Bank holiday Monday and some of us would like to do a bit of flying. Nick, Shane, Laura, Richard, Angie, Rob, Steve, Debbie and Sam meet up at Andrewsfield. Big clouds are forming and passing. The trip out becomes, "well perhaps just a few circuits". Nick and Shane announce they're going to North Weald, a whole 15 minutes flying time! Come on then. We pack in to the aircraft. Angie is persuaded to come with us ("it's only 15 minutes away").

G-ASUD gets away with Rob, Steve, Debbie and Sam. G-BXXK gets away with Nick, Shane and Laura. G-BZDH completes it's power checks with Richard and Angie on board and the rain starts. They have to sit it out.

UD and XK make it to North Weald and order bacon sandwiches. DH turns up and Angie is smiling, perhaps it wasn't that bad. The Yak aerobatic team are based at North Weald for Southend air show. A get roar of radials as they depart for their stint. The heavens open and it pours. With luck the Yaks will be on their way back by the time it reaches Southend.

We sit the rain out and the Yak's return. Out with camera, and lead Yak's lets go with the smoke as I take his picture. Unfortunately, the picture is a couple of milli-seconds early, but hey! thanks for the showmanship!

We must make a move in a whole in the rain if we are going to get back to Andrewsfield. So off we go. XK and DH get away. UD is last, just in time for a large rain storm to drive us east when we need to go north east. Eventually, we find a break in the rain and head north. On the Andrewsfield deadside there is a huge rain storm coming towards downwind. I leg it round the circuit at 25000 rpm (thoughs Yaks do something to the blood), execute a rather fast landing and use the whole 800m to come to a stop. 'Hmm! Lightening!" says Sam looking at the storm.