BERCK WEEK END

(Being a tale of travel when the TIGER CLUB paid its first visit to foreign climes)

Contrary to best story-book principles, Saturday, 10th July, 1957, did NOT dawn bright and clear; in fact, this was very far from being the case, the rain coming down in torrents and the wind blowing at a force which caused un-picketed Tiger Moths to shift uneasily on the ground. This was the more unfortunate as it was the day on which the Tiger Club had been invited en masse to visit their continental contemporary, the Aero Club de Berck, the start having been arranged for I 1.00 hours sharp.

When this time came, conditions were still very I.M.C., so it was agreed to postpone moving off until later in the day, a decision to be made at 14.00 hours. By then conditions were very definitely moderating, so it was decided to go through Customs at 16.00 hours, and in due course things were made ready for this.

First set-back came when G-ANZZ, presumably tired of waiting in the rain, refused to " flood ". After much effort the overflow-pipe which had presumably been " gummed-up " with oil, started to exude petrol, and continued to do so for the better part of flve minutes thereafter. As'ZZ was in the door of the hangar, this held up two other aircraft parked therein with the result that when these latter taxied down to Customs they arrived simultaneously with a Transair 'o Dak " with resultant delay in getting through the official proceedings, However, by the courtesy of a local Customs man-to whom many thanks-they were enabled to bypass some of those coming in.

Whilst struggling with 'ZZ Jack Peircy had remarked: " I wish I was in 'NSH; she always starts at once ", which was an unfortunate remark to make for now she stubbornly refused even to kick. So once again, everybody waited, with engines running, whilst Frank Hounslow was fetched from Rollason's whereupon she started at once ! Thereupon, the gaggle of six aircraft-G-AoAA,

G-AODR, G-ANZZ,

G-ANHI, G-AOXS and G-ANSH taxied out and took off, with the weather rapidly clamping again.

Once airborne, conditions were not too bad, but as the writer is of the fraternity who likes as much air-space as possible between himsell and the deep blue sea, things did not look too bright for the forthcoming Channel crossingNorman Jones in Hornet Moth G-ADNB had flown on ahead of the main bunch so when we arrived at Lympne and the Hornet was seen on the ground a landing was decided upon to check up on the weather across the Channel-

All, this is, except Jack Piercy and James Gibbons in'NZZ who seeing a certain brightening of conditions over the water set course for Cap Gris Nez without further ado.

A cuppa at Lympne and an improvement in the local conditions decided us to push on, so having again cleared Customs we took-off-and saw no more really bad weather until our return the next day! Just as we were leaving the coast we were somewhat disturbed to observe Dennis Hartas descending almost to water level and wondered if anything was wrong. However, he climbed up again and in the speedy G-AODR vanished into the airspace ahead of us. When asked later why he had done this he told us that he wanted to get an accurate QFE on his .altimeter and as if to prove that he had done so pointed to what he firmly declared were saltspray markings on'DR's cowling!

Contrary to previons expectations we were able to cross the Channel at a reasonable height; in fact the French coast was visible almost immediately after we had left England. However, once across, the broad sands of France at low tide proved too alluring and height was rather substantially reduced. We hoped that the sand-yachts did not feel tl-rat competition was too strong !

Nearing Berck we joined up iir formation as ls our wont when visiting, ar-rd led by Norman Jones made a circuit of the airfield whilst lonewolf Dennis aerobatted overhead, all of which pleased the onlookers on the ground more than somewhat. As we circuited we could see no signs of 'NZZ and were a little worried. We need not have been for on taxi-ing in we were met by its crew who had a few caustic remarks to say d propos people who go off on circuits of France and the like whilst on a simple cross-country !

Apparently they had already been at Berck for an hour and a half, had pushed 'ZZ into the one and only hangar, and were beginning to get worried about US!

Although not normally a Customs airport, the French authorities had laid this on especially for the occasion and we were soon being interviewed by a stately and courteous official who had arrived on a bicycle, and who passed everyone through with the minimum of fuss and bother. Then having stored all our aircraft in the commodious hangar we were ready to be entertained-and this we most certainly were !

Hotel accommodation had been arranged by our hosts, both locally and at the nearby town of Le Touquet. Jackson and the writer were lucky in the draw and had been billeted in the Bagatelle, but half a mile from the airfield. Transport had also been laid on and in due course ' Jack' and I were taken to our hotel by the charming Madame Rollins at whose home we were later to be entertained. Having had a brush up we rejoined Madame who had waited for us with her car and were just entering it when a horrible sound of high-speed skidding came from the main road that ran past the hotel and a large car snaked into sight and continued to weave along for a further 100 metres eventually flnishing up with its rear wheels in the ditch. Fortunately it did not overturn and we drove over to render assistance. However, Norman Jones and some others of our party had got there first and by dint of a certain amount of muscular effort got the thing back on the road once more. Whereupon the driver, having thanked them stepped back into his machine and drove away as luriously as before ! Our fair driver knew the occupant: "E eezdrunk ! ' said she, disdainfully, and proceeded to drive us most efficiently and carelully into Le Touquet.

We then had our flrst experience of true French hospitality, and what hospitality this is ! The lounge of M. and Madame Rollins' charming house was cl-roc-a-bloc with food and drink and we wondered who was going to eat it all. However, in due course the rest of our party drifted in from their hotels; throughout the evening more and more locals arrived and soon everyone was being plied with as much as they could manage in the way of refreshment.

At this time we were not sure if Madame Rollins was married or not and when one of us addressed her as Mam'selle she threw up her hands and cried: ' Mais non ! I have been married for 14 years. You are very good for me ! '

By 23.30 hours certain of us were wilting more than somewhat, so pleading that we were trds fatigud we prevailed upon Mons. Rollins to drive us back to the Bagatelle. This he duly did, touching on occasions 120 km.p.h., which as the car was (for us) on the 'o wrong " side of the road was on occasions slightly hair-raising. However, he r,vas as good a driver as his wile and safely delivered us, enjoining us to be sure in the morning to ring for a car to take us to the airfleld. After brief ablutions and a glance out of the window at what appeared to be a flood-lit duck-house we tumbled into bed and slept.

Before we left him Norman Jones had suggested that we be at the airfield early on the following morning as it was hoped that we might get a chance to fly some of the French aircraft present, so having made the most of what was left of the r-right, we arose fairly early and desccnded to the dining rooms below.

After breakfast we still had time to spare so gave the hotel gardens the once over. These proved to be quite extensive and housed a very representative aviary which included many variations of the domestic fowl-one bantam type with auxiliary lif,ting surfaces in the shape of small feathers protruding from aft of each claw particularly took our fancy-moor-hens, peacocks, swans (labelled'sauvage'), monkeys and other live stock made a most interesting collection.

As the airfield was but half a mile away we did not consider it necessary to call for a car and walked it, arriving only five minutes after our promised E.T.A. of 10.00 hours. However, there were no signs of Norman, nor any other members of our party, so we made ourselves comfortable outside the estaminet and awaited their coming.

The wir-rd was again somewhat strong so we deemed it prudent to leave our Tigers within the har-rgar; the Frenchmen, however, were early on the scene and proceeded to get out their Jodels, Minicabs and the like and line them up on the airfleld, where, being low-wing monoplanes they stayed, steady as a rock in a wind that would make us tie our Tigers down once we got them out. Time wore on, but there was still no sign of the rest of our party and we began to wonder what had happened at the Le Touquet casino after we had left them the night before. At last, just as the local clock struck twelve a convoy of cars arrived bearing the missing Tiger Cubs, as cheerlul as you like and looking as if they had meant all the time to arrive at that hour.

By this time the sky above was becoming quite congested with aircraft; Jodels, Minicabs, Nor6crins and Stampes were appearing from all directions and altogether things were beginning to look up. In one machine were two highly respectable gentlemen clad in bowler hats and Handlebar Club moustaches.

Having then got out the Tigers and battened them down, we set about reluelling which was not all that easy as. the only bowser was a small one worked by a hand-pump. By the time we had got most of the aircraft filled up we were about ready for our promised lunch which was to be eaten in the hangar lately vacated by the aircraft. There was as yet no sign of this, but by 14.00 hours it had appeared and we sat down. Thereafter, course alter course, and bottle after bottle, were produced and we wondered at what time we were supposed to perform our formation and aerobatics, if indeed we would be able to perform them at all. We carried on until 15.15 when we decided that we must take action and all left the table. M. le President looked rather alarmed as we did so, but it was explained to hiru that we had to fly so all was well. As the photographs show we had not indulged too freely and managed to produce quite a respectable series of evolutions. 'SH's inverted aerobatics also went down quite well, so everyone was happy.

It was then necessary to refuel with oil which was even more difficult than with petrol; the only oil available was in what appeared to be half-gallon cans, but we eventually managed to half fill each machine, by which time it was necessary for us to start our journey back to England, home and beauty. At first Customs could not be found to give us outward clearance, but in due course the self-same stately official appeared, and with th.e same efficiency as before we were duly passed out.

After a formation farewell we turned north and were soon passing over the wide expanse of sands noted on the previous day. The wind was still strongish, and on passing Boulogne,. we started to climb up for the return crossing which took rather longer than the outgoing one, owing to the increased wind-speed at the 2,500 feet at which we flew. As we neared the English coast the weather which up to then had been fine, started to deteriorate and when we landed at Lympne it was blowing half a gale and raining hard. Clive Compton having successfully landed G-AOXS was mildly surprised to flnd himelf twenty feet in the air again; however,-he coped, so no damage resulted.

Popular Flying, JanuarylFebrttary, 1958

Clearing in without trouble we adjourned to Control to see what was the position at Croydon and were surprised to be cleared in independently, V.M.C. Judging by the conditions prevailing at Lympne this seemed scarcely credible, but there it was and we departed, The flight to Croydon was one of the worst we remember for many a long day. It rained all the way, the " bumps " were colossal, the visibility between one and three miles and altogether it was most unpleasant. One of the pilots, an experienced Meteor type was even ill en route which showed how bad were the conditions.

The occupants of G-AOAA had decided that this was a day for o'Bradshawing " and were quite glad that they had done so. As we approached Redhill the clouds were all but down on the

Homeward bound over the sands at Boulogne hills and we wondered where were the V.M.C. conditions of which we had heard and whether we were going to be able to fly up the 'o freelane " to Croydon anyway. However, at the appointed spot we turned north for Godstone and found that we had just room to get throughwith the clouds brushing our top wings and the neon signs of the local cinemas flashing by beneath us. As we passed to the right of Kenley, the skies magically cleared and there we were in complete V.M.C. conditions with that landmark of V.M.C. clearance the B.B.C. Television mas[ at Crystal Palace plainly visible for all to see !

It had been a most enjoyable week-end and all returned the richer in experience and more than grateful to our French hosts for their excellent hospitality.