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Stampe SV4 Flight
(Gloucester)
In
Brief "This
is one adventure experience that is truly extraordinary in every way".
Review
The
day began at Tiger Airways' aircraft hanger at Gloucestershire
Airport. On arrival, we were greeted by Chris Rollings who
introduced the experience and flight plan. The first 20 minutes were
spent viewing a safety video which guided us through the plane's
various mechanical components
and controls. The
video really set the scene for the experience and gave a real sense
of how splendid these machines are. We
were
then taken to the aircraft hanger and introduced to our pilots for
the day, Tizi Hodson and Bill Perrins. As we entered the
hanger it felt as though we had stepped back in time. Light from the
partly open hanger doors revealed our first glimpse of the machines
we would be flying. Standing in the hanger with a heat gun
pre-warming the engine were two fantastic aircraft,
a silver Stampe SV4a nicknamed 'Knife' and a yellow Stampe SV4c
nicknamed 'Fork'.
As
we walked around the aircraft, we were treated to a talk from Chris
about the aircraft's history. They were designed by Georges Ivanoff
in 1933 for the Belgian company Stampe and Vertogen. Chris
explained that the aircraft borrowed many of their features from the
earlier Tiger Moth.
It
was time to begin our flight experience. Be were handed
authentic leather flight jackets, complete with accompanying silk
scarf and gloves! Both planes were guided out of the hanger by
hand and positioned opposite each other on the taxiway leading to
the runway. We then boarded each plane by standing on a thin
allocated strip on the aircraft's wing and lowering ourselves into
the cock pit. Our pilots then climbed in to the second cockpit
(positioned behind us) and began a series of aircraft checks, which
included the headsets we would use to communicate during the flight.
As
the engines began, a tremendously satisfying roar accompanied by a
wave of mechanical vibration, placed a smile on our faces that would
remain throughout the experience. As the power to the
propellers was increased, we began to taxi towards the runway.
Once at the the start of the runway, a quick chat with the control
tower - and we were away! The plane quickly gathered pace and
was airborne within seconds.
We
headed away from the airport and chatted about the experience via
our headsets. Tizi explained the technique for flying the
plane and then it was over to us. "You have control"...
"I have control"... Holding the flight stick in the right
hand you feel a sense of complete freedom. The plane responded
to every slight movement of the flight stick - move it forward and
the plane would dive, pull it back and the plane would climb into
the clouds... fantastic! It was surprising how little pressure was
actually required for the plane to respond. It
was time to hand the controls back... "You have
control"... "I have control".
The
next part of the experience, a loop-the-loop, was perhaps the most
adrenaline filled. A quick readiness confirmation and Tizy
took the plane into a dive, gathering speed before lifting the nose
and heading vertically up, upside down, vertically down and then
leveling again... Wow! We also performed a number of other
maneuvers including a barrel-roll which followed a path similar to a
corkscrew.
The
experience seemed to 'fly-by' and it was time to head back to the
airport. The previous rush of flying the plane and acrobatics
was replaced by a calm and peaceful decent back down.
In
summary, this is without doubt one of the most rewarding experiences
available. A true feeling of nostalgia, excitement, adventure
and freedom is captivated by the professionalism and friendliness of
the Tiger Airways' staff.
Booking
information Please visit
www.tigerairways.co.uk
or call 01452 854141 for more information, including costs and booking information. |
