Steve hosts the Ready for Departure Podcast. You can listen to a selection of episodes here.
As we start the second season of the Ready for Departure podcast, Steve describes his decision-making in determining if he was fit to fly. Following a bout of illness, a short recovery, then a relapse, Steve wanted to go flying as it had been quite a while since his last flight.
But something wasn’t right. Steve was on medication and didn’t feel 100% OK, should he go flying? Was it just nerves because it had been some time since he’d been in the P1 seat?
Join us as Steve talks through the situation and ultimately what he ended up doing. During the podcast, Steve mentions the CAA Safety Sense leaflet and Rory on Air’s latest video, the links are below.
publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/20130121SSL01.pdf
https://youtu.be/Q-S9rciXFmQ
This episode of the Ready for Departure podcast details an in-flight emergency that Steve recently experienced whilst he was pilot in command of an Ikarus C-42 microlight. Steve and fellow pilot Adrian were returning from Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport when the pilot’s door suddenly blew open, sucking out anything that wasn’t strapped or screwed down.
Listen as Steve replays the incident, with the help of actual ATC recordings of the incident and explains how he rectified the situation (along with commentary from inside the cockpit as the problem is diagnosed and eventually resolved).
In this episode Steve talks about completing differences training on a new type of Microlight aircraft, the Ikarus C-42. Whilst it uses the same Rotax 912 4-cylinder engine that Steve is familiar with, the C-42 is a high-wing aircraft and has some notable differences when compared with the low-wing Eurostar EV-97 aircraft that Steve normally flies.
It took Steve a number of lessons with an instructor to get to grips with the change, but now completed Steve has access to a fleet of five aircraft thanks to the PPL hire scheme at the school where he rents his aircraft. This means more flying and more podcasts! Listen in and don’t forget to subscribe on Apple iTunes if you want new episodes instantly downloaded to your Apple device.
Fellow microlight pilot Adrian and I decided to see if we could make it to one of the local farm strips to the north of Barton.
Rossall Field, which is the base for attitude airsports, a small microlight school where flexwing, fixed wing and quite rarely, tailwheel microlight flying is taught, came recommended to us by another pilot. Rossall Field is a farm strip at Tarn Farm in Cockerham, Lancashire with 2 runways (both with reciprocal bearings). Runway 02/20 is 305 metres long and 11 metres wide, and there is a shorter 10/28 runway which is just 270 metres long. Compare that with Barton’s shortest runway (which I have operated from only once, during training) which is a generous 398 metres long and 60 metres wide!
Rossall Field is close to 2 other microlight sites and Cockerham’s parachute dropzone, so correct field identification is really important.
Spotting the site proved to be just as difficult as the time I tried to find Ince Airfield (still not landed there yet!). A grass strip with a farm next to it, from 2,000 feet looks pretty much like any farm with green fields! And there are lots of those in Lancashire!
One of the most common questions Steve is asked when people find out he is a private pilot is “Where can you fly?”
In this episode of the Ready for Departure podcast, Steve attempts to answer this question, which is not quite as straightforward as you might think. Steve attempts to dissect the complexities involved in planning a trip to a new airfield, such as flying through controlled airspace, flying somewhere new for the first time, how it all works in practice and even how long is comfortable to fly before a break!
Join Steve as he talks about where he has already flown this qualifying for his private pilot’s licence and where he plans to fly in the future. If you’ve always wondered where you can fly on a UK NPPL or EASA PPL licence, have a listen in to this episode of the podcast and you might find some inspiration for flights of your own.
Struggling with your training? Wondering if all the effort and expense is worth it? Steve explains what you’ll be able to do with your licence once you’ve qualified – definitely worth keeping the training going!
Steve discusses his latest flight, one he dubs The Liverpool Loop, since it involves a flight which starts and ends at City Airport Manchester (Barton) but follows the edge of Liverpool’s controlled airspace in a loop. The journey touches on the tip of North Wales and Steve even managed to negotiate a zone transit over the Airbus facility at Harwarden, where the Beluga Super Transporter is based.
Steve also talks about his recent learning points from flights he has taken since the last episode of the Ready for Departure Podcast aired, including a fairly significant safety omission from the start of one of his flights.
Listen in as Steve discusses problems with ipads, last minute changes to plans and making the best use of aircraft time.
In this episode of the Ready for Departure Podcast, Steve talks about his first two flights post-qualification, including his first flight with a passenger. Steve has now gained his UK National Private Pilot’s Licence (NPPL) and took Kat on a tour of the North West’s motorway network, since this was something she had requested to see from the air. A video of the flight is linked in the blog post which accompanies this podcast.
Steve walks through some of the things that went well with both flights as well as some of the things that didn’t go as well, including a couple of small mistakes, things he forgot and self-learning points for future flights with passengers. Faulty ipads, self criticism, dodgy radio calls and a failure to listen to a fellow pilot’s advice all feature. Listen now!
In this episode of the Ready for Departure podcast, Steve is joined by his first guest, his wife Kat. Join Steve and Kat in this special podcast episode where they talk about what is was like “from the other side” and how the support of his friends and family helped Steve during the difficult stages of his flight training.
Kat shares her own experiences of watching and supporting Steve while he learned to fly, all the while watching and wondering how much it was all costing! Now that Steve is qualified Kat is looking forward to going flying for the first time in a microlight and, as you will hear on the podcast, Kat wants to see lots of motorways….why? You’ll have to listen in to understand!
Steve has completed the final flight of his NPPL training for qualification of a his private pilot’s licence. It has been a long time coming and Steve describes some of the frustrations he experienced, talks about how impatient he became at times as his second and final qualifying cross country flight was cancelled numerous times due to weather and conditions. Not forgetting that the whole point of learning to fly is for fun, Steve reminds us how enjoyable flying across the country solo is and talks about his relief and happiness at finally reaching the milestone of qualification for the NPPL private pilot’s licence.
In this week’s episode, Steve talks about flying with his instructor to Sleap Airfield in Shropshire. Experiencing lots of new and different procedures for the first time proved to be a huge challenge, including navigating the extremely narrow Manchester Low Level Corridor, which is in between Manchester and Liverpool’s controlled airspace.
As a navigation flight (and preparation for his final Qualifying Cross Country flight), GPS and electronic navigation aids are forbidden! Therefore all navigation is done via map and dead reckoning, with all pre-planning done with just protractor, ruler and map.
The new procedures and flying to another new airfield put Steve outside of his comfort zone – listen and hear how Steve overcame these difficulties and successfully completed the flight.
This week’s episode is all about navigation flying. Steve goes through his navigation training, from learning how to make the necessary wind and heading calculations manually (with nothing more than pen, paper, map, ruler and protractor) all the way through to completing one of his Qualifying Cross Country flights – a flight from City Airport Manchester (Barton) to Blackpool Airport on the west coast of Lancashire. Steve describes some of the difficulties he encountered mastering navigation. Listen as Steve discusses his progress through navigation training.
Listen as Steve describes taking the General Skills Test in a Eurostar EV-97 microlight for the National Private Pilot’s Licence (NPPL). Steve explains the various manoeuvres he was tasked with completing by the examiner and talks through his experiences with the process. Some things go very well, some things not so well.
A small selection of Steve's flying videos.
We’re off to Welshpool airfield in mid Wales, with Rory as the passenger. Steve takes Rory for a trip in G-TIFG – an Ikarus C42 which he’s recently bought a share in. We depart Manchester Barton and head South down the Low Level Route to Welshpool for tea and cake in the cafe. It’s Rory’s first experience of Pilotaware and an EFIS too. I hope you enjoy it!
Here’s a link to Ben Atkinson’s channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6_TgDEdlm4eMHUAmte4OXQ
And here’s a link to the Flying Reporter’s video about airmanship, which Rory also mentioned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVe9o_a6Cp4
Filmed with a Hero 7 Black & 2x GoPro Hero 5 Black cameras
Panasonic Lumix G80
Audio from a Zoom H1
Rory’s ‘new toy’ is a Feiyutech G6 Plus gimbal.
Taking off from runway 26R at City Airport Manchester (Barton) in Ikarus C42 microlight, G-TIFG, on 2nd January 2019.
This is Steve’s first flight in the aircraft in which he now co-owns.
After a brilliant visit to Rossall Field in Cockerham, Lancashire (home to The Bay Flying Club), Adrian piloted us back to City Airport Manchester (Barton). Apologies for a little bit of bad language, but its not too bad 🙂 Full ATC from start to finish.
On Saturday 4th August 2018, Adrian and I flew G-CDOA (one of Mainair’s Eurostar EV-97 aircraft) from City Airport Manchester (Barton) to Rossall Field which is home to The Bay Flying Club in Cockerham, Lancashire. A very quiet but welcoming field, with the narrowest strip I have ever landed on. Well worth a visit.
NOTE: Some strong language about 4 minutes in. Fast forward if easily offended.
I call this “The Liverpool Loop”, since it involves a flight which starts and ends at City Airport Manchester (Barton) but follows the edge of Liverpool’s controlled airspace in a loop. The journey touches on the tip of North Wales and also includes a zone transit over the Airbus facility at Harwarden, where the Beluga Super Transporter is based.
Waypoints: Leigh Flash, M6/M58, Seaforth Docks, Point of Ayr, Flint Bridge, Hawarden Airport, Beeston Castle, Ashford Farm Airfield, Thelwall Viaduct.
Adrian and I took a Mainair Eurostar EV-97 to Caernarfon for the afternoon. Adrian flew there, I flew back. Real team effort and some great laughs along the way (some at the expense of Rory On Air, sorry Rory!!!)
Audio recorder storage was full, so unfortunately the ATC and headset comms cuts out half-way through.
No video of the return journey unfortunately.
Took my Mum for a flight over her home town (Whitefield) and then over to Southport pier before returning to land back at Barton on 26L. England were playing Panama in the world cup, so we are both wearing England caps (and I’m wearing an England shirt), to show our support. Even though we missed the match, as we took off at the same time as kick-off, England won 6 – 1 🙂
On 10th June 2018 I took my first passenger flying post-qualification. Kat wanted to see motorways and motorway junctions, since she used to work in Highways and spent a lot of time looking at motorways through cameras from the control centre. We flew over the M60, M62, M61, M65, M58 and M6 motorways.
Barton to Prestwich/Whitefield/Unsworth – Reebok – Leyland – Barton (via Chorley Lakes). My first solo flight post qualification for my NPPL licence. I flew over my house in Unsworth, routing abeam Heaton Park reservoir, over Besses, Hillock and Sunnybank before heading towards Bolton’s Reebok Stadium. From there, tracking the M6 up to the junction of the M6/M61/M65 before returning to Barton via the Chorley Lakes. Ended with a couple of touch and gos, just for practice.
I’ve written about the various planning applications submitted by the Mercedes dealership on Manchester Road many times before. I am again dismayed to see that the council have done nothing about the continued destruction of trees and green spaces by LSH Autos, who own that particular Mercedes franchise. The following planning application has been approved:…
Erection of 2 no. dwellings – Land adjacent to 2 Rufford Drive, Whitefield, Manchester, M45 8PW Ref. No: 62529 | Received date: Mon 05 Mar 2018 | Status: Decided | Case Type: Planning Application
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The following planning application has been received by Bury Council for a development in Unsworth ward. Change of use from church hall (Class D1) to office with store and workshop area (Class B1) Open for Comment Unsworth Methodist Church, Hollins Lane, Bury, BL9 8AW Ref. No: 62667 | Received: Wed 04 Apr 2018 | Validated:…
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The second Bury LGBT Pride event takes place on Saturday 7 April and promises to be another fun-packed celebration of diversity. Pop icon Toyah Willcox is the headline attraction on this colourful occasion which features music, food, entertainment and a walking rainbow through the town centre. Tickets for Bury Pride are free and are available…
There are exciting times ahead at OASIS – the following information is provided by OASIS: We are looking to extend our opening hours and activities and have lots of great ideas for families, including after school groups, family film sessions, lunches and more. But in order to make these plans a reality, successful and affordable…
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