Time: 17:50 - 19:20 (16:50 - 18:20 GMT)
Aircraft: EuroFOX - G-UFOX
Crop Circles Bimble
The airfield was very busy today - Dick Richardson was retiring and this was his farewell celebration. There were many aircraft that have attended the fly-in in his honour. Indeed, the BBMF did a few fly-pasts for him on Saturday. All our thanks go to Dick for all his work.
I got the plane out and took it round to the pumps before they shut, then parked it on the line to pay for the fuel and began programming some relevant frequencies into the radio memory presets (which I have been meaning to do for a while). Also met Rich and Karen, who I haven't seen for ages (since they moved close to the airfield so they could spend more time flying).
I eventually takeoff on 03 with no actual plan other
than going for a bimble. During climbout I look at the rather brown fields and
remember that I haven't been crop-circle hunting this year - weather is nice,
so seems like a plan for today. 
Although
'plan' may be a rather strong term - usually, I would research where they are
(from Lucy Pringle's site) and mark them in my GPS. This time , I am simply
using the great downward visibility and a slight sway in my track to just hunt
from them visually. I am also a bit late as many of them will have already been
harvested.
I
head up the valley towards Wiltshire, which is where the aliens are particularly
active. I gently yaw the plane around as I go and soon find one near Rivar Hill,
On past Pewsey and the Alton Priors horse and more sights here. Then a loop
round Devizes which doesn't have as many as usual. In fact in general, they
also are not as elaborate as in previous years. Pictures aren't very good either
because I only have my phone with me..
Up over the hill towards Avebury, then home via Savenake forest and along the escarpment to Highclere. An overhead join and a couple of extra circuits.
Well, I got to see a few circles, but more importantly, I have had a lovely flight in dead-smooth conditions, with hands-off flying. Lovely!
