Sun's Out

The Sun's finally re-appeared today after a short and very cold absence and before I go and get this afternoon's flying jobs out of the way between Tilbury and Hastings, I wanted to add my own diary farewell to an old friend of fourteen years, who left us this week.

Thanet, is an island of dog-lovers and I count myself among them, so many readers will know how very hard it is when the final decision time comes. Mind you, fourteen years for any dog is a pretty good innings and I would like to thank not only the Thanet Animal Hospital for their very sympathetic service but also our very kind local pet crematorium, who delivered Sammy back to her home to the following morning.

Changing the subject completely, I'm told that plans for this summer's Manston airshow are now very well developed with thousands of tickets to the big day on 22nd June sold. Whether I will be able to take part in a small way I don't yet know as I have to be out to Bahrain on business, early the following morning.

Pink Floyd's guitarist, David Gilmour's Stearman biplane

To put readers in a lighter mood, here's a video from a good friend, a former RAF pilot who has the unenviable privilege of having had to eject from a Hawker Harrier twice in his career and survive. Recently, he shared a photo of his squadron, showing which of his colleagues had not been so fortunate, which bought home to me what a wonderful aircraft it was and what a truly risky business it was flying one.