Organised by Graham Baker – Peter Marchant – Walter Gibson.

For the many who will not be familiar with Sywell, it is one of the UK’s largest and most active GA airfields. Whilst there isn’t a large club presence there is a significant amount of helicopter, microlight and vintage activity but the main reason for visitors to come is that in most years it hosts several of the largest GA events in the UK as well as aerobatic competitions. The Blades display team, all former RAF, Red Arrows pilots, is based at Sywell.

Our meeting was hot on the heels of AeroExpo 2014 the previous weekend, immediately followed by HeliExpo, so as we arrived Sywell was in the final stages of dismantling all the paraphernalia needed for a big air show.

For once there was no need for the usual shuttle service in a minibus or local volunteers cars to get from the airfield to a nearby town, instead we were all staying at The Aviator, a renovated 1930’s art deco hotel, built around an old clubhouse and officers mess, just a few yards from the nearest security gate onto the field itself and in sight of our parked aircraft.