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Le Touquet and back Wednesday 13th June 2012 - Dave Anderson, Colin Granton & Matty Anderson

If you read our report "G-BRDO the return home" last week you will know the aircraft has an almost zero time engine now, running it in at constant power setting for a few hours at a time will not only extend the life of the engine but greatly improve its fuel efficiency. So when David Breden, our crew ferry pilot who took us to Derby last week was going down to Lydd to attend a family funeral, Colin offered to repay the favour and fly him down, giving BRDO a good steady run out.

So it was decided that we would drop  David off at Lydd head across to Le Touquet on the French coast for lunch, return to Lydd in the afternoon pick David up and back home to Teesside in the evening. An extra passenger, my son Matty decided a cultural visit to France was more beneficial than two lessons at college, so approval from mother was sought and off we went.

With the weather on Wednesday looking much better than the rest of the week, we booked to leave Teesside at 8am, our route took us down over Doncaster, toward Cambridge, Southend and down into Lydd. At 5000ft it was mostly cloudy until we reached the Northampton area when it brightened up to a few scattered clouds all the way to Lydd. Landing at 10am exactly two hours from Teesside, we fuelled up, filed the flight plan, donned our lifejackets and at 11am  headed the short 30 minute journey to France, still a big piece of water at 3000ft, our route took us to a straight in approach to runway 14 at Le Touquet. Very simple customs clearance - well there wasn't any so it was into a taxi and off for lunch in the town famed for its Mussels which had to be tried with scallops and steak! A very nice afternoon sat in the warm sunshine, after a few hours it was back to the airport and while Colin filled in the paper work we had a wander around the apron logging what could be seen, not overly busy but I would guess weekends are much different with more flights crossing the channel.

Le Touquet Airport

Cirrus SR-22 one of the number of foreign visitors                                                     Matty Ando, with life vest on ready to go

157 Aerospatiale SA.365 Dauphin N 6157 French Navy
F-GPJA Beech 58 Baron TH-1532 Private
G-BMLM Beech 58 Baron TH-405 Private
N800VM Beech 76 Duchess ME-318 Private
G-SEIL Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander B-26 2103 Corporate
N13243 Cessna 172  M 172-62604 Private
G-BIBW Cessna 172  N 1756 Private
G-BXSE Cessna 172  R 172-80352 Private
G-WACY Cessna 172  R 2217 Private
F-GGCV Cessna 172  RG Cutlass 172RG-1111 Private
F-HCCF Cirrus Design SR-20 1505 Private
N997CD Cirrus Design SR-22 893 Private
N66PY Cirrus Design SR-22 1254 Private
N335PG Cirrus Design SR-22 1504 Private
G-BUDR Denney Kitfox PFA 172-12107 Private
G-HOLM Eurocopter EC135  T2+ 574 Corporate
F-ZBPQ Eurocopter EC145  C-2 9031 Securite Civile
G-NUKA Piper PA-28 Archer II 181 28-8290134 Private
G-BRSE Piper PA-28 Warrior II 161 28-8016276 Private
N2CL Piper PA-28 Turbo Arrow IV RT-201T 28R-8131054 Private
N6954J Piper PA-32 Cherokee Lance R-300 32R-7680394 Private
G-CUBA Piper PA-32 Turbo Saratoga SP R-301 T    32R-8029090 Private
F-GXHD Robin ATL 110 Private
F-GLDU Robin DR.400 Petit Prince 120 2103 Private
F-GLKI Robin DR.400 Major 80 140B 2111 Private
F-GLKD Robin DR.400 Major 80 140B 2121 Private
F-GYLC Robin DR.400 Dauphin 4 140B 2551 Private
F-BSKY Socata MS.880B Rallye Club 1696 Private
G-HEVN Socata TB-200 Tobago XL GT 2013 Private

Departing at  3.25pm the 30 minute crossing was smooth in clear skies and returning to a very busy Lydd airfield at 4pm. With a few hours to spare we had a wander into the hangar and a good look around the airport, a very friendly place that is looking to expand with a proposed new terminal, additional hangar and runway extension, at the moment other than light aircraft the largest movements are Bin Air that have two Metro's there for freight work and the airport gets the odd bizz jet visiting.

Lydd Airport

How to file a flight plan - ipad in one hand - lolly in the other                                        G-BRDO on the ramp at Lydd

G-CGHC Alpi Aviation Pioneer 300 LAA 330A-14922 Private
G-ASRK Beagle A.109 Airedale B.538 Private
G-ERIE Beech 400A Beechjet RK-120 Corporate
G-VCML Beech 58 Baron TH-1346 Private
G-JLHS Beech A36 Bonanza 36 E-2571 Private
PH-DRL Beech A36 Bonanza 36 E-1784 Private to be G-CHGI the next day
G-BUCS Cessna 150  F 150-62368 Private
G-BOUZ Cessna 150  G 150-65606 Private
G-BNUT Cessna 152 152-79458 Private
G-BNYL Cessna 152 152-80671 Private
G-FLIP Cessna F152 Aerobat 0375 Private
G-ARYK Cessna 172 C 172-49288 Private
G-AXBJ Cessna 172 H 0573 Private
G-BIBW Cessna 172 N 1756 Private
G-CFMM Cessna 172  S 172S-8242 Private
G-CDXI Cessna 182  P 182-63554 Private
G-SHMK Cirrus Design SR-22T 178 Private
G-CFEZ Czech Aircraft Works SportCruiser PFA 338-14675 Private
G-BXPD Diamond DA 20-A1 Katana 10259 Private
G-IVER Eurpa Europa XS 247-13632 Private
D-MCEC Ikarus Comco C-42 Cyclone Unknown Private
N412MW Pilatus PC-12  -47E 1099 Corporate
G-KEYS Piper PA-23 Aztec F 250 27-7854052 Private
G-BMFD Piper PA-23 Aztec F 250 27-7954080 Private
G-BRGI Piper PA-28 Cherokee E 180 28-5827 Private
G-AVNO Piper PA-28 Cherokee C 180 28-4105 Private
G-AVNU Piper PA-28 Cherokee C 180 28-4153 Private
G-DSFT Piper PA-28 Cherokee Arrow II 28R-7335157 Private
G-BJAG Piper PA-28 Archer II 181 28-7990353 Privte
G-CBSO Piper PA-28 Archer II 181 28-7690376 Private
G-CCHL Piper PA-28 Archer III 181 2843176 Private
G-IBFW Piper PA-28 Arrow II R201 28R-7837235 Private
G-GUSS Piper PA-28 Warrior 151 28-7415497 Private
G-BNNY Piper PA-28 Warrior II 161 28-8016084 Private
G-CDER Piper PA-28 Warrior II 161 28-8116222 Private
D-ESON Piper PA-28 Dakota 236 28-8611002 Private
N230MJ Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche B 160 30-1302 Private
G-BBNT Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain 31-7305107 Wight Airlines
G-EMAX Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain 31-7952029 Lydd Air
G-LYDF Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain 31-7952031 Corporate
G-SVPN Piper PA-32 Saratoga II TC R-301T 3257310 Private
G-CEYE Piper PA-32 Lance R-300 32R-7780533 Private
G-MXMX Piper PA-46 Malibu Matrix R-350T 4692088 Private
G-DODD Reims-Cessna F.172  P 2175 Private
G-BHJU Robin DR.400 Dauphin 2+2 120D 1288 Private
G-NRRA SIAI-Marchetti SF-260 116 Private
G-BTWX Socata TB-9 Tampico Club 1401 Private
G-OTUI Socata TB-10 Trinidad 1096 Private
D-CSAL Swearingen SA.227AC  Metro III AC-601 Bin Air
D-CCCC Swearingen SA.227AT  Merlin IVC AT-511 Bin Air
G-BLMA Zlin Z.526 Trener Master A 922 Private

No sooner had David returned we were off, airborne at 6.15 again into lovely clear skies, great views over Southend airport, where one of the local enthusiasts mailed me with a log of what was outside as we flew over, the Zambezi Air had landed about 30 minutes before we flew over. As we headed north back over Lincolnshire the cloud returned pretty much all the way back to Teesside for a landing on runway 05 at 8.20pm, cracking good day out, Colin was well pleased with his first over water flight and another 5 hours on the engine.

Southend Airport (from the air)

G-EZEA Airbus A319  111 2119 Leasing Company
VP-BBN Airbus A320  232 1918 Yamal Airlines
EI-ELN Airbus A320  232 1993 Yamal Airlines
N687AP Avro 748  2A/270 1687 Leasing Company
N748D Avro 748  2A/242 1689 Withdrawn from use
G-OSOE Avro 748  2A/275 1697 Janes Aviation
5N-HHH BAC 1-11  401AK 64 Airport Fire Service
5N-MJB Boeing  737  322 24454 Withdrawn from use
N614SC Boeing  737  53S 29074 Zambezi Air
G-FLTF British Aerospace 146-200 E2022 Leasing Company
G-OZRH British Aerospace 146-200 E2047 Leasing Company
G-FLTA British Aerospace 146-200 E2048 Leasing Company
G-BUHB British Aerospace 146-300 E3183 Titan Airways
G-FLTC British Aerospace 146-300 E3205 Leasing Company
G-CEBN British Aerospace 146-RJ100 E3238 Leasing Company
G-OFMC British Aerospace 146-RJ100 E3264 Corporate
G-CGNT British Aerospace 146-RJ100 E3374 Leasing Company
G-CGNU British Aerospace 146-RJ100 E3375 Leasing Company
G-CGZO British Aerospace 146-RJ85 E2266 Leasing Company
G-OCLH British Aerospace 146-RJ85 E2268 Leasing Company
G-CGYV British Aerospace 146-RJ85 E2279 Leasing Company
G-CHDO British Aerospace 146-RJ85 E2289 Leasing Company
G-CHFR British Aerospace 146-RJ85 E2290 Leasing Company
G-CHDT British Aerospace 146-RJ85 E2292 Leasing Company
I-CLBA British Aerospace 146-RJ85 E2300 Italiatour Airlines
CS-TFJ British Aerospace ATP 2018 Leasing Company
CS-TGX British Aerospace ATP 2025 Leasing Company
CS-TGY British Aerospace ATP 2049 Leasing Company
G-CGOA Cessna 550/551 Citation II 550-0183 Corporate
G-JETC Cessna 550/551 Citation II 550-0282 Corporate
G-TABS Embraer Emb-110 Bandeirante P1 110212 Skydrift
G-FLTY Embraer Emb-110 Bandeirante P1 110215 Skydrift


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