Roserrow + Dunkeswell anyone?

[Clive]

On Monday along with the high pressure my LAA mag arrived with it 'three for free'. Not wanting to miss the weather and an opportunity to save a few bob we jumped our the trusty Jabiru SP G-JBSP and left Norfolk for Cornwall and Devon.
Refuelling at Sywell (even better facility now it has the hard runway) on unleaded we were soon over the Severn 'bridges' and heading for some nice rolling countyside and more interesting coastline that our Norfolk home.

Roserrow's strip is the highest fairway on the golf course that is across the river from Padstow (Padstein). The PPR call suggested all was fine with the strip but in reality it was rather soggy. I suggest that although we manged to get off on the Tuesday morning many types who have been bogged down. Consider this if you head there in the winter, is your plane good on wet ground?

The golf/leisure facility adjacent looks really smart and the bar/clubhouse very welcoming with log burner and tasty real ale. they did have 'luxury accomondation' for £150 a night. As the bar was due to shot at 18.00 we decided a nearby town/village would be more fun and after seeing Padstow was a fairly long cab ride (only £25 apparently) and Polzeath fairly small so quiet in March, we made for the metropolis of Wadebridge. We stayed in the Molesworth arms for a modest £60 though this was a 'pub' and the rooms clean but well worn. We were recommended another pub the 'Bridge on the Wool' which has newly refurbished rooms though we didn't see them we did try their beer which, like the Molesworth arms was very good. The Sharps brewery is of course in Rock, about a mile from the golf course we'd landed on so some of the ale hadn't come far. We ate in the Raj, a fine Indian food establishment on the river bank, this recommended by several folk we spoke to.

Mark's taxis (and a font of local knowledge) 07976968011, 01208 815264
Mark also said I should phone him next time, even in the summer and he'll find digs, he says he know loads of good B+B folk, also has the low down on anywhere in Palz, Pads etc.
Pub, Bridge on the Wool 01208 812750

Next day after walking the strip (600m) and picking my abort point (400m) we were in fact off in about 300. Not that good really for a lightweight Jab but well with stopping distance if we'd hadn't started to accelerate going down hill. As I said above although on the top of a hill the extreme rain we've had lately made it less than ideal at Roserrow at the beginnjing of last week.

We'd phoned a few local fields to see if I could add them to my book on Tuesday and only got an answer at Eaglescott, they said they were a bit soggy and to keep moning and stick to taxiways. She that must be listened to as having a valid opinion decided we would give that a miss and stick to hard runways for the rest of our time in the West counties after the draggy take off from Roserrow.

Great scenery and assistance from Newquay radar + Exeter made the flight around and on to Dunkeswell a fine one. Again one for free at Dunkeswell so that softened the blow of the £94 fuel bill at Dunkeswell. Yes you can get that much in a Jabiru, if its at £1.65 a litre you can.
I much prefer Tesco's....we had a long way to go back to Norfolk and were off to Newton Peverill for a second overnight out as the weather looked OK for Wednesday. So a full tank was what we needed and using good planing I'd landed having made the best out of our Cornwall sightseeing with only 30 mins left.

Dunkeswell was busy so plenty to see and a snack at the cafe before heading off to a very well drained Newton Peverill which despite being surrounded by waterlogged fields was solid as it was when we were there in the summer. the runway has gravel within it apparently.

On the way we passed the Cerne man, the guy with the large club over his shoulder (etc), he was looking very proud of himself as usual!

We left from NP and flew on the South of the Bornemouth and then between the Soton zones into a very damp Popham for a comfort break. Pophams experience showed though as they had coned areas off and were making the best of the field so it could be used by everyone. The coned areas being rested and the normally unused parts rolled flat by the aircraft.

The viz was such that all the airliners we don't normally see while transiting between Heathrow, Luton and Stanstead jumped out at us like approaching Cessnas until we got their shape identified.

Back in Norfolk it was a bit grey and the showers started as we drove home congratulating ourselves on getting a nice little tour in the bag so early in the year!