Saturday - Dunkeswell by Norm

This morning also started out with low overcast and a little drizzle. We arrived at the airport, and Hanspeter went up and flew, but the ceilings were only about 1400 feet. Everyone else decided to wait the weather out. Finally, in the middle afternoon, the ceilings rose and some breaks in the overcast appeared. We began our rotation in earnest. Every pilot got a shot in the box and flying wrapped up at 6:30 PM, due to prior noise complaints. It was a productive day.

It should be added that there was a lot of aviation activity during the afternoon. For example, there are several light sport airplanes based here, and they fly even with the overcast that grounded the team. There are two young pilots in the building next to us, Rob and Chris, that are selling rides to the English coast in a 1936 Gypsy Moth. The plane has a tail skid and no brakes. It departs on the runway and lands on the grass between the runway and their office. Their short final is almost over our heads.Then, there are a variety of general aviation aircraft, 150s, 172s, 177s, Archers, etc. that are being used as trainers. If that’s not enough, there is a parachute jump operation lifting jumpers in a King Air. By the way, the jumpers land in the center of our aerobatic box. They provide a 2 minute warning, we vacate the box, they land, collect the dead, and we resume aerobatics. It is definitely a three ring goat rodeo. The US FAA would have a heart attack. Fortunately, everyone is safety conscious, and we have not had any conflicts.

Hubie and Goody have the Sukhoi tweaked to their satisfaction, and both looked strong in their flying. Every team member is looking quite sharp in their flying. They are working on unknowns and unknown figures. Jeff and David are very precise with the new Extra 330S. Robert is fully at home in his own CAP 231. Debby and Vicki look very strong, and are mastering the small differences between the planes they fly at home and the planes they are using here in Europe. More tomorrow.