East Fortune Fly-in (Scotland)

By Vic Leggott

Claire and myself in G-VJAB with Clive James and Graham Ferguson in G-JBSP ready to leave from Southery in Norfolk

We met up, at Fishburn, with Richard Pybus and Mike Molyneux in their Jab SK's

I wasn't taking any chances with my navigation!

Some Scottish Coast line on approach to East Fortune

Richard Pybus flying along side

Claire, Clive, Richard, Mike and Graham pose for a photo

Have fire - will BBQ

Claire and myself stayed here Friday night,  in North Berwick, which was very nice, but the other boys stayed nearby, in Dunbar, with rooms complete with 20" TV, Jacuzzi and 14" TV in the bathroom complete with water proof remote! No wonder they took their time getting back to the airfield on Saturday!

Keith Griggs - chief organiser, proudly sitting in the Emeraude that he has lovingly restored

Bass rock on the Coast near where we stayed

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The aeronautical collection, dates back to 1909 when the Royal Scottish Museum acquired a model of the Wright Brothers' Model A biplane. A collection of engines, models and parts, but no full-sized aircraft, was built up in the following years. Following the acquisition of a complete Supermarine Spitfire in 1971, the collection was moved from Edinburgh for display at East Fortune airfield in East Lothian. The Museum of Flight opened to the public in 1975. The site occupies part of a former RAF airfield now scheduled as a historic monument. It was the departure point of the airship R34 which made the first east to west crossing of the Atlantic by air in July 1919; the collection includes a number of R34 relics. The aviation collections comprise aircraft, engines, rockets, photographs, a reference library, archives, models, flying clothing, instruments and propellers.

Kevin Pearce arrives in his Vans RV6

Organised jointly by the Museum of Flight and the Popular Flying Association, up to 200 privately-owned aeroplanes were landing at East Fortune and taxying into the Museum’s grounds to be viewed by the general public. There was a flying display in the afternoon including: Scottish Aviation Bulldog, CJ6a Nanchang, Yak 52, Piel Emeraude, Boeing Stearman and Tony Haig-Thomas' World War 2 torpedo bomber, The Grumman Avenger.

Grumman Avenger

The line up of Jabs at East Fortune - 7 in total with Roger and Stewart arriving from Eshott

We stopped at Bagby Saturday night and were given a lift into nearby Thirsk for a Hotel for the night

Graham, Clive and Claire waiting for a taxi back to the airfield

We dropped in on Breighton on the way back as they had a fly-in.

A Jabiru powered Tipsy Nipper