| On the day now
chosen for the annual VAC fly in and barbeque the weather looked quite
favourable apart from a considerable covering of fog in the South. We
drove towards the airstrip but since the fog initially prevented flying we
stopped off at Popham to talk with the Auster contingent of John Morley
and Jed Mackie. Jed was displaying incredible agility in spite of a
recently acquired broken ankle. Apparently he fell off the pavement and
claimed to be sober at the time. John Coker was accompanying Jed to assist
with the flying and driving.
After tea and biscuits
in the hanger the fog at Popham started clearing quickly so we made our
way to the airstrip only to find there was still dense fog in local area.
As we got the aeroplane ready we met up with Max Robinson and John Hunt
who were intending to fly somewhere and they decided to make for Sackville
as well.
The fog finally cleared
allowing us to get airborne where we discovered that as suspected the
visibility was really good to the North, the fog having cleared there
quite a lot earlier.
Routed to the North,
passing Newbury, Didcot, Oxford, Bicester and Finmere. Changed heading at
Buckingham passing, Milton Keens, overhead Olney, South of Podington until
Sackville Farm was in sight. The meandering river Ouse, visible in the
last few miles always looks really attractive from above.
Joined the circuit for
runway 31 at Sackville Farm and although the wind was a fairly light
Southerly it was almost at right angles to the runway. Any crosswind can
turn our otherwise docile 170 into a challenge but today the landing was
not too bad.
Since we had a late
start there were many aeroplanes on the ground already but there were
still may more to come. |
