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Our Dutch Day at Sussexdown.
One of the main attractions of flying is the European weather without a doubt.
Our cheese-bombing mission at Storrington is very much dependent on that weather "en route".
When high pressure remains in the south, there is a potential difficult situation on the track to and from England because of depressions rushing in from the ocean.
All of us were on high alert and ready to leave when a bright interval would occur.
It was established that Monday 31/5, around lunchtime, would probably be the best choice we all came to Lelystad for a briefing at 11:30 hrs.
That is all but one, i.e. Anne Cor Groeneveld, one of our founders, who could only join us if we had gone on Tuesday.
We departed in the rain and drizzle that was confined to the northern part of The Netherlands according to the radar pics we had seen.
After leaving the polder conditions improved dramatically and we enjoyed the best possible weather all the way to Shoreham.
Navigation is not too difficult : you go south till Saint Omer and than turn right to Shoreham.
Tower expected us to prefer a run and break on their active 21, which we did, also using the 20 grass-strip because of cross wind.
This year we could stay at the home itself, in a newly built extention that had been fitted with brand new beds only days ago.
Lovely to be treated on hot tea and chat away with our friendly hosts and an old friend, Jan Willem Labeij, who is living in the next hamlet down the road.
Overlooking the courtyard, we noticed it had started to rain again.
Luckily one only needs crossing the road to find a nice pub, where they serve nice, tastful suppers.
Tuesday, Dutch Day itself, started still in rain and low clouds.
We went back to Shoreham Airport at the coast anyway, made inquiries about possible brighter intervals, contacted a coast guard helicopter coasting out and got reports from other passing aircraft as well.
Time was not critical because the complete airshow consisted only of our act.
No other aircraft had managed to come down to attend Dutch Day in this type of weather.
At a carefully chosen moment we briefed (no demo, just three attacks), climbed into our kites and took to the sky.
On the way to the Home, the conditions were not disappointing at all.
It was amasing to see the some kind of a coupola of clear air had developed, lifting up the cloudbase in this area behind the hills and right over Sussexdown.
After a five second break we performed three righthand circuits, attacking the Home, bombing the lawn with cheese and terrifying the audience with the odd flourish of a trumpet.
Going back on Wednesday was a good choice again as the weather had improved and it was dry all the way to Lelystad.
This time huge clouds slowly moved to the north east and over the Continent visibility was not unlimited.
Navigation again is easy : fly from Shoreham to the east up to Saint Omer, turn left and head to Lelystad on a 60 degrees track.
We found time to say hello from the air to Albert Postma, living near the Blue Sluice in the south of The Netherlands and than finally we returned to base.
QRU,
Willem.
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