Found out that the practice is at 9:35, what a shame, I have to meet a client at Harston at 10 :30, will take digi camera and test the wind, meeting could be delayed.
Anyone know what will be served up at the beer tent this weekend, if it’s Greene King please take your own as they are about to take over and close our local Ridleys brewery at Felsted.

Looking at the weather out of my window at the moment it looks like strong crosswinds might curtail the 2:00 practice flypast, I’m manipulating a visit to a client near Duxford tomorrow morning, assuming I finish my drawings, which is why I can’t get up there today, anybody any idea what time a reshedule of the practice might be as someone commented it could be arranged for friday morning. Will be on the bank next to the tank hall on sunday flying the flag of St George, will all the screaming kids and durks with stepladders please keep away as I always get lumbered with them.

Anyone have any more info about this weekends fly-in? Just had something Merlin powered over the house – are there many warbirds expected? Admission prices?

TIA

What I assumed to be Princess Elizabeth flew low over my house at about 15:30 yesterday afternoon heading south, it was so perfectly positioned directly overhead that I couldn’t tell whether it was a C or a D, however the engine note was different than the usual P-51, my missus thought it was well impressive, of course we had to do the usual quote from Empire Of The Sun, ‘P-51,cadillac of the skies’ etc, well it was very hot yesterday, not good for merlins either.
So what and where was it going.

Ah! I spy two Caravelles. I seem to recall that when they ran up the noise was physically painful, even at that distance.

Aircraft in the background? Bristol Freighter, Argosy, Fairchild Thingy?

Moggy

Apart from Comets, Caravelles were the only jets to be seen that day, yes I do recall the high pitched whine. Dan Air were operating Yorks, Air France, Super Constellations.
The aircraft behind the right hand Caravelle looks like a DC-7.

If anyone has read Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNab I seem to recall that he claimed that the two airliners, 757’s ? bringing the POW’s back from Iraq in 1991 were both barrel rolled with a full compliment of passengers, I can’t find the book to confirm this though.

Talking about Apaches, my missus has got a new job in a very rural office at Blackmore End, the other side of Wethersfield base from here. On Wednesday she heard the sound of a rapidly approaching helicopter and enquired of the staff that she didn’t realise that they had a heli-pad. On recieving a negative response, she walked over to the window and was somewhat taken aback to see a Longbow Apache with full weapons fit hovering about 25m away at a 6m altitude. On waving to the aircrew she was rather surprised when he turned head on and trained his firepower on her office before hiding behind the trees, I told her that they were probably only training weapons! I think he was practising for monday and overshot the village green.

If you are in the Sidmouth area there is an interesting camp site on the left hand side of the A3052 just before Sidmouth near the donkey sanctuary, the campsite is very pleasant but the toilet/recreation/kitchen/kids playroom is a WW2 concrete radar bunker, very tastefully converted with old photos etc, not far from Seaton Tramway, Dunkeswell Airfield, Branscombe airstrip that has fly ins and little shows and the unspoilt pleasures of Sidmouth, must be the only place in Britain with a sea front house that belonged to the Czar complete with the crest of the Imperial Eagle, and the seafood shop, and the old departmental store with the Dinky museum etc etc etc……….

Don Bullock attempted the same manouvre on take off at Mildenhall Air Fete the previous May, as he attempted to barrel roll he changed his mind and managed to pull it into a climbing turn, the commentator went very quiet then made some comment to the effect of ‘He shouldn’t have tried that’.
My heart always used to sink when I knew he was going to display, especially with respect to Sally B, which caused an eventual ban at Duxford I recall. Always feared the worst would happen eventually.