Marking D-Day 80th in poor conditions on the Orme…

Despite a dissapointing weekend with unusual weather at The Great Orme 18th/19th May 2024, 15 PSSA members grouped at the Tank Track site and brought with them their Allied Invasion striped models for the camera to help mark the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings ‘Operation Overlord’.

Sadly the weekend was dominated by high pressure which brought some rare (and very picturesque) conditions on the hill.   After a sunny start, by 09:30 Saturday we were clagged in with a dense sea mist which lingered all day(!), the winds were light from the NW but flying proved all but impossible in the limited visibility.  Arriving on Sunday morning the Big Rock was engulfed in an eery cloud inversion with the top of the hill sitting high above the cloud, so dense you couldnt see the water below and with magnificent clear blue skies above.  It was dead calm too, resulting in only the lightest of DLGs or Aluha types being assembled for trial and this time flying more Northerly high above and beyond the Lighthouse.

There were a few new (or newly refurbished) models on show in the D-Day lineup, no doubt we will see more of these airframes in action later in the season when the winds return.  Harry Twist’s new Mosquito, Pete Jennison’s new Spitfire, Bob Jennings’ new Mustang and Dave Gilder’s newly painted Spitire to name but a few.

Big thanks to all who travelled on such a poor flying forecast, I know the fresh air, views and social is always enjoyed even when we cannot fly – and we still had 12 seats filled in the Queens Head on the Saturday night.  Great stuff!

A few more photos from the weekend can be viewed here.

Our next flying meeting sees us move further along the North Welsh coast to the Lleyn Peninsula for an extended PSSA event running between 29th June and 7th July inclusive.   I look forward to our flying adventures there!