CD's
Report
Compton, its just so full of Eastern
promise well maybe western given its location in our country well, no
not the west as this conjures up the wrong image ... but you know what I
mean anyway. Its 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 its in a different country
... Stellenbosch airfield in South Africa try it ... S33Ί 58 50 E18Ί 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 didnt ... 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 |
