One of the highlights of the event was the Yak52 (Tailwheel ) , but if you had seen it on Tuesday evening, you would not have imagined it would make it to North Weald.The a/c was involved in a taxiing accident, which concluded with the Yak impaled on a mobile bowser, with a consequent spillage of fuel.

After the consumption of much midnight-oil, the installation of a new engine, new prop, and newly fabricated cowlings, it was back in the air. The nosewheel 52’s might look a little ungainly, but at least the view is better !

I’ve got a slot for J-3 G-BTUM and hope to be there Sat and Sun, and will camp under the wing, barnstormer style. I hope it can still remember the way to Abingdon, as we were there for the Fayre only 10 days ago.

I like a cross-country where you can see the destination ( Didcot Chimneys) from the circuit on departure. There are 700 a/c booked, and it should be a great event, if the weather is kind. After two iffy weekends on the trot, we are due for a good one!

Gliding guru Derek Piggot oversaw the construction of the Slingsby versions, but due to a slight scaling error in design, the nose section was too big and boxy. It had almost twice the frontal area, so a large part of the propellor arc was blanked. It definitely looked a bit peculiar, and performance suffered.

The Aces High Stampe versions were still pretty ‘Stampeish’ even with a square fin, Lewis gun, headrest etc, and the flying characteristic were unchanged, ie delightful. Certainly, Neil Williams seemed to like them.

Viv Bellamy built a neat little Pfaltz replica, but I would not be suprised if the shape of the airframe was a factor in decided which to build. Something like the Albatross has a tube-like fuselage with complex curves, whereas an SE5 is nice and slab-sided, and must be much easier (cheaer) to nail together.

I saw those three Mustangs, and they looked absolutely brilliant.
They went over Amersham at about 800ft, in a loose vic at about 3.45.

From the heading , I guessed they may have been making for N.Weald, and they were coming from the west, so perhaps out of Kemble……….? Just wondered.

Let’s just hope you do not get a last-minute ‘Attack-Of-The-Nimbys’.

With the VAC event at Turweston scrubbed at just a week’s notice, this sort of protest is getting way out of hand. Hopefully, the fact that Abingdon is a charity fund-raiser will deflate the inevitable moaning minority.

The Brimpton Provosts are not connected to the Bradshaw example, athough that one (G-AWPH from memory ) is based very close, at a strip on the southern edge of Reading, by the M4 junction.

It is / was a racy back and red colour scheme. It may not have flown for a while as I believe J.B has been pre-occupied with his Kemble-based Sea Fury.

VAC FLY IN CANCELLED

Notification has just been posted on PPRUNE, and I assume it is true. Looks as though the Nimbys may be getting the upper hand on this one. Lets hope that difficulty does not throw a permanent shadow over Turweston.

It would be a cruel irony if we were unable to fly to the newly-located PFA headquarters.

Edigio Gavazzi sold his Yak last year, and has bought a 2nd ’52 instead, as well as keeping the share in the L39 at North Weald.

I think his enthusiasm for the Yak11 was increased after a spot of formation flying with Mark Jefferies on a transit from Popham back to White Waltham. When Mark says he will tuck in close, he really means it !