WOT a Lot of Fun
Bremgarten
15-21 Sept 2011
Opportunities to spread ones wings and look beyond the horizon should not, if possible, be turned down. Breezy Mouse (Currie Wot G-BXMX!) is ideal you might say for a good local spin on a fine summer's evening and indeed in half an hour she has the ability to brighten ones day but why not add half hours and flying days together and then see how broad your smile becomes.
Early on Thursday 15th September my wheels left the security of Compton Abbas Airfield. Breezy had dinner Jackets stuffed into her top wing and a razor and a toothbrush squeezed in her locke, I had packed minimally for a 5 day safari to Bavaria!
Was I anxious? Certainly I was. I had not crossed the Channel before, the weather had been fairly dubious in the days before we were to set off, indeed it looked as though autumnal weather had set in well and truly. Navigation from my mini cockpit is never easy as space is tight and the map has a will to fly out of the cockpit and back across the channel!
I left to meet up with our "Wing" made up of two Tiger Moths and a Super Cub. Fine, you might say, but as the slowest of all, Coreth with Breezy Mouse had the lead! The Channel, France and Germany ahead, so do not panic Mr Mainwaring, with the Jeppersen Charts and my new Airbox at hand, oh thank you Airbox, it gave a wonderful feeling of confidence and indeed it got me to Dieppe via Beachy Head and an hour of open water, yes confidence but still I do now understand why the Pope kisses the tarmac!
We flew on from Dieppe to Epernay a journey of 130 nautical miles, it was a wonderful flight over the wide expanse of flat agricultural France, magnificent chateaux, wind farms and clear air. Epernay is a very welcoming airfield, with ULMs buzzing in and out, yet not a squeak was offered to us on the radio however much we called, it seemed not to matter, we flew a circuit and streamed in line astern! Aeroplanes were filled up with fuel and a fine glass of welcoming beer downed by the crews before taking a taxi into town. We had a grand supper of snails and much needed red meat washed down by some fine local wines before retreating to bed and all this in Champagne country.
Our flight set forth the following morning, again in fine weather. We flew towards the foothills of the Alps short of the French/German border. Breezy was thirsty and I needed a pit stop so we landed at a lovely grass strip at a place named Dogneville, a hundred odd nautical miles and on from Epernay. Here we learnt the lesson that for fuel in France you all too often need a Total Card, another bit of plastic but vital for fuel at some airfields. You have guessed it. not one of us had a Total card! France however is full of wonderful people and here we met a kind gentleman who took our cash and lent us his card.
The climb out from Dogneville seemed to be far more up than along, the ground rose up to ***** ft, but the air was smooth and the mountains beautiful. A climb to altitude gave us a wonderful glide down the other side into Germany to Bremgarten. The Low and Slow party had arrived amongst the heavy metal after a final hours run. When I say heavy metal I mean heavy metal, I mean a jaw dropping collection of World War 2 classic fighter aircraft! Good discipline on arrival meant go straight to the pumps. Breezy sipped 42 litres of avgas while the Corsair beside her drank well over a 1000 plus litres more! After such a splendido trip, my wee Currie Wot was sent to bed in a dormitory with a Mustang, a Harvard and a Yak 3 as company to mention but a few!
On the evening of 16th Sept there was a welcoming party. With great delight there I found David (Mog) and Caro Morgan. Mog keeps his Yak 50 at Compton Abbas. The Morgans and Coreth made up the Compton Abbas team! The other guests were a fascinating, brilliant and diverse party of airmen and women from far and wide. We were guests of Maxi Gainza and his very new and utterly charming and dynamic wife Paula, this was in effect a wedding party. Maxi Gainza will be known to many of you as a very well known and accomplished aviation Journalist and a brilliant pilot.
There was no pause button on this aviation safari. The following morning, Saturday brought an early departure and a seventy nautical mile flight to Friedrichshafen, the home of the fascinating and awe inspiring Zeppelin Museum. It was a flight of wonderful beauty, mountains, a smattering of cloud. The sight of Lake Constance stretching out before us surrounded by high ground was such a different world from the dreamy Wiltshire / Dorset border that I was used to. We set sail on a classic paddle steamer the Hohentweil and were treated to a delicious lunch as we cruised the afternoon gently by.
The flight back to Bremgarten in the late afternoon was an exciting challenge as the weather was rapidly closing in. Breezy Mouse took it in her stride while her pilot learnt big time about mountains, weather, closing options and escape routes! Thankfully being in formation with aviators far more experienced than me and with the Rhine guiding us back below the murk we arrived to the relief of our host in Bremgarten in one piece. Wine at a gentle winery that night set us up for a good nights sleep.
Sunday dawned as a continuation from the day before with low cloud, rain and so no flying. The poor weather did not however last into the afternoon to the relief of all of us as today was heavy metal day! At this point the Compton Abbas team teamed up! Coreth had always dreamed of flying in a Harvard having had the Boscombe Down yellow wonder machine showing off her supersonic tone of voice over his studio on numerous occasions!
To fly in a Harvard is magical, to be allowed to roll her was mind blowing so just imagine what buzz I had when we sighted a Mustang flying low down the Rhine below us! Mog is a well-decorated Harrier pilot, a veteran of the Falkland Island campaign and at this point my pilot and mentor. A lumbering Harvard, with her nose down but with the advantage of height and her throttle firewalled meant we closed thrillingly on the tail of the P51 both crewmembers of the Yellow Peril screaming rat tat tat! Had time permitted I might have had a chance to fly in the Mustang but actually I think we had just shot it down!
One good thing seemed to lead to another. The Gainza crew know how to throw a Hanger Party and Sunday evening's party was as spectacular as one could ever expect or hope for. The hangar's decoration was hugely pleasing to any eye, Spitfire, Mustang, Corsair, Yak 3 and that ignores some splendid dancers, wild food, masses of wine and plenty of stories.
So what to date have I missed? what about a ride in a Bugatti type 35a, valued at that of a Spitfire and then a second in a Bugatti Type 59. As an Animalier Sculptor whose God is Rembrandt Bugatti , the opportunity to ride in one of his brother Ettore Bugattis wonder machines is an opportunity not to be missed and miss it I did NOT! What a thrill! The feeling of speed, the way the car seemed glued to the road, the sounds of real class and almost more than any thing else the passion that radiated from the owner / drivers made me have to pinch myself to check my very existence!
And so all good things come to an end but we were still in Bavaria and had an adventure of flying ahead. Monday brought more dubious low cloud, a flight of poking ones way through the high ground and of beating the retreat back to Bremgarten. We finally diverted way to the North to find low ground around towards the vast plains of France.
We routed to Verdun, the Somme, Albert and the trenches of the First World War to see so much from behind the glass of flying goggles and the slight protection of a leather helmet is humbling indeed and inspires a very separate safari for the future. We stayed near St Quentin before setting forth towards the murk running the length of the coast.
Coasting out from the Somme Estuary towards Lydd was a bit nerve wracking as the cloud base was down to 500 ft but we knew from an aeroplane ahead that it was improving 10 miles out to sea, so go for it we did. Then came the magic of flying almost between the masts of a square rigged sailing ship that seemed to appear and depart like a ghost!
Coasting in to Lydd was a relief although there was a 20 - 25 knot wind blowing, albeit, down the runway. Once Breezy Mouse knew she really was allowed to settle on the tarmac, her pilot had decided that to press on home was tempting fate, so a pint of Spitfire, a fish in a basket and a welcome bed in the Ship Inn in New Romsey was called for.
To my dismay Wednesday dawned windy and with cloud on the deck. But come early afternoon although it was still blowing 15 to 20 knots down the runway, the cloud was off the deck. I had a 2 hours and 40 minute flight in my trusty stead back home in a strong head wind all the way. What a safari, what a host and what a smashing crowd of people.
I conclude by repeating that boundaries must be stretched and adventures taken when the chance is given. I spoke to Breezy Mouse once she was tucked up in bed beside her chums at home in Hangar 2 at the familiar and friendly Compton Abbas, even she said how nice it was to be back!
Mark Coreth
