Well here we are again! Wingco Steve, Richard, Steve R, Sam, Pete, Jane, Shane, Nick and new clown Diarmuid. It was going to be a cautious trip around Stapleford, Panshanger and Bourn, but the weather looked bearable and the blood was high, so a trip to Enstone in Oxfordshire was plotted.

Shane runs out of oil and Richard runs out of XK8's

Steve R gets off to a good start by taxiing to the pumps with pitot cover still in place. He insists Sam was supposed to have removed it, but I seem to remember that the pilot in command bears all responsibility.

Uniform-Delta with pitot cover. The planning session.

Jane gets Diarmuid to work cleaning the aircraft. He'll learn. I opt to sit in the back of Xray-Kilo: more leg room than the Cherokees and as I'm on photographic duties a high wing gives more scope. Nick taxis to the hold and does the power checks, but Xray-Kilo has a fouled plug. Five minutes of running doesn't clear it so back to the club house. It'll be sorted we tell the Cherokees, so they prepare to depart. Trumbaphone-man Steve has a go and judicious use of the mixture control and the EGT gauge sorts the problem, but will it be alright when we want to come back? Both Cherokees have left and the only alternative is to take a 152, which means someone (me) drops out. Nick and Shane decide to chance it. Thanks chaps!

Diarmuid at work. Musician at work.

So Nick P1, Shane navigating and me as bombardier set off. Gliders are whizzing about at Wethersfield. Haverhill comes into view. Nick heads for Daventry VOR and calls up Duxford information. "Just out interest, what's happening at Enstone today?" asks the Duxford FISO, seems the Cherokees and Jane are following the same route. "Nothing, we just decided to go there". No, no, no, Heelan's Flying Circus are happening at Enstone today!

What a waste of a runway. Xray-Kilo being chased by something from The Prisoner

Jane and Diarmuid seem to be on a strange course somewhere out over Cambridge, as we push on by. On to Cranfield who seem very busy. The air is getting a bit murky as I try to get some pictures of the airship hangers at Bedford.

Airship sheds. Daventry VOR

Daventry VOR is made and we turn south west for Enstone. A huge disused airfield appears, Barford St Johns. Unlike other disused airfields, this one is literally disused, no farming, no cars parked on the runways, just left and forgotten.

Disused indeed. Picturesque bridge, Enstone final approach

Shane and Nick are searching for Enstone. I let them struggle for a bit before asking "What's that over there?". Such fun.

Enstone is busy, have all these people come to see Heelan's Flying Circus? No actually, just a lot of motor gliders around. Tea and muffins in the club house. Everybody is feeling good as the weather appears to be holding off. Free landings at North Weald today, so a stop off on the way back. This of course requires dumping the return routes plotted, and working on a new one. Nick and Shane aim for a pretty direct approach to Bovingdon VOR with some corners to avoid MATZ's and stuff. I just relax.

Enstone. Non-flying pigs.

Shane fires up Xray-Kilo and does the power checks. Woohoo! The plugs are fine. Not sure where the runway starts we taxi back to the very end, where a couple of other aircraft are waiting. Half way there and Enstone's radio asks if we are ready to go, so about face, on to the runway, full power and airbourne. Not sure if we cut up the waiting aircraft or not. If we did, sorry!

Such choice!

Out to the south we discover Richard's secret: where he stores his cars! We pass various grades of airfields and reach Bovingdon VOR, then it's the familiar trip round the M25 to Epping. Shane joins downwind and cooly lands Xray-Kilo without the hint of a bounce. Damn we getting good!

North Weald

North Weald is buzzing. There is a DC3 and a DC5 in the distance; a couple of Jet Provosts are about; there's a Yak; a couple of Harvards; and the ultimate flying machines, two Mustangs! Camera on, let's hope the battery is fully charged.

A Yak and "Big Beautiful Doll"

Sigh!

Pictures done, and into the club house for bacon sandwiches. Tango-Lima arrives with Wingco, Richard and Mark (Wingco's friend). Uniform-Delta arrives with Steve R, Sam and Peter. Bacon sandwiches are tucked into. And then I get the feeling something is missing... where's Jane and Diarmuid! Right on cue Delta-Oscar arrives, no need to panic.

Cue the Ennio Morricone soundtrack. Shane and Rob look on as Nick's sausage sandwich makes a run for it

Delta-Oscar is short on fuel and rightly determines that a splash more is wise even though it is only 15 minutes back to Andrewsfield. Jane proves herself a smart fox and goes to sign in, sending Diarmuid to get the fuel. Diarmuid therefore gets the pleasure of asking the fuel truck for 10 litres. "Each side?" asks the operator hopefully.

Diarmuid proves himself fearless. You cannot have too many Mustang pictures.

The Mustangs and Harvards depart. Steve (R) did some research later and determined that one Mustang and Harvard where owned by a pilot in Kent. Lucky man.

Goodbye North Weald. Turning base for Andrewsfield

All aboard and back to Andrewsfield. A beer, a chat and a review of the photos. Where to next month? Watch this space.

[Text:Robert]