The BCal Light Aircraft G-CHIP in 2021
To arrange a flight in G-CHIP
please contact Richard Heywood on heywoodcr@aol.com
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9th July 2021 : Flight over Sussex, Surrey & Hampshire
Trip summary and photos by Dave & Helen Spencer
Richard organised brilliant weather, a near deserted LGW for our fly round, (which took Helen and I back a few decades) a view looking down on the Red Arrows at Goodwood, (which sadly didn't pick up well on the camera) clear blue seas around Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, and many other interesting views on our journey.
Our alfresco lunch at Sandown was topped up with interesting conversations with other pilots and a view of Sandown ATC working hard from their deckchairs.
All in all, a brilliant day thanks to the Golden Lion..........
David Spencer.
Trip summary and photos by Dave & Helen Spencer
Richard organised brilliant weather, a near deserted LGW for our fly round, (which took Helen and I back a few decades) a view looking down on the Red Arrows at Goodwood, (which sadly didn't pick up well on the camera) clear blue seas around Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, and many other interesting views on our journey.
Our alfresco lunch at Sandown was topped up with interesting conversations with other pilots and a view of Sandown ATC working hard from their deckchairs.
All in all, a brilliant day thanks to the Golden Lion..........
David Spencer.
G-CHIP
The Lion flies over Gatwick
Gatwick 2021
Still parked up
A lot waiting to fly
Portsmouth
The Spinnaker Tower
One of 3 forts in the Solent
Arundel Castle
Osbourne House (IoW)
We have arrived
Turnaround
Richard in command
David & Helen Spencer with Richard Heywood. …… and G-CHIP of course
Richard's notes:
I took David and Helen Spencer to the Isle of Wight. David and Helen are both shareholders in Golden Lion Aviation and, as such, are entitled to a flight every. The weather was very kind to us.
During these times when Gatwick is not busy, we left Shoreham and headed towards Handcross, calling up Gatwick Director for clearance to overfly the airport and then head to Horsham and Slinfold before moving on. Gatwick were no talking to anyone at all, so they were quite happy for us to enter their controlled airspace as long as we stayed below 2,000ft. In fact we were below 1,500ft most of the time. We were transferred to the Tower and then had to do an orbit just south of the airfield while an Air Portugal Airbus A319 took off. Then we crossed over the runway threshold where an EasyJet A320 was waiting to depart.
Unfortunately we were then denied the chance to fly over Horsham (and the Spencer home) and so made our way West towards Dunsfold and then onwards towards Midhurst, continuing to Butser Hill, just south of Petersfield. On that leg we were able to see the red, white and blue smoke of the Red Arrows who were displaying at the Festival of Speed at Goodwood. We obviously kept well away from the restricted airspace which surrounds any of their displays. From Butser Hill we turned South to the Isle of Wight, passing by the Spinnaker Tower at Portsmouth and coasting in at Priory Bay for a 5 mile final approach to Sandown’s runway 23.
As usual, lunch at Sandown has to be wood fired pizza, at which they excel. The three of us didn’t manage to finish two of them between us! Sandown was as busy as ever on such a beautiful day, with plenty of arrivals and departures.
We left at 14:30 and after taking off from 23 turned right and headed towards Cowes. Here we passed Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s former favourite home, and then across the Solent to Southsea, Bognor Regis and up to Arundel before turning for Shoreham, landing just half an hour after we took off.
On days like today, one feels very privileged to be able to enjoy the delights of flying in a light aircraft.
I took David and Helen Spencer to the Isle of Wight. David and Helen are both shareholders in Golden Lion Aviation and, as such, are entitled to a flight every. The weather was very kind to us.
During these times when Gatwick is not busy, we left Shoreham and headed towards Handcross, calling up Gatwick Director for clearance to overfly the airport and then head to Horsham and Slinfold before moving on. Gatwick were no talking to anyone at all, so they were quite happy for us to enter their controlled airspace as long as we stayed below 2,000ft. In fact we were below 1,500ft most of the time. We were transferred to the Tower and then had to do an orbit just south of the airfield while an Air Portugal Airbus A319 took off. Then we crossed over the runway threshold where an EasyJet A320 was waiting to depart.
Unfortunately we were then denied the chance to fly over Horsham (and the Spencer home) and so made our way West towards Dunsfold and then onwards towards Midhurst, continuing to Butser Hill, just south of Petersfield. On that leg we were able to see the red, white and blue smoke of the Red Arrows who were displaying at the Festival of Speed at Goodwood. We obviously kept well away from the restricted airspace which surrounds any of their displays. From Butser Hill we turned South to the Isle of Wight, passing by the Spinnaker Tower at Portsmouth and coasting in at Priory Bay for a 5 mile final approach to Sandown’s runway 23.
As usual, lunch at Sandown has to be wood fired pizza, at which they excel. The three of us didn’t manage to finish two of them between us! Sandown was as busy as ever on such a beautiful day, with plenty of arrivals and departures.
We left at 14:30 and after taking off from 23 turned right and headed towards Cowes. Here we passed Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s former favourite home, and then across the Solent to Southsea, Bognor Regis and up to Arundel before turning for Shoreham, landing just half an hour after we took off.
On days like today, one feels very privileged to be able to enjoy the delights of flying in a light aircraft.
