Propstrike, your groupies needn’t worry. If you can meet the requirements of the HGV drivers licence, then you can fly passengers in a 4-seat aircraft up to 200 hp, day VFR in the UK. In my case I’d had an angioplasty so initially I could only fly solo or with a licensed pilot. I then had to pass a stress test which was not helped by a very pretty cardiologist wearing a tight white uniform on a very hot day! Anyway I passed and my GP then signed me off for a year (I’m over 60). No further ECGs reuired and a once-only fee for the issue of the NPPL. It matches my requirements exactly so I’m an enthusiast for the system. Google NPPL and all will berevealed.

Chap on our strip had one. He looked quite intelligent and he was a bank-manager so must have had the odd brain cell or three. I rather went off him when he came out of the sun one evening and did a three-quarter attack on me in my Airtourer without warning. (I’d have been really good in 1940!) His was the VP-1 single-seater and he had a lot of fun with it. It appeared to be reliable on the power of it’s VW engine and he took it with him when his bank moved him further into East Anglia. Blowed if I can rememeber the registration though.

Just to get back to an earlier poster’s question, yes I made it on the Saturday morning in the faithful Airtourer. It was a fairly brief visit due to incoming rain but it was very pleasant. The Tower were on the ball as usual, the grass was green and well trimmed, the AT-3s were buzzing about, Delta were Tigering, a CAP10 was turning everybody green and there were microlights lying about on aforesaid grass. A very pleasant scene and well done to whoever decided it was FREE landing fees. The new Pilots Mess is very Art-Deco, which is in keeping with the whole feel of the place, but they didn’t have any change for my coffee but I’m sure that was an opening day glitch. So Sywell, despite the sniping and what’s gone before, remains one of my personal favourite land-aways along with Old Buckenham and how long is that going to last. Word on the street has it sold for light industrial development. Where have we heard that before?

As I wasn’t sure whether I would be working or not I was late getting in my request for a slot. Unfortunately I was refused as you were “full up” yet at G-VFWE a couple of years ago there were over 200 aircraft on the field. Was it just a question of numbers or CAA licensing issues that caused you to be “full”?

Was G-AMMS the one that the comedian Jimmy Edwards used to own? I seem to rememeber seeing it at Squires Gate (Blackpool) in the late 50s. And G-ALFA is for sale on http://www.thehangar.co.uk

Thanks for the update “oag” and I’m glad you got some exercise. Clearly the weather was better at Fenland. I know of at least 3 crews from Top Farm who would have gone if the viz had been better.

Classic Wings offer a range of flights in the Rapides and Tiger Moths out of Duxford of course and will be introducing the Harvard this year.

Scion, thanks for the update. Glad to hear that the “Eagle has flown”. It looked a long way from completion when we saw it. Shame about the Fox Moth. It’s a long time since I saw Giro’s pair G-ACCB and G-ACEJ flying off Southport beach.