Keep Socking It To Me Jet Provost

Blue skies this morning got me in the mood for shooting planes so I headed to North Weald. I was served with my coffee and sausage sarnie at The Squadron by an eager young lad, probably plane mad like my son who used to help out at the airfield when he was that age. People were surprised that I took my lunch outside. It was freezing but I didn't want to miss anything interesting.

Not much doing at first but then a Jet Provost fired up and took to the air. I was quite pleased with myself that I knew what this plane of my era was, unlike some old boys inside. It did what I used to call circuits and bumps. 

I got talking to a Romanian engineer who was working on another jet, a 1950s MiG. I asked when it would be ready to fly and he said next week. It had been brought to the UK from Norway but is being taken back before the new CAA regulations come into force. The CAA has discovered that the rubber diaphragms on older jet fuel pumps are at risk of failing. They weren't designed to last beyond the active military life of the plane. 

I do hope that between them the owners of classic jets and the CAA can keep these wonderful old machines flying to educate and delight us all.