Go to the ‘Members Only‘ tab for a link to a map/directions to the site, plus site specific information/rules. If you have forgotten the password, email ianmcdowell18@gmail.com
Material that was published for Rougham has now been archived. To access it, search (icon in the website headers, above) for Archive where you will find an index.
If you are using a Smart Phone I suggest you turn it sideways to view this page
Early Spring 2024
Click on an image to expand/scroll through:
Plus two videos displaying Ron Gray’s prowess as designer of both planes and dollies. The videos can be expanded to fit your screen.
Wacky Combat FW190 ‘Von Leopard’:
Latest iteration of a Ron Gray launch dolly:
September 2023, F3a & a Lancaster Flyby
We were privileged to host the F3a roadshow again this year. I guess given the date, 16 September, it’s not surprising that a Lancaster was in the air somewhere. Just surprising that it flew over our patch. During the lunch break which is a suspicious coincidence.
A brief video of the flypast follows some stills from the competition day. Click on an image to expand/scroll through:
I did, eventually, zoom in (if you view this in full screen, just press ‘esc’ to return to this page):
August 2023, A Still & Sunny Day!
We’ve had lots of sun, but few days both hot & still enough to attract a good midweek crowd. 14 members passed through on 23 August, 13 pausing for most of the day:
BMFA World Record Attempt 2023
To see more click on the picture above
2023 New Year Fly-in
11 of our chaps braved the only viable day for starting the New Year as we would wish. The above photo by Ron Gray is the nearest to a group photo taken.
Kevin Fairgrieve has once again treated us to some incredible shots of the event. I have plucked a couple of examples from the Flickr library that Kevin has put together. They include a rather worrying picture of someone who may be Darth Vader’s grandfather…
Follow this link to Kevin’s Flickr library. (The link will open in a new tab).
And then…Ron Gray has sent me two videos from the day. They are hosted on YouTube but I have tried a different format for viewing. Watch for the catch at the end of the Night Radian video!
Hover over the ‘R’ in the top left corner and left click to be transported to Ron Gray’s fiefdom on You Tube in a new tab.
Alternatively, click ‘watch on YouTube’ in the lower left corner. This also gives you YouTube in a new tab, with some sort of ‘automatic’ play through Ron’s posted videos.
Or, you can click on the red/white pay button and also expand the video to full page if you wish. At the end you can loose yourself in the wonders of YouTube or return to this page.
Family Fun Day 10 Sept 2022
Summer 2022 Goings on at Knettishall
A few videos from a long, hot and very dry summer.
Starting with a ‘Dust Devil’ in the field bordering the strip, captured on video by Kevin Fairgrieve.
This video is hosted on YouTube and opens in a new tab in your browser. It also gives you access to many more of Kevin’s occasional collection of YouTube hosted videos.
Click on this image to view:
Photo by Kevin Faigrieve
Then a few shorts of one of Ron Gray’s recent creations. A ‘Dammit!’, by Angelwing Designs. It’s tiny:
Built by Ron, it inevitably has an abundance of power. I immediately had to give up trying to capture it at full chat…so no entry into the speed ‘hall of fame’ (further below on this page). Sorry, but it has to be seen in the flesh for the full experience.
The BMFA World Record Attempt 2022
To see more click on the picture above
Knettishall Tidy April 2022
So far we have ‘enjoyed’ 3 cleanup/repair days, prompted by the BBQ & World Record Attempt scheduled for the 15 May.
This short (3seconds) video shows the conditions on day 2, with Steve Tarrant putting in a heck of a stint with the sweeper:
Another great turn out of the skilled and helpfully intentioned, for a major weed, clean and stone removal exercise on Cleanups 1 & 2, followed by more of the same plus repairs for Cleanup 3. James also took the opportunity to put in a new base for the windsock.
Many thanks to the 12 members (and in some cases their better halves) who have so far contributed. And don’t worry, there is at least one more opportunity in the offing.
Pictures on an iPhone by Ian McDowell. Once again I have failed to take a publishable ‘before’ image. Sorry.
Click on an image to expand and scroll through them.
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And finally….another Grand Day Out at Knettishall
A much more cheering ‘new normal’ emerged last Tuesday (15 March 2022) – bright sunny skies, lighter winds, and the hardy weekday fliers were out in force, joined by a couple of weekend regulars (youngsters with jobs) and even ‘Lanzarote Mark’ was there for a pre-flying visit.
In the lunchtime photo above, seated left to right – Mark Allen; Ron Gray; Jed Stone; Mark Barker; Ian McDowell. Behind them Peter Jenkins and Steve Tarrant. StevieB had already left, purportedly to walk the dogs, although my own belief is that he only lunches at banquets.
I say lighter winds, they were generally strong enough to encourage Mark Allen, Steve Tarrant and Ron Gray to each attempt a land speed record. The following video shorts (3 seconds each) capture the action. But blink and you will miss it!
Each video gives you the play option of enlarging to full screen and selecting the display quality.
First up was Mark Allen with a test run of his Eflite Viper at 135 mph.
Steve Tarrant with an FMS Viper (identical to the Eflite, but for price and colour) was a bit more circumspect on a maiden…speed unknown, but fast fly by.
Ron Gray joined in with a home built Kyten designed by Graham Dorschell and currently being plugged by Sarik. This was just a practice run.
Followed by the shot of the day downwind run. I believe this was recorded at 138mph.
Mark Allen capped that with a downwind flight at 143mph.
To be way surpassed by Ron in a ‘play off’ against Mark. This time Ron entered a tiny (24”) ZOHD Delta Strike courtesy of Banggood. Again, speed unknown…but it shot past Marks Viper which recorded 153mph, leaving no one in any doubt about its pace. Popular vote was around 180mph! Sorry, no video of this one, all I got was blue sky.
A Glorious Start to 2022
Eventually, 12 January, the weather returned to amazing. Mild fog while setting up, then wall to wall blue and practically no breeze. This was enough to convince Steve Braden (StevieB) to attempt his maiden flight with a spanking new AcroWot foamie: his first flight ever with a low winger.
The AcroWot had been maidened and trimmed by Ron Gray a week earlier. Although I have reduced the quality of the videos (not so you will notice on the average monitor) and show only the first and last minute of the flight (tight wad with uploads) you can see what an impressive first this really is. Smooth as silk and a brilliant event to witness.
All videos courtesy of Ron Gray and filmed on an iPhone 13Pro.
Each video gives you the play option of enlarging to full screen and selecting the display quality.
Then, some of you may recall my FunFly dropping from a great height at an evening fly-in at Rougham. Thanks to a very effective crumple zone from wheels to spar, and some very resilient Oracover giving me the ‘lost’ dimensions, she has been rebuilt. Fitted now with a better motor, and a standard Rx with no giro, but quality trimming, I couldn’t resist sharing a very brief part of a flying video:
Articles and pictures from before 2022 have been removed to the Archive
To view them, either search (icon in the webpage headers) for Archive, for an index to all archived material,
or, go directly to the Knettishall archive here.