We were all set for a super fly-in today, in (supposedly) ever improving
weather as yesterday's front lying N/S over central England moved away to
the east. In the event, the BBC forecast at 2230 last night gave warning
that the front had decided to move back to the west.
The result was that at 0700, whilst it was 9999 and 5000' here at Shobdon,
there was a spike of heavy rain showing on the radar running N from the
Southampton area up to the Pennines. The telephone was mysteriously quiet,
until the first call at about 0930 from Trev Pond at Abbots Bromley
(Staffordshire) who said it was raining heavily there and that their grass
airfield was flooded.
Notwithstanding that weather situation, we eventually had 14 visiting
Europae, 1 builder in his Emeraude, and the two resident aircraft. Diana
Mills came and was in good form, and Laura Farmer came up from South Wales
with Paul's mother and step-father, and his twin sister, her husband, and
their 1 year old daughter.
Our longest travelled visitor was Jos Oskuisen, from North Finland (via
Lelystad and Popham), and the longest trip within UK was Justin and Fiona
Kennedy direct from (and back to) Perth. Others who made notable flights (at
least in today's grotty Midlands weather) were David and Marion Watts from
Laddingford, Andy and Michelle Fletcher from Beccles, Bob and Helen Gibbs
---From Popham, Bob Harrison and Ivor Phillips from Wickenby, Bryan Allsop and
Bob Hitchcock from Coal Aston; Mark Collett and Ray Young came from
Dunkeswell, and the Scanlans from Eggesford. With some others from closer
airfields, and some by car, I calculate we had 34 Europa Club folk with us,
as well as Diana and Laura's party.
Thank you all who attended, and those who tried but had to turn back. I am
afraid that I took no photos; I had one aerial photo taken, but all that pic
shows is 13 Europa on a grass parking area - no atmosphere and not worth
circulating on the forum.
I will leave it to Paddy and Bryan to add any comments, and thoughts about
following up after today.
Thanks also to the team here at Shobdon, and to those of you who booked in
for earlier attempts but could not make either of the postponed dates.
Best wishes,
David
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