Monday 25 October 2010

Baby Breitling Wingwalker at Yeovilton 2010

Bringing this blog right up to date, this weekend we flew at the Model Show at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton.


The weather wasn't as bad as the original forecast but we only managed to get in one flight due to the heavy rain showers.

The flying display is only part of the overall show and during the rain we took the opportunity to look round at the variety of models that were on display.  There was everything from Airfix models to carved wagons, spaceships, fantasy figures and Meccano diggers, all packed tightly around the museum's planes.


Outside there was also a good crowd who watched the flying displays that included warbirds, biplanes, jets and a glider as well as our Stearman and wingwalker.  Because there was a short display time we only displayed one plane and wingwalker, which was just as well because the rain showers seemed to give us just enough time to assemble or dismantle one and then the heavens would open.

Friday 15 October 2010

Baby Breitling Wingwalkers at Woodvale Rally 2010

In August we had a busy weekend at the Woodvale Rally near Southport.  The model airshow is organised by the Liverpool Club and is one of the many attractions at the rally.  The Southport Reporter photographed the event and on their site you can see photos of the event, including some silly ones of us.  There is also a report and some photos on the RCMF Forum.

In previous years there has been time to see the military vehicles, motor bikes, cars and wander round the stands.  This year though the team were flying the Breitling Wingwalkers as well as a number of other models so, apart from an hour when we could grab something to eat, one of us was either flying, getting a model ready or waiting in the startup box.  It was a busy weekend, but a very enjoyable one.

The wind wasn't pleasant again for most of the day and there were a few scratches to the underside of the wings on landing because we had to land crosswind on a tarmac runway.  Landing a biplane in a crosswind is always more difficult but a lot of the time it's a fact of life because that's the way the runway is orientated.  On the Sunday afternoon the wind calmed down and we had the best flight of the day.

Every year the Liverpool Club presents a trophy in memory of Arthur Searl to one of the pilots taking part. 

Arthur was one of the members of the Liverpool Club and we used to meet him regularly at Woodvale and the LMA events. 


This year they presented it to the Baby Wingwalker Team which was a lovely surprise.

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Baby Breitling Wingwalkers at Hastings 2010

It was the first time that any of the team had flown at the Hastings Model Show (July 2010) but there were lots of familiar faces there.  The weather was gorgeous sunshine, though there was still the breeze that seems to be constant this year.  It's also a grass runway which is nicer to fly from than tarmac.


At a show the planes are usually parked along the crowdline so that the public can have have a look at them in more detail.  When it's time to fly you push the plane out to the startup box on the display line so you can start the engines safely away from the crowd. It's a long flightline at Hastings so there was a lot of exercise pushing both the Stearmans and the 4 other planes we had taken into place.  We got wise the second day and positioned ourselves closer to the startup box.

After a flight we take the planes back to the crowdline and usually put the wingwalkers through their paces on the ground so that people can see them close up. The Mayor of Hastings was one of the visitors to the show and had her photo taken with one of the planes.