Clough Head to Grasmere

[Chris L]

Not a good video - and lens steamed up but for those who were flying with me may be interesting?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UHqkVVLD9U

Just FFwd if you get bored

[gordie]

Nice one Chris, well apart from the soft focus look. BUT...... it does look like you left your decision on where to land until the last minute/second, trying to get that few extra k.m.'s? The field you landed in look very much like it was in crop for silage? It is realy important that at this time of year one never land in fields with crop growing in them as the farmers get very upset if the grass gets squashed down. Better to choose a field which has just been cut which will looks yellow form above rather then dark green if full of fresh grass, or a field with sheep in but not cows.

Over the years we have had many incidents especially on the Clough milk run of people landing in crop fields and upsetting farmers. It is realy important that pilots avoid these fields at all times. When flying XC if you end up below 1000ft AGL then you are probibly going to land very soon and should start landing approaches from this height. Rather then like a lot inexperienced x.c. pilots who leave it to the last second trying to sneak out a little more distance.

[Chris L]

Yes guilty of trying to get the few extra k.m.'s to Grasmere, I don't think the field was in crop it appeared yellow from above - definitely not long fresh grass, it was full of buttercups, but didn't look to me like it was crop?
Anyway will choose a landing site earlier next time just to make sure I can make a better choice of where to land. Getting egged on flying with others that day, and just hoping for a low save.
More lessons learned

[gordie]

Hi Chris,

Thank you for being honist and I hope others learn and listen from this. As for your thoughts that the filed was not in crop, if it is full of buttercups then it has been left ungrazed for while which means it is certainly being left aside for the grass to grow. The grass being short means itwill be towards the start of the growing period and will take another few weeks before the grass will be cropped.

If you want advice where to maybe of landed then there was an undulating field down wind from the one you landed which was not in crop, or the bright yellow one up wind and to the n.w. of where you land has just been cut and would of been perfect.

The other reason I comment is that I know the farmer who's field you landed in and he is not very relaxed. If he had seen you I suspect you would of had your ears bent at the very least.

[milleboy]

Plant trivia alert

Buttercups are toxic to horses and cattle when eaten fresh...but not when dried and eaten as hay.

There you go, you haven't really been wasting time on the forum

[John Wallis]

Also pollen from lillys kills yer cat (Fact)

[milleboy]

and that Onions and Garlic are a type of Lily......