2 pilots fly to Duxford
VFR from Headcorn, Stansted Class D zone transit
It is strange how things work out in life. Both Max and I did our PPL training at the same club based at Biggin Hill and we both passed our skills tests at similar times. We would often have chats in the club house about our recent lessons but life events took us in different directions.
So it as a huge shock one sunny September afternoon, as I was about to step out to do my pre-flight checks that I bumped into a familiar face who was just returning in the same aircraft.
After a very brief chat we swapped our most up to date contact details and promised to organise a flight together in the very near future.
That date was to be Sunday 24th October 2021 and we agreed to fly to Duxford for an afternoon at the Imperial War Museum. The plan was for me to fly the outbound leg as I had visited Duxford before and for Max to fly the return leg. On top of that, on the outbound leg, we agreed that we would try and cross the Stansted Class D controlled airspace to help reduce the flight time.
With all of the planning and pre-flight checks done, Max and I refuelled the Cessna 172 G-AVIS and taxied to runway 10. The runway condition wasn’t great, and we had to keep to the left of the grass runway where it was slightly firmer.
After departure, we turned left into the circuit and departed at the end of the downwind leg where we headed towards the east overhead Maidstone where we changed frequency to Southend Radar for a Basic Service
We stayed with Southend until we had passed over the QEII bridge when we changed to Essex Radar where we requested a zone transit via the Stansted overhead.
The controller was very accommodating and our request was approved almost immediately. At first we were asked just to remain to the east of Stansted until we got a bit closer and could plan to slot in around the busy arrivals and departures schedule.
It wasn’t long until we were approved to track towards the threshold of runway 22 at Stansted and transit the airfield at that point. With Max in the P2 seat, he took advantage of the opportunity to get some rare photos and videos of one of the busiest airports in the UK with plenty of aircraft movement happening both on the ground and in the air.
After we passed Stansted, we had to very quickly prepare for our approach into Duxford. As soon as we had left controlled airspace, we requested a frequency change to Duxford Information where we were only 6 nautical miles from the airfield.
We were told that runway 24 left was in use and to join on the downwind leg. I was also preparing for a challenging landing with the wind at 20 knots while on approach and the majority of that being a crosswind.
Not my smoothest ever landing, but we were safely on the ground and I was happy considering the conditions. We then taxied across the grass runway towards the main taxiway where we met the first of two marshallers who guided us to our parking stand.
It was then time for Max and I to get some lunch and reminisce over the good old days and catch up on our flying adventures and then spend the afternoon in the Imperial War Museum before setting off our our flight back to Headcorn.
Watch the video on my YouTube channel: