Eshott

With winter very slowly retreating for the year it was time for the first Phoenix fly out of 2025. After much debate it was decided that the venue would be Eshott just North of Newcastle.

After a bumpy departure we routed down towards Lanark then across to Peebles to follow the Tweed to Kelso in a case of I Follow Rivers (IFR). Despite the look and promise of a nice day the high winds made for a bumpy trip across the hills towards Kelso with a few check ins with Scottish information to let the aircraft behind know about the turbulent conditions.

After Kelso we routed following the East coast down towards Eshott to make a very sporty landing that was well executed by Andy. Coming in on final approach a quick glance down showed a ground speed of 35 knots. Facilities at Eshott are very reasonable with a good cafe for breakfast and lunch.

Arrival at Eshott

With some good breakfast fueling us we discussed the route back. In order to avoid the turbulence we decided to route back up the East coast and through the Edinburgh zone. Filling out a PLOG showed that the route back would be and extra 40 minutes due to the headwind. With preflight checks complete we taxied back out to runway 25 and got ready for departure. Despite 25 being the shorter runway the substantial headwind would ensure we would be within performance. Rolling down the runway the airspeed climbed towards 60 knots and we climbed into the sky to be met with bumpy conditions. A gentle climb up to circuit height ensured we were clear of the boundary layer and we routed towards the coast up towards Edinburgh. The first landmark going up the coast was Lindisfarne (Holy Island) which is a tidal island and has been labelled as an area of outstanding beauty. Further up the coast we passed over Berwick upon Tweed and continued routing North using the SAB VOR as a guide before routing towards Dubar for an Edinburgh zone transit.

With a clearance obtained from Edinburgh approach we headed towards Dalkeith to route overhead Edinburgh airport then exit the zone via Polmont. Transiting the zone via the overhead allowed for some really good pictures of the activity below as well as Edinburgh city centre. After exiting the zone via Polmont we made in for a tricky landing into runway 25 at Cumbernauld. A tough day out but a successful fly out to start 2025.