Destination Whitstable

On 17th April 2011 my destination in MYRO was Whitstable on the North Kent coast. This was yet another day when poor visibility marred some legs of the flight, especially those heading in a westerly direction against the sun. Having reached Whitstable and turned left along the coastline, I descended to low level over the water for a short time before climbing again to cross the Swale, the stretch of water that separates the rest of Kent from the Isle of Sheppey.

Having completed the crossing, I then again descended and flew at low level along the northern coastline of the Isle of Sheppey, often below the tops of some of the low cliffs that in places skirt the water’s edge. On reaching the port of Sheerness, I then again climbed to cross the estuary of the River Medway for a landing on runway 06 at Stoke on the Isle of Grain.

This was an exciting experience and a flight that I enjoyed immensely. Much has since changed. An expansion of controlled airspace at Southend in Essex now limits both the area around Stoke and the ceiling above it. Also, the Isle of Grain power station, such a distinctive feature with its tall chimney, has been demolished and has long gone, so this video is something of a ‘snapshot’ of its time.

This video was again shot on my old Canon videotape camcorder but by this time I was achieving quality that was better than before although still way below today’s standards.