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Captain Sims
United Kingdom
144 Posts |
 Posted - 28 May 2007 : 06:17:44
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Even though the weather prevented us overnighting at West Wales, the consensus is that the rally was an great success. I counted 23 aircraft in all taking part and a good cross section of microlight aircraft in the UK from Flash 2 Alphas to the Ban bi.
Has I was driving from Broadmeadow to Shobdon I offered to carry some of the WVF guys camping gear, Well Jeremy gave me a Tesco carrier bag with all his gear, Terry and Julie G-TERR started filling my car with what looked like an 18th century expedition to Africa, the only thing they didn’t put my car was a couple of Porters. Needless to say I have never seen microlighters camping so lavishly, tent with beds, curtains and a conservatory !
Scott Cutbertson and his other half Amanda flew in from their strip at Margam, theirs is an interesting tale, having a new baby in the family, this was the first time they had got a babysitter, so where does Scott take Amanda, 5 Star St Davids Hotel Cardiff, Dylans hotel Swansea? No Shobdon bar and a tent under the wing of his Quantum.
A group of us camped overnight at Shobdon the café stayed open for us till 10pm to cater for those arriving late, the general welcome from Shobden was fantastic and the obvious place to start next years rally.
I rode shotgun with Jeremy Fokker (Hucker) in his 912S Sky Ranger, climbing out of Shobdon straight to Swansea, we passed Pen y Fan, Were the hikers on the summit appeared to be doing some kind of ritual bowing prayer, no, its Jeremy’s normal mountain flying technique, I snapped what looked like a sheep on the summit, but we were so fast and so close they appear has white lines on the photo.
Descending towards the Swansea valley we start to pick up feint radio chat, the strong Welsh accents tell me its Dai Powers Air Force, they are all from scattered tiny (and I mean tiny) microlight strips all over the South East Wales Costal plane. “ Dai where are you” “Philo Im just climbing out of Felindra” Martyn Richardson in his Quasar out of Neath didn’t quite make the rendezvous has his engine started to play up.
At this point we where dodging heavy showers on the approach to Swansea, Jeremy sees the downpour and sticks the aircraft into a sharp 2G turn straight into the downpour and we are engulfed in heavy rain ! “What’s wrong!!” I yell, “Oh the aircrafts covered in dust it needs a wash”. At this point I start wondering if I can get a train direct from Swansea to Abergavenny or would I have to change at Newport?.
We suddenly pick up radio chat from way behind us “Bob where are you” “Martyn Im over Ebbw Vale” Martyn Shortman and Bob Mcron inbound direct from Broadmeadow, these single two sentences where soon to bight 129.825 for the rest of the rally “ Martyn where are you now
?” “Bob I’m near Merthyr”
Dai Power “ Swansea radio this is G XXXX” “G XXXX Swansea tower pass your message” “ G XXXX is a flexwing microlight currently over Tescos request joining instructions” I have since looked on both my VFR charts and have not yet been able to find VRP Tescos anywhere near Swansea??
At Swansea we meet up with some of the other rally members, At this point Steve Slade’s passenger John shoves a perfect portrait of a smiling sheep chewing grass on the summit of Pen y Fan under my nose. There cant be a higher sheep in the whole of South Wales.(we were running a comp to see who could photograph the highest sheep and lowest sheep in Wales, winner gets a can of ACF 50 off AirStoreOne).
After a brew and a Welsh cake at Swansea we head off around the Gower (passing bags of washing (Paragliders) soaring Rhossili Down) and across to Pembrey.
The beach is deserted, unfortunately someone in front of us has already landed on the beach and a council employed warden in a white van has told us we are not welcome! 20 years ago you could well image the same person saying “Excellent to see you tell your friends to land, oh and thanks for landing on our beach”. Anyway we should be grateful that these office bound soap opera watching officials who’s highlight of a week is to go to B&Q on a Saturday and wash their cars on a Sunday, weren’t around to stop the pioneers that helped make Britain great for a while, Emilia Earhart landed here before setting out to become the first woman to fly the Atlantic ! I wonder what she’d make of the guy in the white van.
Well Jex and I flew the beach, a couple of chicks walking a dog blew me a kiss, I blew one back, was she coughing ? laughing or throwing up? I gave the man in the van a pleasant wave, for an instant I felt superior.
On past Pendine, I ask Jeremy to turn the radio down Bob and Martyn are starting to give me a headache “ Where are you Mart” “ Just behind you Bob”
We pass Saundersfoot and Tenby and follow the coast to Angle a WWII Hurricane and Westland Whirlwind base at the head of Milford Estuary now only barely noticeable from the air. (Barnes Wallis was based here for a while shortly before the Dambusters raids)
We are soon overhead Dale Airfield another old Costal Command base once home to Wellingtons, Blenheims and Mosquitos, on the 11th August 1942 this happened:
”A HX 384 T of 304 Squadron was taking off on an anti-submarine sweep, there was a very strong crosswind and as a result the aircraft failed to get airborne. It went over the cliff into the rough sea below. Many efforts were made to rescue the men on board but sadly there were no survivors.”
Paying our respect to all of those based here we make a low pass down the runway and a climbing turn west. We do the same for Talbenny airfield and onto Haverfordwest.
Lunch at Propellers Cafe Haverfordwest, looking at all the microlights around and seeing the odd 1950’s Cessna interspersed you can plainly see the way leisure aviation is heading. A group snap was taken and we soon headed North to the Fishgard Coast which we followed north, flying below cliff level and out to sea, “Wow Sims look at those rock formations” I wonder how I had forgotten about the train at Swansea, I couldn’t even see a beach to swim to, “Fokker if this engine stops I will smack you one before we hit the sea”
We climb to Aberporth, after lining up on the wrong runway (shared blame) we go around and try again, A perfect landing and a perfect welcome. John and the guys at Aberporth have always given us a fantastic welcome. Has I walk past the toilet I hear voices, “ Where are you Bob?” “ Having a Pee Mart”
Steve Slade and John shove a picture of a sheep eating grass in an estuary, obviously the lowest sheep in Wales, unless anyone spotted one swimming? Very competitive are these boys. Please send me the evidence by Tuesday and Ill announce the winners of the photo competition. I cant see anyone beating that !
We get reports of rain in the East so it’s a squadron scramble for the skies, having sampled the comfort of their mega conservatory tent a Quik is just not comfortable enough as Terry’s Julie is flying back with Merv in his heated cabin and Terry’s skimming the mountains, shivering alone in G TERR
The views behind us as we head East are awesome Snowdon in the North and the whole of South Wales to the right.
As we head off alone back towards Shobdon I hear a faint crackle on 129 decimal 825, “Where are you Mart” “ Just below you Bob”
Epilogue:
Thanks everyone who made the effort, Thanks Jeremy awesome aircraft and some awesome flying as always, can see me going Sky Ranger soon. Wye Valley Flyers would you mind if I taped your fly outs radio chat I am sure I could sell CD’s of it, very entertaining stuff ! (Pictures available at www.MicrolightWales.co.uk click on gallery link)
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