 12 based Perth
G-RVEE RV 6A based Perth
G-BCGM Jodel D120 based Perth
G-BKUR Emeraude based Kingsmuir
G-BITF Cessna F152 based Glenrothes
G-PLSA Pulsar based Cumbernauld
G-CDOZ Eurostar based Perth
both did approaches
Gavin Hunter flew overhead during the
morning in Jungmann G-CGTX, based
Archerfield
Iain Gibson
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 7
Jim Oliver in his Ikarus arriving after the short flight from the microlight field
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 8
Iain Gibson
Iain Gibson
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 9
Keith Boardman escapes when he’s told it’s his turn to make the tea
Iain Gibson
Approach over the wires of the East Coast Main Line
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 10
Iain Gibson
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 11
The Strut fly-in at East Fortune, 3. Result!
Photo Colin Lourie
Brian Allison is a regular contributor to the Newsletter and Brian and wife Margaret came along to the
East Fortune fly-in. Margaret suffers from claustrophobia and had abandoned all hope of ever having
a holiday that involved flying but something about the atmosphere at the fly-in led to a Damascene
conversion.
Photo Brian Allison
Margaret says, ‘we arrived around 11.00 and were made most welcome by Justin, Tim and his wife,
John and a couple of others. Aircraft came and went during the period we were there and my
confidence rose, so much so that when Justin arrived from down at the runway I said I would like a
spin. Justin said “come along then” and off I went.
I loved every minute of the flight, no claustrophobia or fear or anything, and I was just thrilled by the
view and the sensation. I would now love to fly all by myself, a bit of a dream perhaps but I am thinking
of trying a few lessons. A lottery win might help though!’
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 12
Some old friends…
and some wisdom from training manuals sent
in by Ed Lyon
'Yea, Though I Fly Through the Valley of the
Shadow of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am
at 50,000 Feet and Climbing.'
- Sign over SR71 Wing Ops'You've never been lost until you've been lost
at Mach 3.'
- Paul F. Crickmore (SR71 test pilot)'The only time you have too much fuel is when
you're on fire.'
-Unknown Author'If the wings are traveling faster than the
fuselage it has to be a helicopter -- and
therefore, unsafe.'
- Fixed Wing Pilot'When one engine fails on a twin-engine
airplane, you always have enough power left to
get you to the scene of the crash.'
-Multi-Engine Training Manual-
'Never trade luck for skill.'
-Author UnknownThe three most common expressions (or famous
last words) in military aviation are:'Did you feel
that?' 'What's that noise?' and 'Oh S...!'
-Authors Unknown-
It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over
the area you just bombed.'
- US.Air Force Manual -
Look away now
(If you can’t bear to see expensive bumps)
'Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always
needed to successfully complete the flight.'
-Basic Flight Training Manual'Flying the airplane is more important than
radioing your plight to a person on the ground
incapable of understanding or doing anything
about it.'
- Emergency Checklisthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akA51jb4gwE
'The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the
world; it can just barely kill you.'
- Attributed to Max Stanley ( Northrop test pilot) -
Safe to look back again
'There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm
in peacetime.'
-Sign over Squadron Ops Desk at Davis-Montham
AFB , AZ'You know that your landing gear is up and locked
when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal.'
'Without ammunition, the Air Force is just an
expensive flying club.'
-Unknown Author-
- Lead-in Fighter Training Manual -
'If you hear me yell;"Eject, Eject, Eject!", the
last two will be echos.'
If you stop to ask "Why?", you'll be talking to
yourself, because by then you'll be the pilot.'
-Pre-flight Briefing from a Canadian F104 Pilot
As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental
aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the
crash landing, the crash truck arrives.
The rescuer sees the bloodied pilot and asks,
'What happened?' The pilot's reply: 'I don't know,
I just got here myself!'
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 13
From John Mounce and Jim P comes this link,
featuring the Canadian Mosquito. I think I have
run this before, but not the sea of interesting
links you will also find there.
http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2013/12/10
/news-de-havilland-mosquito-b-35-vr796-cf-hmlrestoration/
Three from Pavel
Pav Gazinski has sent some interesting clips from
New Zealand, including this one of the Swiss Air
Force aerobatic team. You can move the camera
360 degrees while watching the video.
http://www.blick.ch/news/schweiz/exklusiv-360-videoaus-dem-cockpit-des-pc-7-team-erleben-sie-denhoellenritt-der-kunstflieger-hautnah-id3053983.html
Pavel is building a Bristell RG from a kit and says
‘I'd love to have this kit that you can build in 55
minutes!’
http://www.youtube.com/embed/iKlt6rNciTo?rel=0
Handy little transport
Fancy a Strut runabout for those relaxing weekends away? Mike Mold of Devon Strut thought
something like Red Bull’s DC 6 would do us. We
would need a bigger bar of course, and somewhere to do the burgers.
http://www.dhc-2.com/Red_Bull_DC-6.html
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 14
‘EVA Air Boeing 747-45EM taking off from runway 36L at Amsterdam’ is the understated caption to this photograph but I suspect there was a
bit of a panic going on in the cockpit as the end
of the runway approached. It only just cleared
the fence.
Colin Lourie
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 15
Thanks this month in particular to
Iain Gibson and Colin Lourie for
some fantastic photographs.
Time has caught me out once more.
I have several items I would like
to add but I will have to save them
for next month. Andrew
East of Scotland Strut contacts
Chairman; Justin Kennedy
6 Cammo Walk, Edinburgh EH4 8AN Tel 0131 339 8304 / 07798 661 985
justin @systemwise.co.uk
Co-ordinator and Secretary: Iain Gibson
102 Craigmount Brae, Edinburgh EH12 8XN Tel 0131 339 2351
[email protected]
Treasurer and Membership Secretary; Duncan Robertson
17 Cramond Avenue, Edinburgh EH4 6PP Tel 0131 312 7857
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor: Andrew Macleod
102 Gilmore Place, Edinburgh EH3 9PL Tel 0131 228 2774
[email protected]
Safety Officer: Keith Griggs
5 Lammermoor Terrace, Tranent, EH33 1NJ Tel 0187 561 2607 / 07710 547 338
[email protected]
LAA Inspector: Tim Rayner
3 Fowler Street, Tranent EH33 1BU Tel 0187 561 3352 / 0779 515 3392
[email protected]
LAA Inspector: Robin Johnson
Templehall, Midlem, Selkirk TD7 4QB Tel 01835 870 361 / 07836719350
[email protected]
LAA East of Scotland Strut September 2014 Newsletter, page 16

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