The Don Henry & Air Squadron Trophies - 2009

Compton, it’s just so full of Eastern promise – well maybe western given it’s location in our country – well, no not the west as this conjures up the wrong image ... but you know what I mean anyway. It’s such an idyllic setting. I am hard pressed to think of a similar calming, beautiful flying venue ... well actually I can think of one; but it’s in a different country ... Stellenbosch airfield in South Africa – try it ... S33º 58’ 50” E18º 49’ 22” ... on a sun setting evening with just your own family and a glass of local wine at the bar ...

The forecast was going to allow a fair bit of flying I thought, but mostly on the Saturday – driving past Boscombe on Friday morning I became confident even of a Friday afternoon start; better than last year etc. However as most of you will have gathered that was not to be – after an excellent lunch provided by Margaret I set up shop with flip chart and all – Jen (as registrar) and Steve (Chief Judge) all in fine fettle. The roll call went well – all present bar Eddie who was weathered in in Eire ... Emma (aka daughter of Clive) gave us all a lesson on filling out the fuel chitty system – diagrams and all ... the Pilots were enthralled and enjoyed it so much they asked for an immediate re-run; they were mesmerised ...  when I volunteered there was somewhat less enthusiasm ... and then we sat and waited for the cloud to lift ... it didn’t ... so we gave up at circa 18.00 with the promise on the TAFs of a better Saturday and we all departed to our hostelries for an early night.

I awoke to the dawn chorus at about 04.25 – not a man made sound could I hear and perfectly blue skies – I was lucky enough to be staying with Patrick Caruth and his wife, Lucy, sans les enfants – blissful after my household the day before. Arrived at the airfield where I and some 20 or so other Pilots looked at ... pee soup – could not even see either end of the runway – ah well – it was supposed to lift by 11.00 ... A brief of the advanced and intermediate classes followed at circa 09.00 (I agreed that the beginners could call in later on to see if flying was going to be possible) so we could be off to a quick start when the weather improved; Emma repeated the fuel system seminar (all the advanced pilots insisted on staying for that part again!) ... and then gradually the cloud base lifted. A few phone calls on cancellations and a couple of late arrivals but by noon we had the minimum needed and Paul Tomlinson took to the skies to start the advanced Free. Over the next 3 hours or so all the advanced pilots went up and found their breaks in the skies to be able to complete their sequences – the Judges judged and were fed by Margaret and Harriett (behind the bar) and we all agreed that we needed the hill to shrink to allow the Intermediates and Beginners adequate cloud base.

It had been decided that, subject to weather, the Intermediates would start with the Apprentices to allow the presentation of the Air Squadron Trophy ... alas it was not to be – we tried for about 1½ hours in fits and starts but the cloud was short by a few 100 feet – so sadly the only flying by the Intermediates and beginners was flying in and flying out for the competition. By 17.00 it was clear things would not improve … The Air Squadron representatives flew off with a promise that we would try and reschedule at the Junior Nationals on the Saturday … most of the Pilots flew off too before the presentation – some had trips of up to 1½ hours to get back up North … So they missed Emma presenting the medals (their loss). The results below show the final line up; Paul Tomlinson won the Don Henry and gold in his Edge-360 closely followed by Eddie Goggins (Extra 300L) and Ron (Pitts S2B) was pipped of bronze by Nick Richards in his Extra 300 by just 0.58%.

A long drive home for me – next time by plane – many thanks to all the Judges and scribes and Jen and also to Compton; Clive (needed a mention), Margaret and beautiful Emma along with Harriett behind the bar … thank you so much ... till next year … but Guys why not visit sooner?
Patrick JG Margetson-Rushmore
Contest Director