Checkout with Blackbushe Flying Group

Due to the issues at Cranfield and the cost of hiring there I have been looking around for a new place to fly. With this in mind, yesterday I had a checkout with Blackbushe Flying Group.

I got to the club and met both my instructor and the owner Dan who are both very nice people.
We went out to check out the Cessna 150, which is a very well presented aircraft and coming from a Cessna 152 it was immediately familiar.
This is a French manufactured 150 and unlike the French 172 I flew it has its speed in knots and it has the notched flaps rather than the electric switch.
We took of and went into the local area. There is Farnborough and RAF Odiham who both have airpsace nearby so you have to be careful on your departure. I can see a skydemon subscription being purchased in the near future.
We flew around the local area where the instructor pointed out a few local land marks.
We then did some stalls in clean and landing configuration. There wasn’t really much to report here, both went well.
Next up we did some steep turns, one to the left and one to the right, all good here.
Then things got interesting. The instructor had asked me if I had even been in a spin, to which I replied no as it had been dropped from the PPL syllabus. He then asked me if I would like to, to which I thought, sure why not.
I was a bit apprehensive, but hey in for a penny in for a pound. It is a very weird feeling seeing the ground going round and round with the aircraft heading to the ground and the G forces acting on you. But it was also quite good to see how the instructor stopped the spin. Power to idle, opposite rudder and control column all the way back and before I knew it we were climbing back up as if nothing had happened.
We then headed back to Blackbushe to do some circuits. First up was the standard circuit with just 20 degrees of flaps, then we went and did a flapless approach before we landed.
Back in the club and that was it, no issues and I can hire and fly at will.
Although I am doing my night rating at Cranfield, I hope this will be my new base for pleasure flying / hour building.

Thinking of training via the modular route? Or started and still have questions? Then read The Essential Modular Flight Training Guide.