{"id":1802,"date":"2014-06-19T00:23:12","date_gmt":"2014-06-18T23:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fortyfivehours.co.uk\/?p=1802"},"modified":"2014-06-19T00:23:12","modified_gmt":"2014-06-18T23:23:12","slug":"first-flight-over-the-channel-calais-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.fortyfivehours.co.uk\/?p=1802","title":{"rendered":"First Flight – Over the Channel (Calais, France)"},"content":{"rendered":"

One major objective<\/a> of learning to fly for me is to make a flight to Jersey.\u00a0\u00a0 Anyway you cut it, this requires flying over the channel and that, even with a newly acquired pilots license and legal – is still not something to be done lightly.\u00a0\u00a0 So the chance to do it with an instructor the first time, seemed like a sensible approach.<\/p>\n

\"G-MEGS<\/a>

Garmin 1000 Glass Cockpit<\/p><\/div>\n

An aero club group day out, we’d take all four Cessna 172’s:\u00a0 One instructor per plane and two pilots – one flying there, the other flying home (great for everyone to get some experience and\u00a0 keep the costs down).<\/p>\n

Being differences checked on G-MEGS <\/strong>seemed to pay off again, when the aircraft list was published I got to fly it \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0 It’s a funny plane, in training its G1000 means you rarely get to fly it and when the opportunity presents itself, you’re reluctant to. \u00a0 Now having my license and having been checked out and had it on solo hire a few times, I do really like flying this plane – it’s very much up there with G-SHWK as a favorite.<\/p>\n

Arriving at the club, bright and early (the weather: Not so much)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"G-MEGS<\/a>

G-MEGS<\/p><\/div>\n

The forecast the night before was suggesting a dry day,\u00a0 no chance of rain, but cloudy.\u00a0\u00a0 With everyone arriving around 8:30-9am, the cloud was down around ~2000ft, not ideal for a channel crossing – I had my doubts we’d be going.<\/p>\n

Within the aero club though it was a hive of activity, those with licenses seemed keen to see the route and plan it up on their charts (I’d dropped in the day before so I already had the route)<\/em>.\u00a0 Those without licenses appeared to be more eager to be involved then I had been on previous attempts for club outings.<\/p>\n

By around 11am the decision was a trip was on – just not to where.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Planned Route – Le Touquet<\/p><\/div>\n

There were now sub-group meetings happening with instructors and the pilots of their respective planes, debates on the weather continued, telephone calls to Le Touquet, Southend-on-Sea, Lydd and Calais.<\/p>\n

Finally a plan of attack was agreed:<\/p>\n