The CIX VFR Club Castle Landing
Club Events - Castle Conquest
CIX Go Back In Time
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The CIX VFR Club
Club Events - Castle Conquest
CIX Go Back In Time Briefing by: Ken Greer
  Briefing Monday 23rd-29th June 2014
Overview June's event, produced by our own Ken Greer involves a flight around the south coast and Kent to spot some of England's famous castles and forts. It will require VFR scenery such as Generation X, Just Flight or the freeware Tileproxy. No additional scenery is required for this event.
Start Time and Place The event will take place between Monday 23rd and Sunday 29th June. You can fly this event when ever you would like but a group flight is scheduled for Thursday 26th June from 1900 local time (1800 UTC).
The start location will be Shoreham (EGKA) and after your flight you will end up at Biggin Hill (EGKB)
Weather ...or not Before starting we will check the weather. If it is unsuitable for our trip as planned, then we will fix it. Something we can do in the simulator - wouldn't it be nice if we could do it in real life!

FSInn has a "CAVOK" button. Click this and you get calm clear weather.
Those using SB will need to turn off the on-line weather updates, and select calm in the FS weather options.
Flight Planning So the layout of the event is as follows:
  1. I have assumed a cruising altitude of 2000 feet, lower for sightseeing, with an airspeed of 100 knots and no wind.
  2. After an overhead departure to the east from the SHM (332 KHz) beacon at Shoreham, start your timer and fly a track of 070 for three minutes. This will bring you to the first waypoint, overhead the A27 interchange. The A27 is the main road to the north of the urban area of Brighton. At the waypoint turn right to track 090 for a further three minutes. This will bring you to the outskirts of the town of Lewes. Identify the roundabout beside the railway and follow the road into the town. Lewes castle is set on a wooded hill in the centre of the town.
  3. After circling the castle, note your time and fly a south easterly heading on a track of 126, very quickly identifying the roundabout on the A27 at Beddingham, this is waypoint three. There is a road to the south, the A26, which is a useful marker. At this waypoint turn left to track 104, heading for the town of Eastbourne. Waypoint 4 is the roundabout at Polegate, five minutes from Lewes. At the waypoint turn left onto a track of 100 for two minutes. This will bring you to Pevensey castle. It sits between the A27 and the railway line, just to the south west of the roundabout.
  4. Depart Pevensey on a track of 045 for five minutes. This will bring you to waypoint five, the town of Battle. Turn left here, tracking 025 for three minutes. Watch for and identify the river flowing across your track. Our next castle, Bodiam is just to the north of the river. It is a moated castle and is surrounded by trees.
  5. At Bodiam tune and identify the LYD VOR on a frequency of 114.05 MHz, intercept the 090 radial inbound. At the LYD VOR track 050 outbound for five minutes. As you approach the M20 look for the interchange at Westenhanger. Turn right here to track 080 towards the town of Dover. Look for the docks and identify Dover castle.
  6. Time now to tune and ident the Dover VOR on 114.95 MHz. Turn north from Dover castle and intercept the 283 radial outbound. A flying time of eleven minutes should bring you to waypoint six, Challock crossroads, north of the town of Ashford. Continue this track for a further five minutes. Lookout for the M20 motorway ahead. Our next castle lies just on the other side of this. Leeds castle (no, not the town of Leeds!!) is a large moated castle.
  7. Depart Leeds castle on a track of 290 for six minutes. During this leg tune and ident. the BIG VOR on a freq. of 115.10 MHz. Waypoint seven is the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways. This is a six minute flight from Leeds castle. From the waypoint track inbound the BIG VOR on a radial of 280 and commence your arrival plan for Biggin Hill aerodrome.

Your flight plan for the West Plan should show:
Departure: EGKA
Destination: EGKB
Route: Lewes Intersection/LYD/DVR/BIG
Comments = /V/ DAYLIGHT / CIX VFR CLUB /

A Plan-G file and information about the castle you will be spotting during the route can be found here

ATC At the time of publishing this event plan, ATC has not been confirmed.
Radio Discipline Take care not to let our Teamspeak chat cut across ATC. Stop any conversation immediately the R/T comes alive, then continue if "he wasn't talking to us". This is difficult because when transmitting on Teamspeak you can't hear the R/T. So be brief on Teamspeak, and be aware that ATC might be trying to get through. If anyone hears an R/T message which seems to be being ignored, just say "ATC is calling G-CIXN" if you have identified the callsign, or "ATC is calling us" which is a cue for everyone to be quiet on Teamspeak until ATC call again (which they will). Remember too that if asked to "Stand By" by ATC, you do not reply - not even "Roger", but simply wait until you are called again.
Remember also that there are several different ATC frequencies in use, and you may not be able to hear when communications are taking place. Make sure you have set and know how to use a Teamspeak mute switch.
Acknowledgements Event planning:Ken Greer
Briefing:Ken Greer and Edward Warnell.
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