The turnout was most encouraging and the variety of models was a fine reflection on the very different  interests of our club members. The ladies laid on the usual excellent spread, which we failed to demolish entirely. Mind you, some of us had a good try.....

Ken won the Trophy with his elegant Phoenix, which probably consumed half a rainforest to build, but which looks magnificent. 

Oh boy ! Did the Blasted Heath live up to its name this year ? Of course it did !

 

All that sunshine was just a PR exercise by whatever demons inhabit the weather round there, defying anyone mad enough to want to fly. 

In spite of which, there were a fair number of lunatics who wished to fly, including a good contingent from the NMAC.

 

Over the three days, four hardy souls defied the wind to fly in C/L Aerobatics. Ken Reeves' engine decided it didn't like his model any more, and made off at high speed across the airfield, leaving him to fly the only aerobatic control line glider in the competition.  Bill Draper suffered problems after a plug change ( you really should check that medication, Bill...) Kevin Morgan bravely battled the winds but with little success, and Peter Arkley did very well.  In fact, he came fourth, Bill came sixth,  and Ken is still looking for his engine !

 And in Class 2 Stunt, Ian Hewitt came third, a fine achievement in those conditions.

 Meanwhile, on the other side of the airfield, Free Flight Scale provided the audience with a fine evening's entertainment. No one in their right minds would have flown on Saturday evening, but sanity is a rare thing among the free flight confraternity. Andrew Hewitt set the standard with an excellent flight by his Morane Saulnier WW1 monoplane, and I followed suit by qualifying with the big Lacey M10. Unfortunately, this  flipped over after landing on the runway, and disappeared into the distance hotly pursued by Paul Briggs, shedding bits ( the model, not Paul ) in the process. Paul got stuck to the fin with superglue trying to mend it, and Oh! How we laughed.  And in spite of the carnage caused by the wind, Andrew had a good flight with his red airliner in Scale Power( and no, I don't know what it is..! ) which battled the gale most successfully. There was no flying on Sunday evening as the wind had risen to hurricane force by then.

  So Andrew came first in Free Flight Rubber Scale and second in Free Flight Scale Power. And I came second in Rubber scale !

 A most enjoyable weekend in spite of the weather and who knows, next year may be cloudless and sunny, with not even a puff of wind ?