My first time flying away from Cranfield airport was last Friday on 7th. it would was a great day for flying. During the weekend i did a cross country flight to Peterborough Connington, then onto to Fenland.

Map of my little route – i am trying to keep my map tidier and most of the scribbles were made when i got back to Cranfield.

It was a total of 86 nautical miles = 103 statute miles. Take off from Cranfield was on rwy 21 and after take off, i would take a right turn and get to Olney VRP (visual reporting point) to get on track and start the clock. Once at Olney i turned onto track slighty too early and was closer to Bedford disused then i should be so i had to adjust for this error. Everything else was fine, but having checked my ETA and all other ground features, i just could not see Connington. I knew i was close if not over it, and for a few seconds i felt unsure – any way, i made a orbit and as i was about to complete it, i saw Connington, the relief felt good. Made my landing and had a few people help me push the aeroplane back to the parking apron.

A few people had come up to me wishing me well on my training. People are getting to hear about my plane adventures from the web. Having paid my landing fee of £10 and a can of fanta, it was time to fly towards Fenland. Oh, i must point out that on route to Connington, the transponder in the plane was squaking me at 20,000ft and not 1,800ft – oh dear as London radar called Cranfield who then talked to me on the radio and they tried to sort it out but then told me to carry on and i was able to change freq to Connington. The rest of the navex was done on transponder mode Alpha = in the on position and not transmitting altitude which would be mode C.

Take off was good and i got on track very quickly towards Fenland. I saw it from the air easier then finding Connington. Once i spotted it, i flew around their ATZ and went back to Connington. Once a 2 mins from their ATZ, i flew west of their boundary so as not to cross it because i was lower then 2000ft.From Connington i routed to fly to Stewartby Brick works just outside Bedford. from there i would call to get joining instruction to land on 21. All in all i was only a few minutes off my total pre flight planned ETA.

Below is my flight log information for my very first flight on my own away from Cranfield in the local area