Events History - 2008

Christmas Caper
December 2008

Pack your thermals, we're off to Norway! This special event covers the whole month of December, and takes us for a tour of the spectacular Norwegian fjords. See the Briefing document for full details.

Channel Islands Challenge
19 November

You'll need your life jackets for our first Star Event! We'll be departing Bournemouth for Jersey, and then stopping at Guernsey and Alderney before returning to Bournemouth for Tea and Medals. Leave plenty of space in your luggage for duty frees, and grab the chance for some cheap fuel! See the Briefing document for full details.

Push-Ups For Pilots
21 October

Howgood are your flying skills? When was the last time you performed a steep turn? Or a glide approach, or a power-off stall? We will set off from Gloucester for an evening of General Handling, with a navigation exercise and some circuits thrown in for good measure. The Briefing Document is by Tim Arnot.

East Anglia Revisited
19 and 26 September

Another trip to Norwich, routing via Southend, Clacton, and Beccles, to Norwich on the 19th, and returning over Bury St Edmunds, via Cambridge, Luton, and Stapleford on the 26th. It is a longish trip so it's best to start early and get out one of your faster aircraft if you hoped to complete it. The outbound Briefing Document and the return Briefing Document were prepared by Tony Driver.

Sywell IV
4 September

The 4th virtual Sywell Airshow took place on Thursday 4th September, having been postponed from its normal July date. The 2-4-CIX Display Team had been preparing for it since the end of last year's show. From comments made in the club forum, their display was expected to be even better this year, and they didn't disappoint their spectators. As usual, those members who were not part of the display team were invited to fly in before the show started, and depart again afterwards. Visitors had to be on the ground at Sywell before 1820z. The display started at 1830z.

Gliding
26 August

Maurice Murphy and Richard Sinclair have been working on Gliding in FS since May, when our Events Survey indicated that several members would be interested in gliding. Peter Dodds has written a beginner's guide making the results of their research available to our members. He planned an event around Long Mynd to help get us all started. There were a few files to download and install, and some new concepts to learn, but with Peter's guide it's not too difficult. He provided download links, full installation instructions for both FS9 and FSX, as well as advice on flying a glider. He claimed that the result is very rewarding. However, he advised members to practise their gliding skills before the event. Peter's document includes a final section on Advanced Gliding for those who want to get deeper into gliding in Flight Simulator. For details of the event see Peter's Briefing Document.

Air Racing
3 August

Tim Arnot's Air Racing Season started 2nd March, and completed 3rd August. It included races at Bembridge, Compton Abbas, Shobden, Sywell, Abbeville, and Alderney, with circuits all designed by Tim. Ten club members took part but only two flew in all six races. Tim was overall winner with 37 points, and Al Regina was second seven points behind. For full details see: Air Racing.

Kirkbride Air Show
21 July

John Cronan and Jim Cartwright have been seen in the skies, south of RAF Valley down the Welsh coast, and in several other locations, in their jet trainers - BAE Hawks. We are expecting them to put on a display at Kirkbride on Monday 21st July. John and Jim are looking for an outlet for their enthusiasm, together with an appreciative audience, so let's all support them at Kirkbride. Other members are invited to fly from Carlisle to Kirkbride in order to watch their display. There could be some other displays by members of the 2-4-CIX team. An optional return flight to Carlisle is on the cards after the display. For more details see the Briefing Document.

Jersey Fly In
24 June

Matt Scott, who often flies to real world Jersey, suggested that we take part in the 2008 Jersey International Air Rally, which was due to take place Friday 27th to Sunday 29th. In order to take advantage of the VATSIM Channel Islands Tuesdays operations, we decided to make it the Tuesday before the real world event. Matt normally departs from Bournemouth real world, but as it's Tuesday, I decided to plan a flight down from our Gloucestershire base location, passing over Bournemouth. For full details see the Briefing Document written by Tony Driver, based on suggestions from Matt Scott.

Reservoir Dogs
9 June

Richard Sinclair and Peter Dodds prepared another mini event for us out of Barton. They sent us into the Manchester Control Zone for some sight seeing. As we had decided to change our Monday location from Barton to Liverpool, we selected Liverpool as our alternate destination and diverted there at the end of the flight. For full details see the Briefing Document written by Peter Dodds. Ideas and routing for the event by Richard Sinclair.

Floatplanes
15-29 May

Richard Sinclair and Peter Dodds prepared another special event for us. This time we left from Carlisle to visit some of the particularly scenic Lochs and Western Isles of Scotland. For full details see the Briefing Document written by Peter Dodds. Scenery and ideas for the event by Richard Sinclair.

Normandy Property Show
30 April

Gray Brett invited us to take another trip to France. Following the Normandy Property Show, being held atShoreham Airport on the preceding Sunday, we were commissioned to carry some passengers who wished to visit properties for sale in the Deauville area. We departed from and returned to Shoreham, making our way to Octeville (LFOH) near Le Havre. For full details see the Briefing Document written by Tony Driver based on the information Gray provided.

Lewknor Event
15 April

Mike Pike suggested that we mark an event being organised at Lewknor by his friend and real world Gloucestershire counterpart, and treat it as a navigation exercise. Mike said this is an event to say thank you to his real world counterpart, the former Senior ATCO and now Operations Manager at Gloucestershire airport, Darren Lewington. Mike has spent many a happy morning in the control tower with him and his staff learning how they do this air traffic control lark for real. "I can safely say that he is the main reason why I am able to make the virtual Gloster Approach sound so authentic. He has been very supportive." Last summer Darren was diagnosed with cancer but has made a full recovery. He and his colleague Rob are making a free-fall parachute jump in Mid April at Lewknor, and on Tuesday 15th April, we will undertake a cross country navigation exercise to the site from Gloucestershire airport and then on to Shoreham. The coordinates from Pooley's Guide are N51 40.25 W000 58.82. The site is west of Lewknor village just off Junction 6 of the M40 but in FS scenery there is nothing to see but a patch of grass in a cornfield. We started from Gloucestershire, circled over Lewknor, and then continued to Shoreham. Tony Driver provided a Briefing Document, and a couple of flight plan forms.

General Handling Training
26 March

We planned a general handling training event over the New Forest. With several aircraft flying around in the same area, having to watch out for each other, avoid the restricted zones in the Solent area, and communicate with ATC, as well as flying an aircraft. Peter Dodds provided a Briefing Document. Members were asked to refer to the CAA VFR Guide Supplement Map for Southampton and Bournemouth. More details were found in the club forum.

Cheltenham Gold Cup
10-11 March

We were commissioned by Mike Pike to pick up some of the many Irish men and women who wished to attend the Races at Cheltenham. Leaving from Barton on Monday, we went round the north of Liverpool, along the Welsh coast to Anglesey, then across the Irish Sea to Dublin's Weston airport. The Outbound Briefing Document was prepared by Tony Driver. On Tuesday, the return flight from Weston took us south along the east coast of Ireland to Wexford, out over the Irish Sea to Strumble Point, down to Haverfordwest, and then following the south coast of Wales to Cardiff, and up the river Severn to Gloucestershire. The Return Briefing Document was prepared by Tony Driver.

Anniversary Celebration - continued
18-29 February

As a follow up to our successful Anniversary Celebration event, during the rest of the month, we continued to visit our preferred locations. This time the plan was to fly between any two of them, on the assigned night for either one. Monday - Barton; Tuesday - Gloucestershire; Wednesday - Shoreham; Thursday - Carlisle; Friday - Biggin Hill.

Anniversary Celebration
11-15 February

It was our 4th anniversary on Monday 4thFebruary. We celebrated by opening three new locations, so we have somewhere to go every night of the week, and with a new look web site designed by Peter Dodds. We planned to celebrate during the week 11th to 15th February, with as many as possible of our two display teams turning out at each club site in turn. Monday - Barton; Tuesday - Gloucestershire; Wednesday - Shoreham; Thursday - Carlisle; Friday - Biggin Hill. This extended event was particularly successful, and was enjoyed by all who took part.

Return from Cannes
4, 11, and 18 January

Tim Arnot led us back from the south of France in three easy stages. Starting from Cannes on Friday 4th January, and continuing on the following two Fridays, 11th, 18th January, we headed back to Biggin Hill. The French ATC cover was disappointing, but that was soon forgotten when we arrived back into UK airspace, where we had London Information and Biggin Approach covering us all the way from mid-channel, through a stop near the Biggin tower for customs clearance, then back to the clubhouse for a debrief chat. For full details see Tim's briefing documents: Leg 4 Briefing Document (Cannes to Annecy), Leg 5 Briefing Document (Annecy to Troyes), Leg 6 Briefing Document (Troyes to Biggin Hill).