Charity Flying Day at Yeovilton tomorrow

Well, it was an interesting day to say the least.

Turned up at Eggesford from home some 60 miles away at 7.45am to find the airfield covered in mist and with very low lying fog. Not what I was expecting at all, after checking virtually every web based forecast site the day before – even the drive up was nice, except the last four or five miles. We of course expected it to clear within the hour and then it rained. Not something that was needed. It stopped, it rained again, the fog lifted and then came back and then it rained again. Having had a visitor in the form of a Super Cub who was also trying to get to Yeovilton and couldn’t get through, by 11am things werent looking very good at all.

But at Yeovilton, we were constantly being told it was superb. Lovely clear blue skies and nothing at all like we were having a few miles down the road. Then it started to clear, not much at first and Dartmoor, which can be seen from the airfield was just about visible (it helped if you knew what you were looking for!). It may be ok to the East where we were going, but would it be ok upon our return? That really wasnt a risk worth taking. Yeovilton kept ringing us saying that they wanted to see us and people were asking where we were. So, going by my persistent so called knowedge of what the weather was meant to be doing and not what we were experiencing, we decided to give it a go. I’m not the best person for advice recently as had to come home from Abbots Bromley two weeks ago, on a train from Derby leaving my ride home up there. The Super Cub left infront of us by ten minutes (Broussard’s take a little bit of time to warm up you see) and as we didnt hear from him on frequency again, we thought we would follow.

Weather was a little cloudy for the first ten minutes with the remainder of the fog and low cloud quickly disappearing, but by the time we got to Tiverton, it had cleared. The only problem then was to get to Yeovilton before the display started at 12.30. This we just managed and as turned off 04, the Piston Provost started its aerobatic sequence.

Weather at Yeovilton was superb and for once, very hot. Not something a lot of us are used to. Hospitality as ever was superb and after we had our lunches, we then started giving rides. In all we flew 39 people (flying four each time) and had a wonderful day as per usual. Four gentlemen arrived from Duxford, just wanting to fly the Broussard – thats dedication.

Other types available included the world’s oldest flying Dragon Rapide, a Gypsy Moth, Stampe, various Tiger Moths and Chipmunks, a Cap-10 and the Piston Provost. This proved to be the most popular aeroplane there (I wonder why?) and trade for this was rather brisk. As you got one flight in with your original ticket and then could purchase others for £50, it was a type collector’s dream day out.

Here’s to the next one.

Martin