Popham Airfield, 30 April-2 May 2022
As Covid restrictions ease it was a welcome return to this annual gathering of all things plastic and fabric and Saturday’s weather was bright, clear and cool; almost perfect for the mass migration of ‘lightweights’. Samuel Cody and Santos Dumont would be amazed to see how apparently simple it is to achieve safe and controlled heavier than air flight with such simple materials.
Arrivals started early with owners and pilots keen to visit the various trade stands or meet up with friends and colleagues. Enthusiasts swelled the numbers with around four hundred flexwings and ultralights lining up on the grass parking areas.
Another busy sector is that of the autogyro; now looking close to the dream of a flying car these motor-tricycle with wings seem a popular answer to instant mobility in three dimensions.
An almost unique feature of this event is just how close visitors can get to the single grass runway with a safely marshalled crossing point at the landing threshold. A vintage/classic car gathering expected to swell the numbers on the bank holiday Monday. Noticeable was the installation of extra fabric hangarage on site since last year suggesting this sector of the industry is far healthier than their heavyweight commercial counterparts.
