Quote from Colin Watkins on May 15, 2021, 3:10 pm

This just happens to be my birthday! Modesty forbids me from saying how old I was.

I stopped on the way to the field to buy some jelly babies, which tradition has it, are obviously a birthday treat shared with others.

There were cows to be moved, but we had more people available and massive experience behind us, so they were moved fairly quickly in to the sloping field.

I was planning to fly the  Ranger again, this time with its new, more powerful motor. John helped by launching it for me. The new more powerful motor still tried to dive the Ranger in to the ground on launch, but from then on it certainly produced a better rate of climb. However, things are not yet smooth with this plane. I need to do some tweaking.

At one stage a big black cloud drifted overhead and members thought they were going to get a drenching. Models , chairs, tables a other sundries were stored back in to cars in the expectation of a downpour. However, the anticipated drenching never came. There was a flurry of large raindrops for about ten seconds and then it was all over. The big black cloud  passed by and the day became sunny and dry. A pretty decent flying day actually.

At the end of flying we released the cows thinking it would be some time before they drifted in to the flying field. I left the field and waited at the Pig Trott Lane gate to close it as the last two members left, but there was a bit of a delay before they came through. Apparently the cattle had made their way to the flying field gate in quick time and the last to leave had to manage their escape through the herd!

All in all, a good birthday flying day!