2008/06 IFR training Lydd (EGMD)

click on the title to see the video on DailyMotion

The next IFR training we went with Patrick to the UK. Putting IFPS route changes accepted on your filed flight plan gives faster acknowledgements, but you might get what you ask for. In our case we planned a safe route along the Belgian coast before crossing and we were given the airway straight over the North Sea from Lelystad passing Schiphol on a direct route to the UK.

As you can see a formal IFR flight plan does not always seem very logical. Look for instance at the zigzag on the way back near Oostende. During the actual execution of the flight both the traffic controllers and the pilot try to follow a more efficient route. Nice detail is that the PocketFMS picture shows that even the IFR waypoints can be used in PocketFMS. This enables you to account for actual wind forecasts and a detailed navigation log as in normal VFR flights.

It's about 100Nm to the other side. The weather en-route was fine but we ordered some showers at Lydd for training purposes.

Lydd is one of the 2 airports just on the other side of the channel. The direct environment of Lydd seems like a wasteland and you won't find to much of a cosy atmosphere on the airport or the local restaurant but for training purposes its OK. One new lesson learned is that not every IFR procedure will put you straight on the runway radial. At Lydd the angle between the final approach leg and the runway is really big which leads to a big surprise if your not prepared well enough in IMC weather.

On the way back we had the Oostende route to the other side and where able to film some ferries and cliffs at Dover.


Pancake Airlines Crew is trained by Dwarf Powered Gliders (www.dwarf.nl) and Wings over Holland (www.wingsoverholland.nl). Information on the PH-PCA Diamond DA40 can be found on www.diamond-aircraft.at. You can click on the title link to see the HD video on DailyMotion.