What a first full week at Flying Tigers that was! I did say in last weekends Newsletter that I had hoped that all the establishment problems that I had experienced would now be a thing of the past, but how wrong could I be? Over the past few days, I have been forced to endure computer configuration problems, internet connection faults, which affected the entire site and software upgrades that were apparently urgent – thank goodness it is weekend.
Before I go on, I would like to thank the collectors who have contacted me over the past week, to introduce themselves and to wish me well. This has definitely been the highlight of my week and I am very grateful. It has been nice to actually be able to speak to people, after the connection issues of the past few weeks. I am also extremely grateful for the orders placed since the last Newsletter and I am pleased to say that packing and dispatch is now very much up to speed. After weeks of shifting boxes and trying to get everything in place, it has been a really pleasant change to be able to speak with collectors and send out some models. Thank you very much indeed for your support.
As I am also very new to Newsletter writing, I am going to make this weeks effort a rather condensed version, as it really has been a trying week and I do not need another technology challenge this late in the week. What I have managed to do, is to have a little walk around the airfield with my camera. Sywell is a busy little place and you can always be assured that something interesting will be going on somewhere. A little stroll with the camera will usually bear fruit, which is something that I hope to develop over the coming months, but for this week, I would like to show you what has been going on over the past couple of weeks. As we head towards the summer, things are really beginning to liven up at Sywell.
When I first took ownership of the unit here, the nearby Sywell Aviation Museum was firmly shut up for the winter, with an almost empty car park. I am pleased to say that it is now very much open and the first image I attached this week features the museums beautifully restored Hawker Hunter F.Mk.2, which is certainly one of the most impressive exhibits they have. It is now on display without its protective covers on and is well worth a visit – in a future Newsletter, I will let you have much more information on this beautiful aircraft.
Sywell is also home to the famous Blades aerobatic display team and as we head towards the Airshow season, I am sure that there will be much more training taking place at the airfield. The picture above shows Blade 1 in a smart new colour scheme and it looks fantastic – I wonder if I will be lucky enough to get one of the Blade pilots calling in the Flying Tigers for a cup of tea any time soon? As I get more used to the business and producing this Newsletter, I am sure that there will be much more to report from Sywell Airfield.
I am working hard to get as much product on the website as I possibly can, but I would like to draw your attention to some very handsome Hobbymaster models that we have at special SALE prices this weekend. The McDonnell Douglas Voodoo is a stunning looking aircraft and Hobbymaster have managed to capture the lines of this American classic to perfection. We have a small number of these models available at half price, but I am afraid that we don’t have many – please click on the picture above, or the Voodoo hot-link to take a closer look at what we have available.
As I have been getting used to the website software, I have been doing some work on the Hobbymaster 1/200th scale classic airliner section this week and these models are now fully updated. We again have some really spectacular deals available, but I am afraid that we only have small numbers of each model available. If you have the opportunity over the weekend, please take a quick look at what I have been up to, especially if you are a collector of these lovely little models. Again, please either click on the DC-6 image, or the wording hot-link above for more details.
Over the past few months, I have been very working closely with Michael, as we arranged the transfer of the Flying Tigers website to me. It has definitely been a challenge, but thankfully, I am getting to grips with things now and I thought that I would end this weeks Newsletter by letting you know how he is getting on in his new job. As many of you will know, Michael went off to work with Hornby Hobbies and he tells me that he is enjoying his new role very much. He has also posted the first two editions of his new Aerodrome blog on the Corgi website, so we can all still keep tabs on what he is up to. His new aviation blog can be found in the Corgi section of the Hornby website by CLICKING HERE and you can
sign up for an e-mail notification of each new blog, by registering your e-mail address at the bottom of the aerodrome page. I am sure that you will all join with me in wishing Michael well and I will certainly be signing up for his Aerodrome Newsletter. I also hope that he will be popping in to see Flying Tigers Mk.II before too long, although if I know him, it will probably be because something juicy is due to appear on the airfield.
I’m off to pack some more boxes now – no rest for the wicked. I am really sorry about the late arrival of the Newsletter, but I really do think that I am finally getting to grips with things. Until next week, thank you for reading.
Richard
