Asda OYM 2016 at Bruntingthorpe

Once a year the supermarket giant ASDA organises a day out for its employees and Bruntingthorpe is the venue, offering a number of activities on-site and an arena for demonstrations etc. There were food and craft stalls as well as a good range of fast cars for people to have a ride in around the Bruntingthorpe race track. One of the remaining Boeing 747s had been cleaned up so that it could be opened up for tours and helicopter riders were available throughout the day, with the exception of when the flying displays were taking place. Most of the riders on offer were fundraisers for a variety of charities.

VW Camper Van...no not really , this one has loads of kit inside

                                                                                                    

 A little Hughes 300 helicopter that was to do a "smoke dance"

The Grace Spitfire ML407 arrives flown by Dave Pulleston

                                                                                           

Spitfire TR9

Seafire III

Lightning F6 XR728 positioning on the Bruntingthorpe runway for a fast taxi run.....

.....followed by Buccaneer S2B XX900

Richard Grave leading the TRIG Pitts Special Team getting ready for take off.....

as is Dave Pulleston, his wingman

The TRIG team flew a varied and dynamic display together and as singletons

Here the lead aircraft is flying inverted above the other

The Hughes 300 performing its "smoke dance"

Its display was very nimble and showed off the helicopter's manoeuvrability

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress "Sally B" emerges from the smoke screen laid by the Hughes 300

and trailing its own smoke to honour its fallen WWII crews

Richard Grace taking off in the Seafire for an excellent display.....

.....followed by Dave Pulleston in ML407 with "Sally B" departing to Duxford in the background

One of many routines as a pair.....

.....some flown in close formation.....

.....some a bit further apart, but always entertaining

One day this beautifully restored Gnat will also perform fast taxi runs

That has given you a pictorial impression of the brief (just under an hour) aviation element of the ASDA OYM Day 2016 that was accompanied by suitable weather conditions.

It was a great day out, meeting air and ground crew alike, those that made the aviation side of the day happen, or not as in the case of Neil McCarthy, who was to pilot the Hunter, but due to an electrical gremlin remained firmly put.

Theo Claassen

9 August 2016