Flying Adventure
EASTWARD HO! ...
Martin Ferid travels to Beccles in the ancient English county of Suffolk – home to artists, musicians and – aspiring archaeologists…
E
ven for the most Panglossian commentators among us, this has been a testing year, and the glorious 12th could NOT come quickly enough. The 12th in question is not the one in August, which heralds the start of the grouse shooting season, not that there’s too much that’s glorious about shooting innocent wildlife; but rather the date in April selected for the easing of a bout of flying restrictions. Solo flights had already been permissible for two weeks, but with everyone and his uncle out of currency, those first few flights were sure to be filled with a mixture of emotions. Being airborne again after any length of time evokes feelings that can range from pure delight to abject fear, and very likely everything in between. Being scared is no fun, but in truth, the lucky ones manage to blow off the cobwebs in an hour or two and emerge from the cockpit full of vernal joy.
Above The small Suffolk market town of Beccles stands on the River Waveney, on the edge of the Broads National Park and makes a pleasant destination for a weekend or longer away.
Others are most definitely behind the aircraft and a decision has to be made on the best way forward. Simply being diffident and doing nothing, merely exacerbates the situation for the next time. I know it’s not macho admitting to the anxiety, and the Yorkie bars or builders bum go some way in hiding the truth, but there are tell-tale signs if you look for them. On the ground, the systematic, well-oiled routine becomes more of a haphazard flit from one task to another and airborne, the controls are searched for in a distracted and clumsy manner, rather than handled intuitively. Then there is a final group whereby the sum-of-theparts can be so overwhelming that the ‘Captain’ has little mental capacity remaining for a safe or enjoyable flight. For those that experience feelings of uncertainty or vulnerability, you are not alone, and things can be done to alleviate the majority of concerns.
18 | LIGHT AVIATION | May 2021
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