Hunter passing over Oxford to the west at about 4.30 on Sunday..back to Kemble?
And a real treat..the Vimy doing leisurely circuits of Kidlington airfield as I went in the grounds of Blenheim palace. What’s it doing at Oxford?

It’s the jetstream wot does it. It meanders around the Northern Hemisphere, a snaking river of high speed wind, sometimes moving North, sometimes South and sometimes in an omega loop. It influences the passage of N Atlantic depressions across our sceptred isle..and that’s what gives us our weather. We are just stuck with it basically. If you don’t like its unpredictability..well you know what you have to do!

On Sunday, there did seem to be fewer yellowjackets and assorted groupies hanging around the flight line aircraft..just the occasional engineer. Perhaps some of our feedback does have some effect.

I did think FL was a little muted this year…the absence of Sally B in a three ship was sorely missed..certainly if the expression on Elly S’s face was anything to go by when the other 2 taxied out and displayed. There were less unusual visitors and the Spitfires seemed a little gentlemanly, compared with the in-yer-face, kick-ass display of the P51’s..they come across the airfield like a bunch of hooligans..fantastic stuff.
But we are so spoilt really, all of these are minor niggles, and don’t in any way whatsoever detract from another great day. I worry that one day we will look back on these days as a golden age of display flying, not as a result of lack of enthusiasm and commitment from the organisers/owners, but due to insurance and fuel issues and the crushing bureaucracy of the EU.
Thanks to the IWM and TFC once again.

Aha…Miss Shilling’s Orifice !!

I watched the final approach..the aircraft looked to be lower than usual on finals, with what I thought was a slightly nose high attitude, and at that moment I thought that it was apparent that she was sinking like a brick…I thought “she’s on the wrong side of the drag curve there”. She then bounced, significantly, nose high, and then sank again, bouncing , and I think the prop may have briefly kicked up some dirt (which seems borne out by the photo)..she then entered a ground loop and ended up 90 degrees off axis with a bent port mainwheel. A VERY despondant and visibly hacked off pilot exited the a/c throwing his gloves down and burying his head in his hands on the wing for a minute or so. Very well handled. No comment on the engine note…and fortunately he did not push the throttle open..I think that’s when a P51 bites back and flick rolls you into the ground.

Well handled..you both live to fly another day.

Great stuff. Clearing the memory cards and charging the batteries as we speak.
Enjoy tomorrow, all who are going.

And the prototype Bf109 was powered by a Rolls Royce Kestrel……..