My friend and I arrived on Saturday and the only traffic we saw were two aeroplanes leaving the area and eventually one that joined the “racetrack” behind us.
The ATIS took every ounce of concentration to hear as it was extremely faint even when we were within 5 miles of Kemble.
The AIC was a pain. Does the EAA publish recommended routes to Oshkosh? Surely it would be enough to rely on pilots to find their own way to Kemble and only have a laid down procedure for the circuit and holding area? Most people manage to avoid MATZs and CAS in their day to day flying, why can’t they do it on Rally weekend?
The Marshallers were brilliant, plenty of them and precise with their directions. Well done lads and lasses.
The displays were good to see but the commentary on the various types could have been a bit more comprehensive.
There did seem to be a greater presence by the lit manufacturers which was encouraging. Good to see the Wilksch diesel being fitted to various aircraft. The 120 hp version would make a great replacement for my Cirrus…..
Apart from the displays and the fly-bys I think it differed from the PFA Rally of 2004 in name only. As with robin, I will be going next year out of support for the PFA rather than a great desire to be there. Until the PFA can get the rest of GA involved then the event will remain as the national “strut” meeting which is fine for a lot of people. However, I’m sure there were quite a few non-pilots who, in addition to possibly being interested in building / buying an aeroplane, might conceivably be interested in learning how to fly it! Has the London Airshow pipped FFF as the place where Flying Clubs make their presence felt? Obviously the events are aimed at a different congregation but there must be overlap there which could be exploited?
TAFs and METARs are available on a mobile phone. Surely somebody could subscribe to the service for a week?
Anyway, see y’all there next year for a lamb burger and fries (Welsh and delicious, the burger that is, I’m just Welsh!)