Visit to the European Cirrus Re-assembly Line

Karen did a great job of organising a social event at Bembridge for Freeflight and friends today.















(JJ photo) Around 30 of us arrived in a half-dozen or more Cirrus and a Cessna 340 - once the morning fog had cleared from the departure airfields across southern England.















(JJ photo) Aero Composites (Britten-Norman Group) were great hosts, providing a tour of the European Cirrus Re-assembly line and their brand new aircraft painting facility.




















The Cirrus arrive in containers from the U.S. Anyone fancy one of those boxed prop's for Christmas?















Most recent arrivals N747FC and N854BC. Two more en-route are at Southampton Docks.















SR20 N742PG is bound for Bangledesh. Aero Composites have delivered 41 Cirrus from the line so far in 2008 (77 in 2007).
















Seventy three man-hours are scheduled for the re-assembly. Silver SR22 G3 Turbo Perspective N168CP looked ready for imminent delivery.















As did SR20 G3 GTS N173PG, to Cirrus UK I think. Behind is a grand old lady of the skies - a Dragon Rapide - 73-years young.















The Cirrus share the facility with another of the worlds best-selling aircraft - the BN-2 Islander. This ex-Belgiam Air Force is one of several undergoing refurbishment. The first production Islander first flew on 24 April 1967. New-build aircraft are still being produced - we were shown the latest in the new 'paint and bake' facility (which can accomodate aircraft up to DHC-6 Twin Otter size).






























(JJ bbq photos) A fantastic BBQ was laid on complete with sunshine before leaving for home (Or Jersey: Vince still can't fly the C340 with the ball centred - but at least his departure looked like he meant to fly a top-side knife-edge climb ;-)















Many thanks to Martyn Clark and father Ron for my ride to Bembridge in N147LK - she was the first Cirrus to be re-assembled by Aero Composites, in February 2006.

Many thanks to our hosts and Karen for a very enjoyable visit!















G- DUAL home to Denham.















KA Crew back to Shoreham.
















Beatrice and John P taking-off for Denham G-TAAC
















LD ready to go.















LK rolling Rwy 12 for Blackbushe















View of Bembridge Harbour, from LK climbing-out crosswind-leg.















Southsea, Portsmouth Harbour and the Spinnaker Tower.

ZeroBoys and ZERO Re-Union

Today the ZeroBoys flew memory lane with what was once our Grumman Tiger G-ZERO. Having flown around 1600 hours, re-engined, re-painted and re-trimmed her before selling to Neville Duke, for most of us it was the first time we had seen ZERO in several years.

We made it an excuse to invite fellow IBM Flying Club members and friends to join us for lunch and a lazy afternoon watching the coming and goings at the beautiful Compton Abbas airfield.

Another resident Tiger busy with pleasure flying.

Good to be introduced by Irv to fellow Flyer Forumites, especially with shared interest in formation flying.

Bulldog formation take-off (more http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=48296)

ZeroBoys Paul and Alex with ZeroGirl Helen.

Our re-acquianance flights were arranged through Abbas Air as "Trial flights" with Instructor Mosaab, who had not yet flown a Tiger! After asking Phil what the speeds were Mosaab went for a quick check-flight with the CFI - while Phil (who hadn't flown for five years) conferred to be sure he had remembered them correctly! :-)

Phil introducing another generation to the Captains seat.

Phil was first up with Mosaab. "Brilliant day - I certainly really enjoyed it and was very pleased to discover that I could still fly although a bit rusty around the edges with height control and correct trimming. I am sure that if I went up again now, I could crack that one easily. I was also very pleased with my landing :-) If felt good..."

It looked good too - here is Phil's first touchdown in five years!

Irv flying one his South African PPL check-rides (N.B. PA28 landing only on the mains. Bravo!). Thanks for letting Helen fly back-seat for her first ever light aircraft flight - Helen really enjoyed it - we could tell!

My turn next. Mosaab was enjoying the Tiger. "You have lots of hours on Tigers?" he asked. "About 300 - on this one". Mosaab liked that and we had a ball - slow flight, stall, PFL, EFATO, practice diversion, normal and glide approaches with and without flap - sometimes too high and fast requiring, errm, full slipping turns :-), and an aborted take-off to finish off.

Got a better photo for me James?

Nigel had flown in by Grob to join us and bagged a backseat on James' flight.

James getting airbone in ZERO

I think they enjoyed themselves as I hope did all who joined us - by whatever was their choice of transport.

Denis got his shot of 'Hovis Street' in nearby Shaftsbury.

Time to head for Home.

John and Linda off to Bourne Park


Peter taking-off for Popham. http://forum.planetalk.net/viewtopic.php?t=6884 for another.


Rest of the gang lined up to head home in the PC12.

Ok, well, maybe not this time :-)

Many thanks to everyone who came along and made an afternoon of it with us, to Abbas Air for hosting us, and to Denis for his additional photos. And Mosaab should have fully recovered by the now - thanks Mosaab!

Mmmmm

Mmmm. M is for Isle Of Man register. I didn't realise until I saw this Cirrus SR20 GTS at RGV (Gloucester) today that piston engine singles were being accepted onto this new register. Apparently they are. Selectively. Nice to see Cirrus qualifies.

Look out for a another new register in 2009... ...Channel Islands, apparently.

AirTeamImages.com have my favourite photo so far of the Cirrus Vision (nee Jet)

Mmmmm, gorgeous!

Cirrus Diamond Nine

Well, it did all happen on the day! We flew the first ever Cirrus 9-ship formation on the 17th September. Great job by all, especially Steve Noujaim who led probably the highest number of people ever airborne in a Diamond Nine formation - 26! Many thanks to everyone who made this possible.

The weather was not kind to the photographers (low light due to overcast) yet this was still officially the 'best' weeks weather of the last 15 weeks (previously known as 'summer').

Nonetheless we have lots of unique photos and video footage to work with - the above are just a couple to be going on with for now.

Flying visit to the Alps - 28-29 Aug 2008

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Photo Above: Approaching the Alps en-route from Basle to Annemasse (Geneva) via Interlaken and Sion. Earlier Peter had flown us Blackbushe->Basle in 2hr45min.


Photo above: Jungfrau 13642 ft (left of centre) and Alertschhorn 13763ft (the pointy one)


Photo above: End of day refuelling and nightstop at Annemasse (near Geneva).
Snow-covered Mont Blanc in the background nearly 50 miles away, which we would explore in the morning - blue-sky-weather permitting.

Photo above: Evening meal at "les Papilles" restaurant near the airfield.


Photo above: View from hotel room! (It's ok - it's a Mooney, not a Cirrus!)


Photo above: Blue Sky, so approaching Mont Blanc.





Above: Images of Mont Blanc taken by Peter with his compact when we were closer to the mountain.

Heading north-west at 10.000ft - Lake Geneva, Geneva Fountain and airport, to Paris (Toussus-le-Noble) for fuel-stop and lunch.






Above: Peter preparing to fly home Paris to Blackbushe in severe clear IFR - all good practice, and another great little tour!