Southend to Old Buckenham     Saturday 24/7/04

Old Buckenham was to be the venue for the latest in a series of "Student Fly-Ins" organised through the FLYER website forum. The idea is that PPL students or recently qualified pilots can gain experience by flying further afield than they perhaps normally would. They can then meet other students/pilots and build up friendships that last many years. It also shows that there is more to do when reaching your destination than buying a £100 burger, visiting the loo and hurrying back to base so that the aircraft is available for the next club member who wishes to rent it.

Although some of the participants are students arriving with their instructor in club aircraft, the vast majority are qualified pilots who own a share in an aircraft, and offer a seat to 1 or 2 other less experienced pilots. I travelled to Southend Airport in Essex and met up with Keith and Phil. Phil had planned the route from Southend to Old Buckenham (in Norfolk) and I had planned the return trip.

It was a beautifully warm and sunny July morning as the 3 of us met for the first time and talked through the route we would be taking.