North Yorkshire Long Weekend 21st-24th April 2022

[Deleted]

Just got back from a long weekend Thursday to Sunday staying at the Gisbrough Hall Hotel. It was a non spotting trip – but after bit of negotiating I did manage to get a few in the book. Prior to setting off two Manchester Inbounds went into the book:-

EI-GEA- CR9 SAS
OO-SNN- A320 Sabena

On our way to the hotel- there was a bad bump in the A1M which caused a bit of a 90 minute delay- but due to a bit of good map reading by my beloved we managed to do a bit of a detour- and paid a quick visit to Bagby Airfield near Thirsk, somewhere I had not been for a number of years and which had changed quite a lot since that visit- I called into the clubhouse and was given permission to have a look around- only was not allowed to the hangars over the far side of the runway but did manage to log the majority of stuff which was viewable and copped the following:-

G-AKDN- Chipmunk
G-CDPV- PA34
G-CIFK- Raj Hamsa
G-GEFF- PC12
G-HABI- Skyranger
G-JAFS- Pa32
N133KQ- Kodiak.

Friday

It was a trip to York- Open Top Sight Seeing Bus tour and a visit to York Minister- and on the way back to the hotel it was another visit to Bagby- but nothing new was there- so it was back to the hotel.

Saturday

Early breakfast and off to Sunderland to visit the North East Land and Air Museum at Usworth which I first visited in 1966 when it was operational- had not been to the museum for a long long time and needed a few of the exhibits which were as follows:-

G-ADVU- Mignet (BAPC211)
G-AFUG- Luton LA4A Minor (BAPC97)
G-ARAD- Luton LA5 Major
G-AVYW- Brooklands Mosquito
G-SFTA/XZ177- Gazelle AAC
BAPC96 – Brown Helicopter
BAPC119- Benson Autogyro
BAPC521- Hurricane
5191- Morane Saulner Type N (BAPC472)
BL924- Spitfire RAF (BAPC242)
WT913- Slingsby Cadet RAF
XM555- Skeeter AAC
51-6171- F86 USAF
54-2157- F100 FAF

Nice Museum with some very helpful members however could not open any of the containers which had a few more in- and charged me full price instead of OAP rate- so I must be looking good for my 71 years of age lol

After Usworth heading south again to the Aviator Gin Bar in Newton Aycliffe, where we had booked a table-the reason being it contained two needed frames:-

G-BLAI- Monnett Sonerai
G-BTNC- AS365

Also had parts from the following aircraft 2-AGCC- A340 x A7-AGC our table was in the pod for this aircraft, D-AGEP 737- Germania, EC-MFB- A340 and parts only of Windrose A321 UR-WRO.

It was a good set up- but was mainly for younger clientele – and the place did smell a bit of stale ale- but who am I to complain with two more in the book.

Then it was off to Teeside where lots of work is going on- and we had to do a bit of search around to get over to where the hangar area was, but eventually got there and the following went in the book:-

D-EABY- Mooney M20
G-BOXC- PA28
G-CMAH- C152
G-GSIX- PA32
G-NSUK- PA34

I could only see one Falcon, and I have e-mailed the Teeside spotters to try and find the ID of same.

Leaving Teeside I took the wrong turn but it turned up trump’s when I found the Heliport for the North East Ambulance at:-

Urlay Nook Helipad

G-NHAC- AS365

Then it was off to a local National Trust- and then back to the hotel for a few beers. So endeth a nice weekend- with lots of nice food, plenty of beer and a few in the book.

Up early this morning- and after breakfast headed home.

Happy Days

Bob

[Deleted]

Next trip out for me will be Ragley for the Midland Air Festival, then Aero Expo and RIAT plus one more in between the latter two - just a road trip.


Happy Days


Bob

[graham]

Great trip and report Bob, thank you. Was very interested to see Skeeter XM555 on your list for at Usworth, other than some airshows my dear old Dad took me to as a very young lad ( and I mean 5 or 6 years old), XM555 is the first registration I ever wrote down for myself. She was on a float in the Basingstoke Carnival procession, must've been around 1965-ish, before the planners turned a lovely market town into a ghastly concrete commuter dump for London.

Back then, Basingstoke Carnival really was something, a week's festivities culminating in the huge Saturday afternoon procession which ended up in Hackwood Park where a small scale military tattoo was always the piece de resistance and included Wessexes and Whirlwinds as well as artillery and a mock battle.

Great memories so thank you for re-kindling them for me!

[Deleted]

Apr 25, 2022 6:48:48 GMT graham said:

Great trip and report Bob, thank you. Was very interested to see Skeeter XM555 on your list for at Usworth, other than some airshows my dear old Dad took me to as a very young lad ( and I mean 5 or 6 years old), XM555 is the first registration I ever wrote down for myself. She was on a float in the Basingstoke Carnival procession, must've been around 1965-ish, before the planners turned a lovely market town into a ghastly concrete commuter dump for London.

Back then, Basingstoke Carnival really was something, a week's festivities culminating in the huge Saturday afternoon procession which ended up in Hackwood Park where a small scale military tattoo was always the piece de resistance and included Wessexes and Whirlwinds as well as artillery and a mock battle.

Great memories so thank you for re-kindling them for me!

Hi Graham,

I was quite surprised I needed the Skeeter myself- those listed are just what I needed- lots more stuff up there to view- I got a lump in my throat when you said it was the first reg you ever wrote down lol

Happy Days

Bob