FALKING TO SCOTLAND

by David Smart (July  1996)

My Sister-in-law phoned and invited me to my brothers 40th birthday party in Kincraig, near Aviemore. At last, a good excuse to fly up to Scotland. I started thinking about the trip. Better take the tent as you don't know where you will end up with the British summer weather! Having got the charts for Northern England and Scotland I considered several routes. As the Falke motor glider has a range of 220 nm, two intermediate stops would be necessary. I hummed and hawed for days and eventually settled on a route based on IFR navigation (I follow roads, railways and rivers!) I think any suitable route has to have a number of unambiguous land marks which give a clear indication of whether or not the the flight will be completed on time. Having a number of airfields near the end of the route also means that if running out of time, then an intermediate stop can be made.

A right hand turnout from Blackpool took me past the tower, and over Morecambe Bay to Kendal, Penrith, Carlisle, Langholm, and Galashiels to North Berwick, which is east of Edinburgh. It took about 7 minutes to cross the Firth of Forth at 3000 feet. Phew, onto the last chart now, landing at Dundee, 2hrs 45 mins after leaving Blackpool. By now it was about 4 o'clock. As I filled up, the Katana from the flying club at Dundee whizzed by. Very pretty, and quiet too. Dundee has changed a bit since I was last there  it was a grass strip (allegedly) and I was on my solo cross country flight. Yes, thinking about it, that was the day I was I5 miles from Glasgow and some clown in the tower insisted I was 1 mile from Glasgow airport and why hadn't I told them I was on finals and changed to Tower, etc. At the time I was over this big reservoir miles to the north. Finally, they accepted my version of the story, honestly, I can tell the difference between the Clyde and a 2000 foot hill, but none the less they charged me I7 quid for 'Navigational Service Charges.' I shudder to think what they charge for getting your position correct!

The weather had been beautiful all the way up and held all the way to Cairngorm Gliding Club at Feshiebridge. I followed the A9, gosh a road, railway, and a river  can't get lost now! I had planned to arrive there by 6pm, which I did as I wanted to be able to carry enough fuel to divert to Glasgow, Edinburgh or Inverness if necessary. The strip at Feshiebridge is bounded on one side by a 2000 foot hill, about a 1/2 mile away, a river on the other side, and pine forest everywhere else, so, all circuits to the NW! Despite what I had heard, the strip was pretty good, long, but narrow, at 8I0 feet AMSL. The club was very quiet all weekend, as they were all down at Portmoak. Another Falke in the hangar there, which is more like an underground bunker!

Roy, my brother, and his family were there to meet me. I got the Falke tied down and headed back the 3 miles to his house. Well, no flying on Saturday, due to birthday celebrations etc, you know the sort of thing, barbeque, one child with a sprained wrist from falling off the bouncy castle, another practically drowned in a canoe. Bad tempered adults in the morning with sore heads.

On the Sunday the weather had deteriorated, but I managed to take up my two brothers, a friend, and my sister-in-law's cousin. She wins the award for the most enthusiastic passenger ever. As we say up north, she was gobsmacked,  ie totally speechless, eyes rolling around, looking up at the sky, flapping her arms, muttering, "Where can I learn!"

In the afternoon I went up with my brother and headed up to Aviemore, Loch Morlich, and then climbed up in a nice clear area which seemed to be stuck to the NW of Cairngorm. Well finally, there I was, at 7500 feet, over Cairngorm (4252 feet), while my brother was evidently enjoying himself with his 1 inch map and video recorder. if you couldn't actually see most of the hills, then at least you could see the cloud that clung to them. The clear blue slot stayed where it was and we circled a couple of times over the top of it. At one point it seemed to start closing so it was time to get down quick. Still takes a while to lose about 5000 feet, even with full spoilers and descending in a steep turn with the engine idling! I haven't tried a VNE descent yet that might be quicker! Eventually we got down to about 2500 feet and soared over the ski slopes, which at this time of year look like. the boulder strewn hillsides that they are.

On Monday I said my goodbyes and headed off down the A9 again towards Perth. Unfortunately, by now, the cloud base was down to about 3000 feet, with 'showers in the vicinity' I knew if I could get through the Drumochter Pass I would get to better weather on the other side. (Actually, I was wrong, the weather was just as bad on the other side).

The pass rises to 1500 feet, and is very narrow, with hills to 3500 feet a couple of miles on either side. Well, the cloud base was too low with hill fog, or should it be called "valley fog" and I had to turn back. After landing back  at Feshiebridge, I managed to get my brother on the mobile phone I had.. Yes, they really are worth their weight in gold when there aren't any call boxes around! Saves a long walk in the rain!

By Tuesday the drizzle had sat in, and by lunchtime I found myself in the pub (as one does in these circumstances). Well, I was pretty wet already, but in walks some old bloke and says to the guy at the bar, 'Weel, Peter, it looks like this is going to turn to rain later!' Funny thing though, that clear blue slot over Cairngorm was still there! I had telephoned the AIRMET a couple of times, and it proved pretty accurate.

On Wednesday the sun was trying to break through, so I headed off South again. This time the weather was classic post cold front stuff. Unlimited visibility, strong NW tailwind, with a few clouds. After about 15 mins following the A9, I cut straight across the mountains to Dunblane, Stirling, and then right across the Central Lowlands to Carlisle, arriving there 2 hours after taking off from Feshiebridge. The view across Scotland was terrific, and I was rewarded for my patience in sitting it out for a couple of days. It was a real pity that the next front was coming in the next day, as there were beautiful lenticular clouds over the Cairngorms in the 'wave' from the fresh NW winds. At the same time, I could see Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde, and the Bass Rock in the Forth, distance about 100 miles between them. I think a week at Feshiebridge is a must! As I flew 2000 feet above each ridge, the Falke smoothly soared up the upwind side, and bump, bump, bumped, down the lee side.

Refueling at Carlisle, the weather deteriorated over the Lake District as I caught up with the remnants of the previous day's front. I had a personal air display from a Tornado which performed a very neat slow roll about a few hundred yards away, followed by a high speed pass over the top of me a few minutes later! I suppose the new red paint scheme of the Falke confused him and he took me for a Air Training Cadet's Venture, because I know the RAF don't do that sort of thing normally. As I passed Manchester, several airliners were requesting deviations from the ATC instructions as there was a large thunderstorm passing inland over Manchester. I refueled at Gloucestershire and the weather changed from a NW tailwind to a southerly breeze after passing Bristol. I made it back to Eyres Field about 6:30 pm, having left Aviemore about 11 am, with two stops for a total of 1 hour. Not bad I thought, sure beats sitting in the car on the M6!

Well, I flew about 18 hours over the weekend and had a nice glide back to Eyres Field from Lyme Regis a few evenings later, having climbed to 10000 feet and switching the engine off. 30 mins of gliding at 0 gph for over 30 miles brought me overhead at 3500 feet. Another tailwind? 45 mins soaring overhead the 'Park' near Stourhead with the engine off the following weekend, made me puzzle why there aren't more motorgliders in this country.

And before you say anything about the Scottish weather, the only reason you are reading this, is because it has been pouring with rain all day here in Dorchester, and yesterday was a mini gale, After all it is the 11th of August. Mind you, there'll be a few flyers who will be praying for high winds, rain, and hill fog tomorrow on a boulder strewn hillside not a million miles away!

David Smart

Loch Tay - looking west.

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