CockpitsWest 2013 & Aerojumble

I did have a good browse around the aerojumble, but as I didn’t know any forum members there, I remained anonymous I’m afraid 😉
I did spend some time having a good look over the Hunter cockpit panel, out of interest of course!

I’ll admit that was me with the Hunter panel – would have liked to have brought the cockpit but due to car ‘issues’ earlier in the year, the towbar was left off the list of requirements.

Had a great day, managed to get a really nice Vampire T.11 stick and grip for a cracking price (thanks for the brief but necessary ‘wonga-esque’ loan Ian!) and was good to chat to so many people interested in aviation.

Didn’t take many photo’s other than of the ‘dogs & Harvard outside the hangar…

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… and didn’t get anywhere trying to get one of the owners to part with one of the ‘dogs either – so if anyone knows of a good airworthy Bulldog fro sale, PM me (no, seriously 😀 )

There were also some Turner sports cars present which used to be built on the old Wolverhampton airport at Pendeford.[ATTACH=CONFIG]220455[/ATTACH]

I would like to thank everyone for their kind words, and also for posting pictures of the event. Trawling through those is always the only way I discover what the event was like, the better it is, the less I see of it, away at the gate. I would like to thank the BBMF for pulling the silver Spitfire out of the hangar, when the Dakota went tech, and ‘compensating’ us by making 4 passes instead of 3. I would also like to point out the immense work done by the Halfpenny Green Air Scouts and their parents. The Air Scouts, who are easily the oldest tenant on the airfield, do benefit from the event, and are thoroughly deserving of every penny. I was sorry to see so few cockpits, but thank you, Anon, for coming for the second year, returning an Anson to Halfpenny Green after so many years, and for the debutants, Lakes Lightnings, and 1046 Sqd ATC.

Westmead Flight Academy, do us proud, letting us use their hangar, and most of the aircraft owners are willing participants, many of them pulling out their aircraft to be part of the static display. Vaughan and I would also like to personally thank Tim for getting one of his PPL students to give us a flight in Westmead’s Diamond Star (What an aircraft that is) late on, when everyone had gone home. It was the first time we had sat down all day, very pleasant in the evening sunshine, and both of us had difficulty getting out of the aircraft after we landed so much had our ancient aching limbs stiffened up !

My first time visit…. 😉

Well that was a very interesting day there! What a cracking event it is – I was pleasantly surprised, and can’t wait to get back again next year. After a very early arrival thanks to the complete lack of local car-boot traffic which usually plagues the area, I turned up on the gate to be greeted I suspect by Alec (Wulfie) and told I was visitor no.4 😉

A leisurely stroll around taking photos and watching arriving exhibitors gave me the chance to investigate every corner of the show. The weather was good, the number of exhibitors and public was high, and the general appeal to all was fantastic! I love the airfield anyway, being a frequent visitor as I’m local, and it lost none of it’s relaxed charm just because an event was on.

I did have a good browse around the aerojumble, but as I didn’t know any forum members there, I remained anonymous I’m afraid 😉
I did spend some time having a good look over the Hunter cockpit panel, out of interest of course!
Nice to see the Daleks doing there thing – not convinced about the Doctor or The Master though…lol

This photo was taken up on the tower roof to hopefully give an idea of how the layout looked 😉

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The full set of shots can be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hunterxf382/sets/72157635352877812/

[ATTACH=CONFIG]220434[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]220435[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]220436[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]220437[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]220438[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]220439[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]220440[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]220441[/ATTACH]Thanks, Wulfie and Vaughan, for a great late-summer Sunday event yesterday at Halfpenny Green.

The weather was great, the aircraft were varied and plentiful and the visitors many – all-in-all we had a great time. Nice to catch up with other Forumites and a nice surprise to see WV-903 as he wasn’t too well last year. Nice to see yer back, Bill.

Aggie Paggie attracted a lot of interest. I never expect too much from the public as I imagine many of them wouldn’t get the half-finished, lots missing, sort of thing, but it was good and I got to talk to some very nice and interesting people.

The Daleks were a hoot. The people inside (if there were people inside?) definitely had a sense of humour with the witticisms they came out with in their Dalek voices – a great touch.

Surprise visitor was Forumite Ross McNeil, who came armed with his electronic notepad and gave me a crash-course in how to build an Anson cockpit floor!, as well as enlightening me on a few details and locations of various parts. He also brought me a rare and long-awaited ACC panel for my Phantom sim project – thanks Ross:D

Aircraft types included a Jackaroo, Yak 52, Auster AOP, Chipmunk, a pair of Cassutt racers and a beautiful Harvard, which parked in the main area between the hangars, and lots of modern stuff. Aircraft movements through the crowds easily done – lots of people about but everyone gently marshalled out of the way. Nice Twin Star to ogle over in the hangar along with its single-engined brother. Fantastic large models which, when airborne, looked every bit like the real thing – Mustangs, Sea Fury, Stearman, etc, etc. Light aircraft were very tastefully displayed on the grassy corners of all the hangars and not a barrier in sight (except for the live taxiway). So nice.

A fair posse of aerojumblers, some with projects on display notably Forumite ian with his very nice Mk.1 Spitfire and Meteor panels and Rob’s amazing flying helmet display. I have to admit to having a wicked idea of putting a label on his table when he was absent saying “all helmets £20 each o.n.o., discount on multiple buys” but I didn’t:dev2:

Thanks again to all who played their part in organising a great day – I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.

Anon.

An excellent day out in good company. The Spitfire display was a real treat, as was watching the Harvard and Bulldogs taxy past the hanger entrance. Even cleared a bit of space in the loft.

Perhaps we ought to put a bid in for this one at the end of the season!

We passed it on the way to North Wales the other weekend! My previous favourite was the Meerkat in 2010 – simples!! :eagerness:

Went down to have a look see on Sunday and what a very nice ,relaxed ,family event it all was. Being an ex-Brummie, I felt I was back home again—lol !!! Weather was spot on Planes looked great,so did the big Flying Models. Enjoyed chatting with Anon and other Aero Jumblers and indeed purchasing and swapping bits with them–lol !! Thanks to the Folks from Weston Super Mare for the Mk2( and associated) Seat spares. Most of the full size pilots there came around searching for all sorts at one time or another including the Police Helicopter team. Terry P. had a great time ferreting around and picked up a prize item for his Chipmunk panel/display project.—— and we thought the mobile Daleks would go down a storm at Newark too.

Hope this event will continue down the years, the WW2 style Airfield setting just oozes ambience. C U there next year.

Bill T.

Looking forward to tomorrow, stuff piled in the front room ready to load. Won’t be there spot on 7 AM though, it would involve a shameful start time.

Have a good one tomorrow – I’m just about to start proof reading NAM’s Dispersal, which includes a picture of G-AGPG!

I hope they remember the code as well!

Jon
(Co owner of Anson G-AGPG)

The weather is set fair for Sunday, there is a T-6 Texan, Yak-11, Chipmunk, and a pair of Bulldogs amongst those promised for the Fly-in, and the BBMF is due about 3 pm. Mike Davey is already there with the Ecko Anson, or rather the Anson is there. I’ve just dropped Mike and Mick Blackburn at the Red Lion in Bobbington. After a pint or two of Marston’s finest I hope they can remember the gate code to get back in

The first cockpit has arrived in the shape of Chipmunk WK576, now with No.1046 ATC Squadron, Fordhouses,Wolverhampton, but previously with Lichfield Squadron. Largely complete, except for seats, but in need of some tlc,

The gates will be open for jumblers/exhibitors from 7 am, though you can of course come the previous day, and camp for free. The event starts at 10 am.

Will be bringing the Anson cockpit down on Saturday afternoon and setting up ready for an early (possibly slightly hung-over) start on Sunday.

I’ll be selling jumble as well so a nice spot by the door just inside the hangar (like last time) would be nice, Alec!

Anon.

What’s the trader opening/setup time Alec?

Nothing could be as cold as Easter, Alan, at least you were in the hangar, I was at the gate. Do you have an AP for the Tardis ? and a Turn & Slip indicator for it ? You must do, you have everything else.

I’ll fill a corner for you in the ‘jumble as usual, Alec. See you on sunday and fingers crossed for rather milder weather than the last event!

The first ‘cockpit’ has landed, but it is singularly lacking in instrumentation, if anyone can help. It’s Doctor Who’s Tardis. I was also disappointed to discover it is the same size on the inside as it is on the outside. However, one of the prizes in the 1st September raffle will be the chance to drive a Dalek, and you don’t get that chance every day. The ‘second’ prize will be a helicopter flight.

A table and space duly booked for you, Ian.
No, Balliol, the Overstrand will not be there, despite our best efforts, which included finding it a secure home at Halfpenny Green, it has gone in store at Cosford, from where it is hard to see it emerging.
No.1046 Sqd ATC will be bringing their Chipmunk cockpit, the one that used to be at Lichfield Squadron. It is complete except for seats. So if anyone knows of a pair of Chippie seats they would be very interested to hear of them, or even to see them on 1st Sept. Apparently they will be running a raffle where the prizes include a flight in a Cessna 172 and a flight in a helicopter, but I don’t know which helicopter.