Qualifying Cross Country

388NM Solo Flying from Oxford - Dunkeswell - Southend - Oxford

One of my favourite flights!

All prepped, briefing completed and now ready for the day ahead, I jumped into the plane and settled into my cushions (I need a couple of cushions for my vertically challenged body). Checks completed and ATC directed I then make my way over to the runway. After the pre-take-off checks and further ATC clearance, I'm lined up on the runway and cleared to take off. Heels to the floor, power lever max, temperatures and pressures in the green, airspeed coming alive...56kts and rotate! Bye Oxford 👋🏼

Moments later I'm travelling around 120kts towards Oxford City Central ready to start the first leg of my journey. Turning onto my new heading, the timer then starts and off I go. There are set checks for us to do to ensure we're on track, on time, flying safely and the aircraft is behaving how we would expect. I then take in the incredible views as I fly southwest towards Dunkeswell. It really is such a beautiful way to travel, peaceful (other than the engine noises and ATC but you soon get accustomed to this), viewing the country from a completely different viewpoint, views like nothing else. Then the weather turns...I alter my path, descending slightly to remain VMC (Visual) and still with plenty of ground clearance which allows me to complete my route. The reality of flying is that your plans are always changing, it's how you adapt and deal with the conditions that define you as a pilot. With Dunkeswell close by I make a call to notify them I am here and my intentions. They are an air-ground radio so I have to keep a good watch out for other aircraft and proceed with my own judgment. After maybe not my best landing (I'll blame this one on the weather) I've arrived! I get a quick break and say hi to my boyfriend and his colleagues👋🏼

Back to the skies I go... FMAAAA (as Pete my groundschool instructor would say)! Next stop Southend. A beautiful, scenic flight along the south coast of England. Thankfully I've now been graced by clear blue skies to enjoy my journey. I fly towards Southampton and funnel my way through Solent CTA towards the Isle of White and then onto Brighton Marina. I fly past my home town on the south coast, then past my old airfield, Shoreham, where my flying all began. At this stage of flight the workload isn't quite as high, vigilant lookouts for other aircraft/threats, occasional FREDA checks on the aircraft, checking visually my position is on track and time and keeping a listen out to ATC is mainly what I'm currently doing.

I'm now approaching London Southend so I contact the relevant ATC and obtain the appropriate clearances required to enter their controlled airspace. I enjoyed this part, going into a controlled airport with commercial airlines made me feel like a 'proper pilot', until i'm taxiing next to one of the airliners and realise I'm not much bigger than their landing gear 😅

After a quick bite to eat and a bathroom stop, I'm off again, ready to fly my last flight back to Oxford. By this point, I have been flying for near enough almost 4 hours! Thankfully I was flying in a long-range DA40 so I didn't need to refuel and still had way more than enough fuel upon landing home. After navigating through the various London controlled airspace I'm back to familiar sights leading to Oxford Airport. After transferring back to Oxford radar then to tower, I'm soon cleared to land and I taxi back to the school stand as directed. What a cool day!

I hope you enjoyed my little write up of my cross country flight. If you haven't done yours already then plan yourself an exciting route, enjoy the journey and let me know how it goes, i'd love to hear! I miss this day.

Happy Flighting!

Ashleigh x