Blimey, how time flies! It’s hard to believe this was the fourth RV Event in as many years and once again we got the Event away. It’s always “touch and go” with British summer wx and this year has been no exception.

The RV Event has great potential to be a big gathering given the number of aerobatic RVs on the register; well over 300 at my last count, but as we, this merry band of brothers, know it is not a type of flying that everybody takes to easily. 

The objective of the RV Event is to attract individuals who wish to gain more experience of flying aerobatics, trying to keep it all in the box, to be critiqued by experienced judges and to talk RVs and other aeroplane stuff to like-minded pilots; the concept works for those that come.

And so, with a lowish number of RV entrants (5) but building slowly added to the Gunpowder Trophy, also a lowish number this year (4) and finally because of the predictable summer wx the Don Henry Trophy that should have been flown at Compton was for the third time of trying to be flown at the RV Event. Lowish numbers but great pilots were about to fly.

All pilots bar one had arrived by 10.00hrs however the cloud base was stuck at around 1200ft. With a quick pagan ritual offering the Sky Gods bacon butties, the sun started to shine through, the clouds started to part and big blue appeared. Add a little bit of a 15kt off judge wind and we were set to go.

All pilots were going to fly two sequences each. The RV pilots would fly the RV known sequence once, be expertly critiqued and then fly the same again later in the day. Brand new to the BAeA was Derek Sington. He’s more used to flying Hawks and Tornados than RVs at Leicester but the joy on his face after having flown a couple of neat looking quarter clovers in his first Event made my day. I think we have a convert.

I have to say it was a most unusual mix of flights. We had a type specific event, a Sports event with four pilots competing, however, three were flying H/C and two of our regular attendees Farrell McGee and Paul Elvidge both at Advanced. Ross Turner, who turned in a stunning final score of 79.82% is only 15 years old and has around 40hrs total time – he hasn’t even flown solo yet! Another young star, Anna Konarska, also flying GEEK shot c67.9% and she has even less total time than Ross. Both stars of the future I think, I hope.

With some interspersing of Advanced flights in with Sport, giving a little bit of breathing space to get GEEK refuelled and set for the next pilot we were able to get all pilots flown, even two of our pilots flying four sequences each on the day and with a little bit of support from Leicester Fire and re-fuelling team managed to complete the Event and competitions on the day.

Many thanks to a full turnout of experienced judges and scribes led by Chief Judge Martin Sandford, all the support staff and facilities at Leicester Aerodrome that all worked like a finely tuned machine and finally, the pilots who make the effort and epitomise the aims and objectives of the British Aerobatic Association. See you there next year?

Philip Massetti

Contest Director